This playlist includes 100+ interviews by Dr. Ramzi Salti with such groundbreaking Arab artists as Rania Kurdi, Yasmine Hamdan, Hamed Sinno [Mashrou' Leila], Cairokee's Amir Eid, Mike Massy, Tania Saleh, Tania Kassis, May Nasr, Emel Mathlouthi, Bassem Youssef, Dina El Wedidi, Omar Kamal, El Morabba3, Yacoub Abu Ghosh, Rabih Alameddine, Omar Offendum, El Far3i, Nadine Labaki and many more.

Arabology Interviews by Dr. Ramzi Salti

This interview, initially recorded in September 2021, originally aired on KZSU 90.1 FM.  Article available at https://www.arabology.org/2021/11/alighzawi.html

Jordanian Chef Ali Ghzawi was crowned as MBC Arabia’s 2019 Top Chef-- a surprise yet well deserved win by the youngest of the 17 seasoned contestants who also competed during the famed reality TV series. 

By 2020, he had not only made countless TV appearances all over the Arab world but was also featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 list for the year (2020). 

Yet despite such groundbreaking acheminements. Chef Ali (Alee) remains true to his beginnings and is always happy to share his journey to fame, as he did during our interview, in order to inspire others to pursue their dreams, no matter how far fetched they may seem.

Read accompanying article at https://www.arabology.org/2021/11/alighzawi.html

Arabology Interviews 'Top Chef' Arabia Winner Ali Ghzawi علي الغزاوي (2021)

Recorded at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University)on November 20, 2021

Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews legendary Egyptian actor Khaled Abol Naga (Kal Naga) who was a Visiting Artist at Stanford (2021) where he starred in Betty Shamieh's play "As Soon as Impossible."

During this interview, Khaled discusses his film and stage career as well as his thoughts on theatre, music and the Arab Spring.

For more, see forthcoming article on arabology.org

Arabology Interviews Khaled Abol Naga (Kal Naga) خالد ابو النجا 2021

Recorded on Jan 24, 2023
Ramzi Salti interviews Omar Offendum about his 2 upcoming Stanford events (on January 28, 2023) where he will be joined by Oud Virtuoso Ronnie Malley for a show titled "Coast to Coast: Reflections from Al Andalus to Los Angeles."

Info and tickets at https://live.stanford.edu/calendar/january-2023/omar-offendum-oud-virtuoso-ronnie-malley

Syrian American rapper and poet Omar Offendum and Palestinian American multi-instrumentalist maestro Ronnie Malley weave stories of the past, present, and future as they trace the influence of Al-Andalus and Arabic-speaking peoples on music and culture, from New York City's Little Syria to the birth of California Surf Rock.

Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American rapper/spoken word artist. Known for his unique blend of hip-hop and Arabic poetry, he’s been featured on prominent world news outlets (Aljazeera, BBC, PBS, LA Times), lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA, SOAS, American University of Beirut), collaborated with major museums and cultural organizations (LACMA / Penn Museum / Ithra / Shangri-La / Arab-American National Museum), and helped raise millions of dollars for various humanitarian relief groups (Islamic Relief, Karam Foundation, Syrian-American Medical Society). Offendum was recently named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, an Arab America Foundation "40 Under 40" award recipient, and a member of both the Pillars Fund cohort for Muslim Narrative Change and the RaceForward Butterfly Lab cohort for Immigrant Narrative Strategy. He currently resides in the great state of New York with his wife and two little children, while daydreaming about the jasmine tree-lined streets of Damascus.

Ronnie Malley is a multi-instrumentalist musician, theatrical performer, producer, and educator. He is executive director of Intercultural Music Production in Chicago and a teaching artist with Chicago Public Schools. Ronnie's theater credits include the Broadway musical tour of the Tony Award Winning The Band's Visit and Disney's The Jungle Book. He also performs with the music groups Allos Musica, Apollo’s Fire, Surabhi Ensemble, and more.

Info and tickets at https://live.stanford.edu/calendar/january-2023/omar-offendum-oud-virtuoso-ronnie-malley

Ramzi Salti Interviews Omar Offendum (Promoting Jan 28, 2023 Stanford Event)

Recorded in July 2023 in Amman, Jordan.
Stanford Lecturer + Arabology radio host Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews Amjad Al Rasheed, Director of the award winning Jordan film "Inshallah A Boy"  ان شاء الله ولد after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.

Ramzi Salti Interviews Amjad Al Rasheed, Director of "Inshallah A Boy" (2023)

Stanford Lecturer + Arabology radio host Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews Hiya هي,  a new groundbreaking Jordanian artist, performer, and singer/songwriter, during the music video release party for her latest bilingual single "Banadi."

The music video premiere party for "Banadi" took place on September 8, 2023 at the beautiful Manara Center in Amman, Jordan where guests were treated to a rooftop projection of her stunning new work.  

