Need a TEDx Fix? The 8th TEDxZU Event.

TEDxZU was held 8 events this year.

Yes there were 8 TEDx events on the Dubai campus of Zayed University.

TEDxZU is a very exclusive event for the ZU community with a few people from the Dubai public joining the audience.

Well here is a taste of the 8th installment of TEDxZU.

The theme, "this is what I know".

Enjoy the podcasts.

Buckle up in the back!

The crew from Wellington International School join Nightline and interview Lesley Cully, www.buckleupintheback.com, and talk buckling up in the back!

Great conversation!

Get fit Radio

Here it is the essential talk on fitness and keeping fit!

www.innerfight.com

TechTalk with Magnus

Here is your essential tech conversation with Magnus from Pingdom.com.

And we do a nice review of a Samsung S III, The name was a bit of an issue I kept calling it the 3 S, hmmmm.

CarTalk and a VW GTi review

And yet another great conversation about cars with the boys from www.autodata.ae.

Great Regional Middle East Music

OK so what is your take on music here in the middle east?

Well fasten your seatbelt because this is really a great sample of talent.

1.       Shady Ahmed – first Makshoof Music winner’s new song: http://soundcloud.com/shadyahmed/the-way-out

2.       Lazzy Lung – Live @ Capitol and recording with Martyn Lenoble this was recorded live at Studio A at Capitol

3.       Beat Antenna  Love never lands

4.       Mashrou’ Leila’s

Making ends meet?

The question on Nightline was what are you doing to stretch the funds a bit further?

VoilaDubai reviews!

Farah joins me from www.voiladubai.ae to talk about the stuff that makes Dubai cool!

Here is the podcast!

You are nothing special!

Here is a great conversation from Nightline based on a wonderful commencement speech by David McCullough.

Doc Talk!

The doctors are in the house and we had a great conversation that had only a bit of eye puss otherwise it was pretty clean!



Dr. Sean Petherbridge 04 394 1000 and Dr. Shereen Habib 04 332 7117 join Nightline to talk medicine.

So Nightline asked the simple question, where has our sense of punctuality gone?

Here is what you said!

The Tech essential!

Magnus joins me in studio, via the phone from Sweden, to talk tech!

Great things to share here!

Show notes and links at DXBtech.com

CarTalk on Nightline

The boys from Autodata.ae join me in the studio and we have a good go at answering your questions!

Great Jag review by the way!

2 Cool Entrepreneurs

We often talk start-up but what about keeping the gig going?

Here ia a great conversation from eonetwork.org the Dubai Chapter.

The Perfect Book Store.

Does a perfect book store really exist?

Narain Jashanmal and I had this conversation on Nightline and we hope that you will join in the conversation on Facebook, www.facebook.com/theperfectbookstore.

Here is the podcast.

Essential Auto Talk

Callum and Bill join me from Autodata.ae to talk about your automobile issues.

And there is a great Volkswagon review!

Drivers and Telephones

OK why do we think it is safe to drive and be on the phone?

Here is a great conversation about what to do to get us to concentrate on the road!

Out of Control Kids!

Are we letting our children get away with bad behaviour?

Here is the Nightline conversation that will be the basis of your debate with friends over the weekend.

Head Help!

Psychology and going to have a conversation with a psychologist is something we probably all need at some point in our life.

But there is such a stigma about getting professional help.

This is a great conversation with www.lighthousearabia.com

Street Vendor Envy?

In Dubai street vendors are illegal!

No food trucks, no car washing, no ice cream guys!

Well they are there but they can be arrested.

So what are your thoughts on street vendors?

Here is the conversation!

Big Hass on HipHop

http://www.triplew.me/en/news-reviews/music-news/1260-why-hip-hop-qaa-with-big-hass#.T8zWUT4tiBV

Thanks to www.triplew.me  for setting this conversation about hiphop in the middle east up!

Here is Big Hass!

Hip hop and the Middle East in the same sentence might have been a bit nonsensical a couple of years back, but the regional music scene has been recently flourishing with some great hip hop talent from groups to MCs. Triplew.me recently spoke to Big Hass, one of the region’s biggest hip hop supporters who recently launched a special show on Saudi’s MIX FM titled “Laish Hip Hop?”.

How did “Laish Hip Hop?” start?

I would start by saying that it’s a result of hard work & luck. I have started the Re-Volt Radio Blogin September (2009) and have been supporting the underground movement ever since.

