Coast to Coast: Reflections from Al Andalus to Los Angeles
Fresh off the heels of 3 sold out shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and over a dozen high-profile performances at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Syrian-American rapper / poet Omar Offendum brings a deep love for Hip-Hop and Arabic poetry to his old stomping grounds of Georgetown for a very special performance-lecture. Joined by Chicago-based Palestinian Oud virtuoso Ronnie Malley, these multi-talented musicians offer a unique perspective on Arab-American artistic expression, weaving 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’ neighborhood to the birth of California Surf Rock.
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies is pleased to host Omar and Ronnie in partnership with the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, the Department of History, the Humanities Initiative, the Department of Performing Arts, and the Lab of Global Performance.
McNeir Auditorium is located in the New North building. Start from the University’s main gates on 37th & O Streets. Head directly into campus between Healy and Copley Halls to the right of the statue of John Carroll. Follow the pathway past the Davis Center around to the left through the tunnel. Take the stairs down one flight immediately to your right as you exit the tunnel.
About the artists:
Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American rapper / spoken word artist. Known for his unique blend of Hip-Hop & Arabic poetry, he’s been featured on prominent world news outlets (Aljazeera, BBC, PBS, LA Times), lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA, SOAS, American University of Beirut), collaborated with major museums & cultural organizations (LACMA / Penn Museum / Ithra / Shangri-La / Arab-American National Museum, Museum of Islamic Art in Doha), and helped raise millions of dollars for various humanitarian relief groups (Islamic Relief, Karam Foundation, Syrian-American Medical Society). Offendum was recently 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 & the RaceForward Butterfly Lab cohort for Immigrant Narrative Strategy. His latest performance engagements include five sold out showings of his new “Little Syria” musical in NYC (Brooklyn Academy of Music & HERE Arts Center), as well as twenty unforgettable concerts during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. He currently resides in the great state of New York with his wife & two little children, while daydreaming about the jasmine tree-lined streets of Damascus.
Follow Omar on Instagram: @offendum
Ronnie Malley is a Palestinian-American multi-instrumentalist musician, actor, composer, sound designer, producer, playwright, and educator. Recent theater credits include: Scenes From 73 Years sound design (Medina Theatre Collective), The Shroudmaker musician (Medina Theatre Collective), The Band’s Visit actor/musician/Arabic dialect coach (North American Tour), American Griot co-author/composer (MVCC/Silk Road Rising | Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Award 2020), Macbeth Hecate/musician (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Great Expectations composer/sound designer (Silk Road Rising/Remy Bumppo | Jeff Nominated for Best Original Music), Ziryab, The Songbird Of Andalusia author/solo performer (Silk Road Rising), The Jungle Book musician/consultant (Goodman, Huntington Theatres), The White Snake co- composer/musician (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), The Sultan’s Dilemma actor/composer/associate producer (International Voices Project), Arabian Nights musician (Goodman, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep Theatres). Ronnie has a BA in Global Music Studies from DePaul University and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Linguistics at the University of Chicago. He is a teaching artist with Chicago Public Schools, an artist researcher with Chicago Arts Partnership in Education, and a guest lecturer at universities. Ronnie is an international artist and has performed with the music groups Allos Musica, Apollo’s Fire, Diwan Al-Han, EMME, Lamajamal, Mucca Pazza, Newberry Consort, Surabhi Ensemble, the Toronto Chamber Choir, and the University of Chicago Middle East Music Ensemble. Ronnie is a member of Actors Equity Association and the American Federation of Musicians.
Follow Ronnie on Instagram: @ronniemalley