Are some Arab musicians really self-orientalizing for the sake of getting streams?

afikra is excited to introduce a new music series to our podcast network! For a full season, Shik Shak Shook Ones will be your go-to podcast for a constructive take on current Arabic music and musicians from the region. In this first episode, co-hosts Danny Hajjar and Deana Soni dig right into the topic of self-orientalization and the perpetuation of stereotypes by Arab artists themselves for the sake of streams. Taking "ARABI" by Mohamed Ramadan, Massari and FUTURE as a prime example, Danny and Deana deconstruct the song, its music video and its fall out with their quick quips and biting analysis. They tackle themes of "representation", musicians who try to represent an entire culture but who wind up parodying themselves instead, and why Arab artists fall into the trap of self-orientalizing to please the eyes and ears of Western audiences.

ARABI music video 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s3F1GkfZIU

Hosted by:

Deana Soni 👉 https://www.instagram.com/deana.soni/

& Danny Hajjar 👉 https://www.instagram.com/dannyghajjar/

Deana is a dedicated presenter and journalist with a special focus on highlighting the cultural richness of the MENA region and fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse voices within the community. In 2020, she launched the UK's first Arabic and North African radio show, which showcased and platformed talented artists from the regions and diaspora, before creating her new platform, WASTA, in 2024. Additionally, she was the official host for the Assassin's Creed Mirage podcast, which explored medieval Iraq and its rich history. Deana also created the viral show Musconceptions, which debunked myths about Islam through comedy and garnered over 10 million views on social media.

Danny Hajjar is a music journalist based in Washington, DC writing about the emerging Arabic music scene and the new wave of artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and its diaspora communities. He runs the award-winning digital zine Sa’alouni El Nas, highlighting trends in the Arabic scene, profiling artists, and reviewing music.

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK

Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl4wJ-aikX6XQ-BNv5ph8bq2

ABOUT AFIKRA

afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

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