(Palestine) | hip-hop | www.damofficialband.com

DAM (“ever lasting”) is the first Palestinian hip-hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic. Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood in Lyd, Tamer Nafar, Suhell Nafar and Mahmood Jrere were inspired to tell their stories through hip-hop and began working together in the late 90s. Their music is a unique fusion of east and west, combining fierceful Arabic rap with Arabic rhythms, West Asian sounds and melodies, and deep bassy urban hip hop. Their single Emta Njawzak Yamma (“When will you get married?”) off their 3rd album BEN HAANA WA MAANA that came out on Cooking Vinyl in June 2019, tackles the social pressure of marriage and hit 1.6 million views on Youtube in only 6 months. After their successful release, DAM will finally be able to share their widely acclaimed record live in Berlin for the very first time.

YouTube | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

(Colombia/Berlin,Germany) | afro-caribbean/jazz/tribal

EDNA MARTINEZ is an artist, DJ/curator and radio host from the Colombian Caribbean based in Berlin. Her musical selection is linked to her artistic research exploring autobiographical migratory routes. From Afro-Caribbean grooves to jazz bases, tribal polyrhythms, folklore, and beyond, she shakes global dancefloors. Founder of Latinarab , a trip around the Arab Caribbean, and Co-founder of El Volcán El Orgullo de Berlin,the 1st soundsystem picó party in Germany. She also moderates monthly radio shows on Radio Alhara راديو الحارة (Palestine), Worldwide FM (London) and Boxout.fm (India).

Mixcloud | SoundCloud | Instagram

(Syria) | west asian | www.carpet-ride.com/salma-sunshine-hasan-kai

HASAN KAI, one half of the band TootArd, will be premiering his solo debut release Salma Sunshine. The past year has been one of global darkness and isolation – those months have brought the inspiration to define Hasan’s guitar playing and to create his debut EP, released on Carpet Ride Records in May 2021. The lush blend of American guitar and West Asian microtones set the record’s tone. The melodies glide effortlessly, soaring and swooping as they carry the listener along, introducing them to some delicate, smooth organ and synth West Asian grooves. As we slowly come out of the darkness, Salma Sunshine brings the promise of warmth and light and a hopeful future.

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(Syria/France/Sweden) | electro-chaabi 

NESHAMA is the first chaabi music band in Europe that comes from the Arabian uprising scene. Their debut album Neshama – Songs Belonging to the Syrian Revolution, features compositions based on the original sounds of the 2011 demonstrations in Syria. After being scattered around the world for approximately 8 years, Wael Alkak, Yazan Alqaq and Shadi Abazid will be reuniting in Berlin, to present their latest works. By collecting popular songs from Syria and beyond, they created a new style of music that stands out not merely for its digital reinventions of iconic songs, but for its attitude to, and dexterity in, the field of electronic music. Not shying away from synthesizers and the electronic equipment, this enthralling fusion pays homage to the spontaneous improvisations and the acid electronic music movement while still transporting the listener to the epochal feel of Syrian and Arabic music traditions and life. 

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(Palestine/Berlin,Germany) | pop/folklore

RASHA HILWI is a Palestinian writer, journalist and a mother of twin girls. She is the co-editor in chief of Raseef22, an Arabic language media platform standing at the intersection of identity, democracy and social justice. Rasha is a DJ storyteller, an artistic form that combines stories and music. In her work she focuses on the questions surrounding “Home بيت” and “Ghorbah غربة” and their intersection with feminism and identity. And when she brings her music set to the stage, She becomes DJ Hilwi, who believes that dancing is the most beautiful way to travel and feel home at the same time.

SoundCloud | Instagram

AL.BERLIN is a cultural collective active in Berlin since 2019, that aims to support and connect people through art, music and various knowledge productions, with the Contemporary Moment of West Asia and North Africa (WANA) – whether this moment is coming from the geographic region itself or from its various diasporas. www.alberlin.com