Let’s Bridge Arabic + Americana

Working to Transform a legacy of American ignorance through music, Arabic, and the stories that bring us together.

I think sometimes if you show someone something beautiful that they've never seen before, or heard before, or that they secretly thought was impossible, this can already be enough to begin to open their mind. Maybe not a lot, maybe not right away, but over time that little bit adds up. That's what a lot of my work is about.

- Call Me Córdoba in Conversation with the International Human Rights Arts Festial

Part of the reason I chose “Call Me Córdoba” as my artist name has to do with a desire I have to insist on the Hispanic dimensions of my life, and to introduce a multicultural American identity as the place from which I reach out to the Arabic-speaking world through music and art. In this sense, even when I sing in Arabic I am also celebrating being Latino, and I love that. I hope every Hispanic person has the chance to define what Hispanic means to them. Such freedom is worth announcing and celebrating, again and again.

- Call Me Córdoba in Conversation with the Muslim American Leadership Alliance for Hispanic Heritage Month

"A bridge between Arabic and American music”

- Morocco Jewish Times

“… there is a feeling in the Arab world that we are often looking at the US and trying to be more like Western sound culture. I’ve never seen the other side try to be more like us, speak in our language, and bridge the gap like this.”

- Yvonne Saba, Creator and Host of Arabeat

Responses from MENA/SWANA

You’ve made me want to learn my own language

- Aya, Morocco

  • Zineb, Morocco

    Music is a different language and not everyone can understand it, and what you are doing is just amazing. And I am personally so happy to see an American spreading and using Arabic in his work. What you make is art, and only people who see the world from their own side, and know what art means, can get what you’re doing. As it is said, everyone can see, but only a few can observe.

  • Mahmoud, Jordan

    As an Arab as I told you, I am really proud that someone like you is covering our music, or interested in our culture, as it seems anyone would welcome that. On the other hand, it is also me as an Arab interested in another culture. I am––your culture, since I have been living in Europe for six years now. And hopefully in the upcoming years, I’m planning to continue my studies in the US. I can’t wait to experience more of this. I see it as very interesting, and you have all support from me. You add some color to the music.

  • Wissal, Tunisa/Algeria

    Honestly, as a German-born lady with Tunisian/Algerian roots, I have to say I feel honored when some non-Arabian person is so into Arabian culture and music, especially when this person comes from, is born, or lives in the USA. But I also have to say I’m not saying this as an Arabian person. I’m saying this as an earthling! Music connects people, and this is beautiful, especially in a society that is living in the way that we are, which is no compliment, unfortunately. But at least there are still people that exist that understand that being open to new things, cultures, history, etc is a key in life.

Reaction Video from Mahmoud Radaideh

Jadal is one of my favorite Arabic-language bands, and Mahmoud Radaideh is one of my favorite songwriters, so having the chance to see him watch my first version of his song “Wahdeh Bteshbahek” was an incredible honor. There is a deeper layer, too. Jadal’s first single, “El Tobah,” was itself a cross-genre cover of a love song by Abdul Halim Hafez (Classical Arabic to Rock), so in a sense my cover of Mahmoud’s song follows in his own footsteps. I truly hope my work can bridge worlds like Jadal’s has for the last twenty years.

 

For CV and Portfolio info@callmecordoba.com

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Call Me Córdoba, est. 2018

Call Me Córdoba (Ryan Milov-Córdoba) brings together songwriting, transparent contemporary production, and collaborative storytelling projects across cultures. His creative works have been celebrated by the Lois Roth Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue, The International Human Rights Arts Festival, American Muslim Today, The Morocco Jewish Times, Yvonne Saba’s The Bridge, Arabeat on Israel Public Radio, RedBullTV Jordan, and Wikitongues. In 2020, he was the guest speaker for the Muslim American Leadership Alliance on UN World Arabic Day. His recent project, "Ajnabi," was supported in part by a grant from the CUNY Publicslab, and he has presented this work at The International Human Rights Arts Festival and also alongside The Brooklyn Nomads, one of the leading Arabic musical groups in New York City with whom he is honored to collaborate. He is currently pursuing a new project, Streaming the Sooq: Presents, Pasts, and Futures of the Moroccan Darija Hakawati Tradition with support from the Lois Roth Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue and a Fulbright grant to Morocco.