R E V O LT / R E P O R T
َحرا َقة َّ 7araga MODERN DAY NOMADS Written by Karmel [FOLLOW KARMEL] Twitter @KarmelPal paldiary.tumblr.com
A notion of “modern day” nomads/outlandish has been mutating among the youth of the Arab/Muslim world. It is a notion that leaves you wondering about your identity or how you would define yourself. Being from the east and the west of the Arab/ Muslim world, this matter of identifying oneself made me relate to a song recently released by The Narcicyst & Meryem Saci, called “7araga”. This song was like a projection of how I feel, think, and talk. Narcy, being originally from Iraq, and Meryem, being originally from Algeria, were like a representation of the west (North Africa) and the east (Middle East) of the Arab/Muslim world. The use of Arabic and English felt like how the youth are talking nowadays, foreign words here and there. This reflects how lost you might be if you are thinking with two languages. The lyrics were proudly identifying the artists with their origins. You can hear it in Meryem’s first line: “Who is she? /She is from the country of Sidi Abderrahman/an Algerian girl,” and even how they conclude their verses with “Assalamu 3alaykum, wa 3alaykum assalam.” To go back to the “modern day nomads” notion, this song can be seen straightforwardly from the perspective of the “Arab Youth Dream,” which is summed up in the idea of immigrating to the “West” for better life opportunities. In both countries of origin and of residence, these immigrants face the question “Are you one of them or one of us?” Even before immigration, the question of “How am I going to raise my children there?” rises. It is something that I have been increasingly noticing among my peers. This notion is reflected in the title as well, where
“7araga” are the people that immigrated to Europe (usually) illegally in what is called “boats of death” or by hiding in trucks and cars. It is a condescending term, so Meryem, who is Algerian-Canadian, is using it in her verse to express how her peeps back home see her. Therefore, the song reflects confusion, anger, and loss. However, it reflects also pride and decisiveness for taking their matters with their own hands, which are expressed through the medium of Hip Hop. You can notice it in the attitude felt in the flow of both artists. It is a type of classic, timeless 90’s Hip Hop flow, but in Arabic. It got these elements of Hip Hop battles: you identify yourself and where you are coming from, and then you go back to the facts to undermine how the other perceives you. They both go hard at it and prove that rapping and Arabic coincide perfectly. The beat is simple and conveys the aforementioned feelings with uncomplicated piano sound that repeats tirelessly. What grabbed my attention in the instrumental are actually the ‘woohs’ and ‘Ahs’ of a female vocal, I believe it is Meryem’s, and it was able to convey the mixture of feelings: loss on one hand, and hope on the other hand.