From the jasmine tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbani's Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughes' Harlem Renaissance poems, this unique performance-lecture is equal parts presentation and conversation. With a decade-long artistic journey that has both paralleled the rise of social media and born witness to major sociopolitical shifts in Syria and the United States, Omar Offendum discusses how he's been able to develop a special blend of Hip-Hop and Arabic poetry to bridge cultural divides.
Co-organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the College of Fine Arts and the College of Fine Arts Diversity Committee Guest Artist Initiative. In addition to his performance-lecture, Offendum will also be visiting two COFA courses: MUS 303M Introduction to Music in World Cultures (9:30 – 10:45 AM in MRH 2.608) and History of the Modern Middle East in 100 Objects (2 – 3:15 PM in ART 1.110).
Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American rapper/poet living in Los Angeles. Known for his blend of Hip Hop and Arabic poetry, he’s appeared on prominent news outlets, at prestigious academic institutions, major cultural organizations, and helped raise millions for humanitarian groups. He was selected as one of the Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellows in 2018-2019.