Arab music hits a high note in Europe
As continued conflict and repression roil their home countries, members of Europe鈥檚 Middle Eastern and North African diaspora are also confronting harsh rhetoric and violence in their host countries. But an expanding cohort of musicians and DJs in exile is helping foster connections and joy among fellow immigrants and a broader audience through a vibrant musical nightlife and online presence.
Recurrent Arab 鈥渃lub music鈥� parties and festivals 鈥� such as the monthly Hishek Bishek in London and Sahra in Berlin or the annual Nawafiz in the Netherlands 鈥� are becoming anticipated cultural fixtures. Showcasing a hybrid of local and folk traditions melded with popular global genres and electronic beats, these events embody what鈥檚 been called 鈥済localization.鈥� The lyrics 鈥� and the fans 鈥� are multilingual, flowing seamlessly between Arabic and smatterings of French, English, German, and Spanish.
Audience appreciation for such music is soaring and diversifying, partly thanks to streaming services and social media. This has led to new record labels starting up, such as Habibi Funk in Germany. Lebanese musician Charif Megarbane, who issues songs under the label and has performed at London鈥檚 Jazz Cafe, told Time magazine he was delighted at having 鈥渟uch a varied audience.鈥� An English fan who confessed to being 鈥渙bsessed鈥� with his music found her way to it via Spotify and a Turkish music festival in France.
As New Lines journalist Oume茂ma Nechi wrote this week, music festivals and club events are hubs where 鈥淒iaspora musicians are blending tradition and rebellion鈥� 鈥� and also where 鈥淢usic meets activism.鈥� The spaces give voice to the community鈥檚 optimism and worry about political change back home. They also evoke a nostalgic love and pride in homelands and cultures left behind.
鈥淏efore ... there was a tendency to hide one鈥檚 identity a bit,鈥� Tunisian-born DJ Haroun Ben Hmida told Ms. Nechi. But now, Arab artists and their audiences have 鈥渞eclaimed their identity and have started uniting together, seeing each other, working on projects together.鈥�
One example of 鈥渟eeing each other鈥� is the musical duo Shkoon, which pairs a Syrian refugee, who was part of the large wave of migration to Europe a decade ago, with a classically trained German musician. Shkoon鈥檚 eclectic approach aims to counter Islamophobia and dissolve cultural barriers, group member Ameen Khayer told Middle East Eye. 鈥淲hen we ... perform our music,鈥� he said, the audience is 鈥渘ot only Arabs, or not only Germans, ... multiple nationalities are joining.鈥�
Through its shared melodies and memories, the appeal of Arab diaspora music among immigrants and host communities in Europe is enlarging perceptions of blending and belonging.
