Stories of Our City

Introducing our first video podcast! Last month, we shared the story of Syrian artist Omar Ibrahim. In this week's video podcast we pick up with part two of Omar’s story, in which he expresses the ongoing struggle he faces as a refugee in Paris, seeking to succeed in his life and art for the sake of his family far away.

Introducing our first video podcast! Last month, we shared the story of Syrian artist Omar Ibrahim. In this week's video podcast we pick up with part two of Omar’s story, in which he expresses the ongoing struggle he faces as a refugee in Paris, seeking to succeed in his life and art for the sake of his family far away.

For Omar Ibrahim, art is an extension of existence and self. As a Syrian, he cannot escape the imprint of the ongoing Syrian war upon his life, his family, and his mind ... and, therefore, ultimately on his art. It is a reality he reluctantly embraces, while at the same time bravely seeks to change through his artwork and life.

For Omar Ibrahim, art is an extension of existence and self. As a Syrian, he cannot escape the imprint of the ongoing Syrian war upon his life, his family, and his mind ... and, therefore, ultimately on his art. It is a reality he reluctantly embraces, while at the same time bravely seeks to change through his artwork and life.

For Omar Ibrahim, art is an extension of existence and self. As a Syrian, he cannot escape the imprint of the ongoing Syrian war upon his life, his family, and his mind ... and, therefore, ultimately on his art. It is a reality he reluctantly embraces, while at the same time bravely seeks to change through his artwork and life.

American sitcoms first turned Meriç, a Turkish college graduate, on to life in the United States when he was a teenager. A trip to New York a couple summers ago further piqued his interest in the American Dream shared by many worldwide. Even given the current political climate in the U.S., Meriç keeps hope that he will one day be able to live out his dream on American soil.

American sitcoms first turned Meriç, a Turkish college graduate, on to life in the United States when he was a teenager. A trip to New York a couple summers ago further piqued his interest in the American Dream shared by many worldwide. Even given the current political climate in the U.S., Meriç keeps hope that he will one day be able to live out his dream on American soil.

American sitcoms first turned Meriç, a Turkish college graduate, on to life in the United States when he was a teenager. A trip to New York a couple summers ago further piqued his interest in the American Dream shared by many worldwide. Even given the current political climate in the U.S., Meriç keeps hope that he will one day be able to live out his dream on American soil.

Like rock n’ roll before it, hip-hop started mainly as a cultural movement decades ago that spread worldwide, affecting even the far reaches of the earth. The Middle East is no exception. In this week’s podcast hear two members of Lebanon’s live hip-hop band Fareeq El Atrash share about their beginnings as a musical group and about their contribution to the still fairly nascent, but highly promising, Middle Eastern hip-hop scene. All the music featured in this episode comes from the band’s second full-length album.

Like rock n’ roll before it, hip-hop started mainly as a cultural movement decades ago that spread worldwide, affecting even the far reaches of the earth. The Middle East is no exception. In this week’s podcast hear two members of Lebanon’s live hip-hop band Fareeq El Atrash share about their beginnings as a musical group and about their contribution to the still fairly nascent, but highly promising, Middle Eastern hip-hop scene. All the music featured in this episode comes from the band’s second full-length album.