Music performance | Shaneera (Live A/V Set) by Fatima Al Qadiri

Sunday, October 27th, 2019 | 10:00pm at The Ballroom Blitz

Opening Set: Bel Loge b2b shwayshway

Closing Set: Jana Saleh (Live)

Shaneera is the English mispronunciation of the Arabic word, shanee’a (شنيعة), literally meaning "outrageous, nefarious, hideous, major and foul." One iteration of the word is used as queer slang in Kuwait and some Arab countries, shedding a positive and desirablelight on these attributes. Shaneera refers to a gender-defying persona (or temporary state or action), of being an evil queen. You know a Shaneera when you behold one.

The lyrics are suggestive, imploring, shady, and loving, some original and some rerecorded material from Grindr chats, online drag, and femme comedy skits. The language is a mixture of Kuwaiti and Egyptian Arabic, and one Iraqi proverb. Sonically, the record combines Khaleeji (Arab Gulf), Western drum kits, and Arabesque melodies. Conceptually, Shaneera follows Al Qadiri’s long term exploration of gender identity and performance in the Gulf. The performance lands somewhere in an undisclosed setting and is a love letter to evil and benevolent queens around the world.

This presentation is made possible with the support of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - AFAC.

Fatima Al Qadiri (b. 1981) is a Kuwaiti composer and artist. She has released music as a solo artist on Tri Angle, UNO, Fade to Mind, Hyperdub, and as a member of Future Brown on Warp. In 2019, Al Qadiri composed the original score for the award-winning feature film Atlantics by director Mati Diop. She is also a member of the Gulf-based collective GCC, whose work has been exhibited at MoMA PS1, New York; Fridericianum, Kassel; New Museum, New York; Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. 

shwayshway (Aia Atoui), has spent twenty six years in Dubai and four years in Lebanon. Bel Loge (Jinane Chaaya) is a filmmaker and DJ based in Beirut, Lebanon. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the American University of Beirut and a Bachelor of Arts in Photography from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA). Chaaya produced many commercials, music videos, and short films. Recently, she worked on Capernaum, directed by Nadine Labaki, and Hometown, directed by Metahaven, and is completing a short documentary, due in 2020. 

Jana Saleh is a music producer, musician, and DJ currently based in Beirut. She works and collaborates with local and international artists engaging with diverse styles and genres, from alternative pop to experimental music. 

This event is part of Home Works 8: A Forum on Cultural Practices.

Cover photo courtesy of the artist, by Fijia Nabeel.