MARE NOSTRUM
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A show about the music of the Mediterranean and its people
Wednesdays 8-10pm Central (GMT -6)
WEFT 90.1FM
The last show of Mare Nostrum aired on September 5, 2012. Thank you to our listeners and supporters over the years, it's been wonderful to share this musical and cultural journey with you!
Mare Nostrum , Latin for 'Our Sea', was first used by the Romans to refer to the Mediterranean and the countries along its shores that they once ruled, roughly encompassing contemporary Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Albania, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Starting in antiquity, commercial and cultural exchanges have been a dominant feature in the daily lives of people in the area, as has their relationship to the sea. Today, people in these countries are still tied together by common artistic and culinary traditions, as well as shared concerns such as unemployment, immigration and tourism. By focusing on the music of the Mediterranean, the show aims to showcase both the common experiences of the Mediterranean people, as well as the unique features of each country, affording listeners in the Champaign area with a more intimate acquaintance with the people in this historic part of the world.
Each bi-weekly show is structured around a common theme and features music from different countries addressing this theme. Themes may be different genres of music (e.g., film, choral, folk, hip-hop, Rom (gypsy), jazz, rock and classical music) but also particular musical instruments and their various incarnations across the region (e.g., mandolin, flute, percussion, canun). Shows may also be devoted to particular historical periods (antiquity, middle ages, the 1920-30s, the 1950s-60s).
Shows are also frequently dedicated to particular countries, featuring the rich musical traditions of the countries along the Mediterranean shores. Champaign-Urbana residents who are natives of Mediterranean countries are regularly invited on the show to present and talk about their favorite music from their home country. Members of our local community who have appeared as guests on the show over the past two years include: Jim Barrett, Angela Williams, Antonis Vakis, Sebnem Ozskan, Cristobal Pagan Canovas, Yannis Tsekouras, Ixtaso Rodriguez, Emmanuel Rota, Sarah Simeziane, Abdelaadim Bidaoui, Nagham Awadallah & Dana Shalash, Mahir Saul, Nikolaos Vergis, Matt Garley, Sameer Ghanem, Aliyah Abir, Nicola Dach, Yore Kedem, Anne Villamil, Katerina Pantoula, Jane Kuntz & Abbas Benmamoun, Wail Hassan, Harry Triandis, Ercan Balci & Angelina Cotler, Eda Derhemi, Kostas Yfantis, Nuno Garoupa, Amine Kesseiri, Jean-Philippe Mathy, Vassiliki Tsitsopoulou, Maria Barros-Garcia, Ola Moshref, Orestis Karatzoglou, Douglas Kibbee, Stefanos Katsikas. Thank you all for your enthusiasm and willingness to share your knowledge and music with us!