MOTHER TAREKA
Friday September 13
6:30pm-7:30pm
Fireball/Exclaim! Stage

Syrian Palestinian MC, multi-instrumentalist and hip-hop/funk/Afrobeat artist Mother Tareka is a manifestation of the blending of different cultures and genres of liberation music. His pen is inspired by Levantine poets like Mahmoud Darwish, Nizar Qabbani, and Khalil Jibran. His horn is a ripple in time, continuing the vibrations of John Coltrane and Fela Kuti. His style and presence channels the energies of Jill Scott, the wisdom of Black Thought, and the melodic touch of Yasiin Bey. For all that, he has built a sound uniquely his own — a testament to People Power, biting at the oligarchical structures of neocolonial capitalism. Along with his Rhymethink collective comrades Lee Reed, Test Their Logik, Kay The Aquanaut, and Praxis Life, he continues to push the limits of lyrical HipHop speaking uncomfortable truths few dare to. Sonically, his creation is blending Arabesque melodic elements, with Afrobeat polyrhythms, heavy bass lines, hard boom-bap drums, huge funky horn lines, and jazzy guitar licks.