Lineup
We are thrilled to announce that AL.FESTIVAL 2024 is just around the corner! This annual music festival in Berlin is a vibrant celebration of contemporary pop and alternative music from the South West Asian and North African (SWANA) regions. Now in its fifth edition, the festival is deeply rooted in Berlin’s diverse and dynamic SWANA diaspora, uniting artists, activists, and music lovers who share a passion for culture, art, and anti-fascist values.
SAMI GALBI
Swiss and Moroccan musician from alternative scenes of West Switzerland, Sami Galbi draws on the music of his childhood, the one he rediscovered in the Cabarets of Casablanca, the Raï and the Chaâbi that he tells in his own way. With his machines, analog synthesizers and guitar effects, he likes to modulate some of the North African folk music by giving them a pop texture and a club atmosphere. On stage, Sami defends a «High Energy» music borrowing the codes of urban music such as UK Bass music and West-coast hip-hop.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
TALES AND AHLAM
TALES & AHLAM, a Franco-Lebanese duo blending house and Lebanese influences into a dynamic mix of dance, sharing, and love. The project features producer Bab, known for merging Maghreb music with modern beats, and singer Celinatique, who draws from Arabic music traditions and indie-electro influences. Their debut EP „Boussa“ („kiss“ in Arabic) merges Chicago house, disco, and techno with Lebanese song, celebrating cultural diversity and aiming to energize audiences from Beirut to Paris, via Chicago and Oran.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
JAZEERA 10
Jazeera 10-pronounced Jazeera Aashra, is a 5-piece indie band based in Berlin. Founded early 2024 by five Syrian musicians who also happened to be longtime best friends. With the release of their first EP titled “Bahlami”, they explore genres and sounds ranging from dream pop to dark wave. All combined with Arabic lyrics and contemporary pop vocal lines. Their first EP received great feedback from a modest yet organic audience from the Arab world and the diaspora. At the moment, they’re putting final touches on two new EPs scheduled for October 2024, “Dari’l Hal” and “Leil’l Matalib”.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
Ahmed Eid & ILYF
ILYF is a Berlin-based band composed by two of the Bukahara co-founders, violinist Daniel Schneider and bassist Ahmed Eid with the drummer Kuba aka Badkuzu joined by the keyboard player Allysa Grace Martinez. Collaborating for over a decade they have been the heart of many different bands and projects spanning a plentitude of genres and styles. Their concerts feature an eclectic harvest of music leaning into psychedelic groove, traditionally infused Arabic songs as well as delving into improvised adventures, organic funky jams, m cuddly breakdowns and sequenced electronic dance music sounds sourced from the depths of the Berlin rave scene.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
ROLA AZAR
Rola Azar is the captivating voice of modern Palestinian folk culture, born in Nazareth,Palestine, and academically trained in Oriental Music at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Rola’s career is highlighted by performances in prestigious venues worldwide, from Qatar Opera House to London’s City Theater, Rola’s music combines tradition and contemporary elements, mirroring her serene yet powerful voice. She released her debut album in collaboration with Lebanese Composer and Oud musician Ziad Sahab in Beirut and is gearing up for her second album, rooted in the Palestinian dialect. Rola’s commitment extends to preserving traditional songs with her father, Milad Azar, through using her music to fortify Palestinian identity and connect with her loyal audiences.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
EL SAWAREEKH
El sawareekh, a dynamic music group, emerged in 2014 through the creative collaboration of original members and the egyptian duo dokdok & fanky. Their journey commenced with the release of their debut album “1#” in 2014, which initially received modest attention. However, it was their first major single, “shoft namla” that resonated with the streets of egypt, capturing the essence of the country’s cultural pulse. The release of “laa laa” their groundbreaking hit single, propelled el sawareekh to new heights of exposure and success. Within a day of its upload, the song captivated audiences, amassing over 100 million hits and views across leading platforms such as youtube, spotify, and anghami. The band continued their trajectory with the release of “ely byshtky menna” a music video that garnered an impressive 13 million views on youtube.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
DISCO ATLAS
Disco Atlas is a groundbreaking musical project initiated in Rabat in 2019. Born from a deep-seated passion for the rich and diverse musical traditions of Morocco and North Africa, Disco Atlas is the culmination of years spent meticulously collecting and archiving sounds that tell the stories of these regions. With a mission to revive and reimagine these sonic treasures, Disco Atlas blends traditional rhythms with modern influences, creating a unique and captivating auditory experience at its core, Disco Atlas presents and performs a curated selection of music unearthed during extensive digging for new sounds, predominantly sourced from cassette tapes and vinyl.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
Smoothin Groovin TRU:L & Bogdan D.
