Palestine-born Artist Firas Zreik on Playing the Music of His People

Firas Zreik is a Palestine-born, NY-based composer and player of Kanun, a traditional Arabic string instrument. He has performed and recorded in varied styles including Arabic Maqam and jazz and collaborated with many international artists such as Residente, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Shreya Ghoshal, and others. His debut EP "Solo" came out in 2021 and his most recent release is a 2023 full-length album called "Salute.”Take a journey with us today to the land of Kanun, the Arabic tradition of Maqam, and world music.What you’ll learn in this episode:Understanding the Kanun and its historyMaqam: the language of Arabic musicHow colonization and racism show up in the music worldGrowing up Palestinian and second-class citizen in Haifa and GalileeWhat it was like collaborating with Grammy-winning artist ResidenteThe role of artists and activism in the Palestinian causeFiras tackles the question of diasporaFeatured on the show:Opening credit: Prelude to Salute by Firas ZreikSee Firas play Kanun in my three other favorite compositions:Fields of FigsShamsLullaby for NatureListen to the song dedicated to the children of Gaza, in collab with Residente Learn more about Firas on his website Follow Firas on InstagramGet more information at: Going Places website Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at