Al-FareedDespite all the talk about “world music,” it is still uncommon when international music reaches mainstream American airwaves.  When was the last time you caught Rachid Taha or Anouar Brahem on your local music station? So what do you do when you want to explore new and traditional tunes of the Middle East and North Africa? Check out Alfred Madain’s Radio Al-Fareed on http://www.levantinecenter.org.

The music featured on Radio Al-Fareed is old and new, traditional and contemporary, religious and secular. DJ Al-Fareed (aka Alfred Madain) is a reassuring guide as he takes us on carefully constructed musical tours through countries including but not limited to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, China, Indonesia, Oman, Yemen, Comoros Island, Zanzibar, and Tunisia.  Different ethnic and religious groups such as Kurds, Azeris, Jews, and Christians also have their music featured on Radio Al-Fareed.  Artists who have fused music from other parts of the world with their own are also highlighted on the program. This makes Al-Fareed a uniquely tough act for any other deejay to follow.

Madain grew up in his native Jordan listening to an eclectic selection of music from the Arab world, America, and Europe. Throughout his life he has explored all genres of music and passed through many different phases of obsession. Today he is a deejay, musician, and ethnomusicologist in Los Angeles. Listeners can hear his weekly podcasts from Levantine Cultural Center in Los Angeles and add them to their iTunes collection. Visit http://www.levantinecenter.org and email Alfred Madain at amadain@charter.net.