Tamino Channels Voices From His Arabic Heritage Into His Own Eccentric Sound
Tamino’s latest album, Amir, is out now.
Ramy Fouad/Courtesy of the artist
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Ramy Fouad/Courtesy of the artist
At 22 years old, Tamino possesses a voice that carries the hypnotic, immediate power of something much more ancient. Born Tamino Moharam Fouad and named after a prince in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, the Belgian-Egyptian artist explores his heritage by combining his own sound with Arabic influences of his Lebanese and Egyptian ancestors. Tamino’s debut album, Amir, out now, melds together the artist’s eccentric vocal style with Arab musical theory.
When Tamino was a kid, he found an old guitar gathering dust in a cupboard while visiting family in Cairo, and brought it back home with him to Belgium. The guitar was once played by Muharram Fouad, Tamino’s grandfather and a famous Egyptian singer who starred in Hassan and Nayima, which is, as Tamino tells it, “the Romeo and Juliet of Egyptian cinema.”
“The songs played in that movie became hits, not only in Egypt but the whole Arabic world, actually,” Tamino says. “He had a very long career until the ’80s, but he died unfortunately when I was 5, so I don’t really have memories of him. I only have his music.”
Left behind for Tamino were cassettes of his grandfather’s music. Tamino was able to incorporate the music on the cassettes into his own music for the album with the help of a friend.
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“She takes the cassettes…she makes new sounds with them,” Tamino says. “You cannot recognize them anymore, but for me, it was symbolically very important that these sounds came from these cassettes that I had all my life.”
Amir also features Nagham Zikrayat, an orchestra of Middle Eastern instrumentalists, many of whom are refugees from Iraq and Syria. “They capture the essence of Arabic music from like the ’50s and the ’60s — we call it the golden age of Arabic music,” Tamino says about working with Nagham Zikraya. “They add this individuality and charisma in what they are playing.”
Tamino says there’s a lot he still has to discover about the country and culture of Egypt. Though he’s visited many times, he has yet to play there.
“The language is gonna be hard. I know it’s gonna be hard, but the one thing that’s not hard is the music,” he says. “It’s the one thing I’ve always had a connection to. It’s the one thing that just feels like it’s in me — like a homecoming.”
The Thistle & Shamrock: World Beat
Hear Afro Celt Sound System on this edition of The Thistle & Shamrock.
Mark Bennett/Riotsquad Publicity
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Mark Bennett/Riotsquad Publicity
Circumnavigate the world of Celtic music as we listen to progressive, crossover Celtic roots recordings influenced by Latin, Balkan and African music and rhythms. Artists this week include the Afro Celt Sound System, Eileen Ivers, and The House Band.
The Month in Movies: What’s in Theaters in April 2019
Are we already entering the summer movie season? April brings us the most anticipated theatrical release of the year, with Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, and there’s a very good chance it will remain the biggest movie through the end of 2019. But there are many other great titles coming out this month, including a new DC superhero movie and some major horror and documentary features.
Below is our guide to all the major titles coming to theaters in April and how to get your tickets now.
April 5:
Shazam!
Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer
The latest entry of the DC Extended Universe is also the franchise’s most standalone effort, following the Big-like adventures of a teenage boy (Asher Angel) who can magically turn into an adult-size superhero (Levy). It’s all fun and games and flying, though, until he must save his city from the evil Dr. Sivana (Strong).
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Pet Sematary
Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow
Based on Stephen King’s classic horror novel, this second adaptation of Pet Sematary centers around a burial ground from which the dead come back to life — yet now they’re evil. That includes pet cats or young children, both in the case of the oft-grieving Creed family, who have just moved into town from the big city.
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The Best of Enemies
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, Ann Heche
Oscar winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) plays another bigot in this drama based on the true story of Ku Klux Klan leader C.P. Ellis and his longtime rivalry turned partnership with civil rights activist Ann Atwater (Henson) in Durham, North Carolina, in the early 1970s over a matter of school desegregation.
