Liminal states in Egyptian Maharagan music (preview…)
A preview of a project on Shaabi music in Egypt, and it’s latest iteration Maharagan. What follows is part of the story proposal. Through the warren of Cairo’s unplanned slums, mahraganat (festival) music blasts from tuk-tuks, cigarette stalls and cranked up cellphone speakers; auto-tuned voices mixing with heavy electronic rap beats. The sound quality is [...]
The Syrian Revolution Comes to Damascus
Another story from Syria: LIVING UNDER FIRE IN HOMS This article and photos were origionally published in VICE magazine: THE DELUSIONS OF ASSAD Twice, I have received visas to go photograph the pro-Assad districts in Damascus. Many journalists are denied entry. No reason is ever given. In September, I flew into Damascus for my second [...]
Bassem Youssef, Egyptian Political Comedian
Bassem Youssef is the host of the satirical Egyptian news program Al Bernameg. He has been compared to American comedian Jon Stewart, whose satire program The Daily Show inspired Youssef to begin his career. Youssef began his first satirical show in response to the Egyptian Revolution, the program was uploaded to YouTube and gained millions [...]
A Time of War in Gaza, Operation Cloud Pillar
Published in Newsweek / Available on Getty Images Maybe I’m still new to media circus events, but when I entered Gaza during the fighting of 2012 I was surprised at how everyone seemed to know the parts they had to play. The journalists stampede over borders to cover the story that became interesting when bombs [...]
Portraits of Egypt’s Fancy Pigeons
The majority of these portraits are thanks to Moustafa and Mohamad Hassan who raise some amazingly beautiful birds at Venus Loft. Their knowledge and collection have really helped me understand the current state of the hobby in Egypt. Related works: A Photo-essay on neighborhood pigeon wars | A short film on Cairo’s pigeon market. I created [...]
Living under fire in Homs, Syria
This report does not give an accurate description of all Syria’s current complexity. It is a look at one opposition neighborhood for one day. After a year of intense fighting and low level suppression many parts of Khaldeya have bullet holes, the cars, the walls, the water tanks, the people. This suburb of Homs has [...]
Toshka Project and Water Issues in Southern Egypt
The Toshka Project is an attempt to create a vast agricultural oasis by diverted nile water into the desert. Building started 10 years ago and the project was branded as Mubarak’s pyramids. Now with it’s main booster out of favor it continues to slowly grow at a fraction of it’s original design. It’s viability and [...]
Bahrain’s Stillborn Revolution
When the Syrian government falls, its replacement may not be more just but it will be easier to pull into the American sphere of influence and out of Iran’s. The rebellion in Bahrain is particularly difficult for the traditional media to cover. There are widely divergent versions of the same events so sussing out a [...]
Libya, Another Look
Before the revolution the common definition of Libya consisted of one word — “Gaddafi.” Now it consists of “Gaddafi & rebellion.” Since I rushed in with other journalists in February, the images have only reinforced this simple definition, but of course, Libya’s history and psyche is much more complex than the glorified war images we [...]