Day 3 at Habibi Festival 2025 brings two boundary-pushing Arab artists: Iraqi-American visual artist-turned-musician Maryam Turkey and Egyptian oud player Mohamed Abozekry. They discuss their artistic journeys, creative transitions, and their unique collaborative processes. Turkey details her move into music in New York, where she found a more playful and collaborative creative space. She discusses her new album, which innovatively revives classical Arabic themes of love and lust by repurposing lyrics from forgotten Iraqi folk music. Abozekry reflects on his rapid musical development starting with Naseer Shamma at Arabic Oud House. He shares the challenges and rewards of evolving from a strictly instrumentalist role to embracing singing and composition, which has allowed for a new phase of creative fun and experimentation in his work. The artists share their conceptual themes, from Turkey's exploration of inspiration and freedom in "Ahlam" to Abozekry's method of refining new compositions through touring.
0:00:00 Performance by Maryam Turkey and Band
0:36:23 afikra Quartertones Invites the Two Musicians on Stage for a Conversation
0:37:24 Maryam Turkey's Childhood in Iraq & Transition from Visual Art to Music
0:39:39 Mohamed Abozekry's Journey with the Oud
0:42:13 The Joy of Creative Collaboration
0:45:26 Maryam's Latest Album: Reusing Iraqi Folk Lyrics
0:48:17 Mohamed's Roh El Fouad Album & Using Touring To Try New Arrangements
0:49:36 Maryam's Ahlam: Conceptual Themes, Freedom & Lust
0:52:20 The Mohamed Abozekry Sextet Takes the Stage
2:07:35 afikra Quartertones Invites the Two Musicians on Stage
Mohamed Abozekry is a Franco-Egyptian musician who entered the Arabic Oud House in Cairo at a very early age and received his teaching from Naseer Shamma. At the age of fifteen, he became the youngest professor of Oud in the Arab world. He formed several groups, including the Mohamed Abozekry Sextet and received the first prize at the international Oud competition in Damascus in 2009. In 2010 he formed the quartet Heejaz which also includes Guillaume Hogan (guitar), Anne Laure Bourget (percussion) and Hugo Reydet (double bass).
Connect with Mohamed Abozekry 👉 https://instagram.com/m.abozekry
Maryam Turkey is an Iraqi-American artist and designer based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2009, she moved with her family as refugees to the United States, where she attended Baltimore School for the Arts high school and learned traditional painting. She continued her art and design education at Pratt Institute, where she earned her Bachelor of Industrial Design in 2017. Shortly after graduation, Turkey was awarded an art residency at Domaine de Boisbuchet where she was mentored by Sabine Marcelis. Turkey’s sculptural practice began then. In 2019 she was awarded an art residency at the Museum of Art and Design, where she developed her ongoing paper clay techniques. She has recently made a transition to a career in music as a singer-songwriter.
Connect with Maryam Turkey 👉 https://instagram.com/maryamturkey
Hosted by Daleelah Saleh
Egyptian-American multi-hyphenate creative, passionate about storytelling at the intersections of culture, activism, and media.
Connect with Daleelah Saleh 👉
https://instagram.com/medialeelah
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