How drums tell the story of Black Arab heritage

By Amir Al-Azraki, Associate professor, Culture and Language Studies, University of Waterloo

In 2022, I embarked on learning to play two traditional drums used in the folk music of my hometown of Basra in southern Iraq. One is known as the “khishba,” with its music termed “Khashaba,” and the “maruwas” used in “al-Bahr” music. I took drumming lessons from Black Arab musicians, learning about the history and practical skills which I brought back to my music group in Mississauga, Ont.

The history of Black people in the Arab region is often told through the narrative of slavery. More recently, their cultural…

Read complete article

~	Indonesia’s BRICS agenda: 2 reasons Prabowo’s foreign policy contrasts with Jokowi’s

~	Rising Voices: Listening to the world on its own terms

~	Moldova has introduced a state of emergency in the energy sector

~	Syria: Rights investigators call for protection of evidence, including mass grave sites

~	Brazil Bans X from Using Children to Power Its AI

~	El Salvador: A thousand days into the state of emergency. “Security” at the expense of human rights.

~	Prince Andrew and the British establishment’s ‘target-rich environment’ for spies

~	Times journalists deemed ‘legitimate military targets’ – how Russia muzzles criticism at home and abroad

~	Climate, migration and conflict mix to create ‘deadly’ intense tropical storms like Chido

~	What the colour of your snot says about your immune health