For its first round in an annual planned music festival, through a generous support from Music Board Berlin, /AL\Festival Berlin brings a remarkable line up of musicians that are mostly affiliated with, and celebrates, the Arab Revolutions Spring Spirit.
/AL\Festival.Berlin.2019 will happen on the 28.09.2019 in YAAM Berlin and will provide the Berliner audience with a well curated music night that mix Berliner Based Artists with some of the most celebrated musicians of the indie scene in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.
The main acts of this condensed music night will be without a doubt the Live Concert of LEKHFA band and the Live Electronic Act of Wael Alkak.
LEKHFA is the creation of Maryam Saleh, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh and Maurice Louca. Well-established solo artists of the independent Arab music scene who work from Egypt. LEKFHA creates one in a life time mixture of political music, Cairo working class music (“Shaabi”), electro-Shaabi, psychedelia and pop as well as the use of instruments such as slide guitars, oud, Buzuq and beat loops. The bands lyrics are by the Egyptian poet Mido Zoheir. Together with the interplay between the captivating voices of Maryam Saleh and Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, LEKHFA creates an exciting, unmistakable sound. Worth noting that LEKHFA will be supported by one of Egypt’s best practicing percussionists: Ayman Mabrouk.
Independent artist Damascus-born, Wael Alkak is an experienced author of unique electronic music that combines genres and cultures. Practicing a multitude of instruments such as bouzouki, percussions, saxophone and keyboards, and digital music.
Wael Alkak participated in the first pacifist demonstrations in 2011. As a result of these events, he composed his first musical album: Neshama, a contemporary collective project that interprets traditional rhythms in electronic versions, combining folk music with classical Arabic, inspired from revolutionary anthems born from pacifist demonstrations.
Another Live Act to be noticed is Shafta-Talli. A fresh and festive project that marries traditional music with 90’s Arabic pop, and an original rhythmic/textural approach. Created by Elie Afif (Bass/keys/electronics) and Khaled Yassine (drums/percussion/electronics).
Elie & Khaled, who are both at the forefront of today’s Arabic music scene, joined forces to create a unique UpBeat “Arabic” dance-music experience.
In between, before, and following the live acts the crowd will enjoy a unique choices of Berlin Based DJs that will provide the local Berliner special party atmosphere.
Rasha Hilwi (aka DJ Hilwi) is a Palestinian writer, journalist and editor, events manager and a DJ. She was born in the city of Akka and now based in Berlin.
She plays music and songs from East, West and South Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe.
She believes that DJing is a form of storytelling, as music and songs tell the stories of their places and people, even the non told and the oppressed stories that hide in dance or even in the music that been produced for mere entertainment.
Another remarkable DJ on the line up will be DJ Twist Fire, who is a Berlin based American musician/DJ. She plays a variation of dance and experimental electronic music.
Twist Fire blends soft, bright house into harder techno jabs twisting fervid energy into dance fire.
The cherry on top of the mention list will be DJ Liselotte. She is a Listener- to many different styles and genres. Her game is to find the pearls and decontextualize, materialize and combine them to new stories.
\\About /AL\ Berlin\\
/AL\ Festival is on the Music Board Berlin Festival Funding list for 2019.
The /AL\Berlin aims to connect Berliners who are interested in the Contemporary Middle Eastern Music Scene with musicians and music acts from the region, to create a temporal spatial opportunity to develop this scene in Berlin as a Contemporary Moment, regardless of margin spots on Eurocentric festivals or programs promoted for their empowerment value alone. We want to promote and empower this scene for its artistic value, while giving it its deserved unique space to develop further sustainably.