“[We’re] playing together, not only for the cause of partying,” said Ayed Fadel of the Haifa-based collective Jazar Crew, during Boiler Room’s 2018 Palestine documentary. “It’s to make the connection stronger with people in the West bank. It’s a re-birthing of the Palestinian community”.
That’s what music means to the youth of Palestine. The underground music scene in the war-torn nation has become a form of resistance against the dividing forces of Israel, uniting people from Ramallah to Haifa.
And Palestinian rappers, DJs and singers are risking everything to make it happen. Despite being banned from performing in venues in Occupied Palestine and denied entrance to Israeli clubs, these artists aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.
From record label and collective BLTNM—who just released a new track with Palestinian rapper Daboor honouring the resistance of Palestinians—to Muqata’a (whose name literally translates to ‘boycott’) and Palestine’s first female DJ Sama Abdulhadi, these are the Palestinian musicians we’re listening to today.
Dakn
Mehrak
Asifeh
Muqata’a
Elos Byuri
DJ Sama
Haykal
Checkpoint303
Jazar Crew
Julmud
ODDZ
BLTNM
Mukta Feen
MSHVKL
Ra
https://soundcloud.com/shamsra
Image: Sama Abdulhadi
