Listen, Read, Watch: Iraq
During our much-needed winter break, we published a series called #ListenReadWatch on Instagram, curated by the afikra community. Each featured one album, one book, and one film from somewhere in the Arab world. It was a way to get recommendations of things to listen, read, and watch during the holidays, and to celebrate some of the best creative minds from across the region and times.
Listen: Manbarani, Natik Awayez
Natik Awayez is a lyricist, composer and oud player from Southern Iraq. Sublime Frequencies describes this album as “unique contemporary Arabic folk music sounding unfrozen and released from another time.” Al Soor (Al-Jumhuriya Bridge) and Al Teeh (The Exodus) are staff favorites!
Read: Revolt Against the Sun, Nizak al-Mala’ika
Nazik al-Mala’ika has been described as one of the most important Arab poets of the 20th century. She was one of the pioneers of free verse Arabic poetry. This collection offers a sample of her work in English for the very first time
Via Saqi Books
Watch: Our River… Our Sky
Maysoon Pachachi’s 2021 film is set in a small Baghdad community in 2006 against the backdrop of intense sectarian war. Check out our interview with Pachachi here.
