Performer Brings Arabic Music to the Lower School

Having released four albums of Arabic folk music under the stage name “Turbo Tabla,” and having performed for audiences the world over, Karim Nagi is an international recording artist on a global level. But last week in the Lower School gymnasium, Nagi was something much more profound; he was a teacher.

“My hope is to educate students about the Arabic world through its musical traditions,” says Nagi, who identifies himself as an Egyptian. “I was raised on the folk music of Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, and Syria…it is a huge part of my culture and I love to share it.”

Nagi performed excerpts of music with five different traditional instruments (often with accompanying dance), and then took time to explain how each was made and how it was used in Arabic culture. Students enjoyed trying to pronounce the instruments’ Arabic names, and delighted in the give-and-take that Nagi employed to keep the assembly lively.

Nagi challenged students to think outside of their comfort zone with his questions, providing many of the answers through performance. The final minutes of his show found hundreds of little dancing feet stomping along with him to a tabla (Arabic drum) song.

Click here to visit Nagi's website.