Farah Ahmed has two names—and a sonic archive deep enough to make either unforgettable. Born to Egyptian parents and raised in Kuwait, she grew up toggling between identities: sometimes Farah Ahmed, sometimes Farah Khaled. Born to Egyptian parents and raised in Kuwait, Ahmed grew up toggling between identities: sometimes Farah Ahmed, sometimes Farah Khaled. “Both names come from my dad,” she laughs. “I just switch depending on the platform.”

Now based in Alexandria, the 23-year-old hosts Med Mix—a genre-fluid, region-rooted radio show on Koubebi Radio, where she curates two hours of music each week from across the Middle East. From psychedelic shaabi and Levantine jazz to deep-cut Arab pop and post-Y2K nostalgia, Ahmed isn’t just playing tracks—she’s building a bridge between cultures, generations, and geographies.

“The tagline is ‘Stories of the sea, told through music,’” she says. “And that’s what it is—waves of sound connecting the region, one song at a time.”

From Kuwait to Cyprus: A Creative Detour

Farah’s journey into radio wasn’t part of the plan. Raised in Kuwait, she had always expected to study in Egypt—but instead, she took a sharp detour.

After ruling out the U.S. as “too far and risky,” a family friend suggested Cyprus. It was close to Egypt, technically part of Europe, and home to the University of Nicosia’s film program.

Farah applied, got in, and moved. “Those four years turned out to be the best of my life,” she says. “I found community, purpose, and this amazing creative energy that clicked.”

That’s also where radio first found her.

Building Med Mix

While working at Mediazone—the university’s media support center—her boss looked at her one day and said, “Farah, you’re going to end up in radio.” She laughed it off—after all, she was a film major. But the idea stuck.

After graduating, she joined Koubebi Radio, an independent online station launched by her mentor Haji Mike, a professor and artist known for championing independent voices. Farah started with just a MacBook and Adobe Audition, producing weekly two-hour episodes. Each episode spotlights a single artist or theme, exploring lyrics, instrumentation, and genre history from across the region.

“It was intense and deeply rewarding,” she says.

“Now Med Mix is a space to showcase music from across the Middle East—shaabi, indie, psych rock, jazz, you name it,” she says. “I curate every playlist, and Haji Mike gives me full freedom. He always tells me, ‘It’s your show—do whatever you feel is right.’”

The show’s tagline—“Stories of the sea, told through music”—was suggested by Koubebi admin Iris, and Farah embraced it instantly. “It felt poetic,” she says. “Like soundwaves echoing over water.”

Since taking over in late 2023, she’s produced more than 25 episodes, each one a deep dive into both sound and story. Sometimes she organizes playlists by decade, other times by mood—highlighting everything from North African psychedelia to early 2000s Arab pop. “Some tracks are 10 minutes long,” she says. “I always give context—why a certain synth matters, or how a Western instrument was reinterpreted through an Eastern lens.”

Unfiltered Frequencies

Farah hasn’t brought on guests yet—but she’s working on it. “A few indie bands have followed me on Instagram, and I’d love to start interviewing them,” she says. “I get nervous—what if they don’t like what I say about their music? But I’m pushing past that.”

She sees Med Mix as part of a broader shift in Arab media—where tradition makes space for experimentation.

“Traditional radio plays it safe. With internet radio, I get to amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard. I play what I like and what I think deserves attention—no gatekeepers.”

She’s even had listeners reach out to say they tune in while creating—painting, writing, editing. “That’s the dream,” she says. “To be that voice in the room while someone’s building something—that’s real radio to me.”

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What’s Next for Med Mix?

Farah has no plans to change Med Mix—but she is thinking globally.

“I’ve thought about launching another show—something international. Music from Korea, Africa, Latin America. A sound map beyond the region.”

For now, she’s focused on the freedom she has to keep building the sonic archive she never saw growing up—one region, one deep cut, one wave at a time.

“If you ever hear me shouting out listeners during the show,” Farah says, “it’s because I get excited knowing someone’s tuned in while working, creating, or just vibing—that’s what it’s all about.”

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You can catch Med Mix live every Sunday from 6–9 p.m. Cyprus time (11–2 p.m. ET / 8–11 a.m. PT & 8-11 a.m. UK)—at www.koubebi.com. Missed it? Archived episodes are available on Facebook and Instagram—just search Med Mix.