Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2011)
April 27. 2011 ^ßortlaitb (Obstruer Page 5 L aw Rap as Weapon of Resistance in Libya Music defines anger at decades of repressive rule I (A A P) Pl — I 1 hvîin rebel rpKé'l fighter f i fvhtnr Jaad I'io/d - Libyan Jum aa H ashm i cranks up the vo l um e on his pickup truck's stereo w hen he heads into battle against M oam m ar G adhafi's forces. He looks for inspiration from a grow ing cadre o f am ateur rappers w hose pow erful songs have helped define the revolution. T he m usic captures the anger and frustration young L ibyans feel at decades o f repressive rule under G adhafi, driving the 27-year-old H ashm i forw ard even though the heavy m achine gun bolted on the back o f his truck — and other w eap ons in the rebel arsenal — are no m atch for G adhafi's heavy artillery. "It captures the youths' quest for freedom and a decent life and gives us m otivation," H ashm i said as he sat in his truck on the outskirts o f the front line city o f A jdabiya. He w as listening to "Y outh o f the R evo lution," w hich the rap group M usic M asters w rote ju st days after the uprising began in m id-February. "M oam m ar, get out, get out, gam e over! I'm a big, big soldier! "sang 20- y e a r -o ld M ila d F a ra w a y , w h o ctnWad , i_ his started M u sic M asters w • < ith friend and neighbor. 22-year-old M oham m ed M adani, at the end o f 2010. R ather than grabbing A K -47s and heading to the front line w ith other rebels to fight G adhafi's forces, Far- a w a y a n d M a d a n i s ta y e d in B enghazi, the de facto capital o f rebel-held eastern Libya, and picked up a m icrophone. "Everyone has his ow n w ay o f fighting, and my w eapon is art," said Faraw ay, a geology student, during a recent recording session in a small room on the fourth floor o f an aging apartm ent building in d o w n to w n B en g h azi. T h e ro o m w as eq u ip p ed w ith little m ore than a m i crophone, stereo and com puter. The room w as decorated w ith a large red, black and green rebel flag and a fram ed photo o f the G uns N' R oses guitarist Slash. Faraw ay and M ad an i sm o k e d c ig a re tte s an d sipped steam ing glasses o f sw eet tea as they recorded lyrics for their latest song, a tribute to cities caught up in the revolution. T he freew heeling rap scene de- Mohammed Madani, a.k.a. Madani Lion, and Milad Faraway, a.k.a. Dark Man, are part o f the freewheeling rap scene in Libya, part o f a growing cadre o f amateur rappers whose powerful songs have helped define the anger and frustration young Libyans feel at decades o f repressive rule under Moammar Gadhafi. veloping in B enghazi indicates how m uch has changed in eastern L ibya in the past tw o m onths. Speaking out against G adhafi before the re bellion used to m ean prison and m aybe even death. A nd rap, like other form s o f W estern culture, was despised by G adhafi, w ho burned foreign m usical instrum ents and books after he seized pow er in 1969. "I alw ays wanted to talk about G adhafi’s m istakes and crimes, but we never had the chance for free speech," said M adani, w ho is the son CRIME STOPPERS (503) 823-HELP 111 S.W. 2nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon Victim’s Family, Crimestoppers Appeal for Help Latest efforts keep case in spotlight o f a fam ous local singer in Benghazi and works part-time in his family'scell phone and car parts shops. "All you could talk about was how good G adhafi's revolution was." Faraw ay, w ho like m any rappers in B enghazi is' know n by his nick nam e, "Dark M an," and M adani, aka "Madani Lion," form the core o f M usic M asters, but the co m p o si tion o f the group has changed over tim e. O ne o f the rappers quit ju st after the uprising started because he feared being targeted by Gadhafi's thugs, M adani said. T he group re cently added 24-year-old Rami Raki, aka "R am Rak," w ho grew up in M anchester, England. "G adhafi, open your eyes w ide and you w ill see that the Libyan people ju s t broke through the fear barrier," sang the group R evolution Beat in their song "17 February," a reference to the so-called "D ay o f Rage" w hen protesters took to the streets in several tow ns and clashed w ith security forces. R oughly a dozen rap songs re corded since the start o f the reb el lion have been put on C D s w ith rebel-inspired album covers and are av ailab le fo r sale in d o w n to w n B enghazi. O ne co v er has a draw ing o f fighters on a captured G adhafi tank flying the rebel flag. Som e o f the songs m ix A rabic and E nglish, a testam en t to the A m erican origins o f rap. W hen the rappers perform in public, w hich is rare, they w ear baggy pants, T-shirts and baseball caps typical o f m any A m erican rappers. Rap is not the only style o f m usic that has been used to create a n them s for the revolution, but M utaz al-O beidi, a 23-year-old m em ber o f Revolution Beat, said it was uniquely p o sitio n e d to ap p eal to L ib y a ’s y o u th . Hodge Comprehensive Counseling Service Portland Congress Center 1001 SW Fifth Avenue. 2te 1100. Portland. Oregon 9 7 2 0 4 Phone: 503-220-1790 Email: hodgohspks@msn.com Fax: 1 +503-220-1815 www.hodgocounsoling.com the g irl’s body and understand the truth behind h er disappearance. Searchers from the M ultnom ah C ounty S h e rriff s office, w ith assis appearance and m urder. “N ow is the tim e for those people to com e forw ard and cooperate with th e in v e s t ig a ti o n a n d h e lp tance from dozens Y ash an ee’s fam ily reach som e c lo o f search and res sure,” Sim pson said. C r im e s to p p e r s cue v o lu n te e r s , C rim e Stoppers o f O regon, which has issued a new c o n d u cted a c o m is an organization to prevent and alert for inform ation plete search o f the solve crim e throughout the state, is into the suspected R ocky Butte area in offering a rew ard o f up to $ 1 .(XX) in m urder and d isap n o rth east Portland cash for inform ation that assists in pearance o f a P ort to look for evidence, the case or any unsolved felony. land teen ag er and b u t the b o d y has Ya sh an ee’ s Fam ily is also taking the fam ily o f the girl yet to be located. increased action to help raise funds h a s s c h e d u le d a A c c o r d in g to for the search. fundraiser and G o s Sgt. Pete Sim pson, A barbeque fundraiser will be pel celebration as it the Public Inform a held on Sunday, M ay 1, next door to m akes new appeals tion O fficer for the the G reater Solid R ock C hurch from for help. P ortland Police B u 1:30p.m. to5p.m . at 1725N.E.Dekum I t ’s b e e n fiv e Yashanee Vaughn reau, hom icide d e St. w e e k s s in c e 14- tectives believe that The M aranatha C hurch will also year-old Y ashanee V aughn w as re- additional people throughout the hold a G ospel celebration o f the life ported m issing and believed m ur- area have inform ation surrounding o f Y ashanee V aughn on Friday, M ay dered on M arch 19. Efforts continue V au g h n ’s w hereabouts and could 6, located at4 2 2 2 N .E . 12th Ave. The throughout the com m unity to find possibly be involved w ith her dis- ev en t w ill begin at 6:30 p.m. Dr. H. L. Hodge. Ph.D. Certified Christian Counselor Counseling God's Way Dr. Hodge on the radio: Saturdays @ 1:00 PM “A WAY OUT” KPDQ True Talk 800 AM SOlc.3 and Sliding Fee Scale Services Include: • • • • Relationship Specialist Stress Management Grief Counseling PTSD • Motivational Speaker