Musicians whose work is inextricably linked to the revolutions and continuing struggles
Musicians whose work is inextricably linked to the revolutions and continuing struggles in North Africa and the Middle East will perform in Brooklyn this week, bringing songs of politics and protest to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). “Mic Check: Hip-Hop from North Africa and the Middle East” will run March 7 to 9. The first night will see the rappers talking about the role of hip-hop in political revolutions. According to BAM:
Interdisciplinary artist, DJ, and writer Jace Clayton (aka DJ /rupture) moderates this conversation with Malian rapper Amkoullel, whose music has been a galvanizing force amid recent struggles with rebel groups in the north; Egyptian MC Deeb, whose song “Masrah Deeb” was chanted during protests in Tahrir Square; Palestinian “first lady of Arabic hip-hop” Shadia Mansour, whose music promotes non-violent resistance—or as she calls it, a “musical intifada”—against Israeli occupation; and Tunisian rapper El Général, whose song “Rais Lebled” was dubbed the “anthem of the Jasmine Revolution.”
The Brooklyn Ink‘s Valerie Prassl takes an in-depth look at the event and at some of the MCs, who will all take the stage on March 8 and March 9, along with traditional Moroccan artists Brahim Fribgane and Yacouba who live in New York.
Tunisian rapper Hamada Ben Amor, known as El Général, saw his song “Rais Lebled” (“Head of State”) go viral in early 2011. Tunisian police arrested the then 22 year old for speaking out against President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who shortly after the rapper’s detention was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia. Below is the song, with English subtitles.
The show’s curator sheds light on the role that rap artists play in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as why BAM serves as an ideal location for the encounter.
“In the Middle East and North Africa it is a very popular means for MC’s to be social commentators who give voice to burning social and political issues and, as such, hip-hop culture and rap music has wide appeal across the region,” said Zeyba Rahman curator of the Brooklyn show. “Over the last couple of years, with so many Arab countries in the grip of a social-political tsunami, hip hop has emerged as a prominent form of cultural resistance, an alternative to armed movement, and a strong voice for change.”
Rahman thinks that BAM is a great place to host African and Arab artists because it is located in a multi-cultural neighborhood. “The institution is situated close to the long established Arab section along Atlantic Avenue, the Nigerian mosque and community center on Myrtle Avenue as well as other, diverse, Muslim populations within the BAM radius in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Cultural District.”
For Malian rapper Amkoullel, it’s crucial to leave an imprint on the city of New York.
“New York is the place where you can find a little portion of everything you can find in the world,“ 33-year-old rapper Amkoullel said in an email interview last week. ” We, young Malians, young African artists, are a part of the today Africa, of the today world, so we need an embassy in the capital of the world. I will do my best to make you love Malian hip-hop music.”
Amkoullel, known for his song, “S.O.S,” video below, “raps about radical Islamists who control the northern part of the country and he urges the government to react to the threats.”
Amkoullel thinks that rap music emphasizes political change because it focuses on the power of speech. “It’s a music of love, loving each other and a good way to change things in the society by the power of words and poesy,” he said. “Hip hop, rap music, is the soul of the street, of everyday people.”