In a special podcast interview for the EastEast music issue, contributor Pavel Amirov speaks with Sharif Sehnaoui. He is the co-founder of Lebanon's Irtijal music festival, which prioritizes inclusivity, diversity, and experimentation in its programming. They discuss the challenges of establishing a music scene in Lebanon and the festival's efforts to support local musicians and showcase regional and international artists. Through the conversation, they consider the importance of geographical location and cultural context in shaping the identity of a festival.
The recording exclusively features musicians from this year's Irtijal festival:
SANAM - "Rings"
Panayotis - "Štelivinius"
The Mad Laboratory of Anti Matter - "Introduction"
Snakeskin - "Roots"
Wake Island and Radwan Ghazi Moumneh - "Born To Leave"
Farah Kaddour - "Khuzama"
Rhea Dally - "My Junk and Yours"
Praed - "El Hawi"
