The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), in partnership with the Arab American National Museum, will present leading rappers from the Arab world Sudanese American hip-hop star Oddisee and Tunisian rapper MC Medusa TN, on Sunday, September 26 at 9pm local time as part of the JAM3A Festival, which also includes partnerships with Arab.AMP, East Downtown Dearborn Development Authority, UMS, and YallaPunk.
JAM3A Festival (Arabic for “gathering”), seeks to engage communities to experience the many cultures of the Arab World and its diaspora. Oddisee and Medusa TN will be featured in new online performances filmed specifically for the festival, followed by a live Q&A with UAE-based Saudi hip-hop pioneer Big Hass.
Commenting on the event, Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Centre at NYUAD Bill Bragin, said, “We see this event as a great opportunity for local and international audiences to be introduced to talent from the region’s vibrant hip-hop scene, and engage in a live, interactive dialogue on the power of the musical diversity and the many cultures of the Arab World. Partnering with the Arab American National Museum for this virtual festival is a great example of how we’ve been able to turn the shift online, which began as a necessary response to the pandemic, into new opportunities to expand our networks.”
Taking place as a four-day virtual festival, JAM3A will showcase musical performances, artist talkbacks and workshops, along with a curated artisan virtual vendor market, streamed for free to a cultivated national and worldwide virtual audience.
Originally planned as an in-person festival, JAM3A moved to a virtual platform to maintain the safety of audience members during COVID-19, while also increasing accessibility to the featured Arab artists, many of whom are internationally based and unable to travel at this time.
Additional artists who are part of the festival include alumni from The Arts Centre’s Barzakh Festival : 47SOUL andAlsarah & The Nubatones. Other artists featured include: Emel (Mathlouthi), Hello Psychaleppo, and others. Events are streamed online with free ticket registration.
