For many of us who grew up straddling two worlds, the one we left behind and the one we were told to call home. The SWANA diaspora knows this feeling intimately. Displaced by war, migration, or the elusive promise of a “better future,” we found ourselves navigating spaces that either sought to erase us or distort us into something palatable. In the West, cultural expression is either exoticized for consumption or erased entirely. We become ghosts in the margins of our own narratives, searching for reflections of ourselves in spaces that rarely hold them.
Enter Nour and Layan Amkieh, two Syrian sisters who refuse to accept that erasure. “To experience ourselves fully we must practice what reminds us of who we are at core” says Layan Amkieh. With Mazikaa Enterprises, they are carving out a space where SWANA culture, music, and identity are not just preserved but celebrated. Their platform goes beyond being just an enterprise, it prides itself on being a movement, a reclamation, and a sanctuary built on the universal language of music.
Mazikaa is creating what sociologists call the “third space,” neither home nor work, but a site of cultural affirmation. “Through dynamic community gatherings, educational initiatives, and artistic collaborations, Mazikaa has become a cultural beacon for individuals seeking to maintain their ancestral ties and immerse themselves in the spirit of their heritage,” reads their manifesto.
The initiative took shape in December 2023, founded in California, Mazikaa Enterprises has grown into a nationally recognized platform. With a vision for international expansion, it aims to give the SWANA community access to the gems of their heritage, sharing rich stories and history through music. Here, the Amkieh sisters launched a series of gatherings designed to breathe life into the diaspora experience.
Mazzika Nights transform living rooms into cultural salons, where SWANA sounds reverberate alongside the shuffle of backgammon pieces and the aroma of cardamom-laced coffee. The house band, Al-Akhbar, provides the score—an amalgamation of Arabic maqam and jazz improvisation that turns every performance into a conversation between the past and the future. The atmosphere is intimate, electric. It feels like home, even for those who have never been to theirs.
Then there’s Mazikaa Melodies, a softer kind of communion, one of hushed voices, steaming tea, and the shared nostalgia of timeless SWANA ballads. This is where healing happens in the form of music, where diasporic longing is momentarily soothed by collective remembrance.
For those seeking a deeper dive, Sounds of SWANA offers immersive listening sessions, an excavation of Arabic musical history through curated vinyl LPs, lectures, and discussions. Here, records become artifacts, and stories hidden in their grooves unravel before eager ears.
And then there’s The Neighborhood (حارة)—Mazikaa’s most visceral offering. A full-scale reimagining of the streets that raised us, where live music, local vendors, food-making demonstrations, and henna artists converge to recreate the warmth and chaos of a SWANA souq. This is where memories, even those we never lived, come alive.
At the heart of Mazikaa’s evergrowing identity is Al-Akhbar (الأخبار), the house band whose name, meaning “The News,” is a reclamation in itself. In a world where news about the SWANA region is often synonymous with conflict and crisis, Al-Akhbar rewrites the narrative. Their sound, rooted in Arabic maqam yet daring in its experimentation, challenges the notion of what SWANA music can be.
With each performance, they dismantle the rigid binaries of East and West, old and new. They channel the spirit of icons like Fairuz and Abdel Halim Hafez, but they also lean into the improvisational freedom of jazz, the layered textures of electronica, and the rhythmic complexities of Afro-Arab traditions.
Mazikaa is ensuring that SWANA culture is documented, archived, and accessible for generations to come. Through digital storytelling, educational initiatives, and carefully curated content, they are fortifying the bridge between past and present. Their Musician’s Majlis serves as a meeting ground for artists to collaborate and rediscover SWANA’s rich musical heritage, while the Sessions Series delves into the region’s iconic records and the legacies behind them.
At a time when the world is quick to rebrand and appropriate SWANA culture without context, Mazikaa insists on ownership. They amplify the voices that matter, ensuring that the narratives remain in the hands of those who have lived them.
For the SWANA diaspora, Mazikaa is a life raft in the sea of displacement. It is a reminder that heritage is not something to be hidden or diluted for acceptance. It is, instead, something to be amplified, to be honored, to be lived.
Visit their website and Instagram for more information about Mazikaa Enterprises.