Approaching an FM radio station was ignited by my belief that we as listeners are entitled to listen to good music on the airwaves - by that I mean not to have the same playlist on repeat day in and day out. Having said that, FM Radio is a complex business and I wanted to change that in my own way. Through my hard work, dedication and the support I got from the Hip Hop community I landed this wonderful gig, which is the Launch Of Saudi's 1st FM Hip Hop Radio Show "Laish Hip Hop?" (which translates to "Why Hip Hop?") in English. It’s a Live show which airs every Thursday on the MIX FM.

How did you get involved with hip hop in the first place?

I've always loved hip hop but in 2009 I discovered the Arabic hip hop movement, which I was drawn to and thus I dug deeper. I found youth that is full of inspiration, empowerment and revolution – values which we, as youth, don’t often hear on the commercial radio or see on our TV screens.

I also found that hip hop is a genre which is misrepresented in the media. Hip hop is a voice to the voiceless, first and foremost. It’s more than music, it’s poetry and it’s a culture – and I wanted to put that message across to the audience.

The fact that you’ve secured support from an FM station to play underground hip hop from the region is an amazing feat – what challenges faced you at the start?

It was really very challenging but at the same time rewarding. I have tried so many radio stations (across the region - Lebanon, UAE, Jordan and Saudi) and all I got was "We do not play Arabic Hip Hop." Which frustrated me, ‘cause if our own regional channels won’t support our talent, then who would?

Luckily for me, new stations were being launched across the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – and in my quest, I approached MIX FM who after studying the show – agreed to allocating me an hour-long show (once a week). The channel was also supportive enough to give me full creative freedom in what I choose to play.

Laish Hip Hop? - every Thursday on MIX FM

What kind of reception did you find from the audience to "Laish Hip Hop?"?

As for the reception, it has be great so far. I often receive messages from the audience stating that “I’ve changed their perception of hip hop” from what they usually see in mainstream media.

The region is bursting with amazing talent across different genres – and it’s fantastic that there're platforms right now to support the budding talent. How do you see the music scene progressing - Is the pace satisfactory?

For me, music nowadays is for the mindless. Good music does exist but you have to look for it and you have to dig deep to find it. This is all is starting to change because record labels aren’t as powerful as they used to be and this power is slowly shifting to the creators and to the craft itself.

If you could have it your way what would you change or add to develop the scene further?

Wow. Well, I have started with launching the radio show. Now, I really want to start supporting the artists on the ground. I have arranged two shows so far, and let me tell you, getting sponsors for those shows hasn’t been easy due to the fact that they aren’t “mainstream enough”. But I do believe this is all going to change if we keep working at it – the audience in the Middle East needs to be aware of the amazing talent that these artists have.

Which are your favorite international and regional hip hop artists?

It’s a big list – but I’ll shortlist some that I admire: On the international scene – I enjoy Brother Ali, Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def and more. And on the regional level, my favorites include – The Narcicyst, Lowkey, Omar Offendum, Shadia Mansour, DJ Lethal Skills, FareeQ Al Atrash and El Deeb amongst others.

Tune into Laish Hip Hop? On MIX FM every Thursday!

Why do you think Hip Hop speaks to the average Arabic youth across the region?

The answer is simply because it spits the truth and is straight to the point without being ‘corny’. It culminates a reality and in its stories and narrative gives people what they want to hear.

How does hip hop fit with the current events across the region?

All the countries which are witnessing revolutions had huge hip hop tracks supporting the respective movements and just expressing what’s on the youths’ minds. Hip Hop is poetry and that resonates with people who are trying to “break free” of oppression. We’ve got “It’s a Domino Effect” by Omar Offendum, as an example of hip hop tracks which are coinciding with the current events.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, my focus right now is to “Laish Hip Hop?” the number one FM Hip Hop Radio Show in the Middle East. I have to mention that Dubai-based DJ, Mr. Danny Neville has supported me in numerous ways and I’d like to give a “shout-out” to him and his show “The Edge”.

I’m also looking to create more opportunities for hip hop artists through live shows across the region.

Listen to “Laish Hip Hop?” every Thursday night from 9 – 10 PM KSA time/ 10 – 11 PM UAE time on MIX FM. Follow this link for a live stream of the show.

Tip or are you cheap?

So, are you a tipper or is this your way to exact a little revenge on those people who are serving you?

What is your take on tipping?

Here is the Nightline conversation.

Dubai reviewed by you

We start off the week with Voiladubai.ae and the reviews you want to hear as made by you!

First up though was my trip to the Wadi Adventure in Al Ain.

Lots of cool stuff to listen to and you need to start reviewing!