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Amazing Grace
Starring: Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Rev. James Cleveland
Director Sydney Pollack (The Firm) originally helmed this concert film back in 1972, documenting the late Aretha Franklin’s performance with the choir of the New Bethel Baptist Church in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Unfinished for more than 40 years, the movie is finally hitting theaters thanks to music producer Alan Elliott.
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April 12:
Hellboy
Starring: David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane
Rebooting the devilish comic book movie franchise after two adaptations from Guillermo del Toro, this version of Hellboy aims to be darker and more R-rated. Harbour portrays the titular supernatural superhero as he and the rest of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense face a villainous Arthurian witch named Nimue, aka “the Queen of Blood” (Jovovich).
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Missing Link
Starring (voices): Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Zach Galifianakis
From Laika, the stop-motion animation studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, comes a comedic adventure about a Bigfoot (Galifianakis) who teams up with an investigator (Jackman) and a free spirit (Saldana) to travel the world in search of his long-lost Yeti relatives. Timothy Olyphant co-stars as the voice of an evil explorer.
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Little
Starring: Regina Hall, Issa Rae, Marsai Martin
In the second Big-inspired movie of the month, Hall plays a ruthlessly successful tech mogul who is magically transformed into her younger self. Martin, who plays the teenage version of the character, also came up with the comedic premise and serves as an executive producer on the movie, one of Hollywood’s youngest ever.
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After
Starring: Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Josephine Langford, Selma Blair
Based on the best-selling romance novel by Anna Todd, which began as One Direction fan fiction involving singer Harry Styles, this drama centers around the love story of a good-girl college student (Langford) with a boyfriend back home who enters a rocky relationship with a cruel bad boy (Fiennes Tiffin) with a dark secret.
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April 17:
Penguins
Starring (voice): Ed Helms
The latest real-life animal adventure from Disneynature takes us to Antarctica for a look at Adélie penguins. Helms narrates the movie, which focuses on the “coming-of-age story” of Steve, one in a million of these flightless birds, as he finds a mate and then cares for their child while avoiding threats, including killer whales and leopard seals.
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Breakthrough
Starring: Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace
Based on a true story, this faith-based drama follows the parents (Metz and Lucas) of a teenager who miraculously recovered after he seemingly drowned in an icy lake and then fell into a coma. Mike Colter co-stars as the first responder who saves the boy (Marcel Ruiz), while Grace portrays a local pastor at the family’s church.
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April 19:
The Curse of La Llorona
Starring: Linda Cardellini, Marisol Ramirez, Raymond Cruz
Produced by James Wan and tied to his Conjuring Universe franchise, The Curse of La Llorona is another horror movie inspired by supernatural folklore. Cardellini stars as a widowed mother of two who is haunted by the legendary ghost known as La Llorona, aka “the Weeping Woman,” in 1970s Los Angeles.
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Under the Silver Lake
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace
The latest movie from It Follows writer/director David Robert Mitchell, Under the Silver Lake is a comedic neo-noir thriller in which Garfield plays a man searching for the mysterious woman (Keough) who suddenly came into his life only to immediately go missing.
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April 26:
Avengers: Endgame
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Brie Larson, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Karen Gillan, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Letitia Wright
This is it, the 22nd installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and potentially the one that ends it all — or at least the franchise as we know it. The follow-up to the cliffhanging Avengers: Infinity War follows the surviving superheroes, led by Captain America, as they attempt to set right what went away when Thanos snapped his fingers. Joined by Captain Marvel, the Avengers might just be able to reverse the devastating genocide of half the MCU’s population.
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The White Crow
Starring: Oleg Ivenko, Ralph Fiennes, Louis Hoffman
Oscar-nominated actor Ralph Fiennes returns to the director’s chair for this biographical drama about Rudolph Nureyev (Ivenko), the brilliant Russian dancer and choreographer who famously defected from the Soviet Union in 1961 at the height of the Cold War. Fiennes also co-stars in the movie as ballet master Alexander Pushkin.
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J.T. Leroy
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Courtney Love
The scandal that shook the publishing world is dramatized in this biopic from Justin Kelly (King Cobra) starring Oscar-nominated actress Laura Dern as author Laura Albert, who took on the alter ego “J.T. Leroy” and then had her sister-in-law, Savannah Knoop (Kristen Stewart) portray the suddenly celebrated personality in public.
