How a new generation of Arab musicians is blending heritage and innovation

DUBAI: On a small street in Beirut, the sound of an oud drifts through the open doors of a small cafe called Orenda. Inside, all eyes turn to Joe Kamel as his melody takes over, replacing the cafe’s buzz with a slower, softer mood. A pharmacist by day, Kamel has built a second life through his music — one that reconnects people with something familiar and deeply sentimental. “My passion was born at a very young age,” Kamel told Arab News. “I have memories from perhaps the age of five, when I used to sing in a choir.

Raccontata daarabnews.com