Palestinian Resistance Music Then & Now

In a decades-long oppression that continually affects millions within Palestine and amongst the diaspora of its people, Palestinians have struggled to have their voice heard through traditional media outlets. Determined to speak out and break the silence, over the years, Arab and Palestinian artists have found a way to discuss the conflict's complexity through music, by voicing their daily struggles, their dreams of a brighter future, and the surreal experiences of living with war and occupation.

In this list, we've compiled songs that take us through the history of Palestinian resistance music, where artists and poets address specific moments of the conflict, dealing with their grief and frustration, and painting a more well-rounded picture of how Palestinians feel about the extraordinary circumstances they have been put through along the years.

Sheikh Imam | Ya Falasteeniyah

Legendary Egyptian musician Sheikh Imam’s rendition of 'Ya Falasteeniyeh', a poem belonging to 'The Poors' Poet' Ahmed Fouad Negm, speaks to a universal feeling amongst Arabs, as he expresses his willingness to defend the nation of Palestine, while imagining a day of liberation for its people.

Fairuz | Zahrat El Mada’en

In her ode to Jerusalem, legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz expresses the deep grief felt by Arab people around the world. She sings about the eyes and hearts that extend to Jerusalem every day, and how the beauty and rich history of the city will not be forgotten. She dreams of a day where the city will be liberated from apartheid, and where the buildings, mosques, churches, and the people of the city will have the looming heartbreak lifted, and when Palestine will know peace again.

Sabreen Band & Kamilya Jubran | Hob A'l Tariqa Al Filisteeniya

Translating to ‘Love, The Palestinian Way’, the haunting track by Sabreen band and Kamilya Jubran, originally a poem by the Palestinian writer and poet Abdul Latif Aql, takes us into the perspective of a Palestinian political inmate, whose imprisonment is met with humiliating assault and physical abuse by his captors. Despite this, the inmate retains his optimism, addressing his words to a loved one, reassuring them that his hunger will be sated with Zaatar, and that his love will remain strong, whether he is alive or dead.

Julia Boutros | Wein el Malayeen

Lebanese/Palestinian singer Julia Boutrous has been a strong advocate of the cause throughout her career, and in her confrontational track ‘Wein El Malayeen’, goes to hold Arabs accountable for their silence, asking, “Where are the millions? Where is the outrage? Where is the pride?” In doing so, she calls all people of Arabic heritage to stand in solidarity with their occupied Palestinian brothers and sisters.

Rim Banna | Algha'eb

The track is a rendition of Palestinian writer Rashid Hussein’s poem by the same name, in which the lyrics address the enactment of the ‘Absentee's Property’ law, which states that the property which had once belonged to the Palestinian refugees evicted in 1948 would become owned by the Israeli occupation. This law also applied to Palestinian mosques and churches, leading Hussein to make the metaphor in his poem that imagines God himself to have also become a refugee due to the occupation.

Shadia Mansour | El Koffeye Arabeyye

With the rising popularity of rap music in the Arab world and in Palestine in the early 2000s, we’ve heard many Palestinians using the artform as an outlet for their outrage. Palestinian rapper Shadia Mansour who explicitly airs her grievances about cultural appropriation, specifically around the use of the Palestinian Koffeye as a headscarf and fashion piece in other areas of the world, with no awareness of its cultural significance and the symbolism it holds.

MC Abdul | The Pen and the Sword

15 year old rapper MCA is currently taking the world by storm, performing alongside musical giants such Palestinian rapper Saint Levant, and featuring on YUNG magazine. Recently relocated to the US to expand his musical foothold, MCA’s music mostly chronicles the occupation through his eyes. His most recent release, ‘The Pen and the Sword’, celebrates education over violence and emphasizes on every child’s right to proper schooling.

Shadia Mansour and DAM | Kollon 3endon Dabbabat

At the peak of old-school Palestinian hip-hop, Shadia Mansour and DAM were two of the most influential acts to lead the voice of resistance at the time, making strides to propel the issue deeper into international consciousness. The track ‘Kollon 3endon Dabbabat’ addresses the people of Palestine, and Gaza in particular, stating that their sacrifices will not go in vain, and that victory is yet to come. The track also speaks to the fact that Palestinians ask no more of the international community than acknowledgement and justice, but that they have been met instead with apathy and cold silence in return.

Daboor and Shabjdeed | Inn Ann

In recent years, ‘Inn Ann’ has become an anthem heard at Palestinian protests around the world. The track speaks to a new generation of Palestinian youth, as it shows rappers Daboor and Shabjdeed from Palestinian label BLTNM staunchly hold their ground on their values, and defiantly stating that now is the time for action.

Shabjdeed | Mantika

As an artist who doesn’t necessarily categorize his work as political, Shabjdeed simply uses his music to revisit his day to day experience. But with the nature of the situation in Palestine, these accounts are deeply politicized by nature. Nonetheless, Shabjdeed’s perspective on the matter isn’t one that is sympathetic, nor one that is overly poetic or even optimistic. Instead, he has stood out with his raw and confrontational lyrical style, which we hear in ‘Mantika’, where Shabjdeed stumbles upon the revelation that the war is a part of his fiber, and a big part of who he is, as he has been raised on it all his life.

Elyanna | Khels El Haki

Palestinian-Chiliean singer Elian Marjieh - formally known by her stage name Eliyanna - is both a social media icon and widely-recognized Nazareth-born singer. Her two released EPs, ‘Elyanna I’ and ‘Elyanna II’, have garnered the attention of music giants, and led to her being signed with Universal Arabic Music. In her track, ‘Khels El Haki’, she delivers a powerful vocal performance that carries her heartbreak as she sends her prayers to her homeland.