The candles of the city shine to tell the world what we want,
The candles of the city won’t rest and won’t give up,
The blood of the fighters is our own,
We won’t surrender until the regime falls.
—Hamza Sisi, from his lyrics to the rap song “Shamat Al-Medina” (or “Candles of the City”), which was translated from Arabic into English:
“Two young Libyans whose rap music is being broadcast to the front line by rebel Benghazi radio hope they are helping to maintain the morale of fighters outgunned by Gaddafi forces.
‘Rap does not physically change things, but it invigorates the soul of people fighting and sends a message to all Libyans,’ 16-year-old Imad Abbar, sitting perched on a paint can in the patio of his home in Benghazi, told AFP news agency.”
Now this is an inventive and positive force of hip-hop that’s exciting. Non?
by Trent Gilliss, senior editor
(via bilalr)
I would rather live the revolution now than write it — it’s still fresh, newborn, untainted by additions and blind custom. It is a Libyan-flavored revolution, a mixture of spice and salt and light that smells like the blessings that come from the lanterns of saints.
Mohammad al-Asfar, from the novelist’s powerful op-ed in yesterday’s New York Times.
(via trentgilliss)
