From Beirut to Cairo and Dubai to Casablanca, hosts Deana Soni and Danny Hajjar are diving into the hottest topics in music coming from the Middle East, North Africa, and its global diaspora communities. Join them for spicy and unfiltered perspectives, exclusive interviews, heated debates, and in-depth insider perspectives putting the MENA music scene in context. Whether you're a music enthusiast or just curious about the region's vibrant music, Shik Shak Shook Ones is your backstage pass to this exciting scene.
Navigating Content Saturation and the Critical Need for Authenticity | Shik Shak Shook Ones
In the season 1 finale of Shik Shak Shook Ones, hosts Deana and Danny are joined by distinguished journalist Menna Shanab, the music editor at YUNG MENA. They delve into content saturation in the music industry, particularly focusing on how it's affecting listeners' perceptions and emotional connections to music in the age of social media. Menna shares her unique journey as an Egyptian-American living in Cairo and her deep connections with the underground music scene. The discussion also covers the growth of the MENA music industry, the potential pitfalls of rapid expansion, and the critical need for authenticity. They explore the role of bands and live music in reconnecting listeners with the human element of music creation. Finally, the episode highlights the importance of giving back to local music scenes and investing in sustainable infrastructure for artists.
5 Mar 2025
The Music Industry Needs to Change | Elia Mssawir on Shik Shak Shook Ones
Elia Mssawir is a music industry veteran who has worked with global giants, managing artists and tours and eventually established Big Beards Entertainment. He joins Shik Shak Shook Ones Hosts Danny Hajjar and Deana Soni to offer a candid look at the often unseen aspects of the music industry, covering the hurdles faced by artists, the role of gatekeepers, and the reality of industry contracts. Special segments include discussions about popular artists like Amr Diab and Wegz, as well as the future of streaming platforms. Tune in for a raw episode filled with honest insights and provocative questions.
29 Jan 2025
Behind the Music: Label Support vs Independent Hustle | Shik Shak Shook Ones
In this episode of the Shik Shak Shook Ones, hosts Danny Hajjar and Deana Soni dive deep into the challenges and dynamics of being an independent artist versus having a label backing you. They're joined by artist and producer Rita L'Oujdia, and talent manager Tarek El Mendelek from MDLBEAST Records. The discussion covers the importance of mental health for creativity, managing multiple social media platforms, and the misconceptions about the music industry. The guests share their experiences, including the reality of balancing side jobs and the importance of collaboration and support. They also touch on the cultural divide between North African artists and the rest of the Arab region, and how egos affect the industry. The episode emphasizes the need for more honest conversations about the struggles and true nature of the music industry.
31 Dec 2024
2024 Recap | Shik Shak Shook Ones
Shik Shak Shook Ones hosts Deana Soni and Danny Hajjar bring us a year-end music review of the Arab music scene. From bangers to blunders they highlight their favorite tracks and albums, artists who surprised them (both positively and negatively), overrated and underrated music, memorable collaborations, and predictions for the music scene in 2025.
18 Dec 2024
Should We Critique Our Communities? | Shik Shak Shook Ones
Alya Mooro, author of The Greater Freedom and co-founder of Zola Studios, shares her nuanced take on critiquing art from marginalized communities, highlighting the importance of honest storytelling amidst external perceptions.
4 Dec 2024
How We Consume Arabic Music | Shik Shak Shook Ones
Arabic music fans and industry experts, including Danny Hajjar, Deana Soni, and Salam Kmeid, Head of Content Marketing at Anghami, explore the diverse listening habits and unique challenges of the Arabic music scene across the diaspora and MENA region.
13 Nov 2024
Processing Music in Times of Crisis | Shik Shak Shook Ones
This episode of Shik Shak Shook Ones is an emotionally charged venting session and an appeal for more thoughtful engagement with culture in times of hardship. Hosts Danny and Deana vent their frustrations, share their experiences, and tackle the responsibilities of artists and journalists in reflecting and responding to political and humanitarian events, highlighting the difficulties of detaching politics from music. As people in the music industry, our hosts try to navigate their social and cultural responsibilities, reflecting on their struggle to engage in music amidst the ongoing war on the Palestinian, Lebanese and Sudanese people. They call out artists and labels who claim the importance of their Arab identity in their journey for their perceived silence, criticizing them for exploiting cultural identities without truly supporting their communities. They emphasize the importance of authenticity and genuine activism from artists, and shine the light on music entities and artists who are using their platforms for positive impact and have been as loud as ever about the struggles of people in the region.
18 Sept 2024
Shout Out to Local Arab Music Scenes | Shik Shak Shook Ones
Who are the best up-and-coming Arab artists we don't know about? In this episode of Shik Shak Shook Ones, hosts Danny Hajjar and Deana Soni drop all of the names you should be listening to. We get to know our two hosts a little better as they share their origin stories, their OG favorites (spoiler: a lot of Shakira), all the emerging artists they've got their eyes on, and where to find them.
4 Sept 2024
Breaking Down Rolling Stone's Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century | Shik Shak Shook Ones S1E2
The Rolling Stone's 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century was a big and a controversial ranking to put together. Luckily, Shik Shak Shook One's very own Danny Hajjar was up to the task and will break down the logic behind his choices for the ranking. Joined by special guest Alya Fetyani who's done loads for the Arabic music industry while at Spotify, and his co-host Deana Soni, he rewinds to tell us about what it was like putting this ranking together. Danny reveals how he, along with 15 panelists (including both Deana and Alya), defined what makes a song "Arabic" and on what basis they chose the songs that made it onto the list. Not without heated conversations and a bit of backlash, Danny shares his favorite reactions to the list so far and the conversations it has sparked. Plus, bonus mentions to some of the up-and-coming artists that he says he would definitely include if he repeated the process in ten year's time.
20 Aug 2024
Getting Streams at What Cost? | Shik Shak Shook Ones S1E1
Are some Arab musicians really self-orientalizing for the sake of getting streams?
afikra is excited to introduce a new music series to our podcast network! For a full season, Shik Shak Shook Ones will be your go-to podcast for a constructive take on current Arabic music and musicians from the region.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
36
Social presence
94
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
Contact Shik Shak Shook Ones | Powered by afikra
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Shik Shak Shook Ones | Powered by afikra?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
