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This Island Earth
Sunday August 3rd, 2025 with Manmohan Panesar
Tribute to legendary recently passed Lebanese composer/musician/playwright/activist Ziad Rahbani + lots of funky new releases from all over the globe

"Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani, son of the iconic singer Fairuz and a pioneer of fusion jazz, has died at the age of 69 of a heart attack.  “On Saturday at 9:00am, the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating,” said a statement from the hospital where he was being treated in the capital, Beirut, on Saturday.  Rahbani influenced generations of Lebanese people with his songs and especially his plays, whose lines are known by heart by both young and old.  He was the son of Fairuz, the last living legend of Arabic song – and one of the most famous Arab women worldwide – and composer Assi Rahbani, who, along with his brother Mansour, modernised Arabic song by blending classical Western, Russian, and Latin American pieces with Middle Eastern rhythms. “I admire the music of composers like Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie,” Rahbani once said. “But my music is not Western, it’s Lebanese, with a different way of expression.”  Fairouz also became an icon for young people when Rahbani composed songs for her influenced by jazz rhythms – he called it “oriental jazz”.  Lebanon’s leaders paid a heartfelt tribute to the Lebanese composer, who was also a playwright, pianist and political provocateur.  President Joseph Aoun called Rahbani “a living conscience, a voice that rebelled against injustice, and a sincere mirror of the oppressed and marginalised”.  “Lebanon has lost an exceptional and creative artist, a free voice that remained faithful to the values of justice and dignity” and who said “what many did not dare to say”, said Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Rahbani’s works reflected the hybrid heritage of Lebanon, which, until the civil war erupted in 1975, was a cultural melting pot. It also reflected the ensuing sectarian strife, which involved bloody street battles between rival militias and three years of violent Israeli occupation after the 1982 invasion. While Fairuz transcended the powerful sectarian divides in the country, her son chose to be resolutely left-wing and secular, denouncing Lebanon’s longstanding divisions. His breakout play, Nazl el-Sourour (Happiness Hotel), premiered in 1974 when he was only 17, portrayed a society disfigured by class inequality and repression.  The play follows a group of workers who take over a restaurant to demand their rights, only to be dismissed by the political elite. In another play, Bennesbeh Labokra Chou? (What About Tomorrow?), he plays a jaded bar pianist in post-civil war Beirut. The work features some of Rahbani’s most poignant music and biting commentary, including the famous line, “They say tomorrow will be better, but what about today?”  Rahbani was also a composer of staggering range. He infused traditional Arabic melodies with jazz, funk and classical influences, creating a hybrid sound that became instantly recognisable. His live performances were legendary, when he often played piano in smoky clubs in Hamra, one of Beirut’s major commercial districts.  In recent years, Rahbani appeared less in the public eye, but younger generations rediscovered his plays online and sampled his music in protest movements. He continued to compose and write, speaking often of his frustration with Lebanon’s political stagnation and decaying public life.  “I feel like everything is over, I feel like Lebanon has become empty,” wrote Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos, his former partner, on X.  Rahbani is survived by his mother, now 90, his sister Reema and brother Hali. " https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/26/ziad-rahbani-pioneering-lebanese-musician-and-composer-dies-at-69
Abu Ali
Ziyad Al Rahbani - Abu Ali - EP
Marba El Dalal
Joseph Sakr & Ziyad Al Rahbani - Bema Enno
Shou Hal ' Iyam
Ziyad Al Rahbani & Sami Hawat - Ana Moush Kafer
Aayesh Wahda Balak
Ziyad Al Rahbani - Bennesbeh Labokra Chou
Prelude Theme from Mais Al Rim
Ziyad Al Rahbani - Abu Ali - EP
Mukadimah '87
Fairouz - Kifak Inta
Kifak Inta
Fairouz - Kifak Inta
Oghniat Al Wadaa
Fairouz - Kifak Inta
Forest Nativity (Extended Version)
Francis Bebey - Trésor Magnétique New
Quand Le Soleil Est La (Alternate Drum Machine Version)
Francis Bebey - Trésor Magnétique New
IBA ELEDUA
Wura Samba - AJO Rebirth New
OGBO LALA
Wura Samba - AJO Rebirth New
The Government Neglects Our Region
Famo Mountain - For Those Left Behind New
Prayer for Peace
Famo Mountain - For Those Left Behind New
My Voice
Mádé Kuti - Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From? New
Story (feat. Femi Kuti)
Mádé Kuti - Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From? New
YO POR TI
Grecia Albán - NUBES SELVA New
RIO MAR
Grecia Albán - NUBES SELVA New
CON MI TAMBOR
Grecia Albán - NUBES SELVA New
Cocoricô
Banda de Pífanos Caju Pinga Fogo - DETRÁS DA SERRA New
Chicharra
Empanadas Ilegales - Sancocho Trifásico Canadian New
Mano Peluda
Empanadas Ilegales - Sancocho Trifásico New
São para poucos (feat. Thalin, VCR Slim, iloveyoulangelo, Pirlo & Cravinhos)
Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso - Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso New
Onde eu não vou (feat. Arnaldo Antunes & Gui Calzavara)
Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso - Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso New
Vai e vem (feat. Alzira E & Verónica Valenttino)
Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso - Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso New
Consolação, Paraíso (feat. Os Fita)
Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso - Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso New
Primos
Adrian Quesada & Hermanos Gutiérrez - Boleros Psicodélicos II New
Traporal
Calle Mambo - Retumba La Tierra New
Inflation
DjeuhDjoah & Lieutenant Nicholson - Danses divines New
Consentement
DjeuhDjoah & Lieutenant Nicholson - Danses divines New
Po moru je plovila galija (feat. Ružičnjak Tajni)
Raphael Roginski - Bura (feat. Ružičnjak Tajni) New
Artigos de São Paulo!
Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso - Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso New
De Reis (feat. Juçara Marçal & Verónica Valenttino)
Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso - Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso New
Interactive CKCU
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Heya Earthlings out there. Drop me a line right here with any comments, feedback, musings or questions or whatever. Just go for it and let loose!

