02.02.2012
World Hip Hop Market on TiC
Last November, 12 of the region’s best-known Arab rappers were set to perform together at a public youth center in the swanky central Cairo district of Zamalek. Organizers billed Voice of the Streets as a concert to remind people about “the continued struggle for freedom of expression in the wake of the Arab uprisings.” Indeed, it was an Arab hip-hop event without precedent …
World Hip Hop Market special on The Voice of the Streets
07.12.2011
International Press Service on The Voice of the Streets
Arab Spring set to Music
“The ability of artists to lyrically articulate the growing rage amongst disgruntled youth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has seen the emergence of politicised rap as a hidden weapon during the region’s Arab Spring.”
Simba Russeau from IPS on the Voice of the Streets
28.11.2011
Op-ed in the Leading Danish Daily Politiken
Op-ed: ‘This is the sound of the Arab Spring’ by Martin Fernando Jakobsen
08.11.2011
The Voice of the Streets concert succeeds despite military crackdown
The biggest ever line up of Arabic rappers and the spirit and resilience of the Cairo youth made Friday November 4th a night to remember despite censorship and harassment from the Egyptian military regime.
The Voice of the Streets brought together political dissidents rappers from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan on Egyptian soil in order to remind the world that the struggle for freedom of artistic expression and speech in the Middle East has just begun. In setting up the event the organizers from Turntables in the Camps and Immortal Entertainment has been constantly reminded of the need for change in Egypt due to the persistence of corruption within the regime and the tight military control of all public events, but it was not until the very hour of the concert that the extent of regime ruthlessness and censorship reared its ugly head.
At the scheduled hour of the start of the event the Interior Minister ordered the Gezirah Youth Club in Cairo who had lend its facilities to the organizers to shut the gates and cancel the concert. The reason was that thousands of people had gathered as a reaction to the 7 day promotion were the involved rappers made use of guerrilla free style rap happenings in the streets of Cairo to spread the word of the free show. When the news of the huge gathering and the fact that a large group of wounded people from the revolution was invited reached the military they closed the venue and threatened to send in troops.
As a swift reaction to the events on the ground the organizers and rappers immediately left the venue and spread the word to the crowd that the concert would take place in a different spot no matter the cost. A local entrepreneur provided a sound system and a roof as stage and more than 500 people rushed across Cairo to make sure that The Voice of the Street could not be silenced.
In the end the concert took place and hopefully the events of November 4th will be a reminder to us all that Freedom of speech and artistic expression can never be taken for granted in a region that has never experienced such freedoms in human history. Turntables in the Camps and Immortal Entertainment would like to express our admiration and gratitude to all the remarkable people that helped make the biggest ever Arab Hip Hop event a irreversible fact and we remain dedicated to fight for the Voice of the Street to be heard in the Middle East. we would also like to thank the Danish Center for Culture and Development for funding this en devour.
28.10.2011
The Voice of The Streets
01.10.2011
TiC and Immortal Entertainment behind huge non-profit concert in Cairo
“The Voice of the Streets” takes place in the Gezira Youth Center in Cairo on November 4 and brings together key dissident rappers from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Palestine for the first time. The purpose of this non-profit event is to show the importance of the voice of the street, and remind everyone that the struggle for freedom and peace in the countries mentioned above is far from over. The event is presented by the NGO Turntables in the Camps, the regional Immortal Entertainment and sponsored by the Danish center for Culture and Development (DCCD).
The line-up is:
El General ( Tunisia ) – Was demonstrating from day one and made the first anti-regime rap, that helped to launch both the Tunisian revolution and later the Arab Spring.
MC Swat ( Libya) – Made the first anti-Gadaffi rap and had to flee the security forces to save his life.
Boikutt/Ramallah Underground ( Palestine) – Front man in the legendary Ramallah Underground crew, that is equivalent to the Wu-Tang Clan in the Middle East.
FeesDeeb (Egypt ) – A main figure on Tahrir square, this investment banker turned rapper, was on the square demonstrating and performing every day until the Mubarak regime fell in Egypt.
Amin (Egypt) – Philosophical rapper focusing on how to turn the energy of the young Arab revolution into a better tomorrow
Arabian Knightz (Egypt) – This massive 15 man crew created one of the anthems to the Egyptian revolution and are still very active in the struggle for freedom.
Malikah ( Lebanon) – Female Rapper who is fighting for women’s place in Arab hip hop. She has been performing all over the Middle East
Edd ( Lebanon/Palestine ) – Palestinian rapper representing the huge refugee diaspora in Lebanon and Jordan.
The concert is free and will take place from 5pm to 9pm.
For press related questions please contact mfj@turntablesinthecamps.org
01.09.2011
TiC in new collaboration with Immortal Entertainment Jordan
Turntables in the Camps are proud to announce our new partnership with Immortal Entertainment in Jordan.
The CEO of Immortal Entertainment has made a generous donation to the dj school in Jabal Al Hussein, and TiC and Immortal are exited about the prospects of our future collaboration that will focus on bringing pupils from the local refugee camps to Immortal concerts and set up smaller events where the pupils can perform.
12.06.2011
Spring workshops a massive success
The Turntables in the Camps April 2011 workshops in Lebanon and Jordan was a massive success and TiC would like to thank all the instructors and participants for their great work.
In Lebanon the TiC instructors joined the Al Jana Spring Festival that took our workshops on the road to Sour, Saida and Tripoli. Everywhere we were met by an enthusiastic crowd of young Palestinians with genuine interest in dj’ing and creative expression and we hope to be able to participate in upcoming Al Jana events Through out Lebanon.
In Jordan the TiC instructors collaborated with MC Samm and DJ Damar to set up three days of rapping and dj’ing in the Jabal Al Hussein Women’s Center in Amman. Once again the youth showed extraordinary skills and commitment producing a final show with raps concerning their daily struggle and showing off of the obtained dj skills.
11.06.2011
Syria Lab postponed
After consultations with our Syrian partners Turntables in the Camps has decided to postpone the plannend opening of the Damascus DJ Lab due to the tragic events in Syria. TiC remains committed to proceed with establishing a Syrian presence when freedom and peace is restored in Syria.
12.04.2011
New Dj Lab for Palenstinian and Iraqi refugees in Syria
Turntables in the Camps is proud to announce that we are setting up a new Dj lab for Palestinian and Iraqi refugee youth in the Yarmouk Camp in Syria. The Lab will be based at the Palestinian Youth Center Jafra on Yarmouk Street in Damascus. The inauguration will take place in connection with two days of workshops in late April.