Author

Kay Hardy Campbell

A former resident of Saudi Arabia, freelancer Kay Hardy Campbell writes often about Middle Eastern culture.

Articles by this author

A Personal Exploration of the `ud: A Conversation With Rachel Beckles Willson
Arts & Culture
Entranced as much by its sound as by its centuries of history, in 2010 Rachel Beckles Willson started playing the `ud (oud), building enough skill to start performing on the instrument. She also became curious about its origins.

Record, Remix, Repeat
Arts & Culture
For more than 10 years, Moroccan native and New York resident Hatim Belyamani has focused his non-profit Remix⟷Culture on offering digital sample and remix tools that give exposure and preserve access for traditional acoustic music around the world.
Prince of Enchantment: The Oud
Arts & Culture
Often regarded as the forerunner and name- sake of the European lute, the ‘ud (oud), is among the world’s oldest continuously played string instruments. In Arab and other musical traditions, its deeply resonant, emotionally evocative tones earned it, over the centuries, the sobriquet amir al-tararb.
Tarab and the Art of Music
Arts & Culture
Beyond virtuosity, Arab musical esthetics enjoin musicians to elicit an emotionally charged and frequently interactive relationship between musician and audience called tarab, using instruments from voices and hands to woodwinds, strings and percussion.

The Gown That Steals Your Heart
Arts & Culture
Elegantly designed in almost as many patterns as there are regions of the Arabian Peninsula, the amply cut, flowing, colorful and often elaborate women’s thobe—a word that means “garment” in Arabic—is enjoying a fashion revival.