Culture Cult Podcast: Recent Episodes
SYN Media
Culture Cult is about our love of the Middle-Eastern and European region, the people & diaspora from these regions and their contributions to the world! Produced by Rebecca Maakasa & Maria Konidaris.
How can community stay connected during isolation? Ghyda Helou is our first international guest, from Byblos, Lebanon. She is the co-founder of "Jarak Online" an online platform that aims to get people to get to know their neighbours during COVID-19.
Thank you to the lovely Ghyda for sharing her time and thoughts with us.
[TIMESTAMPS] ☺️Meet Ghyda Helou [0:00 - 5:53] 🏡What is ‘Jarak’ ? [6:00 - 13:00 ] 💪Thawra (Revolution)& Diaspora Relations [13:00 - 21:00] 👯Building friendships through Jarak [21:00 - 23:00] 👀'Non-Places' activated during October 2019 in Beirut [23:00 -33:00] 🌎Solidarity Diaspora Gatherings in Melbourne [33:00 - 36:00] 🌇How to join the neighbourhood?[36:00-40:00] 🏢Byblos-Jbeil in Lebanon & 'Building' vs 'Village' Neighbourhood cultures in Lebanon. [40:00 - 46:00] Positive experiences on social media, and missing Lebanon [46:00- END]
Follow
@JarakOnline (Online neighbourhood community)
@Ghyda_Helou (Collage Artistry)
@leb.historian (Chloe Kattar PhD Candidate in Lebanese History)
@CultureCult_SYN @bec.maa & @maria.konidaris
Music by Chad Crouch ‘Rainbow’ via Free Music Archive. Licensed by Creative Commons.
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SEASON FINALE
July 2019
Music Credit: http://freemusicarchive.org/ Curator: Copyright: Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
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Welcome to our first podcast of 2020!
With the wonders of remote recording, Becs set up a makeshift studio in her bedroom and spoke with Nadine Lebde. A triple threat - Physiotherapist, academic researcher and creative writer in Sydney, Australia.
Just as Nadine’s skill set is diverse, so was our chat!
Topics include, growing up Arab in Australia, reclaiming being a ‘nerd’ and balancing academic life with creative projects.
About Nadine Lebde (Bio supplied by guest)
"Nadine Lebde is an Australian-Lebanese writer from Western Sydney. She has an Honours degree in Physiotherapy from the University of Sydney, and her research has been published in the British Medical Journal’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Nadine was selected to be a reviewer for the StoryCasters Project, an initiative for emerging culturally diverse writers run by Sweatshop in collaboration with Diversity Arts Australia. Her creative non-fiction piece was shortlisted for publication in the anthology "Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race and Identity" (2019) edited by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Sara Saleh. In 2008, her student blog was nominated for Edublog’s international award “Best Individual Blog”. Nadine is a member of Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement, a WestWords Academian (2020), and has performed at Bankstown Poetry Slam as well as the Surry Hills heat for the Australian Poetry Slam."
Show credits:
Producer & Editor: Rebecca Maakasa
Guest: Nadine Lebde.
‘The Margerine Tub’ story & artwork referenced in the episode is from Amaliah_Com via Instagram
The music you heard is ‘International Promenade’ via Free Music Archive.
You can keep up with Culture Cult on our facebook page
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Extended interview with Becs in conversation with fellow solidarity protester Amir.
Amir flew to Lebanon a day after this was recorded and is currently supporting the movement on the ground. You can keep up with him on @ppprnce on instagram.
A third solidarity protest will be held this Sunday 3rd of November at Lygon Street Argyle Square 4-7pm. The international energy is needed now more than ever to keep the pressure up and to innvigorate our family and friends in Lebanon as they enter their second consecutive week of action.
Follow our continued coverage @culturecult_syn and @melb2beirut.
culturecultradio@gmail.com
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Day #9 of the Lebanese Revolution
Rebecca Maakasa attended the second solidarity protest in Melbourne, juggling a recorder, camera, and Lebanese flag in her hands to capture your voices, pride and unity.
Follow @melb2beirut on Instagram to see the action in colour!
Produced by Rebecca Maakasa for the Culture Cult on SYN.
Thank you to SYN Media Volunteer Declan Jones for his assistance with this coverage.
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RebeccaMaakasa stood alongside her fellow Lebanese diaspora on Sunday and recorded their voices.
Under one flag we are united, here your voices are heard!
Tomorrow 6pm Argyle Square, Lygon Street Melbourne Round 2 we gather as a global community under one flag! our people want and need. Peace, stability and security aka basic #HumanRights
💚@culturecult_syn I will be there to hear YOU!
👍Bring your flags, voice and pride 👎Please no chants targeting specific people or groups.
ثورة #كلنيعنيكلن
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"What aspects of the Lebanese Culture do we want to share with the world through cinema?"
Becs speaks with LFFAU (Bank of Melbourne Lebanese Film Festival) Co-Director Jessica Khoury at the screening of 'Wanted' at Melbourne Central Hoyts 11th October 2019.
FULL INTERVIEW HERE
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The 2019 Bank of Melbourne Lebanese Film Festival Australia runs throughout the country between August to November.
