Angela Williams Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Language use Fusion of musical style, language, message, images Music as social action/social commentary Comparative look at revolution/freedom songs
Flows of protest/socially conscious music Connections from “home” countries/cultures and how they show up abroad
In what ways are artists and listeners using music to shape/create social, cultural, identity? How is this extending or redefining local norms?
Worldatlas.com
Wikimedia Commons
Geographicguide.com
BALKAN PENINSULAMEDITERRANEAN SEA
Balkan Beat Box – new Europeans? Israeli? American? Egyptian revolution songs Syrian
Lyrics Language, language style Meaning, voice Images Videos Professional/semi? Fan-created Online profiles
What is the context – real or imagined? Who is participating or being represented? (gender, ethnic, linguistic backgrounds) What is the purpose of the song and its dissemination? What does the music teach us about: citizenship, belonging, civil rights?
Founded in 2004, New York Israeli immigrants: Tamir Muscat (via Romania); Ori Kaplan (klezmer clarinet); Tomer Yousefklezmer clarinet A “global peacekeeping mission you can dance to.” SPIN magazine
Mix of Balkan, Middle Eastern, hip hop, electronica, punk, and other styles “War Again” “War Again”
Ramy Essam “Laugh, Oh Revolution” “Laugh, Oh Revolution” “Leave” “Leave” Traditional “I’m sitting in the square”
Music videos You Tube “Long Live Egypt” (Tahya Masr) “Long Live Egypt” (Tahya Masr) “Voice of Freedom” (Sout al-horeya) “Voice of Freedom” (Sout al-horeya) “How?” (Izzay?) “How?” (Izzay?) Aida El- Ayoubi – Ya, Midan
“I Love You, My Country” “I Love You, My Country”
“Yalla irhal ya Bashar” ("Get Out Bashar") quickly became the most famous protest song. “Yalla irhal ya Bashar” ("Get Out Bashar") The singer, Hamwee Ibrahim Qashoosh, was captured and killed in July, 2011.
Omar Offendum (Syrian-American artists) Omar Offendum Ali al-Deek (Alawite singer) “Good morning, Syria”“Good morning, Syria” Al-Monitor article Al-Monitor article
“Map” out the lives of the members of one of the groups in Google Earth.
Crossing the Bridge (Turkey) Slingshot Hip Hop (Palestine) I Love Hip Hop in Morocco No One Knows about Persian Cats (Iran) Channels of Rage (Israel)