Arab Hip Hop Queen Malikah

Daily life for women in the Arab world is never an easy task in a male-dominated society. So imagine being one of very few female emcees taking on the testosterone-driven world of Arabic hip hop. But, MC Lix aka Malikah, which means Queen in Arabic, is doing just that.

Born into a Lebanese/Algerian family in Marseille, France in 1986, Malikah has spent the last nine years not only establishing herself as a well respected MC but also letting the world know that Arab women have something to say and should be respected.

Proclaimed the "Best MC in Lebanon" after making her mark on MTV Hip HopNa, Malikah has become the voice of female empowerment through her music. One of her trademark songs is Ya Imra’a, which encourages women to fight for their rights and freedom -- despite all the obstacles they face in the Middle East and North Africa.

Here's a little taste of the Queen in action.




At the onset of her career, Malikah faced her own obstacles. Besides battling her male counterparts, she was also forced to cover her face whenever making public concerts due to the opposition she faced from her family of being a rapper. On stage, Malikah is a force to be reckoned with. She is hardcore and serious when it comes to politics and social issues, but smooth when it comes to singing about love and friendship.

Currently, Malikah is hard at work creating her debut album, The Coronation. Here’s a link to her MySpace page to keep up with all her doings.

Street Artist Swoon's Creative Community

Paper cut out by Swoon. Image via Revel in New York. Photo by Joann Jovinelly 

If you've walked through any New York neighborhood within the past couple of years, you may have come across some street art that stopped you in your tracks. Artist Swoon (real name Caledonia Dance Curry) has been adorning the city's walls with her intricately detailed paper cutout pieces since 1999. A native of Daytona Florida, Swoon studied painting at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute and continues to live and work in the city. But as Swoon's work continues to grow in popularity, her ideas continue to evolve and grow more expansive in their scope. It's as if she's extending a hand to her audience and saying, "Like what you see? Come be a part of it."

Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea installation. Image via Deitch Projects. Photo by Kristy Leibowitz  

In 2008 Swoon and a team of collaborators created Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea, an installation of seven boats handmade from salvaged materials which were launched into New York's Hudson River for a 3 week journey. The boats made stops on their journey from upstate Troy, New York to Long Island City, Queens for riverside performances by the boats' crews (each one held between 9 and 13 people).

Intimacy Issues in Popular Culture and Art

Cover of Amy Winehouse

Last weekend, a good friend called me and shared the unfortunate news that one of the more troubled entertainers in recent pop history, British singer Amy Winehouse, had passed away. While we considered the more obvious causes for her death, there were more deeply rooted issues that we drew out of such sad circumstances. Issues such as eating disorders, beauty image, and public image were matters that provoked a very compassionate discussion that reminded us to be thankful for each others' support.

It isn't easy for women, in the UK, the United States, or other countries, to balance their personal expression with the barrage of public standards that seem to fog up our concepts of artists, women, and culture altogether. Ann Powers addressed the unforgiving nature of pop celebritydom in this compassionate article via NPR. This particular passage reminded me of the creative tensions that can overwhelm people in their lives, and in shaping their creativity:

She seemed locked in a battle with the media — her observers both fretted over her and demonized her, and she responded with self-damaging defiance...Women's suffering has often inspired admiration from audiences whose embrace of their tragic heroine can seem like equal parts sympathy and sadism.

Just a few weeks ago, I encountered an artist that I had not been aware of before. American artist Laurel Nakadate's work sort of bothered me at first glance. When I read more about her in this Economist article, I realized that she was grappling with the same (very public) issues that follow many people home--just as she does in her performances. The summation of Nakadate's early works illustrates her tendency to examine the intense voyeurism that many direct at women in general while framing it in her less seductive perspective. J.S. explained her technique as follows:

For several years she made videos featuring lonely older men who started conversations with her in grocery stores and parking lots; she would agree to go home with them as long as they allowed her to film what happened, which would usually turn out to be a scenario of her choosing. In some cases this meant a pretend birthday party (we see the man eating a slice of cake and then singing to her) or a pretend music video (we watch her dance to “Oops, I Did It Again”, Britney Spears’s paean to inadvertent seduction).

Why Britney Spears? Why not? Her work is the epitome of public meets private image, and the damage that it can evoke over time. Was this Nakadate's attempt to weave a sense of morality to the fantasy-breaking videos and comment on the mirage of celebritydom? Perhaps, and it's worth contemplating.

Alsarah: Sudani Soul Singer

Alsarah. Photo by Carlos Ramirez

When one mentions Sudan, many things come to mind: a decades long civil war, the genocide in Darfur, and most recently, the South becoming independent from the North to form its own nation. But amongst all the trial and triumph the region has seen, Sudan has always been a place that brings forth incredible music. From the traditional sounds unique to various regions to more contemporary popular songs, Sudan's musical legacy is one of diversity and depth. And from that rich tradition comes Alsarah, a contemporary soul singer whose music is steeped in the traditional sounds of Sudan and influenced by music from various regions of Africa, the Middle East, and the United States.



