Nahla Ink Online Journal

Weapons of Mass Hilarity returns, now Guardian recommended… on the line up will be:

Hajar J. Woodland: Stand-up and podcaster Hajar is still trying to make sense of her Iranian identity and strict Muslim upbringing, while having no idea whether she can still apply to a BAME scheme. Funny Women semi-finalist, she’s a Soho Theatre graduate and is working on her debut solo show.

Laith Elzubaidi: A British-Iraqi comedy and drama screenwriter and actor, Laith is based in London. His work has won accolades at the Edinburgh TV Festival and New Voices Awards at Soho House. He is currently building a one hour storytelling show centred atround generational refugee experiences.

Jenan Younis: BBC New Voices winner Jenan is an Assyrian comedian based in London. She is a finalist in the Amused New Moose New Act Award, 99 Comedy Club Bursary Award and SE Comedian of the Year. Her radio show “Jenan’s comedy award” and podcast “Jenan’s standup snippets” were listed by the Guardian and one of the funniest “things to listen to” during lockdown. “Sharp, hip smart comedian – Not to be Missed!” The List, “Unique viewpoint” Chortle

Sezar Alkassab: Glaswegian Sezar is known for his conversational comedy which explores his heritage, managing cultural differences, dating, gender politics with silly stories, informed observations, and provocative punchlines.

“Made me laugh my ass off!” – The Scotsman

“Absolutely brilliant! Such a friendly guy, and the show was hilarious!” – The Vaults UK

“An exceptionally talented comedian with a no doubt bright future in comedy.” – The Camden Fringe Voyeur

Founded in 2016, BLTNM has become one of the most recognisable names in the scene, placing Ramallah on the map as an international powerhouse of music. A collective of six artists renowned for their string of almost anthemic releases, BLTNM’s music has become the soundtrack of their generation, and their beat goes unmatched

Artist lineup announced soon – tickets are expected to sell quickly.

Doors: 8pm

Ages: 16+ (Under 18’s with an adult 21+)

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bltnm-in-london-tickets-377838654587

This is a book launch for ‘Love and Poetry in the Middle East’. Love has been an important trope in the literature of the region we now call the Middle East, from ancient times to modern. This book analyses love poetry in various ancient and contemporary languages of the Middle East, including Akkadian, ancient Egyptian, Classical and Modern Standard Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Turkish and Kurdish, including literary materials that have been discovered and highlighted for the first time.

Together, the chapters reflect and explore the discursive evolution of the theme of love, and the sensibilities, styles and techniques used to convey it. They chart the way in which poems in ancient poetry give way to complex and varied reflections of human sentiments in the medieval languages and on to the modern period which in turn reflects the complexities and nuances of present times. Offering a snapshot of the diverse literary languages and their relationship to the theme of love, the book will be of interest to scholars of Near and Middle Eastern Literature and Culture.

Edited by Dr. Atef Alshaer (A Senior Lecturer in Arabic Studies at the University of Westminster). Caroline Rooney (Professor of African, Post-Colonial and Middle Eastern Literature at the University of Kent, School of English), and Dr. Mark Weeden (Senior Lecturer in Akkadian and Ancient Iraqi Studies at UCL), and potentially other contributors to the book.

The performance shows that female characters are allotted crucial roles, upon whom the overall storyline depends at key junctures. Moreover, they display a special wisdom which transcends that of men, and each contributes in their own way to the texture of the narrative and its thought-world.

Indeed, the performance highlights that women ‘bookend’ the narrative. It is the womenfolk of the city of Uruk who, through their protests to the gods at Gilgamesh’s behaviour, ignite the train of events that forms the main arc of the story. Equally, Gilgamesh’s reason for returning home at the end of the story is that he is following the advice given to him by the ale-wife Shiduri (in the Old Babylonian version).

Overall, the performance constitutes a piece of artistry in its own right, as well as a window onto the sociocultural history of women in the Mesopotamian world, and also a contribution to the interpretation of the poem’s literary artistry.

Badia Obaid

Arabic-speaking ‘Zipang’ Mesopotamian storyteller with a repertoire of stories from Ancient Iraq; born in Baghdad. She has a long career in the Arabic world and in the UK as an actress, voice over artist, writer, reporter, presenter and producer with work in theatre, film, television and radio. She has done many workshops in the UK and Italy.

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-storytelling-in-arabic-the-women-of-gilgamesh-tickets-405258748827

When Jenan was 13 she read a two thousand page Che Guevara biography in the comfort of her Middle Class Middle England home and decided she wanted to be just like him minus the stubble. She attended protests against sanctions and the Iraq war, boycotted every American coffee chain that popped up, and had free Palestine badges confiscated at school on a daily basis.

