How much can you change a melody before it becomes something else? Palestinian-American violinist and composer Akram Abdulfattah joins me to explore a tradition in which variation is part of learning the tune from the start.
Recorded at WOMEX in Finland in 2025, this conversation comes with plenty of violin demonstrations. Akram explains why a maqam is more than a scale, introduces the expressive possibilities between familiar notes, and shows how a phrase can take a different route each time it is played.
His six-string violin extends into an unusually low register. We hear what those extra strings make possible, how they change the physical experience of playing, and why the instrument can sound so close to a human voice. There is an original solo performance along the way.
We also talk about learning musical rules and finding freedom within them, Arabic roots and wider influences, and the pleasure of hearing a familiar melody change without losing its identity.
Towards the end, Akram reflects on music, family and his Palestinian-American identity, before we discuss the challenges of making a living as a musician and helping audiences discover something unfamiliar.
IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 – Welcome to Origin
00:26 – Introducing Akram Abdulfattah
02:33 – Live at WOMEX 2025
03:11 – Meet Akram
04:28 – Arabic roots, many influences
06:33 – Maqam: more than a scale
08:19 – Tarab and musical feeling
09:07 – The notes between the notes
10:29 – Hearing microtones on violin
16:49 – Tradition and improvisation
19:18 – Never the same melody twice
22:57 – A six-string violin
27:33 – An original solo performance
30:04 – Why the violin sounds like a voice
33:28 – What is music for?
36:08 – Music and Palestinian-American identity
39:02 – Where is music heading?
42:11 – Becoming more adventurous listeners
44:11 – Tradition, innovation and what comes next
46:47 – Support the show
WATCH & EXPLORE
Akram Abdulfattah — official website
Akram's listening and social links
MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE
Live excerpts from WOMEX 2025, an original solo composition and violin demonstrations by Akram Abdulfattah.
MORE FROM ORIGIN OF THE PIECES
Website — episodes, transcripts and mailing list
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