Born in Sudan's capital city of Khartoum, Alsarah and her family left Sudan when she was 8 years old, and then spent 4 years in Yemen before coming to the United States in 1994. Alsarah began her musical training at age 12, and attended the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter High School in Massachusetts before going on to earn a degree in Music from Wesleyan University with a concentration in Ethnomusicology.

Alsarah and the Nubatones. Photo by Carlos Ramirez

Now based in Brooklyn, New York, Alsarah is a rising star on the world music scene. She sings with Sounds of Taraab, a band playing the traditional music of the Swahili people from Africa's eastern coastline. Taraab is a blend of African, Indian, and Arabic musical styles.

Then there's Alsarah and the Nubatones, a band that blends "a selection of Nubian 'songs of return' from the 1970s through today with original material and traditional music of central Sudan."

Alsarah has also been involved in Sudan's struggle for free and fair elections, lending her creative talents to the cause with the single "Vote" featuring Sudanese hip hop artist Oddisee. The single was released as the Sudanese people took to the polls to vote for Southern Sudan's independence from Northern Sudan.



Recently, I asked Alsarah about the secession and what she hoped it would mean for Sudan, and about how her music and message is received there.


July 9th 2011 is the historic day when South Sudan gains independence from the North. What do you hope this event will mean for the Sudanese people? What changes would you like to see occur in both the North and South?

I'm so happy for South Sudan, this marks a really momentous occasion for them. I wish them nothing but prosperity and hope we can all work towards a Pan African vision of subsaharan Africa especially. I hope
this also marks a radical change for the North with a democratic and fair election in the not too distant future. The current regime is nothing but an oppressive machine perpetuating hate in its wake, depleting the already drained resources of the country and pouring it into their private bank accounts in Switzerland. Talk about babylon...

You are considered a somewhat controversial artist in Sudan. Why is that? How do you feel about it?

Am I controversial? I have to confess that I don't actually consider myself to be radical in any way shape or form. I'm just stating the obvious as far as i'm concerned and echoing what many other Sudanese activists and citizens are saying too. Many of my songs are about love and about being open to it regardless of ethnic or religious difference. In Sudan these days even that is controversial if i don't present it with a hijab over my head and a sense of coyful shyness for being born a woman that apparently should be an inherent part of my
gender role. I think the reason most people in Sudan think I'm controversial is because I won't present myself in the mainstream way, and that is confusing in any society I suppose. But in Sudan when you do that people are quick to try and say you can't possibly be sudani....you would be amazed how many people from Sudan try to pretend i'm from somewhere else (Ethiopia is a popular choice, Uganda I've heard too)

Photo by Carlos Ramirez

What's next for you creatively? What projects are you currently working on?

Creatively this is a very exciting year for me. I'm sowing the seeds for a lot of new things I hope to come out early next year. I'm working towards creating an English language recording project with an amazing singer/songwriter and producer, Toshi Reagon. I think this will be a really exciting step for me artistically, allowing me to show a new depth of my work that I don't get to share very often. It will mark a new beginning for me. I'm also setting the ground work for a recording project with my current band The Nubatones with whom I'm having so much fun on stage these days.

Alsarah's live performances are electric, so if you have the chance to catch this woman on stage, don't miss it. Alsarah will be performing at the 7th Annual Arab American Heritage Park Festival at Prospect Park in Brooklyn on July 17th, and Alsarah and the Nubatones will perform at the 17th Annual Arab Cultural Festival in San Francisco's Union Square on October 1st. For more on Alsarah, please visit her website.

Zar: Women’s Medicine, Tradition and Rituals

Traditionally, religion has been one of the most powerful sources of both vision and values. Every religion, particularly indigenous, has evoked a new vision for society, aided in advancing the collective consciousness, and inspired both personal and institutional transformation. It has also been a source of division and social fragmentation. However, in indigenous spiritual practices, like the Zar, we find that women play a key role as leaders of ritual, keepers of the earth, and healers.

In parts of the Arab world, women diagnosed with acute cases of depression are, believed to be, possessed by the jinn. This depression or low spirit emphasizes an individuals inability to withstand psychological disorders usually brought about by deprivation, poverty, and hardship. Despite religious opposition, many women resort to the underground female healing ceremonies of the Zar, where a ritual-dance accompanied by music are conducted to appease or elevate these spirits or invoke their therapeutic capabilities.

The Literary Colors of Ntozake Shange

Ntozake Shange reading poetry in Niger (photo via Niamey Niger US Embassy)

For much of my young life, I found myself hungry to read a certain type of story about Black women. All the stories I read about our lives were so hard. We were forever “waiting to exhale” (that even sounds painful!), enduring abusive relationships, or acting as the strong stoic type with the weight of the world on our shoulders. Although that was certainly part of our story, was that all of it? I realized the element I was searching for in the Black woman’s story was joy. Then, I was introduced to Ntozake Shange.

