Let\u2019s let our friend Julia Sabra of Tunefork Studios (aka Snakeskin) explain:<\/p>\n
Speaking as a US citizen writing from Germany to a largely Western and US audience, we are directly complicit as our countries supply the diplomatic cover, weapons, and infrastructure used in that violence. So it\u2019s great to see the support for Beit Aam<\/a>, a grassroots, Lebanese-run community and arts organization. Unlike larger NGOs, effectively all of your resources translate directly into aid \u2014 and that serves all displaced people, including marginalized groups that go neglected by other organizations and institutions. The tragic side of this is that the volunteer, grassroots infrastructure in Beirut has become so effective because they\u2019ve been organizing since 2024 (and in many cases, back to the port blast).<\/p>\n From the organizers (including Lewis Robinson of Mais Um and Duncan Ballantyne:<\/p>\n [Beit Am] are also a\u00a0relief hub\u00a0for those displaced in times of war. In Beirut, they run a\u00a0public kitchen\u00a0that serves hundreds of meals. They\u00a0accept and allocate\u00a0in-kind donations. Have a look at this\u00a0Instagram post\u00a0<\/a>to see the kind of assistance Beit Aam are providing with donations including special humanitarian packs for those displaced which includes\u00a0toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, wet wipes, tissues & pads, 2 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of underwear, fabric detergents, bandages, panadol and trash bags.\u00a0Beit Aam have also released their\u00a0March report on Instagram\u00a0<\/a>highlighting where they have spent recent donations.<\/p>\n Visit Beit Aam\u2019s\u00a0Instagram page<\/a>\u00a0and you can read in English further\u00a0info here.<\/a><\/p>\n The labels<\/p>\n Labels have pledged to give their full label share (retaining support for the artists), through this whole weekend. <\/p>\n Some music selections<\/p>\n Without playing favorites with all these great labels that have contributed, I do want to highlight some particular favorites.<\/p>\n Batakari by Ata Kak<\/a><\/p>\n Ata Kak, the legend from Ghana, has something indescribably wonderful that came out last year. It\u2019s just rich, layered songwriting by any measure and a nice intro to Awesome Tapes from Africa.<\/p>\n Habibi Funk 034: Tirakat by Charif Megarbane, Ali<\/a><\/p>\n When Jakarta and Lebanon come together, it just feels like a soul uniting. There\u2019s the latest from Habibi Funk, and if you like this kind of digging, you should also go check out Lebanon\u2019s own Roland Ragi (see his mix of Armenian treasures this week for Radio Alhara<\/a>). Follow his new (restored) Instagram account<\/a>.<\/p>\n Phantom Orchestra by Raed Yassin<\/a><\/p>\n Morphine Records is the beacon of the experimental scene as it connects between Berlin and Beirut, and Raed Yassin\u2019s Phantom Orchestra is an epic instrumental project with a who\u2019s who of players, as a starting point. It seems they even still have some vinyl.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t pick just one from Nicholas Jaar\u2019s Other People, so here are three that you absolutely need to hear:<\/p>\n Music For Tombak & Synth by Cinna Peyghamy<\/a><\/p>\n Cinna Peyghamy reaches levels of musicianship with both Persian tombak and modular synths that \u2014 you can quote us on this \u2014 have prompted more than one person I know to declare \u201cI guess I\u2019ll just quit music now\u201d after a set. In a good way! (Hey, you need that kind of motivation now and then.) So if you were sitting on a release, maybe you should get it out before June 5. Me, I\u2019m just going to plan a nice bottle of wine and some friends to enjoy that. Why not buy it now and support Beit Am?<\/p>\n A Body Like a Home by Alejandra Cardenas (Ale Hop)<\/a><\/p>\n Alejandra Cardenas\u2019 (Ale Hop) A Body Like a Home is a deep, heartwrenchingly honest collaborative journey through trauma that finds fiery redemption. It is the kind of anticolonial chronicle we urgently need. Seeing Alejandra play it live was one of the most moving moments I think I\u2019ve had musically in Berlin. As she puts it, \u201cIt\u2019s not a straight story or a resolution. Writing and composing became a ritual of digging for meaning, into what\u2019s buried, disguised, or\u00a0renamed, until the body itself became a living archive.\u201d<\/p>\n Wind, Again by Sary Moussa<\/a><\/p>\n Sary Moussa I\u2019ve written about before \u2014 Wind, Again is the kind of compositional achievement we should be celebrating now, not waiting until people work out later what a milestone it was. It recalls that moment, late at night, when memory becomes a breakthrough, when you feel something so deeply you can finally let go. \u201cI Will Never Write a Song About You,\u201d the very first cut, could reduce you to tears without even knowing why.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s also a snapshot of Beirut and Tunefork Studios: Julia Sabra, Paed Conca, Abed Kobeissi, Fadi Tabbal, and Pascal Semerdjian join for the album. I don\u2019t know how you can hear that it was recorded in Beirut, but you can. That coming together of players is absolutely the city and the country at their best \u2014 and all the more reason the rest of us need to pull together for them now.<\/p>\n Speaking of which, let\u2019s again plug Tunefork\u2019s own compilation, which, since I\u2019ve written about it, has continuously raised more funds:<\/p>\n Land 02 (\u0623\u0631\u0636 \u0660\u0662 ): A compilation for the displaced in Lebanon by Tunefork Studios<\/a><\/p>\n Land 03 (\u0623\u0631\u0636 \u0660\u0663): A compilation for the displaced in Lebanon by Tunefork Studios<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s their update from a month ago. I hope we can pick up the tempo again.<\/p>\n And my plea is this: to those still silent, it\u2019s not too late. Please. I\u2019m not going this to shout from the wilderness; I hope others will join. Thanks for spreading the word.<\/p>\n \t Tags: Ale Hop<\/a>, artists<\/a>, Ata Kak<\/a>, Awesome Tapes from Africa<\/a>, bandcamp<\/a>, Bandcamp Friday<\/a>, Beirut<\/a>, Beit Am<\/a>, Cinna Peyghamy<\/a>, Duncan Ballantyne<\/a>, Fadi Tabbal<\/a>, fundraising<\/a>, Ghana<\/a>, independent labels<\/a>, Julia Sabra<\/a>, labels<\/a>, Lebanon<\/a>, Mais Um<\/a>, Morphine Records<\/a>, Phantom Orchestra<\/a>, Raed Yassin<\/a>, Sary Moussa<\/a>, Snakeskin<\/a>, Tunefork Studios<\/a><\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aid-supplies-1024x768.jpg\")
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