MofA Week 10.
Music and Politics: hegemony, and resistance
Distinguish:
- music of hegemony and music of resistance
- explicitly political and implicitly political music
- the music of politics and the politics of music
Contents
Music and nationalisms
- Muhammad Fawzy: personal vs. state patriotism (read Frishkopf article)
National anthem of Algeria, composed by the Egyptian Muhammad Fawzy.
Kassaman or Qassaman (The Pledge) is the national anthem of Algeria. It was adopted in 1963, shortly after independence from France. The lyrics are by Mufdi Zakariah (written in 1956 while imprisoned by French colonial forces) and the music is by Egyptian composer Mohamed Fawzi.
Lyrics & Translation:
Qassaman Binnazilat Ilmahiqat
Waddimaa Izzakiyat Ittahirat
Walbonood Illamiaat Ilkhafiqat
F'Iljibal Ishshamikhat Ishshahiqat
Nahno Thurna Fahayaton Aw ma mamaat
Wa Aqadna Alazma An Tahya Aljazair
Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo!
We swear by the lightning that destroys,
By the streams of generous blood being shed,
By the bright flags that wave,
Flying proudly on the high mountains,
That we have risen up, and whether we live or die,
We are resolved that Algeria shall live -
So be our witness -be our witness - be our witness!
Nahno Jondon Fi Sabil Il hakki Thorna
Wa Ila Isstiqlalina Bilharbi Kumna.
Lam Yakon Yossgha Lana Lamma Natakna
Fattakhathna Rannat Albaroodi Wazna.
Wa Azafna Naghamat Alrashshashi Lahna
Wa Aqadna Alazmat An Tahya Aljazair.
Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo!
We are soldiers in revolt for truth
And we have fought for our independence.
When we spoke, none listened to us,
So we have taken the noise of gunpowder as our rhythm
And the sound of machine guns as our melody,
We are resolved that Algeria shall live -
So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness!
Nahno min Abtalina Nadfaoo Jonda
Wa Ala Ashlaina Nassnaoo Majda.
Wa Ala Arouahena Nassaado Kholda.
Wa Ala Hamatina Narfao Bandaa.
Gabhato' Ltahreeri Aataynaki Ahda
Wa Aqadna Alazma An Tahya Aljazair.
Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo!
From our heroes we shall make an army come to being,
From our dead we shall build up a glory,
Our spirits shall ascend to immortality
And on our shoulders we shall raise the standard.
To the nation's Liberation Front we have sworn an oath,
We are resolved that Algeria shall live -
So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness!
Sarkhato 'lawtani min Sah Ilfida
Issmaooha Wasstageebo Linnida
Waktobooha Bidimaa Ilshohadaa
Wakraooha Libany Iljeeli ghada.
Kad Madadna Laka Ya Majdo Yada
Wa Aqadna Alazma An Tahya Aljazair.
Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo!
The cry of the Fatherland sounds from the battlefields.
Listen to it and answer the call!
Let it be written with the blood of martyrs
And be read to future generations.
Oh, Glory, we have held out our hand to you,
We are resolved that Algeria shall live -
So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness!
Shaykh Imam
This Egyptian singer (b. 1918), raised in the singer-shaykh tradition, became Egypt's most well-known political singer after 1962, in collaboration with poet Ahmed Fu'ad Negm.
Song: "Guevara Died"
(composed 1967: Ahmed Fu'ad Negm and Shaykh Imam). Performed by contemporary revival group Eskanderalla.
Guevara has died, Guevara has died
Late-breaking news, all the radios cried
And in the churches
And the mosques
In the alleys
And the streets
In cafes and the bars:
Guevara has died
Guevara has died
Voices ply endless ropes of speech...
Paragon of fighters, now dead and gone
Aah, sign a hundred for the loss of men!
In thickets deep the young swain perished
still atop his firing gun
Dead and giving body to his fight
He did it all in silence
No drummers explode in ragged sound
No communique goes sailing round
What do you think (your wealth and might live long!),
You antique and twisted gnomes?
Your bodies oozing, fed so well
On tasty morsels and trappings
You, sitting comfy, cozily warm
Tho' firing up your heaters still:
Garish showy dopes
With your polished nodding pates...
Song: "O Palestinians" (1968)
0 Palestinians, the fusilier has shot you
With Zionism which kills the doves that live under your protection
0Palestinians, I want to come and be with you, weapons in hand
And I want my hands to go down with yours to smash the snake's head
And then Hulagu's law will die
0 Palestinians, exile has lasted so long
That the desert is moaning from the refugees and the victims
And the land remains nostalgic for its peasants who watered it
Revolution is the goal, and victory shall be your first step
Politics and Egyptian shaabi
Music and Palestine
- Palestinian rap group DAM
Generation after generation will live in the hope of realizing our dream
As what we say today we will be called to account for throughout our lifetime
It is possible that the darkness of night
May render us far from one another, but
The beam of light can
Reach the farthest of skies
This has been our dream
All of our lives:
An embrace that will contain us all together
Marcel Khalife
Musical activism, musical controversy
Political songs, in collaboration with Mahmoud Darwish (Voyageur)
Music and freedom of expression: "I am Joseph, oh my father"
Criticism from the left: politics of musical aesthetics (Colla, Elliott and Robert Blecher. (1996) A New World Order, a New Marcel Khalife. Middle East Report, No. 199, Turkey: Insolvent Ideologies, Fractured State. (Apr. - Jun., 1996), pp. 43-44.)
Politics and videoclips (your input here)
Everyone please select a Youtube video and insert link here, along with a line or two of comment - we'll watch and discuss on Thursday Nov 18.
You can select clips to be analyzed for nationalistic sentiment, or search for national anthems of the various Arab countries, or look for implicit themes of power (in domestic relations, say), or select clips which address political themes explicitly. I realize not knowing Arabic may be an impediment, but you can select/discuss based on imagery, and you'll find many clips with translations included. (To get started, try searching for "Arab political music", or look for music by artists mentioned above.) You'll learn a lot by reading the clip's comments (if they're in English).
Amanda:
Patrick:
Mahsa:
Justina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLI36kvvu9k
This song is by Djur Djura - a Algerian woman, b. 1949 (?) raised in France, who sings about Women's rights and feminist issues a lot.
Manya:
Adrienne:
