From Tarab to the Dancefloor: 70 Years of Arabic Music

Speaker: Georges Bou Saleh (Founder, Toka Musik) From Umm Kulthum’s hour-long concerts to Arabic melodies filling Europe’s biggest club rooms, Arabic music has spent seven decades reinventing itself. Curated by Georges Bou Saleh (Founder of Toka Musik), this session traces that journey era by era. It starts with the golden age of tarab in the 50s and 60s, then moves through the Rahbani revolution and the rise of raï, the pan-Arab pop boom of the 90s, and the underground hip hop and indie waves of the 2000s. It ends with today’s surge of Arabic-influenced house and one of the fastest-growing streaming markets in the world. Along the way, we unpack the scales, rhythms and vocal traditions that make the sound instantly recognisable.

MENA artists to support: Georges Bou Saleh

Line-up: Georges Bou Saleh (Toka Musik, Founder & Artist Manager, LB)