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Jazz Mirrors Iran, Part VII: Jazz, the Samarkand Way

Music between Iran and the West has never been a one-way street. Even today, despite severe government crackdowns and censorship on anything that deviates from so-called “Islamic” ideals, the flow of tunes between these seemingly opposing worlds continues to thrive, in large part because of the Islamic Republic’s abandonment of its own citizens, exiles who are forced to start anew with faint hope that they will see their native land again. It’s a severed existence, to live in a country with artistic freedom, yet long for your home, despite its depraved conditions.

Jazz Mirrors Iran, Part VI: Paraded Beauty

Women in Iran: a hot topic, no matter how you look at it, from European feminists studying the country to Iranian men sipping cups of “smuggled” Starbucks coffee while cruising up Tehran’s Jam Avenue. Whatever helps to glamorize these young ladies on the streets comes to their service: heavy make-up, flamboyant haircuts which under the veil turns the head into a piece of early Cubist art, bold colors that remind one of Gauguin in Martinique, tight dresses that generously exhibit the female figure, high heels and leather boots that make the infamous Betty Page look like a modest housewife - cigarette smokers, driving behind the wheel of expensive sport cars in northern Tehran, listening to loud music - patrons of Tehran’s reputation as the nose job capital of the world, as if all Persian girls rival themselves with Nicole Kidman in how properly whittled noses should look.

Out of the Closet, Into the iPod: Three Tracks Addressing GLBT Equality in the Middle East and Islam

President Barack Obama seems to have a thing for firsts: first African-American president, first president not born in the continental U.S., first sitting president to make the talk show rounds, first president to host a Passover Seder in the White House, first president to use email in the office, first president to embrace social media, first president to serve home-brewed White House ale, and now, the first American president to endorse same-sex marriage. Sometimes, it takes a classic outsider to lead those of us on the inside.

Last week was a historic one for gay rights in America. Amidst the indignation that erupted after North Carolina became the 30th state in the U.S. to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman and Colorado’s GOP state lawmakers successfully filibustered their way out of the assembly voting on a civil unions law, President Obama officially came out of the closet, so to speak, announcing on ABC News his belief and support for same-sex marriages as a fundamental civil right.

Jazz Mirrors Iran, Part V: Strictly for Persians

1940s Paris wasn’t exactly the place to go for political art. Defeated, suppressed, outright censored under Nazi occupation, much of it went either underground or extinct. Countless art collections were seized and stolen by Hitler’s forces; intellectuals, musicians and other “creatives” found themselves banned from working. Artists who were Fascist or anti-Semitic welcomed Germany’s unopposed invasion, others resorted to denial, exile or silence, and most forced themselves to learn how to accommodate to extreme censorship under a ruthless dictatorship. In an attempt to understand their newfound occupation, many of these artists reluctantly let go of the idea of resistance.

Islam Awakening: An Exclusive Interview with Irfan Makki, Maher Zain and Mesut Kurtis (VIDEO)

There are few things more deeply spiritual, personal and versatile than music. Uniting people in ways that words cannot, it has the ability to inspire and entertain listeners, while also sending a message of peace and hope in the world.

And when music embodies the richness and diversity of Eastern and Western cultures, its possibilities to create dialogue and understandings are endless. This is the goal of London-based Awakening Records, an Islamic media company that records, produces and distributes music from internationally-acclaimed Muslim artists who sing to uplift audiences and create social change.

In light of Awakening's April 14th Send a Little Hope concert, Aslan Media Content Manager and UK Coordinator Eman Jueid had the opportunity to speak to three of its top-selling artists — Irfan Makki, Maher Zain and Mesut Kurtis — about their latest albums, how they got involved with music and the messages they send out to their fans worldwide.

Switching to a Minor Key: Four Music Videos Honoring Lowkey’s Career

Lowkey is no entertainer. I say that with the utmost respect. In a morass of drugs, pimps, and fancy cars, he stands out as one of the few critically acclaimed rappers who hasn't sold out to corporate interests and the idea of money over message. The closest he'll get to bling is his criticism of it, along with masterfully woven commentary about imperialism, oppression and the racism behind your dope gold chain.

I think we can also agree that Lowkey is anything but what his name implies. How can he be? Known as much for his politics as he is for his music, his lyrics not only call out hypocrisies within domineering Middle East regimes, but also question the role that foreign relations between the region and Western governments play in politics, especially Arab-American relations. You can't take that load on unassumingly and expect to be heard. It takes an amplified voice to pierce through the artifices of bureaucracies. And that's just what UK's top underground hip hop artist does: at the cost of becoming controversial, he puts out tracks that create dialogue and impel action. Lowkey is an instigator. Doesn't matter what you say; if you're talking about the song, he's done his job.