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Sáfar, a journey through contemporary Arab music

June 21, 20217:00 p.m.
MADRID
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Alcalá, 62). 7:00 p.m. In order to attend this event in person, you must sign up in advance.
Register by following this link.
In Spanish.

On the occasion of European Music Day, Casa Árabe is organizing a talk on contemporary Arab music by Kiko Helguera, host of the program Sonideros de Radio 3, and Alicia Sánchez, creator of the radio program Arabesica on Soundcloud.

The European Music Festival is celebrated every year on June 21. First held in France in 1982, it was established as a European celebration in 1985, the European Year of Music. Every summer solstice since, on June 21 the European Union celebrates a day intended to promote the sharing of music between territories and cultural exchange in general.

In this sense, the idea of Sáfar (“journey” in Arabic) means looking back at a series of milestones in contemporary Arab music and how it has branched out of so-called world music, and the European music scene. During the dialogue, moderated by Casa Árabe’s Karim Hauser, several music videos will be shown on YouTube and then put into context to address the creative, cultural and historical aspects of some well-known songs and other less commercial tunes. It will provide the opportunity to discover and learn about an alternative approach to Arabic-speaking cultures and societies in the world, through the eyes and creations of their performers. The selected musical fusions go beyond the recurring theme of love and deal with tolerance, co-existence, social equality, individual rights and the meaning of identity.

Enrique “Kiko” Helguera is a lawyer, journalist and music critic, as well as one of the hosts of the weekly world music program “Sonideros” on Radio 3, a channel forming part of the Spanish National Radio network.

Alicia Sánchez is a violinist, musicologist and art crew member in film and theater. She is also the creator of the radio podcast program “Arabesica” on SoundCloud and the University of Alcalá’s RUAH radio station.

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Sáfar, a journey through contemporary Arab music