Description
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Syrian American rapper and poet Omar Offendum and Palestinian American multi-instrumentalist maestro Ronnie Malley weave stories of the past, present, and future as they trace the influence of Al-Andalus and Arabic-speaking peoples on music and culture, from New York City's Little Syria to the birth of California surf rock.
About Omar:
Omar Offendum is a Syrian American rapper, spoken word poet, and theatrical storyteller with a unique ability to appeal to audiences from a variety of backgrounds and generations through his signature blend of hip-hop and Arabic poetry. Throughout his career, he’s been featured in prominent world news outlets (Al Jazeera, BBC, PBS, Los Angeles Times), lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA, SOAS, Georgetown, American University of Beirut, Education City Doha), collaborated with major museums and cultural organizations (LACMA, Penn Museum, Ithra, Shangri La, Arab American National Museum, Brooklyn Museum), and helped raise millions of dollars for various humanitarian relief groups (Islamic Relief, Karam Foundation, Syrian American Medical Society). Offendum was recently invited by the Qatar Foundation to perform at over a dozen matches during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha. He was also named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, an Arab America Foundation "40 Under 40" award recipient, and a member of both the Pillars Fund cohort for Muslim Narrative Change and the Race Forward Butterfly Lab cohort for Immigrant Narrative Strategy. After seventeen wonderful years in Los Angeles, he currently resides in the great state of New York with his wife and two little children, while daydreaming about the jasmine tree–lined streets of Damascus.
About Ronnie:
Ronnie Malley is a Palestinian American multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, sound designer, producer, actor, playwright, educator, and executive director of Intercultural Music Production. With a focus on various musical styles from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and medieval Spain, Ronnie has performed with several artists, including Allos Musica, Apollo’s Fire, Diwan al-Han, EMME, Huzam, Lamajamal, Mucca Pazza, the Newberry Consort, Picosa, Omar Offendum, Surabhi Ensemble, University of Chicago Middle East Music Ensemble, and Yves Francois & Rocambu Jazz. Ronnie has worked on award-winning theatrical plays, films, and television series, including The Band’s Visit (Broadway, Tony Awards, Grammy Awards), Mo (Netflix), The Jungle Book (Disney, Goodman Theatre), and The New Mother (dir. by Eleva Singleton). He has recorded on over twenty albums and has coproduced several works and staged productions, including Little Syria, Karim Nagi’s Huzam, The Reminders, Yves Francois, and The Andalusian Trail. Ronnie was the recipient of the 2023 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award. He holds a BA in Global Music Studies from DePaul University and is currently pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Chicago.
