Dear fellow
listeners,
As the circumstances
have put our receptionist in the safest place possible for this lockdown (an
isolated house in a small Norwegian village), Nadimov and I (Nabila) are taking
over his blog for this Sunday’s post.
As we continue,
since the last blogpost, this quarantine, Nadimov has selected a series of
songs that were all written in lockdowns, by two different artists who both
held on to music as a path towards a fairer world.
Georges
Qormuz, Palestine
The first
artist we feature today is a real mystery. During the uprising against the
military occupation in Palestine between 1987 and 1990, a curfew was forced onto
the Palestinians for most of the time. Schools and universities were forced to
close their doors as well for about four years. During this extended lockdown
period, an unknown singer going by the name George Qormuz was recording and
producing beautiful songs from his room somewhere in Palestine. His cassettes
were distributed in the night to the doors of people’s houses. Years have gone
since then, and to this day, no one knows who George Qormuz was. As Nadimov
says: "all I know is that George was a period of four winters that cleaned
the pain of many hearts the way the rain of these winters cleaned the
streets".
In our
playlist; we feature four of his songs.
The first
song is called “What would kill determination”. The song serves as a
reminder that hard times will pass in front of determination – or as George says
“our land no matter what, has witnessed a thousand killers. They all vanished, like
melted snow”.
To a more
joyful song, at first glance, the second track of our mysterious musician is
called “our beautiful land”. The city of Jerusalem “a beautiful land,
sad in a cage” is the symbol for the nostalgia of the missed old times - “my little
garden, the lumberjack has destroyed”. But with high hope and optimism, George promises
that “with struggle, lyrics and melodies, the cage will be broken”.
In the
third track, George uses the lockdown to put a moral manifesto to oppose the oppressor. This song is titled “Against”. George declares “against
smashing a little flower in the garden no matter the reason, against making a hero
of a 10 year old child, against using the branches of my trees as a gallows”
and goes on to promise that the melodies and poetry will outlive the
oppressors.
Onto the fourth
and last song by George Qormuz. He makes an implore of “Patience” to his
people, a universal message –as well – to all of us in this confinement, once
more with the promise that “the sharp teeth of the monster will not defeat the
smile of our children”.
Sheikh
Imam, Egypt
The next
artists featured in today’s lockdown playlist have a clearer identity than
George Qormuz. A blind musician called Imam (Sheikh Imam), and his poet friend
(Ahmad Fouad Nijm) were too annoying for the authorities in Egypt, to the point that
they became "permanent residents" at Alqala'a\"the citadel"
- a famous prison for political prisoners. During their extended stays at
"the citadel", the duo wrote songs about life, love, liberty, the
poor and the oppressed - the very reason why they were locked up in the first
place! During their short periods out of the prison, they would meet with
friends (and crowds when possible) to sing and record their songs. These songs
were - and still are - banned by most Arab authorities, yet generations have
memorized them by heart and passed them from one to another, and the songs of
Sheikh Imam & Ahmad Fouad Nijm keep inspiring dreamers all around the Arab
world.
The first
song by Sheikh Imam of this playlist is called “El bahr – why is the
sea laughing”. This song was chanted so many times in bars in Palestine in
the times when we were there; one person would start singing the first few
notes and then the entire bar would join in and sing along. A song about a complex
love relationship with the sea. Imam flatters, teases and complains about his
love –and to think this cheerful anthem was composed in a jail cell!
“Bastanzarek
- I wait for you” is the next song by Sheikh Imam. With the legendary entrance
“aaah”, Imam sings for his freedom: “I wait for you - despite the rain, the
cold, and the scary thunders - in the busy street. I’m the one who knows when our
date is, and why you stay away from me, the one who knows who you are and
waiting for you since years – keeping a space for you in my garden of hope”.
“Tel3
elsabah - the sun gas raised”, the third song by Sheik Imam, is a beautiful
greeting to all the labors and the hardworking people. “The morning has come,
all the beauty in its coming. And the bird sang beautiful melodies that heal
the broken hearts, saying a beautiful morning to all of you labors”.
“Anatoub
3an hubbak - can I stop loving you” is one of my favorite. “Can I stop
loving you? Can I have a joy in your distance? No, I can’t forget you, I’m poor
without you, and I’ll never stop loving you” Imam is singing this very melodic
tune to his love from his jail cell.
“Sabah
elkheir - good morning to the roses” is our next track; one more song in
the love of the “garden roses” – the prison comrades who sacrificed their lives
in the name of freedom, equality and justice.
Finally, we
leave you with a playful melody that is named “shal elhawa - the wind/love
played with us”. Let it play with you.
And so ends
our trip through the music that was composed in situations similar to the one
the entire world is living today.
We hope
this was enjoyable and – who knows – has inspired you to write your own music/poetry
during the lockdown 2020. At any rate, if you do so, keep in mind that the
check-out time is 10:30 (but stay home).
Playlist:
1. George Qormuz - What would kill determination
2. George Qormuz - Our beautiful land
3. George Qormuz - Against
4. George Qormuz - Patience
5. Sheikh Imam- El bahr – why is the sea laughing
6. Sheikh Imam - Bastanzarek - I wait for you
7. Sheikh Imam - Tel3 elsabah - the sun gas raised
8. Sheikh Imam - Anatoub 3an hubbak - can I stop loving you
9. Sheikh Imam - Sabah elkheir - good morning to the roses
10. Sheikh Imam - Shal elhawa - the wind/love played with us
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