*Please note that we encountered some technical difficulties during the recording of this episode that caused occasionally significant loss of audio quality. We hope this does not affect your enjoyment of the podcast.

This week we are very excited to be joined by El Far3i (El Farai), a singer, songwriter, rapper and multi-instrumentalist from Palestine and Jordan and a founding member of the shamstep group 47Soul.

As a solo artist El Far3i mixes hip hop with acoustic folk to create a unique and rich commentary which touches on many themes relevant to the world today. Inspired by the the verse, grooves and melodies from the eastern side of the River Jordan, he conveys in Arabic his visions and thoughts on his surroundings and the changes he witnesses. He describes his music as coming ‘from his region’s subconscious, with lyrics that archive the socio-psychological, political and personal subtexts of Arab daily life, extending to the diaspora. Themes of love, borders, spirituality and identity manifest.’ 

He started performing in local venues in Amman, Jordan and from that time onwards his solo career has included four albums and live performances across the Arab world and further afield. He has a grass-roots approach to his music projects, and believes in the importance of solidifying, growing and evolving different independent music scenes. This has led to numerous collaborations with numerous rappers, songwriters, and producers. These collaborations led to him co-founding 47Soul, who are one of the biggest alternative bands in the MENA region with their genre defining shamstep electronic music movement, which blends Palestinian dabke beats with electronic hip hop. Dabke is a traditional Palestinian circle dance in which groups stamp and kick to powerful rhythmic percussion accompanied by traditional music, and it has been a particularly powerful tool to assert the Palestinian identity.

This episode was written and produced by Harriet Paintin and Will Paintin, edited by Andy Everett and hosted by Josh Middleton.