Episode 218 [in English]: Clarissa Bitar

The Queer Arabs

Clarissa Bitar is an accomplished Palestinian oud musician and composer hailing from Los Angeles, California. With a background in Music and a specialization in Ethnomusicology from UC Santa Barbara, Clarissa’s musical journey has been enriched by training under esteemed Arab oudists such as Simon Shaheen, Charbel Rouhana, and Bassam Saba. Their performances have graced stages across the United States and internationally. On this episode, Clarissa talks about growing up playing guitar, falling in love with the oud in college, and gradually switching from a biology major to ethnomusicology major to a working musician. Clarissa’s latest song ‘Leh’ is coming out…