What’s New on Home Video in April 2019
Strong personalities dominate a slew of strong movies that will be available for home viewing during the next few weeks. It’s a perfect time to catch up with key releases you may have missed before the onslaught of action blockbusters begin arriving in theaters.
Here’s our guide to all the major titles arriving on home video in April 2019, complete with links to more information and how to buy and/or rent on FandangoNow.
April 2
Glass
M. Night Shyamalan concludes a trilogy of films about superpowered humans who face surprising challenges in the modern world. The fractured thriller stars James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson and Samuel L. Jackson.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 2
The Kid Who Would Be King
In this beguiling adventure, a young lad named Arthur (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) must join with school friends both new and old on a quest to defeat the powerful and wicked Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson). Patrick Stewart also stars.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 2
Replicas
Keanu Reeves stars as a scientist who is desperate to experiment on his family with technology he is still perfecting. Alice Eve and Thomas Middleditch also star in the sci-fi thriller.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 9
Escape Room
Six strangers become trapped by deadly circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to survive. Taylor Russell, Logan Miller and Deborah Ann Woll star.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 9
Mirai
A young boy becomes jealous of the attention that his newborn sister receives from their family and then encounters very strange guests from the past and future. The animated adventure features the voice talents of John Cho, Rebecca Hall and Daniel Dae Kim.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 16
Miss Bala
Gina Rodriguez stars as a young woman whose life is placed in danger after she becomes unwittingly involved with a deadly international crime gang. Anthony Mackie also stars.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 23
Arctic
Airplane pilot Mads Mikkelsen crash lands in a frozen wasteland and then must undertake a long, arduous journey to have any hope for survival. Joe Penna directed.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
April 23
Serenity
Fishing boat captain Matthew McConaughey is tracked down by ex-wife Anne Hathaway, who needs his help. The twisty thriller also stars Jason Clarke, Diane Lane, Djimon Hounsou and Jeremy Strong.
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Buy and/or Rent on FandangoNow.
Also in April
Destroyer
In a searing, memorably performance, Nicole Kidman stars as a police detective who must deal with the professional sins of her past. The action-filled drama also stars Sebastian Stan, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany and Bradley Whitford.
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Iron & Wine with LA Philharmonic Orchestra Review – March 24, 2019
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is probably one of the best music halls for orchestral or any musical performances in Los Angeles, maybe even anywhere. A beautiful building with all wood walls allows for a…
First Listen: Mdou Moctar, 'Ilana (The Creator)'
Can Woodstock 50 'Recreate The Magic' Of The Original Festival?
Jay-Z performs on stage during ‘On the Run II’ tour in 2018. The rapper is among the headliners of Woodstock 50.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
It’s been 50 years since Woodstock Music & Arts Festival. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of three days of peace, love and music, Woodstock 50 will take place this Aug. 16–18, 2019 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Festival co-founder Michael Lang has announced the official lineup for the anniversary festival with Jay-Z, Dead & Company and The Killers as headliners. Rounding out the list of performers are Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons, The Black Keys and Chance The Rapper as well as acts like Santana who performed at the seminal fest five decades ago. But what makes this 50th anniversary lineup special among a saturated field of music festivals this?
“They’re trying to recreate the magic and some of the cultural dominance that the original Woodstock did,” NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson says, noting that organizers are not only working in the shadow of the behemoth that was the original event, but also in the shadow of “the debacle that is Woodstock 99” which was notorious for violence, destruction and sexual assault cases.
In the years since the original Woodstock, the festival’s symbolism of peace and love has been romanticized in pop culture. As Thompson notes, no matter who’s on the bill, carrying on the legacy of the original Woodstock is incredibly hard. “They’re trying, I think, to feed a lot of mouths at once,” Thompson says of the variety in this year’s lineup compared to the gathering of 400,000 people back in 1969. “In order to attract 400,000 in this market place, you have to please a lot of people at once.”
