Latest news with #LinaMakoul
The National
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Palestinian singer Lina Makoul gives Arabic pop new emotional language
How does one express contentment within Arabic pop music? The genre, shaped by grand emotional declarations of heartbreak, passion and longing, is often designed to overwhelm or uplift. But Palestinian singer Lina Makoul is reaching for more subtle ways of expressing the human condition. Her latest single, Radiya, which translates to 'being content", is a quiet provocation. Not a love song, nor an anthem of defiance, the track offers something that is heard less today – a moment of stillness. Set against the backdrop of the Gaza war, it is a song about survival, not through the chaos, but by finding an inner balance. 'Trying to find this balance without giving in or giving up is contentment,' Makoul tells The National. 'It is also about being grateful for the things that you are blessed with, such as a bed, a roof above your head, food in your fridge, having your loved ones next to you and not losing yourself.' It is something the US-born Makoul often considers herself, as she struggles with the enduring grief and destruction of her homeland. Radiya opens with a washed-out vocal loop, followed by a gleaming bass-synth line. Makoul takes stock of the perceived weight she carries – 'every little and big thing, I carry so much on my shoulders' – before the song pivots to a cool, measured chorus that simply declares: 'I am content.' It is a nuanced delivery that matches the subject. 'Usually, I make music that helps me go through what I go through, and this song kept going in my head all the time,' she says. 'Every time I felt like something wasn't working out for me, I would repeat it like a mantra: 'I'm content with whatever comes. I know I'm divinely protected.'' The idea of contentment is a rich vein in Arabic spiritual and literary thought. But what makes this song interesting is that the subject hasn't really been explored directly in Arabic pop music. The classics of Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez are layered, often charting the extremes of the emotional scale – the ecstasy of falling in love, as well as gnawing heartbreak. But even in their more reflective ballads, such as Umm Kulthum's Fakkarouni or Hafez's Mawood, the notion of inner peace is at best implied. Makoul's decision to focus a song on contentment, not as a fleeting feeling but a chosen state of being, mines new lyrical territory she deems essential in addressing the world today. 'I missed having this kind of message growing up,' she says. 'I missed hearing it in my own language, in my own dialect. As a teenager, as a grown-up, I didn't have that emotional vocabulary in Arabic music. So now I feel like it's my responsibility to offer it.' These are not isolated gestures. Taken together, they point to a subtle but growing shift – particularly among Levantine artists operating outside major commercial circuits – towards emotional transparency in Arabic music. Jordanian-Palestinian rapper The Synaptik discussed ADHD and depression in his album Al Taman, while Lebanese band Adonis reflected on dislocation in their latest release Wedyan, and Palestinian singer and rapper Saint Levant navigated diaspora identity and longing in Deira. Makoul says it is vital that her peers use their work to explore these important emotional spaces. 'I believe that art shapes the consciousness,' she says. 'If you don't consume art, it's very easy for you to become a robot that just repeats what the system wants you to repeat. So I want to liberate the mind, the soul, the heart – that's my way of resisting.' This idea of reclaiming your emotional agency has long been central to Makoul's creative process. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she launched #Yom, a songwriting project that invited Palestinian teenagers to submit original texts through Instagram. Makoul set those submissions to music, turning everyday reflections into delicate pop songs. One entry, Biji Abali, shifted her perspective completely. The lyrics read: 'I feel like stopping time, so I can focus on what the universe has to offer. Take deep breaths and just be present.' Makoul says she was floored by the couplets from author Sherry Mwai when the submission arrived in her inbox. 'I opened that message during Covid, when everything had stopped, and I realised I wasn't even being present,' Makoul recalls. 'The girl who wrote it had just come back from a chemotherapy session. She was 23. And she saw my challenge on Instagram and decided to write me this. It completely rewired my brain. 'That experience changed how I write. It reminded me how powerful simple words can be and how presence is everything. Without realising it, I think Radiya started there. That was the first time I truly stopped to reflect. It stayed with me.' That moment, and the shift it triggered, echoes in Radiya, where the idea of presence becomes a form of strength. In an industry where Arab pop songs are seemingly more interested in big emotions, to explore a feeling as measured as contentment feels almost radical. 'We need more songs that represent how we really feel,' she says. 'Even love songs, where's the complexity? Where's the need to be loved, the confusion, the vulnerability? I feel like we're missing so much potential in reshaping the next generation.' If Radiya signals a quiet shift in Arabic pop's emotional vocabulary, Makoul's live performances have amplified that message on a global stage. She joined Saint Levant on tour, performing across North America and Europe to sold-out crowds. 'It was such a beautiful experience,' she says. 'Being outside of Palestine, seeing how people turned the concerts into something spiritual, almost like a protest, it recharged me in a way I can't explain. But then when I returned home, I felt it again: the rupture. The reality here is different. There's no infrastructure for music. We do everything ourselves – manage, direct, fund, book, promote.' That contrast, Makoul notes, is part of what fuels music she describes as 'the soul beneath the surface". It also means no longer being interested in streaming numbers, in viral campaigns, or charts. True contentment, or feeling 'radiya', now stems from creating work that feels honest. 'I just want to make sure my light keeps shining,' she says. 'And maybe if it does, it attracts other lights. And maybe together, we can make some of the darkness we are going through feel a little smaller.'
CairoScene
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Nawafiz: The All-Arab Festival Making Utrecht a Hotspot for MENA Music
A deeper look into Utrecht's all-Arab festival, providing a space for resistance, community, and regional sounds. Jun 12, 2025 At a time when censorship is intensifying and public expressions of Arab identity are increasingly suppressed, Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival has emerged as a crucial space for free expression and connection through music. With an all-Arab lineup, it offered not only a celebration of music but a gathering point for Arabic-speaking communities across the Netherlands and Europe. The 2025 edition brought together artists from across the SWANA region and its diaspora, not only to perform, but to speak, resist, and be seen. For the second year running, TivoliVredenburg opened its doors to an all-Arab program, making Nawafiz one of the few spaces in Europe where Arab voices are not tokenized, but placed at the forefront. Across four stages, the festival's line-up - co-curated by SceneNoise - showcased a vibrant spectrum of genres, from hard-edged rap and Egyptian mahraganat to experimental electronics, indie pop, jazz fusion, and late-night dabke. Artists like Ziad Zaza, Lina Makoul, Ahmed Eid, Double Zuksh, Lana Lubany, DAM, Narcy, and Noise Diva delivered standout sets, underscoring the depth and dynamism of the region's musical landscape. With this more ambitious second edition of the festival, Nawafiz is quickly becoming a vital platform for connecting SWANA artists with audiences across Europe, while celebrating the diversity and creativity flourishing in the region's music today. Watch the full Afterfilm from Nawafiz Festival here:
CairoScene
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
The Artists Taking Over Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival 2025
Only days away, Nawafiz, Europe's leading all-Arab music festival, returns to TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands on May 24, bringing a stacked lineup of MENA icons, rising voices, and underground heroes to the stage. Co-curated in part by SceneNoise and the Nawafiz team, this year's edition features some of the region's most vital voices, from rising stars to genre-defining heavyweights. Here's a rundown of the artists set to take the spotlight at Nawafiz 2025. STORMY Hailing from Rabat, Morocco, STORMY is one of the most exciting voices in North African hip hop. His 2024 debut album 'ICEBERG' showcased his diversity and prowess, with tracks like the Brazilian funk-inspired 'POPO' amassing over 45 million YouTube views and 20 million streams, making it one of Morocco's most-watched music videos. ZIAD ZAZA At just 23, Ziad Zaza has emerged as a transformative figure in Egypt's rap scene, seamlessly blending drill, oriental trap, and Brazilian funk. Hailing from the streets of Sheikh Hassan in Fayum, his roots in underground rap culture have deeply influenced his one-of-a-kind musical style. Lina Makoul Lina Makoul is a prominent independent Palestinian pop singer-songwriter who distinguishes herself not only by her exceptional musical talent but in fostering human connection through her music. Known for her wide vocal and musical range and multi-genre fusion, or as she likes to call it 'Indiepop in Arabic', Lina focuses on growing alongside her fellow Palestinian creatives in music, film, and fashion. DAM DAM is the first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic. Formed in the late 1990s by Tamer Nafar, Suhell Nafar, and Mahmood Jrere, with Maysa Daw joining the group after, they were inspired to tell their story through the rhythms of hip hop. DAM's sound is a unique fusion of East and West, blending fierce Arabic rap with Middle Eastern melodies and the pulsating beats of urban hip hop. Lana Lubany UK-based Palestinian singer-songwriter Lana Lubany brings a whole new sound to MENA's avant-pop scene. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Rosalía and Billie Eilish, her music blends traditional Arabic and English vocals with modern self-directed electronic production, creating unique, bilingual pop hits. NARCY NARCY is a polymath based in Montréal, Canada. Real name Yassin Alsalman, he raps, produces, directs, teaches, writes, and creates across many-a-discipline. Predominantly recognized as the first Iraqi voice in the hip-hop community, he earned his chops during the war on his motherland, speaking truth to power across the world during one of the most challenging eras in modern Iraqi history. Double Zuksh Trap-infused shaabi duo Double Zuksh are renowned for their distinctive fusion of hip hop and alternative mahraganat. Their music is often characterized by pounding beats, complex rhythms, and incisive lyrics that address the realities of living in contemporary Egypt. El Rass Lebanese rap powerhouse El Rass is known for his sharp lyricism and thought-provoking content. His music often delves into socio-political themes, reflecting the complexities of life in the Arab world. With a commanding presence and a commitment to authenticity, El Rass remains one of the pivotal voices in Lebanese and Arabic hip hop today. Bedouin Burger Bedouin Burger is the collaborative project of Syrian singer and musician Lynn Adib and Lebanese producer Zeid Hamdan. Together, they blend traditional Middle Eastern melodies with contemporary electronic beats, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and innovative. Ahmed Eid Born in exile and raised in Ramallah, Ahmed Eid brings a deeply personal perspective to his blend of Arabic songwriting, experimental production, and traditional instrumentation. Eid's music balances nostalgia and defiance, drawing from his Palestinian roots while leaning into bold sonic experimentation. Abarra Abarra is a four-piece experimental band that fuses Arabic poetry, post-rock, and ambient textures into a sound that's both cinematic and emotionally raw. Their compositions merge traditional rhythms with atmospheric electronics to explore themes of memory, displacement, and resistance. Retro Cassetta Retro Cassetta, the alias of Moroccan DJ and collector Badreddine Haouat, is a sonic archaeologist reviving the golden age of Maghrebi cassette culture. With a personal archive of over 20,000 tapes spanning Moroccan, Algerian, and Libyan chaabi, raï, rock, and early rap, he digs deep into analog history to craft sets that are both nostalgic and electrifying. baby ganoush (ATAY Collective) Driven by feeling more than genre, baby ganoush translates the inexpressible into sound — layering euphoria with tension, light with shadow. With roots in Sweden and Lebanon, her eclectic sets drift through ambient, trance, IDM, breaks, grime, dubstep, and percussive club rhythms, unified by heavy bass and emotional contrast. Arabella Memdouh (ATAY Collective) Amsterdam-based DJ and producer Arabella Memdouh brings a high-energy, emotionally rich sound to every set — blending electronic SWANA edits, indie dance, and progressive house into something unmistakably her own. Noise Diva (ATAY Collective) Syrian DJ and producer Noise Diva brings emotionally charged, genre-fluid sets to the dancefloor, fusing Arabic trap, UK garage, and experimental electronics. A resident at Amsterdam's Garage Noord and co-founder of KLAB and the SALWA Foundation, her sound reflects themes of exile, resilience, and joy, carving out space for bold diasporic expression. Disco Arabesquo B2B Abdo Niger Disco Arabesquo is a DJ and producer known for curating and reviving vintage Arabic disco and funk tracks. His sets are a journey through time, bringing forgotten gems back to the dance floor and introducing them to new audiences, this year, he will be going B2B with Egyptian producer and DJ Abdo Niger, whose high-octane remixes collide traditional Egyptian melodies with trap, hip-hop, and club-driven beats. Dabke Night & DJ MaHerrie Dabke Night is a celebration of the traditional Levantine folk dance, Dabke. These events bring communities together to partake in the energetic and communal dance. For this edition of Nawafiz, they will be teaming up with Syrian DJ MaHerrie, whose sets dive deep into Dabke sounds from across the region. Expect sweat, stomps, and infectious rhythms all throughout the night.
CairoScene
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival returns to TivoliVredenburg on May 24th
Returning for its second edition on May 24, 2025, the festival expands across multiple stages at TivoliVredenburg. Mar 16, 2025 As Europe's appetite for Arab music grows, Nawafiz Festival, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is creating a space where SWANA music takes center stage. Launched in 2024, it quickly became a meeting point for the Arab diaspora and international audiences alike. Returning for its second edition on May 24, 2025, the festival expands across multiple stages at TivoliVredenburg, featuring artists like Lina Makoul, El Rass, Double Zuksh, Bedouin Burger and Lana Lubany with more artists to be announced soon. Stay tuned for the next wave of artist announcements, and grab your tickets at
