Word: Siba x Monkyman - Dounana

It is a rare and satisfying thing for something to go viral for the right reasons. Last week, amidst the usual doom and gloom, the Instagram algorithm caught wind of a post by Syrian artist Siba commemorating the eighteen-month anniversary of her track, ‘Dounana’, produced by Monkyman. Almost instantly, the song spread like wildfire. The sudden resurgence comes as no surprise. Siba’s raw rage and unflinching lyrics provide a cathartic experience that many in the Arab world have yearned for after witnessing over two years of the genocide in Gaza.

When asked about her headspace while writing the track, Siba simply replies, “Nothing.” The artist explains that she merely stepped out of the way of her own emotions, allowing the pen to hit the paper with no intellectual filter in between.

While deeply personal, the message of ‘Dounana’ is also expansive. Siba notes that the track is dedicated to all colonized people who have seen their cultures and societies suppressed, broadening its resonance to a global audience bound by a shared history of struggle.

Watch the full interview here: