Talk Islam

shahed

  • 11:08:30 am on May 7, 2008 | # | |
    Tags: ,

    Per the request of the music director of SXSW (that’s “South by Southwest” for the acronymically-challenged - it’s one of the largest music-related events in the USA), I’m organizing a lineup of Muslim bands of all genres for next year’s SXSW, to be held in Austin in March 2009.

    The audience will be mostly non-Muslim indie music fans (and possibly more than a few record label folks), so the artists we select need to have the talent and the crossover appeal to pull it off (i.e., I think we’ll have to pass on bubblegum pop like the 786 Boys). Would prefer unsigned artists to give them a shot at visibility.

    Any suggestions for artists we should court? I’d like to see Kareem Salama, Liza Garza, and Tyson, for starters.

    I think they want to call it “Allahpalooza”. Not sure if that will fly.

     

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Comments

  • Willow 12:32 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    Or Islamarama. Or Mozzfest.

  • aziz 1:49 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    Allahpalooza is just too awesome not to use!

    What was that band that Andrea interviewed? Native Deen? Also there was that band I remember reading about at MuslimWakeUp, the Kaminas I think.

    Would also be quote a “get” to have Cat Stevens aboard.

  • aziz 1:52 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    Live Abd! Woodmosque! Battle of the Bandhs! The Bayt-alls!

  • shahed 2:00 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    The Kominas have broken up, I believe, and Native Deen would be (IMHO) chewed up and spit out by the crowd. Cat would be great (as would his son), but we’d have a standing-room only crowd if we could get Lupe Fiasco to show up.

  • Willow 2:18 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    The Kominas broke up?? That’s sad.

  • aziz 2:19 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    I was googling and found that Richard Thompson is a sufi.

    http://tinyurl.com/44besj

  • shahed 3:29 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    Another Muslim musician: the “godfather of Goth” and former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy. Who would have thought? Should have yelled out my salams when I saw him in concert in the early 90’s, but I had no idea.

  • Mikael Pittam 6:40 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    Shahed, here is one band that I know personally: Project26, Muslim alternative rock.

    Article: http://islamcrunch.com/archives/project26-rocking-in-the-free-world/
    Interview: http://islamcrunch.com/archives/islamcrunch-interviews-project26/

    Rock on!

    P.S. Everlast is a Muslim cat.

  • Mikael Pittam 6:42 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    And Tyson and DJ BeLikeMuhammad needs to be on there!

  • Adam 9:04 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    I know the guys at Remarkable Current. I would suggest having them do an entire set with a collection of artists (Tyson and DJ BeLikeMuhammad are main acts).

    Here is their site: http://www.remarkablecurrent.com/home.html

    Shows how to contact them.

  • baraka 9:52 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    I don’t think The Kominas have broken up. They were just on NPR/The World in the last couple of weeks.

    http://www.myspace.com/thekominas

    Also, he’s not indie but the Iron Maiden singer is now Muslim.

  • shahed 10:26 pm on May 7, 2008 | #

    Already spoke w/the Project26 guys a while back - they’re down. Kareem Salama is too. The final selection of performers will probably be up to the SXSW folks - it helps to get a good list together to pick from. Everlast is a great suggestion - will add to my list.

    The Iron Maiden guy did claim to be a Muslim, and even a hajji, but it looks like it was just a phase he went through.

  • thabet 5:40 am on May 8, 2008 | #

    At least it was a genuine ‘phase’.

    Ian Brown (Stone Roses) claimed to be a Muslim… so he could get decent food in prison.

  • Muzamil 12:29 pm on May 9, 2008 | #

    Wow, this is a great idea. It might just make me try to brave the insanity and make it to SXSW next year.

    What about Explosions in the Sky or Bat for Lashes? Both have members of Pakistani descent, though who knows if they consider themselves Muslim. And more practically, they might be difficult to book.

  • Ali Eteraz 1:36 am on May 10, 2008 | #

    kominas are still together. they are sending me their next album.

    they are in LAHORE.

    you should look up The Popo, they opened for NIN in Europe but they are Philly based.

    I support Allahpalooza

  • Willow 9:39 am on May 10, 2008 | #

    I second Peter Murphy. I listened to Bauhaus all throughout high school, so the hidden Sufi messages in their lyrics clearly had some effect on me…

  • Sadia 7:50 pm on June 6, 2008 | #

    I support Project 26. They are Awesome.

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