Ages 15+
In English
Sharjah Art Foundation is pleased to host producer, archivist and DJ Malik Abdul-Rahmaan for a week-long engagement exploring sound as living archive and diasporic memory.
Rooted in the rich traditions and experimental futures of Black musical forms, Abdul-Rahmaan’s programme begins with a live performance of original beats.
Audiences can also take part in a hands-on sampling workshop, which will consider the ethics, techniques and storytelling power of digging through sound. At the end of the week, a curated long-form vinyl listening session and talk will trace the evolution of sonic cultures across the African diaspora. Together, these events offer a unique opportunity to engage with music not only as an art form, but as a vessel for cultural memory, resistance and community.
Throughout the week, Abdul-Rahmaan will extend an open invitation to his vinyl office hours—an informal open listening session. Community members, artists and students can drop in, explore curated records with Abdul-Rahmaan and engage in conversations about sound, history and storytelling. It is a space for sonic discovery and dialogue rooted in listening as a communal and archival practice.
A consistent thread in his work is a deep commitment to physical media—particularly vinyl—as both artistic material and cultural archive. He is interested in speaking with audiences not just about the music, but also about the way he sources records, the ethics of crate digging and the practical side of maintaining and preserving recordings as living artefacts.
Beat Set Performance
30 August 2025
6:30 pm–7:10 pm
Beat-Making Workshop: The Art of the Sample
5 September 2025
7:00 pm–9:00 pm
Extended Listening Session and Talk
6 September 2025
4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Find details about individual sessions below.
Ages 15+
In English
A live performance of original beats connects DJ Malik Abdul-Rahmaan’s production practice with the broader themes of diasporic music and sampling culture.
Ages 15+
In English
In this hands-on workshop focused on sampling as a form of cultural preservation and reinterpretation, Malik Abdul-Rahmaan will walk participants through how he approaches crate digging, flipping and contextualising samples as a way to engage creatively and respectfully with history.
Ages 15+
In English
This long-form curated vinyl-based listening session traces the sonic histories of the global African diaspora—from traditional and contemporary music in West Africa to jazz, blues, soul, dance, hip hop and experimental sound in the Americas. Both musical and narrative, this session weaves together cultural memory, resistance, spiritual expression and the evolution of Black musical forms across continents.
The musical set will be followed by a talk with Malik Abdul-Rahmaan and a Q&A, which will open up space for reflection and dialogue around the records, their histories and their relevance today.
30 August–6 September 2025