I came across her novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo on my grandmother’s bookshelf. It was as though I had unlocked the door to a secret garden. The first page opened with these unforgettable words:

“Where there is a woman there is magic. If there is a moon falling from her mouth, she is a woman who knows her magic, who can share or not share her powers. A woman with a moon falling from her mouth, roses between her legs and tiaras of Spanish moss, this woman is a consort of the spirits.”

Shange wrote about the strength and power of Black women, but not in terms of how much turmoil and trauma they withstood in their lives. She wrote about a power that was innate, a sacred fire that burned from within.

Ntozake in an early performance of for colored girls (photo via Bettmann/Corbis)

Ntozake Shange is best known for her 1975 choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, which was recently made into a feature film directed by the controversial Tyler Perry.

Many of Ntozake’s characters are artists. They are painters, dancers, weavers, singers, and musicians. Shange’s artists are also often vessels for fantastic visions. When fiber artist Sassafrass receives a visit from Billie Holiday and a chorus of brightly costumed dancers in Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, Shange's women literally dance to the beat of their own drummers. They endure hardships, and hold onto their art ferociously. Sometimes, it is literally all they have. They create in the face of adversity, and mine the depths of their souls as material for their work.

The author herself is a true testament to creative strength and willpower. After suffering two strokes, Shange had to teach herself how to read, write, and speak all over again. She recovered and completed the critically acclaimed Some Sing, Some Cry, a novel she co-wrote with her sister, author and playwright Ifa Bayeza. The epic novel chronicles several generations of African American women from one family, all of who are musicians. The reader is taken on a journey through the history of American music, from spirituals and work songs to jazz and hip hop -- all carried by the lives of these women.

Ntozake Shange has enriched our literary and cultural landscape. She brings characters to life with dimension and complexity, and helps express the full spectrum of who we are as women.

Maluca's Musical World

Maluca performs at Mad Decent Block Party in Philadelphia, photo by John Sisk

One of the artists taking New York’s music scene by storm is Maluca, also known as La Maluca Mala.

Maluca is the daughter of Dominican immigrants, and was born and raised in New York City. She recently spoke to Large Up about the inspiration she gets from the city. “New York influences my music. Everyone who’s here…the style…the vernacular…inspires the kind of music that I’ve made, the lyrics that I write, the way I dress, the way I am.”

Maluca's music in many ways reflects New York’s cultural melting pot. Her beats are a mash-up of dance music from the Dominican Republic and South America, as well as Dutch house music. One thing that comes through in Maluca’s sound as well as her interviews is her extensive knowledge of music from all over the map. Maluca digs through thrift store record crates for various forms of cumbia music, and points out the African roots of sounds from the Dominican Republic and other parts of the Caribbean.

Traveling off the beaten path to discover musical gems was part of Maluca's upbringing. In an interview with MTV's mun2 network, she says "My father used to be a DJ in the '70s and '80s. When I was kid he worked at [the record label] Delicious Vinyl ... He put me on to so much new and old stuff ... I remember feeling 'cool,' like my dad let me be part of a special club, 'cause I knew my friends weren't listening to this stuff."

Maluca photographed in New York City by Aviva Klein

The sound for Maluca's best known track, El Tigeraso, was inspired by “mambo violento”, a sped-up style of merengue music.The video for El Tigeraso takes the viewer to Audobon and West 182nd Street, an intersection in Washington Heights, the heart of New York City’s Dominican community. Maluca struts down the street wearing curlers in her hair and red high heels. But it’s when she hits a nightclub later in the evening that she really gets comfortable: she dons house slippers and socks. In her hair, a crown of beer cans serving as rollers are spray painted gold.

The song's lyrics were inspired by an issue many women deal with every day: cat calls and harassment on the street. "Dominicans call the bad boys on the corner who are up to no good – but who have mad swag – Tigeres. 'El Tigeraso' is the game or swag. Growing up, I would go visit my cousins or grandma uptown. Back then, you couldn't get from one corner to the next without those 'Tigeres' trying to holler at you. It was kinda outta control. Especially if you walked down Broadway. So the song 'El Tigeraso' is poking fun at that whole situation."

MALUCA "El Tigeraso" OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO from Project Fathom on Vimeo.

Maluca’s China Food mixtape (available as a free download on her website) is an up-tempo romp through rock, hip hop, dancehall, and Latin and Caribbean rhythms. The strength of China Food is in its fusion, and Maluca’s experimentation with music from such varied genres. Maluca's rise on the airwaves represents an exciting new chapter in music. She shares the spotlight with young musical heavyweights like Lady Gaga and M.I.A. who are cultivating a sound and a style that is all their own.