Kawther Salam – Egyptian Singer Azza Sings for Palestine in Vienna
By Kawther Salam • Jun 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 • Category: Music, Poetry, Events, Nakba and Right of Return, PalestineEgyptian dissident and singer Azza Balbaa came to Vienna to sing at an event commemorating 60 years of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe), to sing for the Palestinian resistance and for Iraq before a great part of the Arab community in Vienna. Mary Attia from the Egyptian Women Organization and Dr. Georg Nicola from the Palestinian community in Vienna had also invited the resistance poet Ahmad Fuad Negm to come to Vienna. Negem was not able to come to Vienna because of unstated reasons – probably intimidation from the Egyptian government. The poet Negm has already spent 18 years of his life in Egyptian jails because of his political views, he is now in his eighties.
Azza Balbaa has also been jailed several times by the Egyptian government for her political views, which she expresses in songs: first time for two years in 1978, and then several times for some months in 1979, 1981. Azza entertained the audience with songs about the Israeli hunger blockade against the inhabitants of Gaza, about the murderous occupation of Iraq, and about the problematic political conditions in Syria and Egypt.
According to Azza, the Egyptian government has forbidden the performance of her songs in any media in Egypt, on radio, national TV, even in theaters. Azza who is also an actress, has seen all works in which she has had roles censored: no producer can risk engaging her, as it almost certainly will result in their work being banished as well. According to Azza there is no official prohibition against her or her work, but the results are all the same: it is impossible for her to find singing engagements on either on radio or national TV.
Azza told me that she had started singing songs about Palestine at the age of 10, and that Lebanese singer Fayrooz has always been an inspiration to her. She said that the issue of Palestine had turned in a part of her blood and spirit even before she became an adult. At school she would sing songs like "Jerusalem, the old City" and "Jerusalem, the bud among Cities", later she would sing the poems of the revolutionary poet Ahmad Negm, as well as the melodies of composer of Sheikh Imam.
The Egyptian Government forbids singing for Palestine
Azza told me that, at the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Egyptian government had asked musicians to sing for Palestine. About 15 artists looked among their songs for appropriate compositions, and sang, but after three days of singing these songs for Palestine, the Egyptian government sent out a circular with strict orders forbidding the performance of the songs which it had ordered to be performed, as well as of any other songs praising Palestine.
Azza sings for the Palestinian Resistance at Nakba Memorial Event in Vienna
The words of the song were written by the poet Ahmad Fuad Negm, the music composed by Sheikh Imam, the song was performed by Azza Balbaa. Attempted translations from Arabic follow, due to the very symbolic nature of the songs they are probably imprecise.
O Palestinians, who the British occupation threw under the Israeli occupation
The Zionist killed the peaceful pigeons under your protection in your homeland,
(The Zionist killed your innocent people in your homeland)O Palestinians,
I want to come to Palestine, holding the fire in my hands, and together with your hands,
(To resist,) against the head of the snake (against the occupation)
And to end Hulagos faith (the injust Israeli occupation)O Palestinians,
Your forlornness began so long ago, (60 years of Nakba, Catastrophe)
And, the desert,
Groaned because of the refugees and the victims, (life in the exile at the refugee camps)
And, the land yearned to be irrigated by the farmers,
(The Palestinian land yearns for its real Palestinian owners)
And, your revolution is a fundamental goal,
(the resistance of the Palestinians is logical)
And, the victory is your first step,
(Blessing to your first steps of resistance)O Palestinians, who the British occupation threw under the Israeli occupation
The Zionist killed the peaceful pigeons under your protection in your homeland,
(The Zionist killed the innocent people in your homeland)O Palestinians,
I want to come to Palestine, holding the fire in my hands, and together with your hands,
(to resist), against the head of the snake, (against the occupation)
And
To end Hulagos faith, (the injust Israeli occupation)O Palestinians, your revolution is logical.
