Banging the drum for Palestine

Image of the crowd during 47Soul’s performance on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul on stage during their concert on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul on stage during their concert on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul on stage during their concert on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul on stage during their concert on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul’s guitarist Hamza Arnaout performing on stage on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul’s Tareq Abu Kwaik (L) and Walaa Sbeit (R) performing on stage on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Trance, techno, Arabic sha’abi beats, it’s what the best music is made of, isn’t it?

The crowd out to watch Cairo Liberation Front and 47Soul in Scala, Kings Cross London, definitely thought so, it’s what they had signed up for.

The Cairo Liberation Front were accompanied by High Wolf – the alias of a Frenchman known only as Max – who has made a name for himself because of his ability to mix repetitive hypnotic beats.

It seemed to be working as ravers danced and swayed to the heavy sound of the drums.

The band of two musicians and their special guest came together for a rare collaboration; the rumbling speakers and high energy tunes got everyone ready for headline act 47Soul.

The Palestinian band began their set fittingly with the hit “I don’t care where you’re from”. A day after the events in London, these words really hit home and the packed out crowd chanted the words along with the singers.

Their music, a blend of Arab fusion beats peppered with elements of hip-hop, rock and reggae, not only circle around their heritage and culture, but on the global struggle for peace and unity.

This is not about two sides coming together to overcome differences. This is about the whole world coming together to overcome apartheid.

Ramzy Suleiman, the group’s electronic artist known as “Z the People”, said.

Their loud beats, dabkeh and high energy performance only added to the depth of their lyrics “Jerusalem is a prison of philosophy and religion” and “every land is holy land… Freedom for all”.

They really did capture the soul of everyone who was listening.

The music was loud, Scala was literally banging, but it was a perfectly intimate evening of music.

And the biggest cheer of the night… that was reserved for Gaza!

Image of Cairo Liberation Front performing on 23 March 2017 [Shatha Khalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of Cairo Liberation Front performing on 23 March 2017 [Shatha Khalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of Cairo Liberation Front performing on 23 March 2017 [Shatha Khalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of Cairo Liberation Front performing on 23 March 2017 [Shatha Khalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul’s electronic artist known as ‘Z the People’ Ramzy Suleiman performing on stage on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]

Image of 47Soul’s Tareq Abu Kwaik performing on stage on 23 March 2017 [Sara Kalil/Middle East Monitor]