Mid-East Junction

Born in Egypt’s working-class neighbourhoods, mahraganat music is loud and raw, and these days it is practically impossible to escape. But for the artists behind it, mahraganat is more than just party music: they see it as the latest chapter in Egypt’s rich musical history.

In this third episode of the season, we travel to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to discover the origins of a genre that has become the soundtrack to urban life, despite receiving no official airtime.

Mahraganat evolved from shaabi: music by the people, for the people. Although it rose to prominence during the revolution of 2011–12, it has since become less overtly political.

It remains the music of happiness, partying, joy, and celebration.

Its fast rhythms and loud beats may be a far cry from the golden age of Egyptian music, but mahraganat has been on the scene since the early 2000s and it isn’t going anywhere, any time soon.

We trace its origins and evolution as we speak to one of the godfathers of the movement, his musical partner and a specialist in the genre.

Mid-East Junction is produced by RFI's English-language service. This episode was mixed by Vincent Pora. Special thanks to Elisa Schouten for her contribution.

It's the universal chickpea and tahini dip that almost everyone loves, whatever their diet, culture or religion. Many countries in the region are keen to claim it as their own, but can any one of them truly lay claim to the much-loved dip?

Just a few simple ingredients, yet they have the power to spark culture wars: tahini (puréed sesame seeds), chickpeas, lemon juice and oil.

Its true origins remain unclear. Yet old Arabic cookbooks suggest it is no recent invention. Was it a product of the Ottoman Empire? Or does it go back even further?

In this second episode, we'll explore hummus – not the recipe, but its origins. Where does it come from? How do we know? And can any country really claim it as part of its culinary heritage?

Mid-East Junction is produced by RFI's English-language service. This episode was mixed by Vincent Pora.

Before Gaza became synonymous with conflict, it was a place where merchants sold wine from local vineyards, pilgrims crossed continents, fishermen set out before dawn, and generations of families lived between sea and desert. RFI explores its deep history.  

Sitting on the coastal corridor linking Egypt, the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean, the port city has always been a strategic crossroads.

Like many places around the Mediterranean, Gaza's identity wasn't built by a single people or culture. It was shaped by generations of arrivals, departures and exchanges. 

As the Mid-East Junction podcast returns from a six-year hiatus, we'll trace the city's history from the age of the Philistines until the creation of Israel in 1948. 

In this first episode of season 4, a Gazan archaeologist, a historian, and a professor of contemporary Arab people shed light on Gaza’s little-known yet fascinating ancient history. 

Mid-East Junction is produced by RFI's English-language service. This episode was mixed by Vincent Pora.

The practice of Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, is so deeply ingrained in some cultures that it has only recently been brought into question. But what are its origins? Where is it practiced? And why does it need to stop?

This month's edition of Mid-East Junction looks into Female Genital Mutilation, through its history and impact on women, telling the stories of two victims who explain why the practice must be brought to an end.

You can read more here.

*two pieces of music provided by Adam Daudrich*

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The rising star in the world of olive oil, or liquid gold to some, is not found in Europe but in North Africa in the small and often overlooked country of Tunisia. Here olive trees are intertwined with its culture  and history for thousands of years.

Production in Tunisia is considered to be the second most important in the world. It is also one of the most underrated country's compared to the big names like Italy, Greece, Spain, Palestine, Israel, Syria and Jordan.

But how did the olive tree wind up in Tunisia?

Find out in this month's edition of Mid-East Junction that takes us to a very overlooked powerhouse in the olive oil market.

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You can also read more about it here.

In October 2016, Iraqi Special Forces launched an operation to take back Mosul and parts of Iraq from the Islamic State armed group. Since 2014 they had subjected the Iraqi people to their extreme and harsh interpretation of islam. But the operation to liberate them proved equally dangerous as those caught in the middle of the fighting had no where to go. One photographer met those caught in the cross fire and told their stories through his camera lens in this edition of Mid-East Junction.

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Iran is again in the headlines in an increasingly tense spat with the US and a number of other western countries.

This is nothing new, however. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been involved in almost continuous diplomatic rows since its creation in 1979.

Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini drove the revolution of 1979 that drastically changed the country.

Better known in the west as Ayotollah Khomeni, he put an end to the corrupt constitutional monarchy of the Shah and created a theocracy that promised a better life for every Iranian.

June of this year marked 30 years since his death. What legacy did he leave?

We find out more in this edition of Mid-East Junction as we meet one man's journey from the streets of Tehran in support of Khomeini to the streets of Paris in fear of Khomeini. (Read more about the legacy of Khomeini)

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Even though no Middle Eastern countries qualified for this year's Women’s World Cup , the sport is alive and growing across the region. In this edition of Mid-East Junction, we meet Honey Thaljieh, the woman behind the first women's national Palestinian team.

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In this month's Mid-East Junction, we delve into the culinary delights across the region that have been miles ahead of the vegan trend for decades, even centuries in some cases.

Click here to read the article.

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In this month’s podcast, we’re going to take a break from politics. And social anxiety. And uprisings and laws.

Because the Middle East doesn’t just make headlines.

It also has a sensitive musical soul.

And this side to the region often comes out in the musical instrument the oud.

Or the oriental lute.

Find out all about it in this month's podcast of Mid-East Junction or read about it here.

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