Tanfis I Summary
This was the first live installment of our "Tanfis" project - a series of collaborations between traditional musicians, remix artists, and DJs. Tanfis I sought to uplift underrepresented musics and stories from the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region.
From August through November, 2022, we facilitated collaborations between 11 NY-based traditional musicians, 1 remix artist, and 1 DJ, most of whom are immigrants from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey. The goal was to collaboratively produce a digital library of musics and stories that are simultaneously rooted in SWANA traditions and forward-looking, all under the guiding theme of “Tanfis,” or “a deep renewing, cathartic exhalation.”
Key activities included:
Recording and filming 11 traditional songs from Iran, Anatolia, and the Levant
Facilitating several day-long gatherings with all resident artists to collectively engage with the “Tanfis” theme, create new works, co-design how all the elements would come together at our planned live event, intended as a 3-hr cross-cultural, interdisciplinary tanfis journey
Building partnerships with a variety of local organizations and venues including:
Renowned organization StoryCorps to record four introspective dialogues between our partnering artists
Brooklyn-based venue Public Records to host the live Tanfis event
Brooklyn-based event space Delight Factory to host the residency
Arabic music organization Brooklyn Maqam to promote the show
Community-supported music platform Viewcy to livestream the show
Hosting a sold-out event at Public Records on November 30.
Releasing the digital content during the residency, featuring singles, EPs, albums, music videos, storytelling content, as well as audio and video sample packs designed for electronic musicians/producers to create new remix works in a socially conscious way.
Music Releases
Eylem Basaldi & Friends
Traditional Turkish sounds ranging from slow and melancholic to lively and fast
Layale Chaker & Sam Minaie
Deeply expressive lullabies performed by this virtuosic duo
Mani Nilchiani
Meditative solo performances on setar and voice by NY-based native Iranian musician
Tanfis I Live
This is a highlights video of a 3-hour event which took place on November 30th, 2022 at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY. The full-length video of the event is available on Viewcy.
The evening presented a 3-hour immersive journey seamlessly blending acoustic traditional performances with electronic dance and live video remixing, drawing us all into a cathartic release. Leading this journey were a collective of critically acclaimed artists from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and the US:
• Marwan Allam (bass) • Nezih Antakli (percussion) • Layale Chaker (violin) • The Brooklyn Nomads' Hadi and Mo Eldebek (oud, bouzouk, percussion, voice) • Eren Erdoğan (zurna, kaval, duduk) • Remix ⟷ Culture's HAT (live video remixing) • John Murchison (qanun) • Haza's Myyuh (DJ and live remixing) • Mani Nilchiani (setar, voice, electronics).
The energy in the room was described as "pure love"; the experience as "not only a thing that was fun, but a thing that was needed"; the space "safe and inclusive." The impact was palpable even among our livestream attendees:
I have been so moved by what you and the artists put together tonight I just feel compelled to let you know in the moment. [...] The depth of our crisis is met by the exponential rise in possibility flowing from our most primal virtue—our capacity to cooperate. Music gives us the vision in our bodies, and you have tapped something very powerful tonight.
Below is a photo gallery that captured the collective presence palpable at the Nov 30, 2022 event.
photos by Darwensi Clark
Meet the Artists
Artist Bios
What The Artists Wished To Express
During the Tanfis I residency, we partnered with StoryCorps to record four introspective dialogues between a select number of residency and guest artists:
Join Us
We hope you were moved by the work we’ve presented here. There are several ways you can join us!
We are seeking opportunities to take the Tanfis I live experience to audiences outside NY. If you’d like to help make this happen, please contact us here.
If you are a music producer / remix artist, we’d love for you to join our open access fair trade remix community by downloading our free (Creative Commons) Tanfis II sample packs (Mani and Layale Chaker & Sam Minaie), and sending us your remix via email at remixes@remix-culture.org
If you’re moved by our work and would like to support our mission, consider making a donation today. If you’d like to become a sponsor, please contact us here.