By gun (revolution) you impose a new life(You achieve liberation) and,
Just as the way of the revolution is so long,
The continuing steps of resistance is the only way to save your life,
(The continuing resistance is the only solution towards liberation)O Palestinians, (remember and take advantages of) the
Vietnamese good news, who achieved Victory,
against hundred thousands of invaders
And lightened the candle, and defeated the Americans.
I wish you the same Victory in Palestine.O Palestinians, who the British occupation threw under the Israeli occupation
The Zionist killed the peaceful pigeons under your protection in your homeland,
(The Zionist killed your innocent people in your homeland)O Palestinians,
I want to come to Palestine, holding the fire in my hands, and together with your hands,
(To resist,) against the head of the snake (against the occupation)
And to end Hulagos faith (the injust Israeli occupation)
Azza Sings for Bagdad at the Palestinian Nakba Memorial Event
Bagdad the Castle of Lions,
The Castle of Glory and Eternity,
Bagdad, the Sun Forehead for ExistenceBagdad, I heard on the day of your dawn
The glow of your fire blinds
The standard of the repeated Victory, return to Al-Rashid square
Bagdad the Castle of Lions
The castle of Glory and Eternity.
The words of this last song are part of a song by middle east star singer Um Kulthoum.
[Source: Kawther Salam]
Kawther Salam is a Palestinian journalist. She had a career of over 20 years working for various newspapers and TV stations in Palestine. She forced to live in the Exile in Vienna since 2002.
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Bretheren,
Know that palestine is in our Hearts and prayers daily, even here in the heart of Dixie in Montgomery, alabama. If our Brother bleeds, we all bleed. Keep up the singing and may your hearts be stout and fearless.
Peace,
Patrick
were's arab were arab world gone where are they hideing can they not see there children dieng
i bet Dubia and saudi arabia are just chillen and eatingfood all they think about is moneyi thought arab countries would help palestines but one arab rich person did not
i don't now what happen to arab world but let me tell u this. this is not funny so u better get up and stop dreamin about money and help palestine
is the wat u call good muslim arab u let us down thousand times
the children whos gettin killed is your children not no1 elses
Her point about the Vietnamese is a good one. Vietnam was colonized by the French starting in 1859. They finally threw off the French 95 years later, at the Battle of Dien Phu, only to have the Americans take their place. It wasn't until 1975 that the Vietnamese won their independence. I pray the Palestinians may be able to draw some inspiration from that history.
Also the article says:
"no producer can risk engaging her, as it almost certainly will result in their work being banished as well. According to Azza there is no official prohibition against her or her work, but the results are all the same: it is impossible for her to find singing engagements on either on radio or national TV."
I think a lot of American artists would probably like to speak out on what's happening in Palestine but are fearful of the same thing. Interestingly American rap artist Immortal Technique seems to be taking the risk, however. He was the headline performer at a benefit for Gaza that was supposed to have been held in New York over the weekend. See the following link (not sure how to make this come out as a "link" you can click on, so you'll probably have to cut and paste into your address bar):
http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/01/art-activism-and-gaza-poets-and-hip-hop.html
I don't live anywhere near New York, so I don't know how it turned out. But I do know Immortal Technique has addressed the issue of Palestine before. Of course he knows his songs aren't going to get played on the radio anyway, so he's got nothing to lose. At any rate, if you haven't heard his song "The 4th Branch" I would recommend downloading it. It's mainly about lies told by the media, but there are several lines about Palestine. Also people have been posting messages on his blog in support of Palestine as well. See:
http://www.myspace.com/immortaltechnique
And finally this: a statement of solidarity with the people of Gaza was issued by Subcomandante Marcos of Mexico's EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation). You can read it in full here:
http://zapagringo.blogspot.com/2009/01/solidarity-with-gaza-mexico-nyc.html
The point of all this, I guess, is to show the people of Gaza that they are not alone, that millions of people around the world are with you. Or as Marcos puts it:
"We don't know about you, but we Zapatistas from the EZLN, we know how important it is, in the middle of destruction and death, to hear some words of encouragement.
"I don't know how to explain it, but it turns out that yes, words from afar might not stop a bomb, but it's as if a crack were opened in the black room of death and a tiny ray of light slips in."