This interview is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.  To listen, go to https://kite.link/arabology

Read more about this event at https://www.arabology.org/2023/09/hiya.html

Arabology Interviews Jordanian Artist Hiya

This special episode of 'Arabology' (aired Nov 13, 2014) spotlights the life and music of Lebanese singer Tania Saleh and features an exclusive interview with the artist about the launch of her new CD "A Few Images." Includes song excerpts.

Arabology 8.2 [Tania Saleh Spotlight + Interview 2014]

Hamed Sinno [Mashrou' Leila] Interview (2011)

Interview recorded on Oct 21, 2015; will air during next Arabology episode.
Hamed Sinno, Lead singer of Mashrou' Leila, discusses the band's much anticipated new CD + North American tour including their upcoming gig in San Francisco on Oct 27.

Interview with Hamed Sinno, Mashrou' Leila's Lead Singer

Recorded on June 13, 2016
New interview w/ Egyptian indie singer Dina El Wedidi who will be performing in concert on June 14 at El Cid in Silverlake and on June 17 at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley.
Interview is conducted in English and Arabic and includes musical excerpt of the kind of folkloric songs that Dina will be singing in concert.



New Interview w/ Dina El Wedidi 2016

Interview with Emel Mathlouthi who will be performing at Bing Concert Hall at Stanford on Oct 5, 2016 at 7:30 pm.  Concert is preceded by talk ft Dr. Ramzi Salti and Prof Joel Beinin at 6:30 pm.
Get your tickets for pre-concert talk + Emel's concert at http://www.stanfordlivetickets.org/single/SYOS.aspx?p=6825

Interview features 4 song excerpts by Emel Mathlouthi:
1.  Dhalem ظالم
2.  Kelmti Horra (Album Version)كلمتي حرة
3.  Kelmti Horra (Live at Nobel Prize Ceremony)
4. Ma Lkit ما لقيت

Emel Mathlouthi Interview about Stanford Concert (Oct 2016)

Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews Egyptian satirist/columnist Bassem Youssef, aka the Egyptian Jon Stewart, at Stanford University on Nov 7, 2016--one day before the elections.
In this interview, Bassem discusses his time in residency at Stanford; his TV show Al-Bernameg (a satirical news program which ran from 2011 to 2014); his current project titled 'The Democracy Handbook'; and his upcoming book and documentary.

Arabology Interviews Bassem Youssef (Nov 2016)

Recorded on Nov 18, 2016
Interview with Omar Kamal aka "The Arab Sinatra" including a sample of his English songs and Arabic tracks ('Mawtini موطني').
Features Omar Kamal's new single "Love Never Looked So Good"(c) a classic take on the Michael Jackson hit with the same guitarist that worked on Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’ album (Tim Pierce).  
Omar also discusses his forthcoming album--produced by Dave Pierce and Bob Rock--which was mixed by 23-time Grammy award winner Al Schmitt of Capitol Studios in Hollywood.

Omar Kamal Website:  http://omarkamalglobal.com
(c) Sony Music Entertainment Middle East

Interview with "The Arab Sinatra" Omar Kamal    "حوار مع عمر كمال "سيناترا العرب

Interview with Yasmine Hamdan recorded at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University) on November 11, 2017.
In this interview, Yasmine talks about her Stanford visit, her San Francisco concert, her new CD "Al Jamilat," and the origin of the word "Arabology."

Interview with Yasmine Hamdan (November 2017)

Recorded at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University) in February 2018.
Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews Amir Eid, lead vocalist/songwriter/guitarist for the Egyptian band @Cairokee which came to prominence during/following the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and whose latest best-selling album "Noaata Beida نقطة بيضا 2017" featured the song "Kont Faker"--a track that topped Arabology's Top 20 Songs of 2017 (Podcast at soundcloud.com/arabology/Top2017).
This interview weaves song segments as Amir Eid discusses his musical influences, his career, and the reception of Cairokee's latest album in the Middle East and the West.
Cairokee band members include Amir Eid (vocals & rhythm guitar), Tamer Hashem (drums), Sherif Hawary (Lead guitar), Adam El-Alfy (bass guitar) and Sherif Mostafa (Keyboard). More info at cairokee.com
يمكنكم الآن الاستماع الى المقابلة الاذاعية التي اجريتها منذ يومين مع المغني والمؤلف الموسيقي  الشهير #أمير_عيد من فرقة #كايروكي  المصرية. تم بث هذا الحوار خلال البرنامج الثقافي "عربولوجي" الذي يقدمه الدكتور رمزي سلطي عبر اذاعة جامعة ستانفورد في كاليفورنيا

Arabology Interviews Amir Eid of Cairokee (February 2018)