TRU:L & Bogdan D. are a Romanian Duo, living in Berlin, and responsible for the Smoothin Groovin dances, where they focus on bridging different, lesser-known musical directions worldwide. While they draw heavy inspiration from Jamaican and British sound system culture, they also incorporate Berlin’s Techno and House tradition, as a foundation. The influences are multiple and it’s important to make space for each of them, creating a dancing environment where people from different parts of the globe would feel represented.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
Guest-curators
In this year’s edition, we have teamed up once again with two of our beloved collectives. Adira Party and Latin Arab will be taking over the curation of the AL.Kamin and AL.Flügel rooms respectively with a brilliant list of artist
ADIRA PARTY
ADIRA PARTY is a queer Arabic-pop party series. ADIRA is dedicated to celebrating nostalgic Arabic-pop music from the 80s, 90s, and 00s, as well as Mahraganat, Rai and Dabke music. ADIRA was co-founded by Lebanese artist Hassandra and Syrian-German podcaster Zuher Jazmati, aka. xanax_attax. ADIRA PARTY seeks to showcase Arab* talent within Berlin and foster connections between Arab communities in various cities.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
ADARA DRAG SHOW
ADIRA PARTY
Hassandra is a Beirut-born, Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist and DJ, with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Stage Acting from the Lebanese University. They explore themes such as migration, nostalgia, and queer living archives, and have co-founded Critical Queer Solidarity, ADIRA Party, and ADIRA Drag Festival. In addition to co-hosting the Baby, I’m Home! podcast, they won the Mx. Kotti Pageant in 2019 and have performed in numerous theatre and film productions.
DumTak. ADIRA’s resident DJ, DumTak is a Palestinian-Jordanian DJ and Filmmaker based in Berlin. DUMTAK’s sets are a musical celebration of Arabic cultural heritage and a testament to the power of music to transcend borders and generations that foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity on the dance floor. From 80s, 90s, and current hits to Electro vibes.
Zuher Jazmati (he/him) aka xanax_attax is a Berlin based, Syrian-German DJ who merges tacky Arab-pop with femme Hip Hop music, he is also a co-founder of ADIRA Party. He was born in Berlin and lived several years in London where he finished an M.Sc. at the London School of Economics, he was also part of the queer-feminist party collective “PxssyPalace” where he started his DJing career.He is the co-host of the COSMO and ARD format BBQ – the BlackBrownQueer Podcast.
LATIN ARAB
Curated by DJ, selector and NTS radio host Edna Martinez, Latin Arab is an event series that since 2017 has established itself in the Berlin music scene as the perfect melting pot of Arabic, Caribbean and Latin culture. An exciting, borderless journey of deep basslines and heavy rhythms, Latin Arab always promises and successfully delivers a selection of the city’s finest.
Saturday – October 12, 2024
Edna Martinez is an artist distinguished by her ability to blend the charming sounds of the regions she loves: Africa, the Caribbean, and the Levant. Embedded in Berlin’s vibrant electronic scene, Edna’s eclectic sets are constantly in flux, weaving together basslines and polyrhythmic arrangements that connect global club sounds from the diaspora, including rai, dabke, champeta, soukous, afrobeat, tarraxo, zouk, and any other elements that enrich her unique vision. She has performed on renowned stages worldwide, including Glastonbury, Fusion Festival, Museo Reina Sofía, Bahidora, and Panorama Bar Berghain, and has toured in Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco,Colombia, Panama, and Chile.
Basma is the host of Khartoum Arrivals on NTS Radio and the co-host of radio show and record label Hear, Sense and Feel. She plays music inspired by the long road, drawing from the wedding anthems and eclectic folk of Sudan, the Sahel, the Horn and beyond.
Orieta Chrem is a DJ, sound engineer, and music producer from Lima, Peru with over 20 years of experience. She is a key figure in the Peruvian electronic music scene and has created various platforms throughout her career showcasing Peruvian and Latin American talent in various cultural spaces in her hometown. As a promoter and founder of “LA RARA”, she has invited acts from all over Latin America and beyond, focusing on creating spaces for underrepresented artists and fomenting the growth of the electronic music scene in Lima.
Born and raised in Jordan, DJ and producer Yazan Zyadat, aka Toumba, is now based in London, where he fashions lithe club bangers that melt Middle Eastern elements with dubstep basslines and clattering breaks. Last year he experienced a flurry of interest when Ben UFO’s Hessle Audio label released his “Petals” EP and Zyadat was able to broadcast his unique sounds on a larger platform. Tonally ambitious and deviously percussive, his music takes the essence of Arabic tarab and shelat forms (often seen as wedding music) and dilutes it in a dance floor-ready roil of booming bass and dissociated synths.
AL.BERLIN TAKE OVER
AL.Berlin takes over Refuge Worldwide