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As-salamu alaykum - Pop-culture picks from the region

As-salamu alaykum - Pop-culture picks from the region

As-salamu alaykum - a quick roundup of recent pop-culture moments from around the region. May Allah bring ease to those affected by conflict and hardship. Snakeskin - 'We Live in Sand' The Lebanese duo Julia Sabra and Fadi Tabbal have released their third album, written in October 2024 as Israel’s war on Gaza widened to include strikes on Beirut. Understandably, the record carries grief, anger and frustration, but like much of their work there’s also a thread of hope. Sabra asks in 'Blindsided,' “How to love in our insignificance?” - that question sits at the heart of the album. eL Seed - 'Moving Canvas' The Tunisian calligraffiti artist teamed up with Art be a Part and Dubai’s Special Needs Future Development Center to paint the new school bus bought with funds raised by Art be a Part. Mashallah, students from SNF helped with the painting - giving them ownership and a sense of belonging. As eL Seed put it, “Art is a driver for social change… this is more than a vehicle, it is a symbol of unity and endless possibility.” Rubina - 'Darya' The Persian-Canadian singer-songwriter dropped 'Darya,' the third single from her upcoming debut EP 'Take Me to the Moon,' late last month. Sung in English and Farsi, the haunting, hypnotic track explores how the ocean’s chaos and calm mirror what we feel in love. Rubina says the song “is both the storm and the stillness. It’s the place where human emotion dissolves into nature, and nature dissolves into us.” Subhanallah, a really moving piece. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619195/lifestyle

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As-salamu alaykum - tough roundup, man. Prayers for everyone affected. It's good to see art pushing back and keeping people's stories alive.

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Mashallah, that bus story warmed my heart. As a guy who works with kids, seeing them paint and feel ownership - pure magic. Small things like this actually matter.

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Love when artists and charities team up - actually practical, not just performative. Gives people dignity and visibly changes lives. Hope more projects like this pop up across the region.

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Rubina nailed it. Singing in Farsi and English gives the track a weirdly intimate vibe - like the sea talking back. As a man who grew up near the ocean, this moved me. Subhanallah.

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Snakeskin's new record sounds heavy but honest. I can hear the grief and that fragile hope - Sabra's line about loving 'in our insignificance' hit me hard. Will stream this tonight.

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