Musical worlds
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Music in Taliban AfghanistanForgotten sounds
Kharabat was once Kabul's sacred music district, but since the Taliban returned to Afghanistan, music has been banned. Yet those brought up for a life of performance have not given up hope
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Dialogue in the shadow of warMusic unites Israelis and Palestinians in Berlin
At the Barenboim-Said Academy in the German capital, young Israeli and Arab musicians study together. The Hamas attacks on Israel happened just before the start of a new semester. What has been their reaction?
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Aga Khan Master Musicians' "Nowruz"Sunshine, peace and the smell of home
While intent is always important, it is no guarantee of artistic merit. "Nowruz", the Aga Khan Master Musicians' debut album, is an example of both in perfect synthesis. Richard Marcus had a listen
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Galeet Dardashti's "Monajat"Dedicated to Muslims and Jews everywhere
Reminding people of the close ties that once bound Muslims and Jews in Iran and elsewhere, American-Iranian vocalist and songwriter Galeet Dardashti's "Monajat" travels through time to transcend seemingly impassable geographical and cultural borders. By Richard Marcus
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Jewish musicBreathing new life into Ladino
Noam "Nani" Vazana's most recent album "Ke Haber" (What's New) is a beautiful dive into the rich cultural history of Sephardic Jews and the Ladino language. But there's a twist to what she does with the language: instead of just singing old songs, she creates and writes new material. By Richard Marcus
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Eklektik BerlinIstan meets Anatolian folkDJ Ipek's space-time continuum in sound
Eklektik BerlinIstan's DJ Ipek – Ipek Ipekcioglu – is famous far beyond her home city of Berlin. Now the music producer has released her first album as part of the musical project "Karmaturji". Daniel Bax had a listen
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Germany's BeethovenfestAfghan and Iranian musicians join forces
Musicians from Afghanistan, Iran and Germany have come together to work on Bonn's Beethovenfest Campus Project 2023. The result can be heard on 14 September. By Anastassia Boutsko
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Edward W. Said Days in BerlinMusic – facilitator of intercultural dialogue
How can Edward Said's ideas help people better understand Yoko Ono's performance art, pre-colonial rhythms from Africa or the music of Christian missionaries in Japan? The Edward W. Said Days in Berlin marking 20 years since the literary scholar's death explored a whole range of questions. Ceyda Nurtsch reports
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Music festivals in TurkeyOnly "halal" festivals acceptable?
In Turkey, concerts and festivals by artists at odds with the government line are being cancelled with increasing frequency. Islamist and nationalist groups are often responsible. Elmas Topcu and Aynur Tekin report
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Arab-Andalucian musicMusical "Romances" between Muslims and Christians
On 19 August, the Accademia del Piacere ensemble from Seville will celebrate the marriage of Muslim and Christian musical culture in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries at the Cologne Philharmonic. Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali will join the musicians on stage as their special guest. By Stefan Franzen
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Music: Universal Echoes by KunéAn impactful message from Canada's Global Orchestra
The musicians in the Canadian music ensemble Kuné come from a diverse array of traditions and cultures. On their new album, they share their concern for our planet's future in a collection of glorious tracks. By Richard Marcus
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Interlacing culturesMusic of the Nile
The Nile Project was a multinational music collective inspired by a river. It sang songs in a variety of styles and languages about life along and with the Nile. Like many projects in the region, it failed because of politics. By Katharina Wilhelm Otieno