Listening Session: Zahra - A Selection of Music from Libyan Tapes (Habibi Funk 031)

Listening Session: Zahra - A Selection of Music from Libyan Tapes (Habibi Funk 031)

Join us for an intimate listening session with Zahra, as she takes us behind the scenes of one of her first contributions to the label’s compilation: A Selection of Music from Libyan Tapes (Habibi Funk 031).

This compilation marks the first record to which Zahra made a major contribution at Habibi Funk. Over the course of the project, she interviewed all fourteen featured artists or, in cases where they had passed away, members of their families to document the stories behind the music and preserve a chapter of Libya’s musical heritage.

The research culminated in a 32-page booklet accompanying the release, which brings together personal histories, memories, and cultural context while tracing the country’s rich musical landscape and the Afro-influences that have shaped Libyan identity and sound. During the session, Zahra will guide us through the stories, discoveries, and challenges behind the project. Spanning a remarkable range of genres and styles, the album offers a unique window into a musical tradition that has remained largely unknown outside Libya.

More than just a listening session, this is a conversation about archiving, oral history, cultural preservation, and the people behind the records.