Layan Srour
DEARBORN 2025 - 2026
Layan Srour is a Detroit-based Lebanese musician whose work explores memory, identity, and connection through music. Her musical voice was first shaped in Beirut, where the folk love songs drifting through the streets intertwined with the raw energy of the city’s underground music scene.
She is one half of Taqsim, an Arabic electronic and experimental duo rooted in the soundscapes and inspiration of Beirut’s vibrant underground scene. Drawing on these textures and a search for the feeling of home, Taqsim blends synthesizers, sampled drums, and layered soundscapes to connect Detroit with Beirut’s resilient energy.
Srour’s practice spans performance, education, and community building, shaped by collaborations with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Jazz Festival, the Arab American National Museum, and beyond. She is also the curator of "40 Minutes With," an interview series that amplifies the stories of Arab American musicians at the intersections of music, identity, and tradition—building a living archive of Arab American sound.
COMMUNITY PROJECT
Jalasat / جلسات (Arabic for “gatherings”) is a new pop-up performance series by Layan, the Arab American National Museum, and the City of Dearborn that brings art, music, and cultural storytelling beyond the Museum’s walls and into beloved community spaces—coffee shops, cafés, and local venues. Each Jalsa creates an intimate, welcoming environment where audiences can experience Arab and Arab American expression through live performance, poetry, music, and conversation. The goal is to make art and culture feel close to home—where dialogue and creativity flow as naturally as a cup of coffee.
Through Jalasat, AANM aims to strengthen community connections, increase artist visibility, and make cultural engagement more accessible. Each monthly pop-up will take place in a different local café or gathering space, featuring a unique lineup of performers while maintaining the spirit of creativity and togetherness at its core.
Partnering cafés will benefit from cross-promotion through AANM’s platforms, increased evening traffic and sales, and alignment with arts initiatives that celebrate Arab American creativity and community pride.
