Music's Influential Role on Egypt's Presidential 
Campaign
By: Alexandra Salomon
WBEZ (Chicago Public Radio) World View - 
Global Notes segment
May 30, 2012
http://www.wbez.org/blogs/bez/2012-05/musics-influential-role-egypts-presidential-campaign-99651

[moderator: listen to the segment along with the 
campaign songs here -
http://llnw.wbez.org/wv_20120530b.mp3]
 

When the revolution began in Cairo's Tahrir Square,
music played a big role in galvanizing young people and
giving them a voice. So it's not surprising that music
continues to play an important role in Egyptian politics
as the presidential candidates began their campaigns.

For the most part these songs and music videos haven't
been produced by well-known pop artists. Instead, these
are songs written by independent artists who were part
of the underground movement that fueled the uprising
that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

The songs range in style from rap to hip-hop to
traditional Egyptian folk music. The lyrics and the
sounds reflect the diversity of candidates who've
peppered the race, which has now been narrowed down to
two candidates: Ahmed Shafik, a former air force general
and the last prime minister under Hosni Mubarak, and
Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

On today's Global Notes segment, Ahmed Rehab, director
of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-
Islamic Relations, Eight-Forty-Eight's Tony Sarabia and
Jerome McDonnell dissect the lyrics and the political
message behind the music.

Track List:

1. We're Coming for Abol Fotouh

2. Abol Fotouh is the Most Suitable.

3. I Love Amro Moussa

4. Ahmed Shafik (campaign song)

5. Mohamed Morsi (campaign song)

___________________________________________

Portside aims to provide material of interest to people
on the left that will help them to interpret the world
and to change it.

Submit via email: [log in to unmask]

Submit via the Web: http://portside.org/submittous3

Frequently asked questions: http://portside.org/faq

Sub/Unsub: http://portside.org/subscribe-and-unsubscribe

Search Portside archives: http://portside.org/archive

Contribute to Portside: https://portside.org/donate