Music

Assala Nasri (C) attends the 2025 Joy Awards at The Venue, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 18, 2025.

Culture

Syrian singer Assala returns to Damascus stage after 15-year exile

The Syrian star, one of the Arab world’s most famous artists, had been in self-exile since 2011 after she openly supported the uprising against the since-ousted Assad government.

Arash Sobhani performing in Amsterdam on Oct. 25. 2025.

Culture

Musician Arash Sobhani brings protest-infused Iranian rock to New York

The founder of the famed Tehran band Kiosk says the album addresses the failures of uprisings in Iran while incorporating influences from the wide range of musical styles in his new home.

Fayruz

Culture

In rare appearance, Fairuz mourns son Ziad Rahbani as Lebanon bids farewell

Legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz attended the funeral of her son, renowned composer and playwright, Ziad Rahbani, at a church in a town north of Beirut, in her first public appearance in years.

Protesters hold signs during a rally protesting against a death sentence given to Toomaj Salehi, a famous Iranian rapper, in Berlin, Germany, on April 28, 2024.

Culture

Iranian rapper Toomaj, who supported protests, released from prison

Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death earlier this year after releasing a song in support of the Mahsa Amini protests, though the ruling was overturned by the supreme court.

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Culture

Iranian rapper Toomaj sentenced to death over protest support

Image of Toomaj Salehi.

Saudi Arabia's SRMG invests in music streamer Anghami, Spotify’s Middle East rival

A general view during MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM 2021 on Dec. 19, 2021, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Culture

What's behind removal of Palestinian Mohammed Assaf's song from Spotify?

Arab Idol Winner (2012) Mohammed Assaf conducts interviews for The Idol co financed by the Doha Film Institute on day 2 of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2015 on November 30, 2015 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Culture

Egypt hopes Colombian superstar's song will draw tourists

Karol G attends the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards at Michelob ULTRA Arena., Las Vegas, Nov. 17, 2022.

How Egyptian protesters are saying it with music

Songs with catchy rhythms and street language have become the anthems of Egypt's young protesters.

Meet the rocker whose music revives Turkey's quirky history

Taner Ongur's music explores curious incidents from the dusty pages of modern Turkish history.

Are Egypt's star-studded festivals losing their shine?

Egypt has been known for its star-studded festivals and concerts. Lately, however, many regional celebrities have been staying away.

Musicians bring art to streets to save picturesque hill in Amman

A group of Jordanian artists is working to preserve the cultural heritage of Amman's beloved Jabal Luweibdeh area and protect it from overdevelopment.

Tunisian presidential candidates saying it with music

Tunisian presidential candidates are using an arsenal of musical to try to woo the young as well as evoke nostalgia for past in their campaigns for the elections scheduled for Sept. 15.

Why Turkey's rappers can no longer stay silent

In a 15-minute-long song aptly titled "#ICannotBeSilent," Turkish rappers take turns expressing their woes on issues such as justice, freedom, environment, abuse and exile.

Why this traditional instrument is back on Tunisia's music charts

A wave of nostalgia has hit Tunisian clubs after the success of a 1990s-themed Ramadan TV series inspired by traditional mezoued music.

Beats for women: Turkey's star hijabi DJ leads dance revolution

Turkey's popular DJ Safir says women love the freedom of her all-female shows regardless of their politics or ideology.

(L-R) Musicians Haig Papazian, Carl Gerges and Hamed Sinno of Mashrou' Leila pose for a picture on November 1, 2017 in New York.
The symbol of solidarity brought a harsh backlash. As Lebanese rockers Mashrou' Leila played in Cairo, fans hoisted in the air rainbow flags, the global emblem of gay equality. The open-air festival on September 22 passed peacefully. But as pictures of the flags spread, Egyptian authorities launched roundups of the gay community, arresting dozens of people, with rights groups sayi

Why Mashrou' Leila is banned from Lebanon's Byblos festival

Organizers of the Byblos festival gave in to pressure from church officials, politicians and online groups, announcing that they had canceled the Lebanese rock band Mashrou’ Leila’s concert.

A Bedouin band upcycles remnants of war for making music

An ammunition box and a jerry can from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War has helped a Bedouin band make a name for itself.

Baalbek: symbol of power or living city?

The “Baalbek: Archives of an Eternity” exhibition collected an unprecedented number of objects from the ancient Lebanese city, exploring the interplay of power and people through the millennia.

Istanbul’s last gramophone repairman keeps records turning

The last gramophone specialist in Istanbul works contentedly in his tiny shop inside the Grand Bazaar, a perfect escape from modern consumerist culture.