The Middle East Rocks with Kutsal (Turkey), Lazywall (Morocco) and The Kordz (Lebanon)

MIDDLE EAST ROCKS NOT WITH WAR BUT CONCERT IN L.A. WITH ROCKERS FROM TURKEY, LEBANON AND MOROCCO (WITH GUESTS FROM IRELAND!)

Americans may think of conflict and chaos when they think of the Middle East, but will be surprised to learn that western music genres like rock, heavy metal and hip hop are sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa. Not only do they not hate us, but the Arab/Muslim youth generation—more than 60% of the Middle East’s population—are embracing American culture.

On Thursday, March 26, Levantine Cultural Center presents THE MIDDLE EAST ROCKS at The Joint in Los Angeles, with the Turkish rocker KUTSAL (kutsal.net), Lebanon’s Moe Hamzeh of THE KORDZ (thekordz.com) (“best rock group in the Middle East” according to Mark LeVine, author of the new book Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam), and Morocco’s LAZYWALL (lazywall.com).

Special guest artists JEKYL, an Irish metal band, will complete the evening of energetic rock. Additional guest guitarists include Lanny Cordola and Mark LeVine, who have performed with the icons of rock ‘n roll around the world including Mick Jagger.

Lazywall and The Kordz’ Moe Hamzeh will be performing live in Austin’s annual music festival, South by Southwest, before appearing together with Kutsal and Jekyl in Los Angeles on March 26th. Lazywall appears with the support of the Moroccan Association of California.

“We can’t win wars of occupation,” says Jordan Elgrably, the founding director of Levantine Cultural Center, which began presenting cutting-edge public programs on the Middle East/North Africa during the summer of 2001. “But we can win hearts and minds by sharing our common love of music, art, film, theatre, dance. Arabs/Muslims and Americans have their passion for the arts in common. This rock show makes that crystal clear—there is no ‘them,’ there is only ‘us.’”

What Kutsal, Lazywall, The Kordz and guest band Jekyl have in common is the language of rock—a defiance of authority, irreverence toward society’s sacred cows, and above all, the desire for freedom. 

More about the rockers here.