Mohammad Syfkhan w/ Joy Moughanni and Ellie Armon Azoulay (DJ)

Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian Singer and Bouzouki player. He began playing music in 1980 while he was in college studying nursing. When he got his degree in 1983, Mohammad moved to the city of Raqqa, Syria where he began working as a professional singer and started his own band, The Al-Rabie Band which played concerts, parties, weddings and festivals all over Syria. The Al-Rabie Band were a much sought-after group. Their live sets included Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and some Western songs as well as Mohammad’s own original material.

Mohammad continued to play with his band while also working as a surgical nurse until the war broke out in 2011. This unfortunately brought tragedy to Mohammad’s family when one of his sons was killed by Isis thus threatening the lives of the rest of his family. His family had no choice but to leave their home and seek safety in Europe. Three of Mohammad’s sons were resettled in Germany while Mohammad, his young daughter and wife were taken in by Ireland. Mohammad has spoken at length of his confusion and despair with fundamentalists and how their message is a far cry from the teachings of love and understanding that he considers the true message of Islam.

Since arriving in Ireland, Mohammad has used the language of music to integrate into the local community by playing at private parties and concerts. He regularly plays at weddings and events for the Kurdish and Syrian communities all over Ireland and in Germany. He has collaborated with such Irish artists as Martin Hayes, Cormac Begley, Eimear Reidy, Cathal Roche and Vincent Woods. In 2023 he opened for Lankum at the Cork Opera House and received huge applause from the packed out room.

Mohammad’s own brand of ecstatic music takes elements from Middle Eastern and North African music to create an atmosphere of joy, love and happiness. The songs on ‘I am Kurdish’ have been recorded and mixed with the view to make them to suitable for listening to at a small get together or to be played on a big rig at night clubs. Either way, it is a record that will make people dance.

This is music to party to!

w/

Joy Moughanni 

Joy is a Beirut-based producer and songwriter. Joy runs Basement Sounds, a recording studio and arts space he developed in collaboration with Jade, who founded legendary Beirut club The Basement. Joy has also worked with the U.S. Embassy-supported Sawa Music program, founded by OneBeat alum Samer Chami. Having been mentored by celebrated local producer and sound engineer Fadi Tabbal, Joy is a go-to production collaborator for a range of artists in the Beirut music scene while also performing with his own electronic and pop groups Pomme Rouge and Gizzmo. While the dire economic and political situation in Lebanon in the last years has caused an exodus for many in the creative field, Joy continues to build solidarity within Lebanon’s small but vibrant artistic community.

Ellie Armon Azoulay will also be DJing before, between and after sets!

!!Please note: from March 31st we will be launching our new Lubber Fiend Membership Scheme. Members are entitled to purchase discounted tickets to gigs like this one, plus many more bonus perks. For more information, check out our membership portal !!