It was touch and go; with a cancelled show earlier this summer due to Covid, subsequent travel restrictions, quarantine and double vaccine requirements, there were times when getting Felukah and The Synaptik to the UK felt impossible. But they finally took to the stage at the Jazz Cafe on 22nd October and it was worth it. An expectant crowd - neither The Synaptik or Felukah have performed in London before - gave both artists ecstatic receptions for their solo sets and two new collaborative songs, Nefsi and Allaya'teek, performed live together for the first time.
It was a special night and the Jazz Cafe was packed with the vibrant London diaspora. Abudulisms was there and caught up with Felukah in the green room before she hit the stage. Watch them talk cheese, debatable food combinations, deeper energies and free cities.
Felukah
Felukah switches seamlessly between Arabic and English in her performances and she is known for exploring multi-culturalism and self empowerment in her poetry and lyrics. She entered the music scene in 2018 with her EP Yansoon. In 2019 she released her debut album Citadel - a comment on the infrastructure of being, and of creating a citadel for the self through rap music.
Scene Noise has dubbed her as, 'the neo-soul artist bringing the Nile to New York' and she has been described by Azeema magazine as 'the rapper inspiring a new wave of Egyptian women'.
Since then Felukah has released a second album, Dream 23, with Abu Recordings and an EP, Kawkab, that looks beyond the Hip Hop scene to other schools of music.
Abdulisms
Abdulisms is a London based British born Iraqi/Irish freelance creative director and digital content producer who is also part of the IRAQ-A-FELLA collective. Growing up between London, Doha and Dublin his vision is informed by the contrasts of worlds, spaces and mother tongues he's long found himself alternating between.
Abdulisms’ work explores bridging underground music with themes of ancestral heritage in creative and diasporic community-based projects. He releases work across the mediums of live broadcast, documentary, augmented reality, live shows, community radio and public installations.
Abdulisms’ portfolio boasts collaborations with the likes of Talib Kweli, Narcy, Steam Down, Girls of Grime, Ancestral Futures collective, Sofar Sounds and New Delhi based community radio Boxout FM to name a few.
Shubbak Festival Commission
The Synaptik and Felukah's collaboration on two songs, two videos and the live London show was a major multi-strand Shubbak Festival commission in partnership with MARSM. The culmination of a year long process, you can read more about the collaboration here. Watch Abdulisms interview with The Synaptik.