Revolution Mix (Music from the Uprisings Across...

Revolution Mix (Music from the Uprisings Across the Middle East). Since the beginning of the year, I’ve amassed quite a playlist of music from the revolutions. (Thanks to YouTube, Twitter, and bloggers like abudai and libyanana.) Mostly from Libya and Egypt. Mostly in Arabic. They are angry, emotional, powerful and beautiful. Here’s my collection of my favourites.

El General - Tunis Bladna. No Arab Spring playlist would be complete without this hard-hitting political rap anthem, “Tunisia, Our Country.”
Ibn Thabit - The Western Mountain. (Al Jabal El Ghrabi/ الجبل الغربي) This rapper has been revolutionary in his music since 2008. Lots of his songs are free on his website.
Amel Mathlouthi - My Word is Free. (Kelmti Horra/كلمتي حرة) This song is absolutely haunting. She also performed it live and unaccompanied at a sit-in in January in Tunis. Watch it here.
Mahmoud El Malky - Mother of the Revolution. (Um Athawra/ أم الثورة). Libyan, and one of my favourites. Military-style drumbeats mix with that crooning so emblematic of Middle Eastern rhythms. Composed by Yasser Farouk and written by Ahmed Khadry.
Ramy Essam - Our Revolution (Thawratna/ ثورتنا) This singer essentially provided the soundtrack for this year’s 18-day revolution in Egypt.
Arabian Knightz (feat. Lauryn Hill) - Rebel. This Egyptian hip-hop song was recorded during the first week of the revolution, but wasn’t leaked until the internet was re-opened. It samples the refrain from a Lauryn Hill live performance of her song “I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel).”
Khaled M. feat Lowkey - Can’t Take Our Freedom. Khaled M is the American-born son of two Libyans who fled Gaddhafi’s regime.
Ramy Essam - Irhal/Leave. (إرحل) This is probably the most classic of the songs of the uprising, melodic and full of the rhythmic protest chants that have resonated across the Middle East. Irhal. Yesqut Yesqut Hosni Mubarak. And Eshaab yuriid esqut ennazzam. Which I pretty much hear in my sleep these days.
Omar Offendum - #Jan25 Egypt. This Syrian rap artist wrote this as a tribute to the inspirational revolution in Egypt. And yes, the song title has a hashtag.
Amazigh Libyans Sing Around a Campfire. I don’t know the title of the song, or who sings it specifically. This is a video of a group of Amazigh fighters singing in their native language, which was heavily oppressed under Gaddhafi. There are provided Arabic and English translations.
Ibrahim Kashoush - Bashar Must Leave. This song could also be titled Up Your Ass, Bashar. The salty protest chant-style music earned Kashoush the title of songwriter of the revolution. Unfortunately, early this July, the Syrian regime expressed their displeasure with his lyrics by slitting his throat and dumping him in a river.
Kawy - The Monsters of Yemen. (Wahash AlYemen/ وحش اليمن) I honestly don’t know much about this song. It’s one of the only Yemeni songs I know. But it’s some classic revolutionary rap.