Recorded in February 2018 at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University)
Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews Lebanese singer/songwriter/artist Tania Saleh about her new 'Intersection' CD in which she sets to music poetry by several renowned Arab poets, including Mahmood Darwish, Khalil Gibran, Bayram Al Tunsi, Younes El Ebn, Nizar Kabbani, Abdallah Al Bardawni, Nazek Al Malaeka, Joumana Haddad, Bader Shaker Al Sayyab, Salah Jahin, and Ahmad Fouad Najm.
Tania Saleh's Intersection CD available on Amazon, iTunes and www.taniasaleh.com
Read my review at http://www.arabology.org/2018/03/taniasaleh2018.html
يسرّني أن أدعوكم للاستماع الى حواري الاذاعي مع تانيا صالح الذي يدور حول البومها الجديد «تقاطع» وهو مشروع فني يجمع بين الغناء والريشة وأشعار #جبران_خليل_جبران #نازك_الملائكة #نزار_قباني #صلاح_جاهين #محمود_درويش #بدر_شاكر_السياب #عبدالله_البردوني #جمانة_حداد #أحمد_فؤاد_نجم #يونس_الابن #بيرم_التونسي

Tania Saleh: The Intersection Interview (March 2018)

Interview with Lebanese Director + Actress Nadine Labaki about her new critically acclaimed film 'Capernaum' which premieres in US theaters on December 14, 2018.  See https://sonyclassics.com/capernaum
This film has just been nominated for a Golden Globe award and has been selected by Lebanon as its candidate for the 2019 foreign-language Oscar race.  It also won the Prix du Jury at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
This interview was recorded in San Francisco on November 18, 2018 while Labaki and her husband--Producer/Composer Khaled Mouzanar--were promoting the film for Sony Pictures Classics.  The interview was conducted (in English) by Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti for his 'Arabology' radio show which airs on KZSU 90.1 FM
The interview with Producer Khaled Mouzanar--who composed the #Capernaum soundtrack as well as the score for Labaki's previous films--can be found at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/khaledmouzanar
With thanks to Sony Pictures Classics and the Arab Film Festival + AFMI

Interview with Director Nadine Labaki in San Francisco (December 2018)

Recorded in February 2019 at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University)
Part 1 of 2
Listen to Part 2 at soundcloud.com/arabology/elfar3i2
Stanford Lecturer + Radio Host Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews songwriter, percussionist and vocalist El Far3i (Tareq Abu Kwaik), the founder of Arabic Folk and Acoustic Rap solo act (El Far3i) and Hip-Hop Mc Far3 El Madakhil. 
During this interview, which features several song excerpts, El Far3i shares his thoughts and visions in verses, grooves and melodies while discussing both his solo career and collaboration with 47Soul.  El Far3i means being your own branch and embodying growth then reaching outwards to the world by feeding from your own roots.
Listen to Part 2 at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/elfar3i2

Interview with El Far3i (الفرعي) PART 1

Recorded in February 2019 at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University)
Part 2 of 2
Listen to Part 1 at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/elfar3i1
Stanford Lecturer + Radio Host Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews songwriter, Percussionist and vocalist El Far3i (Tareq Abu Kwaik) about his journey with groundbreaking group 47Soul about the group's success + upcoming concert at Slim's in San Francisco on March 13, 2019.

Interview with El Far3i (الفرعي) PART 2

Aired on KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University) on November 18, 2019 
Stanford Lecturer + Arabology Radio Host Dr. Ramzi Salti interviews 'The Arab Sinatra' Omar Kamal about his new album "Show Me the Light" as well his show at the Aldwych Theatre in London which took place on 24th November (supported by Abu Dhabi Festival).   
Interview includes the following song excerpts from Omar Kamal's new album "Show Me The Light" ℗© 2019 Estuana Records:
1.  Ya Ana Ya Ana (3:32)
2.  Wicked Dreams (9:36)
3.  Atyaf El Leil (15:01)
4.  Um Kulthoum Swings (22:53)

Arabology Interviews Omar Kamal (November 2019)

This episode of 'Arabology' (aired June 6, 2013) features a 90 minute musical interview with Lebanese born singer/songwriter/actress Yasmine Hamdan who has redefined alternative Arabic music as part of Soapkills (with Zeid Hamdan) before working with Mirwais as YAS on the 'Arabology' album and eventually launching a solo career of her own.


Yasmine Hamdan (Interview + Music)

Arabology is a radio show/podcast that is hosted by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Advanced Lecturer at Stanford University, showcasing music and other cultural productions from the Arab world.   'Arabology' originally aired on KZSU 90.1 FM with all episodes housed on Soundcloud and available for streaming on all major platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anghami, etc).
* Arabology Blog: https://www.arabology.org
* Stream everywhere: https://kite.link/arabology
* Podcasts: SoundCloud.com/arabology/sets/podcasts
* Facebook: facebook.com/arabology
* YouTube: youtube.com/ramzisalti
* Instagram: instagram.com/ramzisalti
* Arabology Contact: author30@gmail.com