This is a highlights video of a 3-hour event which took place on November 30th, 2022 at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY. The full-length video of the event is available on Viewcy.
This was the first live installment of our latest project: "Tanfis," a new series of collaborations between traditional musicians, remix artists, and DJs rooted in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region. The evening presented a 3-hour immersive journey seamlessly blending acoustic traditional performances with electronic dance and live video remixing, drawing us all into a cathartic release. Leading this journey were a collective of critically acclaimed artists from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and the US:
• Marwan Allam (bass) • Nezih Antakli (percussion) • Layale Chaker (violin) • The Brooklyn Nomads' Hadi and Mo Eldebek (oud, bouzouk, percussion, voice) • Eren Erdoğan (zurna, kaval, duduk) • Remix ⟷ Culture's HAT (live video remixing) • John Murchison (qanun) • Haza's Myyuh (DJ and live remixing) • Mani Nilchiani (setar, voice, electronics).
Prior to the event, we recorded and filmed traditional SWANA music performed by the Tanfis artists, created audio and video remixes of those recordings, and collectively designed how the various ingredients would intentionally come together on this one special evening. The series explores the theme of "Tanfis," which is understood in Arabic as the journey of the nafs (self/soul) from a place of stuckness towards liberation, from the holding of breath to the exhalation. In English, tanfis can be translated as "catharsis." The notion of tanfis invites us to meet the crises of our time with transcendent revelry. To lean into our imaginations. To create together, locally, globally, and in solidarity. We are grateful for the support of our community and our co-sponsors Delight Factory and Brooklyn Maqam.
We are currently post-producing the recordings, videos, and sample packs created for this project and have begun releasing them (see Mani Nilchiani’s and Layale Chaker’s release).
We have also begun work on the 2nd iteration of the Tanfis series, this time showcasing artists from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Sign up for our newsletter below to stay in the loop.
photos by Darwensi Clark