Welcome to the first newsletter of June—there's plenty more coming your way! We're kicking off the month on a high note with a lineup full of music, from diverse concerts to an exciting Arab Pop Musical. Let’s dive in!
MUSIC CONCERT Barzakh MajlisBarzakh Majlis past events are always sold out and they have developed a solid following. Experience up to 8 sets of performances that dissolve boundaries between genres, generations, and geographies…and Omar Offendum will be there and Qawwali with Flamenco are also joining | |
DANCE PERFORMANCE Bahja By Gabriela Figueroa Sun Jun 1st at 6:30pm DROM, East Village A live improvisation experience rooted in Middle Eastern dance where dancers and musicians surrender to the unknown, to create artful dance beauty. | |
BOOK LAUNCH I’ll Tell You When I’m Home By Hala AlyanWed Jun 4th at 7pm The Strand, West Village let me start by saying that I adore Hala Alyan! she is one of the most powerful poets and writers of her generation. This is a rich and deeply personal debut memoir, Hala’s experience of motherhood via surrogacy forces her to reckon with her own past, and the legacy of her family’s exile and displacement, all in the name of a new future. Little extra, watch Hala read one of her poems “Pledge Allegiance” here, it’s beyond striking, watch it for real! | |
LIVE MUSIC SHOW The Yalla Band Performs FairouzWed Jun 4th, 4:30-10pm Barzakh Cafe, BK Who doesn’t like Fairouz?! Featuring lead singer Racha Haffar, Iskander Dridi on the nay, Tony Daniels on the guitar, Ari Chais on the piano, and Mariam Shalaby on the oud. Stick around afterwards for an open jam session. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to support the Youth Against Slavery Movement for preventing human trafficking. | |
FUNDRAISER ANERA Dinner FundraiserSat Jun 7th at 3pm Old Westbury, Long Island Chef Halawa x Haven Circles Palestinian Supper Club are hosting a fundraiser for ANERA, an org that has been providing critical humanitarian relief across Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan since 1968, and since the war in Gaza began, they’ve delivered over 64 million meals, clean water, medicine, tents, and are running free clinics for displaced families. | |
EID CELEBRATION Eid Potluck & Dabke in The ParkSun Jun 8th at 4:30-7:30pm Brooklyn Bridge Park An event that’s sponsored by Arab Socials and NYC Dabke. You bring your own celebratory Eid dish or can buy food on site plus your dancing shoes for a special Dabke moment. | |
MUSIC & DANCE Djam Arabic Night: El AsdiqaaSun Jun 8th & 15th at 7pm Secret Room, Midtown An enchanting evening featuring live music and vocals by talented artists from Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine—plus a belly dance performance, all while you sip and savor in style. | |
THEATER PLAY Duke & Roya Jun 10th to Aug 23d West Village
Roya is played by Stephanie Nur who was born in Cairo to a Austrian and a Syrian parents. The play is about the impossible love story between a fearless Afghan interpreter and an international hip hop artist. | |
OFF-BROADWAR SHOW Area D, an Arab-Palestinian Musical Sat Jun 11th at 7pm Ars Nova, Midtown This is insane, an off-Broadway Arab musicalI!!!This is the debut of the much anticipated AreaD, a bold, Arab pop punk musical. It follows a scrappy Palestinian band entering Eurovision—if they can survive the politics, chaos, and each other first. It’s loud, raw, and joyfully Arab. I have my tickets and I really hope to see you all there! Tickets name your price (plz be generous, art needs to be supported) | |
LIVE CONCERT Irish Folk X Arab Fusion Thu Jun 12th, 7-9pm Long Island city Blending compositions drawing from Irish traditional music and Arabic classical music (primarily from Egypt and Syria) this concert features the renowned musicians from the New York-based Zikrayat ensemble, including Sami Abu Shumays, Johnny Farraj, Nezih Antakli, who are joined by Sean Tierney, Jerry O’Sullivan and Colin Harte | |
PARTY Yalla Habibi NY TakeoverJun 14th, at 11pm to Jun 15th 4pm PHD Rooftop, Chelsea After back-to-back sold-out nights in Los Angeles, Yalla Habibi is officially landing in the Big Apple! They are having their debut at PHD Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown. | |
JAZZ CONCERT Jazztopad With Amir El SaffariSat Jun 14th at 7:30pm Lincoln Center The American edition of Jazztopad is first and foremost an opportunity to get to know the most important artists of the Polish contemporary jazz. This year they are featuring Emir El Saffari who is Arab American trumpetist born in Chicago. | |
DANCE PERFORMANCE To Heart By Fadhi El KhouriJun 17th & 18th at 7:30pm NY Live Art, Chelsea Through contemporary dance, live music, calligraphy, live painting, video projection, and animation, the production illuminates the beauty and humanity of Middle Eastern culture. Guided by the soulful flow of Rumi’s poetry, the piece intertwines heart, soul, and body. | |
COMEDY SHOW Sammy ObeidSat Jun 19th at 6:30pm City Winery, Chelsea I’m a big fan! Sammy is a sharp, witty Arab American writer and comedian—and a former math teacher. He’s a powerhouse of content (definitely worth a follow), always on tour, and consistently delivers an incredible show. Watching him perform is a blast, I soooo highly recommend seeing him! | |
IN THE NEWS
We’re soooooooo proud:
Iranian Movie It Was Just An Accident by Jafar Panahi wins the Palme D’or | I’m Glad Your’re Dead by Palestinian Filmmaker Tawfeek Barhom wins The Golden Palm for best short movie |
Algerian Nadia Melliti wins best female interpretation in La Petite Derniere By Tunisian Hafsia Herzi who wins the Queer Palm | The President’s Cake by Iraqi Hsan Hadi wins The Golden Camera & Audience Award |
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