In conversation with a range of voices, we consider how the act of speaking up on behalf of Gaza specifically, and the Palestinians more generally, has intersected with popular music performance at zeitgeist events like Glastonbury and New York City Pride, and why that matters. By Brian J. Bowe and Liza Munk. Read the article in This Week in Palestine’s August 2024 issue.

47Soul plays an infectious style they call shamstep — a shout-out to Bilad al-Sham, the Arabic name for the Levant. The music combines dabke and dancehall beats, with percussionists Tareq Abu Kwaik and Walaa Sbeit providing propulsion. Arnaout plays slashing counterpoint to synth player Ramzy Suleiman's frenzied electro-mijwiz freakouts.

The group's bilingual Arabic-English lyrics place their strong political stance in the foreground. 47Soul's music deals with the aspirations of displaced people — Palestinians and others — as well as a broader message of freedom and human rights.

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