1:06 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Ken
Hi Manohan. enjoying the show ( as we always do). Best, Ken and Cheryl

1:38 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Ki Ken and Cheryl. Glad your enjoying the music. Thanks for dropping a note! Did the parsley plant transplant okay?

1:46 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Neil & Drake, The Dancing Labrador
Nothing short of sweet, Manmohan !! Enjoying these delightful sounds this afternoon ! woof woof

1:48 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Hi Neil & Drake, The Dancing Labrador. Thanks as always for sharing your kind words. Stay tuned for more musical treats.

1:56 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Ron S
A veritable panorama of music! Bravo Manmohan!

1:58 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Thanks Ron S! Great hearing from you. Lots more to come that will be panoraramatic.

2:00 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Robert p in gat
Locked in. Thanks.

2:13 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Hi Robert p in gat. Always a pleasure hearing from you. Glad you're locked in for the ride.

2:16 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Just passing Maxville
Excellent selections this afternoon sir!

3:09 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Hi Just passing Maxville. Thank you sir! I assume you're driving past Maxville now. May the music keep you driving with a beat.

3:12 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Neil & Drake
Loving every track today. Wonderful trip around the world. Thanks, Manmohan !

3:18 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Neil & Drake! Wow, thanks so much! Every track??? That's the ultimate compliment. :-)

3:21 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Heavy Ben
Hey Manmohan, thanks for the tunes this afternoon. I saw Femi Kuti play live a few weeks ago. The band and dancers were incredible! I'll have to check his son's album.

3:36 PM, August 3rd, 2025
Manmohan Panesar (host)
Hey Heavy Ben! Thank you for writing in. I've seen Femi twice and it's an intensely high energy dance fest. The son's album is really good, although I need to spend more time with it to formulate a proper opinion.

3:39 PM, August 3rd, 2025