The Changing Lifestyles of the Bedouin Arabs

The Bedouins are ancient clan-centered nomads of the Middle East who have relied on goatherding and camels for millennia. Abraham, for example, was a Bedouin. In modern times, the nomadic way of life, which depended on free movement and embraced a culture of both hospitality and revenge has been threatened due to land enclosures and the lures of Western way of life. In this archival piece, I spent lots of time with the Bedouins of the Negev Desert, and spoke with people from several generations (including an old sheik) to plot their heritage and current predicament.   (NPR “Horizons”; 30 minutes)


Posted in Immigrants and Ethnic Life, Long form docs (15" and up), Travel outside the USA Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Traditional Spiritual Music of Hawaii (Radio Smithsonian)

A look at the beautiful and diverse spiritual musical traditions of Hawaii, from chanting to slack-key guitar to unaccompanied a capella singing. Interviews and music recorded at the Folklife Festival in Washington DC for the late and much lamented Radio Smithsonian.


Posted in Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,