Ruyah, My Fantasy Happened

Liraz, Derya Yildrim, Adrian Younge and Ladybug Mecca discuss art as propaganda, the exhaustion of performing on stage and having the courage to seek the unknown.

Liraz is an Israeli-Iranian singer, musician and actress. In 2022 she released her album Roya, a collaboration between musicians from Israel and Iran.

Adrian Younge is a former Music Life host and self-taught musician who re-imagines soul, jazz, funk and hip-hop into his own sound. He’s scored for film and TV, and has produced the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z. He’s also the co-founder of the Jazz Is Dead label with A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Derya Yildirim is a saz player and lead vocalist of Anatolian psych-rock outfit Grup Şimşek. Her lush vocals draw inspiration from Turkish folk traditions, and with the band makes dancefloor-friendly reinterpretations of a classic sound.

Ladybug Mecca is a New York rapper from the legendary group Digable Planets. She grew up in a musical household; her Brazilian parents were Jazz musicians, and her mum was a singer.