“Things are not very calm as usual in Palestine. I guess the situation will never be calm as long as there is an occupation. Palestinians are suffering from ethnic cleansing; the Israeli forces are targeting people in the West bank and Gaza. We are still struggling for freedom and for a better life.”
With such opening lines by Mahmood Jreri, one-third of the critically acclaimed Palestinian hip-hop/rap outfit DAM, I brace myself for an intemperate conversation as he opens up about politics, women’s rights and music’s greater role in the context of larger socio-political issues.
DAM’s beginnings in music started during their teenage years engaging in impromptu rap slots at each others’ birthdays, while writing about the realities of living in Palestine. Having produced their first homegrown desktop singles in 1999, today, DAM is the staunch musical voice for activism in Palestine whose songs have crossed continents.
Their recently released second studio album “Dabke on the Moon” is an incongruent departure from their signature rant on issues of displacement, uprooting, Israel’s regulated offensive and of being citizens in a land of the bound. The second album is one step forward into their own immediate environment that explores the self, women issues, and the prisoners living in the midst of the holy land-turned-hell.
The first single from the new album “If I could go back in time” expounds on the concept of “honor killing” as an expression of wrath more than the idea of imposed salvation from male members of the errant woman in question.
“Our art has always given voice to contentious subjects such as rights and discrimination against women. These issues touch us deeply and they are incidents we see in our everyday lives and feel strongly about. So as DAM we have to talk about these matters.”
“Letters from a cell” is the trio’s personal endeavor into understanding the mental anguish and psychological trauma suffered by prisoners punished not for exhibiting the ambit of their political ambitions but for simply bearing the blood of the deprived. The only mode of communication with their families is the archaic method of writing letters in a world that has long bypassed pads and pens.
“The whole world knew about the Israeli soldier who was captured in Gaza but not enough people have heard about the 7000 plus prisoners who are living in prisons, taken away from their homes and families. So it’s important to humanize the Palestinian cause.”
“Sometimes you can’t change the world in a minute or with a song, but you can spark minds that will change the world and make people more aware of the problems we share and the reality that we live in.”
“I’m aware of the fact that I cannot singlehandedly change the world but I’m sure I can contribute to change. It’s like a pyramid; small gestures, acts and expressions can make a difference and create an impact. Change will come, as long as someone is talking about change and taking active steps. As a member of DAM I have vowed to make a difference and not to live under the prevalent status quo conditions.”
Jreri goes on to speak about the group’s willful desire to release their music despite having faced production and other logistical difficulties due to the absence of a fully-supported production establishment in Palestine; the new album was mostly crowd-sourced through independent fan supported forums.
“We have people who support our music financially and this is how we managed to release it. If we didn’t have the support of our fans then I guess the album wouldn’t be out now.”
“We do not only take care of our music but also how to sell, market and distribute it as well. Sometimes this limits our musical space because we spend a lot of time and energy on the business matters when we should focus on our music, yet if don’t our music wouldn’t be released.”
“In the Arab world we are missing people who support independent music, because all that we see on TV is mainstream, not authentic underground music talking about the things that go on in the Arab world, but people talking all the time about love, the night and the stars. I think this limits the artistic world and the minds in the Arab region because you don’t provide those channels for the crowds.”
“It’s not just a matter of time but also a revolution. After the Arab Spring we saw music that we didn’t see before. One of the first Tunisian revolutionary songs was shown on TV, which is a major development.”
Jreri also spoke about DAM’s collaboration with German-Palestinian artist Maryam Younus on a track titled “Schizophrenic” due to be released soon as well as their upcoming UStour commencing end of March and a European tour scheduled for September.
“We love life and we want to see a change happening and live as any other people in any other nation that has basic freedoms. It’s true that the situation is frustrating and nothing’s changing, but still to see people demonstrate every Friday gives me the hope that I see everywhere in Palestine. It gives me hope that things will change. It’s hard but no one promised you an easy life in the first place. We have a long way to go as Palestinians but we are fighting for our rights and that’s what keeps us going.”
DAM: Music for freedom, for women and greater rights
DAM: Music for freedom, for women and greater rights
