Celebrating Arab American heritage month with song

---

by danny hajjar, Alayna Hutchinson and allie judge

Music is universal to all human cultures—a method of artistic expression, religious worship, cultural celebration, and so much more. As Stevie Wonder said, it’s “a language we all understand.” Yet it’s the uniqueness of music that makes it an extraordinary way to celebrate our own cultures or discover a window into other cultural experiences. 

In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, first-generation Lebanese-American and avid music lover Danny Hajjar put together an Arab Heritage Month playlist for the KAMA community. Originally from Beirut, Danny’s family moved to Boston where he was born and raised. He now lives in DC where he works in media relations and DJs part-time, sharing his culture through his popular weekly newsletter, which highlights interesting news, guest features, stories of the Middle East and North Africa, music, arts, culture, and more. The title of the newsletter appropriately captures two of its main themes, Lebanese culture and music: “Sa’alouni El Nas,” which is one of Danny’s favorite songs by the iconic Lebanese singer Fairuz and translates from Arabic to English to mean “The People Asked Me.” And we asked Danny to share some music that captures the diversity of Arab culture and artists to celebrate this month. 

This playlist features a mix of new artists, throwbacks, and musicians in the diaspora that you may not know have ties to the Middle East and North Africa. Check it out below, and be sure to subscribe to Danny’s newsletter to continue getting music recommendations and more!

Arab Heritage Month Playlist