Amsterdam Migrant City

[Sahand Sahebdivani]

Dear Friends,

Even though for a Mezrab regular it's not weird to see Amsterdam as a melting pot (it's not uncommon to hear over a dozen languages in the Mezrab at any given Friday) the rest of Amsterdam is not as mixed. Sure, we have all the world's nationalities living here, but how often do they actually meet? To counter this there's the Ongekend Bijzonder festival this month in the big cities of the Netherlands (both in Dutch and English) around the stories of refugees and migrants who've settled in the Netherlands. Mezrab is one of the locations of the festival, with four events happening. Look for them in the plan below:

Wednesday (Tonight!) OPRO! / English / Opera and impro combined for a possible world first time. We want you there to hold our hands while we do this. Also, bring your friends. Use the Facebook link to invite them: https://www.facebook.com/events/101607063566285/

Doors 19.00 / Opera 20.00 (don't be late!) / Free event! Though donations welcome / Mom&Dad make soup

Friday (April 8th) My True Story / English / A night of only true stories told by the finest storytellers of Amsterdam.

Doors 19.00 / Stories 20.00 / Free event! Though donations welcome / Mom&Dad make soup

Wednesday (April 13th) / Voorronde Mooie Noten / A contest of great bands battling it out in their quest for fame and recognition. Have a look here for who's playing: http://mezrab.nl/events/voorronde-popprijs-%E2%99%AB/

20.30 / 21.00 / € 6,-

Thursday (April 14th) / Ongekend Bijzonder - Displace Carousel / Dutch / The opening night of the migrant stories in the Mezrab. In one night we listen to stories, poetry, watch short films and listen to music. More info here: http://mezrab.nl/events/displace-carousel-storytelling-avond/

Friday (April 15th) / Storytelling Night & Ongekend Bijzonder / English / Our regular Storytelling Night in English will proceed as we're used to, but including stories of roots and migration.

Doors 19.00 / Stories 20.00 / Free event! Though donations welcome / Mom&Dad make soup

Saturday (April 16th) / Choukri Avond / Dutch / The bookpresentation of one of the modern classics of Moroccan literature. The book that made the establishment tremble, as it talked about the real lives and struggles of regular city folk, in the language of the people. We'll celebrate with speakers and DJs. Invite your friends:

https://www.facebook.com/events/585149644969395/

Well, that's it for now! Come join us this week or the next.

Sahand & Team

www.mezrab.nl

PS, did you see this article that talks about the Amsterdam literary scene and makes a nod at Mezrab? 

http://theculturetrip.com/europe/the-netherlands/articles/amsterdams-literary-scene-understated-and-surprising