Soundtrack for Change
Now the "Soundtrack for Change" which was composed by the participants in the Young Leaders Visitors Program (YLVP) of 2008 is available online on YouTube. Watch the video clip, listen to the music, and read about the Amman-based blogger Arab Observer's experiences from Sweden as a participant in YLVP in October-November 2008.
YouTube clip: The YLVP participants share their experiences from the program, and sing the magic "Soundtrack for Change".
Arab Observer shares his experiences:
"Spiritus Mundi is a cultural organization that aims to bridge the gab between cultures through music. The Swedish Institute planned a weekend for us - the YLVP participants - at Spiritus Mundi in Malmö where they lead us into creating our own song.
They divided us into groups and asked us to come up with some lyrics. They had some beautiful music and added it to our lyrics. Then we went into their studios and recorded it.
'Together we find a way, we are the voices of the world, together we find a way to make our voices heard.'
I love how it sounds when different young people from different Arab countries work with Swedish people to come up with this. It is true that we - together - will find a way to make our voices heard.
One of our groups came up with:
'Donia al mahabba t2ool, 7ob o salam 3ala tool.... 3adel o sa3adah o khair... lel 3alam...lel 3alam.'
('The world of love says, love and peace for ever... justice and happiness and goodness... for the world... for the world.')
I love this part the most. It may sound too cheesy for some, but I do enjoy singing it. It gives me a lift of positive energy where I feel that I really love this world.
Our group decided on something a bit darker, and came up with an arabic rap section:
'Mamnoo3 mesh masmoo7
3eb... 7aram
la t2arrab... la tfakkar
2ossetna el 3arabeieh
3onf o 3onsoreyye
ma fe democrateyye
3aysheen dictatoreyye
bedna ensaneyye
o n3eesh fe 7oreyye 7oreyye 7oreeye'
It means:
'Forbidden... not allowed
shameful... sinful
don't come close... don't think
our Arabic story
brutality... discrimination
no democracy
living in dictatorship
we want humanity
and to live freely... freely... freely'
Strong words, no? Guess where the 'shameful' and 'sinful' lines came from? :P
And then you have those powerful slang sentences in the backgroud like: 'ma tekhteshi ya bet' ('aren't you ashamed of yourself girl?') and 'endabbi wen ray7a?' ('stay home girl; where are you going?).
It is really a beautiful song. Miss you all YLVP participants. Hope we can work together to really make our voices heard and help our societies to live freely."
//the Arab Observer
Information on Behrang Miri (link opens in new window):
www.myspace.com/behrangmirimiddleeast
Information on Hanna Cinthio (link opens in new window):
http://www.mecca.nu/