Becs speaks with festival Co-Director Jessica Khoury as the crowd fills in to the screening of 'Wanted' (مطلوبين).
A sharing of culture through the screen can bring diverse audiences together, and who doesn't enjoy the feeling of a crowd united in laughter?
LFFAU brings cinema that shows the multifaceted stories of Lebanon, and last year they premiered Nadine Labaki's Oscar Nominated 'Capharnaum'. The team certainly have a good eye for spotting these stories first!
This is the second time the leg of the festival has been showcased in Melbourne, featuring 'Wanted' (Dir. Nibal Arakji 2019), 'Good Morning' (Dir. Bahij Hojeij 2018) and 'On The Footsteps Of Christ Dir. Philippe Aractingi 2018).
Interview - Rebecca Maakasa, recorded at Melbourne Central Hoyts Cinemas Friday 11th October 2019 8:45pm
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Maria heads to Live At The Greek in Melbourne and speaks to John Kostarakis and Antonia Tsamis. Becs reflects on lessons learned in building empathy at Digi Engage 2019, including her encounter with Arno Michaelis a former white supremacist who now serves to spread messages of forgiveness and inclusivity. Becs and Maria discuss an impressionable quote by Nadir Nahdi "If you don't define yourself someone else will..." (Nadir is a social-change maker and creator of BENI.)
Say ciao/yassou/marhaba/salut at culturecultradio@gmail.com
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In episode 9 we transformed the Culture Cult into a cafe! ☕️🍰 🇮🇹An interview with Mario Maccerone, of the iconic Mario's Cafe in Brunswick Street, Melbourne. 🔮 Funda of 'Divine Tarot Energy' reads our coffee cups, making predictions for our future. 🍹💃🏻Becs recaps 3ZZZ's 30 Year Ball Celebration and the 25th Annual Reclink Community Cup between the community broadcasters of Melbourne and local musicians.
Say ciao/yassou/marhaba/salut at culturecultradio@gmail.com
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🎶🥁New music, nostalgic tunes used over 100 years, an impromptu dabkeh class and language. Special guest: Melbourne musician, Robbie Rachid (@robbierachid_ ) talks about their upcoming new song with Melbourne music producer Ehab Hilal (Instagram: @ehab.music)
0.01 - 3.55 - Introduction to guests, upcoming talks and a little bit about Wafia, Australian artist of Iraqi-Syrian background
3:55 - 8:00 - Interview with Robbie Rachid about his upcoming new song 'Ride'; a collaboration with Melbourne music producer EHAB
8:18 - 14:15 - Breaking down 100 year old musical history 'Misirlou'. First recording is a Greek rembetiko song by Tetos Dimitriades (1927), most recent use includes the soundtrack to very famous Quentin Tarantino film and a Black Eyed Peas tune!
15:00 - 23:15 - Interview with Mr. Nizar Ashkar, principal of Al Kamal Arabic School, about the importance of language and cultural education and community.
23:38 - 28:30 - Mashrou Leila - Cavalry, their first English language track and talking about the experience of going to language school growing up vs adult classes
29:37 - 32:02 - How to get in touch or contribute to the Culture Cult, where to find Robbie Rachid's music online, 'Hermetico' by Balkan Beatbox whose beat is used in 'Talk Dirty To Me' by Jason Derulo.
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👯🏫🎒 Rachelle and Gizelle from Al Kamal Dabkeh Group talk about learning Arabic and preserving culture through traditional dance. Full interview available here ⥤ https://omny.fm/shows/culture-cult/007-culture-cult-folklore-al-kamal-dabkeh-group
💃🏻We are joined by a special guest, Deon Manasis, who is the Director of the Manasis School of Greek Dance and Culture, an institution in Melbourne and Australia for decades.
They are known for their highly-choreographed, beautiful performances of traditional folk music and dances from all around Greece.
?¿?¿'What the Folk?!' Maria hosts a rapid-fire game where Becs has to match the country of origin to folk music songs.
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Full extended interview with Rachelle and Gizelle from Al Kamal Dabkeh Group in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. The two star pupils have been learning Arabic at the community school since prep and are now in VCE (Year 11 and Year 12). They spoke with Becs on the weekend about preserving tradition and culture through language and dance.
Many thanks to Principal Mr. Nizar Ashkar and the Al Kamal Arabic School for welcoming us to their school!
Music Credit: Zikrayat ‘Baeed Anak’ & ‘Il Wandi Ganeel’
Listen to Culture Cult on SYN Tuesdays 9am AEST on SYN 90.7fm in Melbourne, DAB+ Digital Radio in Australia or stream online at syn.org.au all around the world!
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Our extended, full interview with @SultanSketches.
For our 'Transience' episode, Sultan reflects on his experiences in childhood through to high school and how he documents these stories in detailed, anime style sketches on Youtube. We talk about the need to reflect and pause so we process our growth and achievements, especially as young creatives are hard on themselves!
0:00 - 5:00 Reflecting on high school with perspective. Why he started a channel,
5:00 - 11:20 Creatives that inspired Sultan, what is ‘story time telling’ in Youtube? and reflecting on being persistent in creative practice when we fear rejection.