As for clear comparisons to the original fest? “In the announcement of this new Woodstock lineup, there was conversation about the parallels between the political situation in 1969 and the political situation in the present,” Thompson notes. “So, I’m sure there’s going to be an attempt to sort of tie the two together and bring out some of the activism.”
Even though summer festival season is more crowded than ever, Thompson thinks Woodstock 50 will stand out because of its historical name recognition and reverberations to be a “siren song to anyone who feels some kind of attachment” to the word ‘Woodstock’ and it’s music history.
Listen to the entire conversation at the audio link.
Alt.Latino's SXSW 2019 Wrap-Up
The Cuban band Cimafunk performs onstage for NPR’s Alt.Latino showcase during SXSW 2019.
Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW
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Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW
I struggled to balance the conflicting emotions of enjoying the musical celebration that is the annual SXSW Festival with the pain of the devastating loss of life in Friday’s terrorist attack in New Zealand. It was an emotional push and pull that I kept completely to myself.
But as I reflected back on the week of interviews and performances I was reminded that many of the musicians I cover on this beat often include messages in their music about respect and dignity for people who are different. They lend their musical gifts to movements that fight for social justice in their home countries. And as I reported on NPR’s All Things Considered, sometimes they put themselves in danger by refusing to be silenced.
It was a reminder that what happens in Austin every year can be much more than a bunch of bands looking for their next big break. It’s really a celebration of the freedom of expression. For some bands, the members are indeed looking for their next big break so they can carry their messages of social justice and inclusion even further.
I left Austin grieving but also comforted by the fact that music can indeed challenge and change the world we live in. I’m thankful that it’s my job to help spread that healing energy. Join AltLatino contributors Marisa Arbona- Ruiz and Catalina Maria Johnson and I this week as we retrace which bands gave us joy and also inspired us.
Popping In For a Pint And Tune At The Cobblestone In Dublin
Dublin’s Cobblestone Bar
Kimberly Junod/WXPN
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Kimberly Junod/WXPN
Ask anyone in Dublin to recommend a pub with traditional Irish music, and you’re likely to hear about The Cobblestone. For our last World Cafe dispatch from Ireland, we pop into the cozy spot in Smithfield and can immediately see why this place is beloved by locals, tourists and musicians from far and wide. It’s warm and welcoming with a big, long bar filled with people leaning over each other and laughing and clinking glasses. And at the front of the room there are about a dozen musicians packed into this little nook — it’s a jigsaw puzzle of fiddles and guitars and pints resting precariously between elbows on tables.
Tom Mulligan, who has owned the pub for 30 years, says,”Conversation is the greatest thing that was ever invented.” Mulligan hopes people talk to each other as much as they listen to the music at The Cobblestone. He also tells the story of that time Steve Martin popped by to play some banjo and left on his private jet. Come along for a pint, in the player.
The Chieftains Shares Sounds Of Ireland With The World
VuHaus
- “Medley”
- “Here’s A Health To The Company”
- “Cotton-Eyed Joe”
- “Full Of Joy”
- “Medley: “Mo Ghile Mear (“Our Hero)”, “Rocky Road To Dublin”, “The Kerry Reel”
When Paddy Moloney formed The Chieftains in 1962, he wanted to take the sounds he loved from his Irish upbringing and share them with the rest of the world. Little did he know things would go so well that eventually, The Chieftains would help take the sounds of Ireland to outer space. In 2010, the band sent instruments with NASA astronaut Cady Coleman to the international space station.
In this session, Moloney tells the story of how The Chieftains ended up being the first Western band to play on the Great Wall of China and explains what Irish traditional music has in common with traditional American music. He continues to share tales about working with The Rolling Stones at Dublin’s Windmill Lane Recording Studios — the very same spot where we recorded this session — and reflects on touring at 80 years old.
While Paddy played whistle and pipes, he assembled a seven-person team for this session: Seán Keane on fiddle, Redmond O’Toole on guitar, Triona Marshall on harp, Kevin Conneff on bodhrán, Matt Molloy on flute, Nathan Pilatzke dancing and Alyth McCormack as lead singer.
Hear it all in the player.
