From Arabic rap to Irish rebel folk, global singers plea for peace in Palestine
▶ Calls for ceasefire cross genres and borders with powerful songs released since war began,
Agrowing number of international artists are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine through song. Spanning genres such as pop, rock, hip-hop and folk, these 10 tracks by regional and global artists speak of the continuing tragedy through various perspectives. Each was released after the events of October 7.
Rajieen Rajieen
Released by American record label Empire, Rajieen translates to “returning”.
The nearly eight-minute track features 25 Arab artists under the name Rajieen. They sing and rap verses over a dramatic beat provided by Jordanian producer Nasir Al Bashir, alongside Egypt’s Marwan Moussa and Amr Shomali.
Those featured include two of the Arab world’s biggest hiphop stars, Afroto and Marwan Pablo from Egypt, as well as singers Issam Alnajjar (Jordan), Ghaliaa Chaker (Syria) and Balti (Tunisia).
Each artist then delivers compact verses detailing Palestine’s struggle for independence before Alnajjar sings a powerful chorus of resilience.
“But the key to my home remains in my heart / And I’m returning with my children in my arms,” he sings. “Even if the whole world stands against me / I am returning, Oh my country, I am returning.”
Hold Your Fire Kadim Al Sahir
Kadim Al Sahir’s song is a collaboration with the United Nation’s Chamber Music Society. The orchestral track is a rare occasion where the Iraqi singer performs in English.
The resonance remains, however, as Al Sahir sings about his anguish over seeing civilians suffer as a result of the war.
Al Sahir is joined by a choir for the chorus as they declare: “Hold your fire / Hold for those who you love / For you, and for me / We are tired.”
Let It Rain MC Abdul
The Palestinian teenager and rising star of hip-hop tries to come to terms with his success, which led him to relocate to Los Angeles early last year, and the anguish of seeing his family and friends in Gaza being left to fend for
themselves following the outbreak of war.
“Made it out the maze, God’s been blessing me / First time in LA, got Gaza next to me,” he raps over a brooding sample of Enya’s Boadicea.
Later, he adds: “It’s in my heart, it’s in my veins / I’ve been smiling at the pain / The bombs lit up the night sky and turn them into day.”
The Little Ones Yusuf/Cat Stevens
In a bid to raise further awareness about the conflict’s devastating impact on Palestinian children, Yusuf/Cat Stevens posted an unreleased version of the 1997 song The Little Ones. It was written in the wake of the Bosnian genocide that left thousands of children dead in Eastern Europe.
“Oh, they’ve killed all the little ones / While their faces still smiled,” the song begins.
“With their guns and their fury / They erased their young lives / No longer to laugh / No longer to be a child.”
Ghosn Zeytoun Elyanna
Weeks before her 21st birthday, the Palestinian-Chilean singer moved her audience to tears while performing this powerful song.
“Words aren’t enough, what else can I say?” the Nazareth-born artist sang at the opening ceremony of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival last month.
Meaning “olive branch”, Ghosn Zeytoun is a sparse ballad that speaks of the helplessness of those watching the tragedy unfold from afar.
She goes on: “My tears have dried out and my heart is broken / I’m far away, but I’m praying for you. And I’m sending peace, on an olive branch / In the land of peace, peace is dead / And the world is sleeping on a hurt child.”
Oh Palestine, Oh Palestine Seth Staton Watkins
Oh Palestine, Oh Palestine –a song about Palestine by an American folk singer in the form of a traditional Irish rebel tune – may not sound like the traditional protest recordings we’re accustomed to hearing, but it packs its own punch.
Seth Staton Watkins, who found fame through his videos on TikTok, tells the story of the state since 1948. In his accompanying note, Watkins says he was compelled to write the song in response to the death toll during the war.
He adds: “I have seen footage that I cannot unsee and I weep for the martyrs and all those still suffering.”
Land of Canaan El Ganainy
The Egyptian rapper provides a wide-ranging history of Palestine in this intriguing hip-hop track. El Ganainy describes it as a multicultural society that welcomes “Africans, the Europeans, the Kipchaks, the Slavs, the Bosniaks, the Tatar, the Turks, the believers, the disbelievers, the poor, the rich, the hermits and the miscreants”.
The song urges young people to do their research and challenges prevailing narratives surrounding Palestine.
Palestine Will Be Free Maher Zain
A call for resilience in the face of tragedy, the Swedish-Moroccan nasheed singer tackles each verse from the perspective of victims, their families and supporters.
“I saw those rockets and bombs shining in the sky / Like drops of rain in the sun’s light / Taking away everyone dear to my heart / Destroying my dreams in a blink of an eye,” he sings.
“What happened to our human rights? / What happened to the sanctity of life?”
Rouh El Rouh Massar Egbari
This is a pensive track by the celebrated Egyptian rockers, which supports Palestinians’ rights to their homeland.
“We are the people of the land / The original inhabitants, we stand,” the song begins.
It goes on to add: “Roots reaching back to the 10th generation, Palestine, our anthem, our declaration.”
After reaching its crescendo, the song ends with another powerful message from the eyes of a Palestinian child: “Laughter hasn’t left me, it’s my battle cry / I am a child teaching the world to live / A world where lessons are given and life, I give.”
Falasteen Biladi Humood Alkhudher
Meaning “Palestine is my country”, the plaintive track by the Kuwaiti singer has been streamed more than 10 million times since its November release. The song explores the Arab world’s enduring attachment to the Palestinian cause.
He sings: “Palestine is my country / We carry it whether as a wound or as hope.”