11:30 - 16:20 Staying true to yourself when you gain a large following in the online world. Do followers mark success?
16:20 - 21:00 The online community, interacting with fans in real life, and how to take feedback.
21:00 - 23:00 The online identity, the ‘face reveal’ video,
23:30 - 27:00 Practicing your art, reflecting on your process.
27:00 - 30:00 Why youtube to share yourself and your art?
You can keep up with Sultan via instagram and youtube.
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'Culture Cult' Episode #4 - Love, dating, romance and cultural expectations: the good, the bad AND the cringe, nothing is off the table!
Becs and Maria interview Cypriot-Australian author of 'Love & F Poems' Koraly Dimitriades about expressing love and the painful experiences through art. Listener stories are shared and a playlist of beautiful love songs, old and new from Europe and the Middle East.
Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions these have been omitted from the podcast but a link to the playlist can be found here:
Culture Cult 'Love' Playlist
💗0.00 - 17.20 Interview with poet, Koraly Dimitriades, Cypriot-Australian author of 'Love and F Poems' and 'Just Give Me The Pills'.
👰17.20 - 24.08 Tales of love, romance, dating and marriage stories: wedding proposals when going back to the motherland and cultural attitudes to dating
✨24.08 - 29.30 Love in different languages: Arabic, Greek, French, Vietnamese, Portuguese. Cute and funny phrases, pick-up lines and pet names that don't always translate well in English
💌29.55 - 34.10 Cultural dating attitudes and experiences: Sharing a letter received from Valentino, a Culture Cult listener currently in Beirut.
🎀29.55 - 34.10 How to share your anecdotes, stories and comments to the Culture Cult.
📖35.33 - 38.06 Becs reads a beautiful quote from poet, Koraly Dimitriades. Where to find/follow Koraly's. How to get involved and follow Culture Cult.
Join us every Tuesday at 9am on SYN 90.7fm (in Melbourne) SYN Digital Radio (in Australia) or stream online at syn.org.au (Worldwide!)
Say ciao/yiassou/marhaba/salut at culturecultradio@gmail.com
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EUROVISION 2019 SUPER SPECIAL 🎙🏅
As Australia went to the polling booths last Saturday, a vote on a global scale was going down. The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. This week's episode is a super special featuring super fans, and a packed playlist of hyper-pop tunes. Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions these have been omitted from the podcast but a link to the playlist can be found here:
Eurovision Playlist
0.00-7:15
Your fan reactions from the Federation Square live broadcast.
Results debrief, and how the voting system works.
7:15 - 14:45
Discussing the winner Duncan Laurence and the controversy surrounding this year's contentious choice of host country.
14:45 - 22:30
Special guest Mia, (@apespace) and Maria's experience of Eurovision 2013 in Sweden.
22:30 - 32:30
Favourites recap, Eurovsion quiz with our resident experts.
32:30 - 34:30
How to get involved in our show!
Music credits, sourced from Purple Planet Music
'International Promenade,' 'Sabre Dance,' and 'Happy Instrumental'
Join us every Tuesday at 9am on SYN 90.7fm (in Melbourne) SYN Digital Radio (in Australia) or stream online at syn.org.au (Worldwide!)
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Episode #3 A lot of the globe was represented on this week's show with special guests Evrim Sen 🇹🇷(Script Roulette Podcast), Julian Virgona 🇮🇹(AFTRS Graduate, radio whiz-kid) and of course your hosts Becs 🇱🇧 and Maria . EUROVISION; Your resident expert Maria talks Italy's entry,'Soldi' the third entry ever in Eurovision to feature arabic lyrics, Australia's Queen Kate Miller-Heidke's chances of winning the crown and how Darude (of Sandstorm fame) made his way into the competition. GOING HOME; Evrim, Julian, Becs and Maria talk about the strange and special aspects of going back to their respective countries of origin and what stereotypes stick true, plus the quirky cultural connections that unite us.
Join us every Tuesday at 9am on SYN 90.7fm (in Melbourne) SYN Digital Radio (in Australia) or stream online at syn.org.au (Worldwide!)
Say ciao/yassou/marhaba/salut at culturecultradio@gmail.com
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Episode #2 - 'Pop & Party Culture'
It's a Culture Cult party! An interview with Zabelle of 'Belly Dance with Zabelle' a seasoned professional belly dance teacher, Zabelle chats to the girls about the history of the traditional dance form in modern culture. Maria quizzes Becs and special guest Vasiliki on cultural traditions from Iraq, Iceland and Italy!
By Rebecca Maakasa and Maria Konidaris
Say yassou/ciao/marhaba/hola/salut at culturecultradio@gmail.com
Join us 9am on SYN next Tuesday 14th of May where we 'go back to our cultural roots' of Greece, Lebanon & Turkey!
Originally aired Tuesday 7th May 2019 on SYN 9am - 10am.
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Episode #1 - Luck & Prosperity ORTHODOX EASTER CULTURAL QUIRKS OF LUCK AND SUPERSTITION THE 'EVIL EYE' MYTH
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