Villano Antillano, Khansa and Bashar Murad at MUNCH!
Over two evenings at Munch, we present three pioneering artists from the queer music scenes in the Middle East and Latin America. Villano Antillano, from Puerto Rico, is a subversive pop artist with roots in reggaeton and urban music, Khansa from Lebanon combines experimental pop with a new twist on the belly dance tradition and Palestinian Bashar Murad explores the yearning for freedom both in text and music, in his multifaceted work.
Villano Antillano
November 1st
MUNCH
Villano Antillano is a transformative figure in the Latin queer artist movement. Born in Bayamón, a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she launched to fame in 2022 when she collaborated with the Argentine producer Bizarrap. The music centers around LGBTQ+ experiences and works to create a more open and welcoming space for queer people. Her lyrics are bold and explicit, subverting homophobic slurs as a means of self-affirmation. The recent song, “Pajara”, is a prime example, reclaiming a Spanish term that has been used against the queer community. On stage, she can be sassy, playful and sincere. A highly skilled rapper and dancer, she has staked her claim as one of the new important voices in the Spanish-speaking reggaeton and urbano movement.
The artist's stage name, Villano Antillano, comes from the Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean as well as her “perspective of being music’s very own villain". She has released three albums, Tirania (2019), Ketoprincesa (2020), and Hembrismo (2022). Her music has reached the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 and Billboard Spain Hot 100, and she is the first transgender and nonbinary artist to reach the Top 50: Global on Spotify charts.
Oslo World is pleased to welcome a magnetic stage performer to MUNCH this year - Villano Antillano fills dance floors and moves boundaries, without fear or shame.
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Khansa + Bashar Murad
November 2nd
MUNCH
Khansa
Beirut-based KHANSA is a multifaceted Lebanese artist expressing himself through singing, electronica and belly dance. Although men have been known in the circles of baladi dance, it remains a rare and daring practice. “The goal is to break stereotypes of classical and traditional Middle Eastern values regarding masculinity” says Khansa. Born in Ghobeiry, one of Beirut’s southern suburbs, Khansa got interested in gender-bending performance from a young age, inspired by Arab stars like Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. He is part of a long tradition of belly dancing practices that trace their origins to Egypt and today have distinct styles present from Turkey to Lebanon.
Khansa wants to make room for something new through his movement and genre-bending music. His avant-garde electropop weaves a universe of sensual electronica that flirts with contemporary baladi dance. His performances are a series of vignettes with different cultural references: everything from religion, art and coffee with an ex, to sharing untold stories about the SWANA region that celebrate love, intimacy, eroticism and Arab queer identity.
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Bashar Murad
Bashar Murad is a Palestinian Pop artist, singer/songwriter, and filmmaker producing globally influenced pop music rooted in Palestinian spirit. His music challenges stereotypes and highlights social issues facing Palestinian youth, including living under the occupation, within patriarchal settings. Whether he's performing in a wedding dress or singing about gender diversity, Bashar is always taking risks and expanding critical thinking. His single “Klefi/Samed” was a collaboration with Icelandic Industrial Punk band Hatari, who gained attention for unfurling scarves with the Palestinian flag during the results show of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest held at Tel Aviv. Bashar also performed with them on Icelandic television and performed around Iceland, Roskilde Festival, and Tallinn Music Week. Bashar’s musical sounds span pop, electronica and modal inflections rooted in his expansive and creative sonic world.
His latest release is the EP “Nafas”. Shortly after releasing it, Bashar competed in the Icelandic Eurovision National Selections, with “Wild West”, produced by Icelandic artist and collaborator Einar Stefan. His participation sparked international media attention, where he finally landed in second place in Iceland’s Eurovision final. Murad will guest Oslo World during Pride, and we’re looking forward to having him back during this year's festival at Munch!
The concerts are presented in collaboration with Oslo Pride and Queer World.
