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Considered a key figure within Beirut's creative scene, comics author, visual artist and musician Mazen Kerbaj joins us on The afikra Podcast and discusses his upbringing in Beirut, his creative family background growing up around famous artist as parents, and the influence of the city's tumultuous history on his work. Kerbaj shares insights into his childhood during the Lebanese Civil War, his passion for comics, and the evolution of his artistic identity. He reflects on the impact of fame, the transformative power of creative expression, and the importance of staying true to one's artistic vision. The conversation also delves into his unique experiences with blogging during the 2006 Lebanon War, leading up to his latest journaling work on Gaza which has lead to publishing a book in French – soon to be released in English with the title "Gaza in my Phone." We also delve into his other critically acclaimed works and his thoughtful perspectives on music and visual art. 00:00 Introduction00:40 Growing Up With Antoine Kerbaj and Laure Ghorayeb as Parents02:00 The Beginning of a Creative Journey02:31 Describing Beirut04:30 Life During and After the Lebanese Civil War10:28 Musical Influences and Discoveries14:06 Commitment to Art20:01 Fame and Family Dynamics21:58 The Philosophy of Art and Fame30:57 The Rise and Fall of a Comic Strip34:06 The Iconic Beirut Posters of Mazen Kerbaj38:03 Blogging During Conflict45:07 Creating Art Under Siege55:00 Music and Visual Art: A Blurred Line01:01:37 Influences and Inspirations Mazen Kerbaj is a Lebanese comics author, visual artist, and musician born in Beirut in 1975. He's the author of 15 books translated into more than 10 languages and his work has been shown in galleries, museums and art fairs around the world. Kerbaj is widely considered as one of the initiators and key players of the Lebanese free improvisation and experimental music scene. As a trumpet player, he pushes the boundaries of the instrument beyond recognition. He also works on selective illustration and design projects and has taught at the American University of Beirut.Connect with Mazen Kerbaj
Author and former security correspondent for The Sunday Times Richard Kerbaj traces the untold history of the Five Eyes- the world's most powerful intelligence sharing group; from its early beginnings fighting Nazis, to taking on the Soviet Union, to defeating terrorists in the Middle East. He also addresses Canada's contributions, and claims that the Trump administration plans to boot us out of the organization. His latest book is “The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The Untold Story of the International Spy Network.” If you like what you are hearing, consider subscribing to The Hub's free weekly email newsletter featuring our insights and analysis on key public policy issues. Sign up here: https://thehub.ca/join/.
Richard Kerbaj – The Secret History of the Five Eyes...with TRE's Giles Brown
1. Leo Brouwer’s Sonata del pensador: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1H3XzKKhXgxS8K0JlA2bZ22. Paul Lansky’s Textures: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/32lNiwD6k9M9hmZN2Qv9MU3. Mazen Kerbaj’s Walls Will Fall: The 49 Trumpets of Jericho: https://open.spotify.com/track/0jSUuU0P8gE2Kd9IqmOvzNYou can listen to these before or after the episode, or you can pause our podcast and go listen to each piece as we introduce them. Panelists:Andrew Oswinkle was born and raised in Baltimore and attends Peabody Conservatory for his masters in Classical Guitar Performance under scholarship. He has played for various events in the area such as ArtScape, the Baltimore Book Festival, the Bach in Baltimore BachFest, and has put on a number of solo recitals in the Baltimore area. Andrew is dedicated to advocacy for the classical guitar by, not only bringing his music to formal concert stages, but also by bringing high-quality music into his local community by playing for local events, schools, and informal venues. He brought Leo Brouwer’s Sonata del pensador and recommends other Brouwer works such as the Danza del Altiplano, Tres Apuntes, and the Concierto no. 2, “de Lieja.” aoguitar.comZoe Fried is a performer, administrator, and arts advocate with an aim to inspire audiences through genuine interaction and creative presentation, currently the Operations Manager with Shriver Hall Concert Series. Zoe performs and producing in venues all across Baltimore, including performing for Dan Deacon's 10th Anniversary release concert for Spiderman of the Rings, and in Deacon’s Baltimore Symphony Pulse collaboration at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. She also performs with and serves on the Board of Mind on Fire, a musical arts cooperative, collaboratively presenting contemporary music in Baltimore. She recommends that you check out this live performance of Paul Lansky’s Textures, which we talk about on the episode.Samuel Burt is a composer in Baltimore, composing for orchestra, small groups, piano, and electronic music. He improvises on clarinet, bass clarinet, and daxophone. He is a professor at Towson and Johns Hopkins. He is a member of the High Zero Foundation that runs the Red Room series, focusing on improvised and experimental music. Check out The Free Jazz Collective’s article on the piece Sam brought, Mazen Kerbaj’s Walls Will Fall, Kerbaj’s festival of experimental and contemporary music in Arab countries, and an excerpt of his “duet” with an Israeli bombardment of his town. samuelburt.comMore information at pauseandlisten.com. Pause and Listen was created by host John T.K. Scherch and co-creator/marketing manager Michele Mengel Scherch.
Mohammed Emwazi was a grade school student in London with a promising future ahead of him in 1995. By 2014, he had become known as “Jihadi John,” a masked ISIS terrorist in Syria who internationalized his notoriety by broadcasting his beheadings of Western hostages on the internet. UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST includes rare footage of Emwazi as a young boy in London and interviews with his schoolteachers who reveal that he lived a relatively comfortable and normal childhood. His behavior grew more disconcerting in his teenage years. Emwazi’s brutality is illustrated through harrowing, first-hand accounts from his surviving hostages, and the collaboration between the world’s leading intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Britain’s intelligence agents, who ultimately tracked him down and ended his life. UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST examines what propelled Emwazi’s journey down a violent path despite US and British authorities being aware of his extremism. It also highlights the self-declared operational failures by counter-terrorism officials as Emwazi became ISIS’s chief executioner and propagandist. Joining us on Film School Radio will be Oscar®-nominated, BAFTA and Emmy®-winning director Anthony Wonke (HBO’s “The Battle for Marjah”), and BAFTA-winning producer and investigative journalist Richard Kerbaj, UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST debuts WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 (8:00-9:40 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. For news and updates go to: hbo.com/documentaries For more HBO / Cinemax programming go to: hbo-cinemax facebook.com/hbodocs twitter.com/HBODocs instagram.com/hbo
durée : 00:26:28 - Le Réveil culturel - par : Tewfik Hakem - Rencontre avec le chef de file de la bande-dessinée libanaise, Mazen Kerbaj, pour la parution de sa BD, "Politique" - invités : Mazen KERBAJ - Mazen Kerbaj : auteur de bande-dessinée - réalisé par : Vincent Abouchar
durée : 00:26:28 - Le Réveil culturel - par : Tewfik Hakem - Rencontre avec le chef de file de la bande-dessinée libanaise, Mazen Kerbaj, pour la parution de sa BD, "Politique" - invités : Mazen KERBAJ - Mazen Kerbaj : auteur de bande-dessinée - réalisé par : Vincent Abouchar
durée : 00:07:10 - La personnalité de la semaine - par : Patricia Martin - Le dessinateur de presse Mazen Kerbaj est l'invité de Patricia Martin