But with the ever worsening back drop of the Middle East came an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and with that her campaigning took a backseat. Now as an adult her only similarity to Che Guevara was her facial hair.

But in 2014 when an unreported genocide hit her ancestral homeland, putting up and shutting up was no longer an option but it wasn’t without difficulty. BBC New Voices Winner, star of BBC Radio “Jenan’s Comedy Hour” and 99 Comedy Club Bursary Nominee, Weapons of Mass Hilarity founder, Jenan brings you a show about what it’s like to revive what you stand for in a world of selective activism with influencers in thongs and anti-war slogans on their buttocks, marches serving as hook up spots and realising your cause won’t ever be “on trend” when you’re an ethnicity rarer than an unfiltered Kardashian family photo.

How do you change the world when you can’t even change your own little world?

“Sharp, hip, smart comedian – not to be missed!” The List

“Unique viewpoint” Chortle

“An accomplished impressionist” Broadway Baby

The two artists from ra2smal collective, who are also best friends offstage, will be performing their own hits, new releases and sharing the stage to perform their collaboration tracks.

Marwan Moussa

Rapper and producer, Marwan Moussa has been on the scene since 2016, and has spent the past years releasing a staggering amount of singles and EPs, with his first national hit ‘Sheraton’ released in 2020 and followed up with his feature album ‘Florida’.

Afroto

Hailing from El Seyouf, Alexandria, Afroto burst onto the scene in 2019 with his hit ‘Segara’. He has been taking Egypt by storm with his hits ‘MSH BEL HOZOOZ’, ‘FAR2 KHEBRA’ and ‘HARAZEEK’ released in 2022, and has been making consistent chart-toppers ever since, with a lot more to come.

This event is the second in a series of events between Bagri Foundation and Marsm UK that look to explore the contemporary evolution of rap, hip hop, trap and electronica in SW Asia and North Africa.

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/marwan-moussa-and-afroto-tickets-400135334557

Nadine Khouri is a British-Lebanese musician and songwriter influenced by dream-pop, film soundtracks and spoken word poetry. Her debut album ‘The Salted Air’ was produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, This is the Kit.) A haunting collection of poetic meditations on loss and transformation, the album cemented Khouri’s one-to-watch status; it was hailed by MOJO as “A thing of dark possessed beauty” in their four-star album review, celebrated by Q (Critics Choice) and selected as one of Rough Trade’s Albums of the Year.

In the past few years, Khouri has performed in some of Europe’s most prestigious venues (Royal Festival Hall, Paradiso, Botanique, Eglise St Eustache, Union Chapel, Berlin Palace, to name a few).

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nadine-khouri-efg-london-jazz-festival-2022-tickets-380277198337

In this thought-provoking, musically innovative and beautifully crafted performance, Silbak will be performing – for the first time – his newest original instrumental pieces as well as songs, exposing the attentive listener to a rich and exquisite sound.

With Silbak’s unique understanding of different music traditions, from Arab, Turkish and Indian to classical Western styles, “The Small Things” uses his signature fusion of these styles to express reality as he sees it. Drawing on his personal experience living amongst two different cultures, he shares the thoughts behind the things that are often overlooked – yet, are ultimately what give life its vibrant colours.

For this special EFG show, Silbak performs in a quintet format with clarinet and Nay player Mohamed Najem, percussionist and composer Bernhard Schimpelsberger, pianist Meg Morley and bassist Tom Mason,

One of the biggest bands to emerge from the Arabic-speaking world, Cairokee’s songs have become anthems of a generation. With infectious music and uplifting lyrics, Cairokee has become a driving force in the region and abroad.

As part of their upcoming tour, don’t miss their London date. Buy your tickets now!

This event is brought to you by Marsm & El Wekala.

Age restrictions: 16+. Under 18’s allowed with a responsible adult 21+.

Ambient, cinematic and electronic, Joubran delves into a neo-classical soundscape with a performance to match. Shifting his compositions into dreamy orchestral sounds, he joins pioneering composers such as Nils Frahm and Olafur Arnolds in the genre, bringing to it the oud and legacy of Arabic music, something not yet done before.

The new show features Habib Meftah on percussion, voice, and electronic grooves, and Valentin Mussou on the cello synths and keyboards. This new, electronic project debuts at the Arabesque Festival in Montpellier later this year before heading to London’s Lafayette for this November date.

– This event is 16+

– This is a standing show.

– Lafayette is a fully accessible venue

This new concert has been made possible with thanks to residency support from Arabesque Festival.

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adnan-joubran-re-imagined-tickets-384454763547