A new mix commissioned for EastEast Radio is coming from Jordan’s Mothanna Hussein, a dedicated Arabic music selector, graphic designer and one of the co-founders of Palestine's Radio Al Hara, which came to be the most important music broadcasters in the region over the last year. He used to call himself Atlas when working on mixes, yet recently he switched to his given name for all music occasions. Together with another designer Saeed Abu-Jaber they’re also a creative force behind the radio’s distinctive visual identity.
In this special mix, Mothanna has compiled recordings coming exclusively from the countries of the Persan Gulf—particularly Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. It gives a perfect glimpse into some of the most iconic voices of the region from its past and present, while featuring songs from Khaleeji singers like the legendary Talal Maddah, who used to be called “the Earth's voice” or “the octopus of the oud” Abadi Al-Johar, the 1980s Farsi psych-rock of the Sharks Band from Bahrain, and works from the master Arabian session musician Rashed Al-Majed.
