Midwest Mahjar: The Recorded Sounds of the Arabic-Speaking Diaspora in the United States at 78 RPM

George N. Gorayeb: The Incomplete Story of the Sunset Film Corporation and Arabphon Records Arabphon #436 A & B "Al Gins Al-Lateff, Film "Fair Sex." From Richard M. Breaux Collection Back in May 2016, long before the creation of Midwest Mahjar, a fellow 78 RPM record collector and I discussed the little we knew about Alamphon Records, Farid Alam’s record label that is as commonly found by 78 RPM collectors of Arab American music as the notorious “red-label Columbia” records are to any person whose searched through crates or boxes of 78 RPM records in general. I closed the conversation by writing to the other collector, “Let me know if you ever come across any information about Arabphon.” He assured me he would and that was the end of the conversation. We’ve never discussed Arabphon Records again. Since striking 78 RPM Arabic record gold in November of 2015, I have acquired at least a two dozen records on the Arabphon label. When I asked other ...

Eddie "The Sheik" Kochak: Amerabic Sounds from Brooklyn's Little Syria Eddie "The Sheik"Kochak, 1 September 1956, The Caravan . Courtesy of Newspaper.com Edward Sibouy Kochakji was born 4 June 1921 in Brooklyn, New York, to Alfred and Mary Kochakji. The family’s first residence was at 184 Atlantic Avenue in the heart of the Arab American community. Alfred, Mary, Pauline, George, Joseph, and Charles Kochakji immigrated to the United States in 1908 from Aleppo, Greater Syria. Alfred worked in a local coffee house and Mary worked at home. The Kochakji home remained a busy and vibrant place. Guests visited frequently and Mary and Pauline sang and danced around the house all the time. Although the Depression hit most Arab American families in Brooklyn and Manhattan fairly hard, Pauline bought Eddie a derbake for his twelfth birthday. The younger children, Victor and Eddie, attended Hamilton High School and Victor, but not Edward, graduated ju...

Fadwa Abeid or Fadwa Abed Fadwa Abed in 1954 at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan. Fordson Yearbook (1954), 144. Courtesy of Ancestry.com  Since we launched Midwest Mahjar, rare has been the opportunity to speak to any of the artists who performed during the 78 RPM era. Most are no longer with us. We've communicated with the children of some musicians. Family members we've managed to track down include the grandchildren or great-grandchildren of 78-era Arab American musicians. "Fadwa Obeid" is on a Wiki-list of living Lebanese women singers, but with no birthdate or link to additional information. An Arabic-language Wikipedia entry offers information about the height of her career in the 1970s and makes vague reference to her retirement, but says nothing of her early life, early career, or life in retirement.  Imagine our surprise when researching Arab American singer Fadwa Abeid, we located contact information for her.     ...