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Arabic

Kuwaisiana – Gentrification: A Sonic Molotov Aimed at Cultural Erosion

https://soundcloud.com/kuwaisiana/gentrification-aug-mix/s-GGnNrQ0jOK2?in=kuwaisiana/sets/mishriff-ep//s-hQHummCrWZD

Seattle-based trio Kuwaisiana aren’t pulling any punches with their latest release, ‘Gentrification’. From the opening Arabic howl of angst, the band tears into the cold, clinical destruction of cultural roots with brutal fury. As the track shifts gears into English, it doesn’t lose an ounce of its venom. Instead, it hammers home the visceral reality of gentrification – not as a polite reshuffling, but a full-scale assault on heritage and identity.

The track’s aggressive blend of grunge, hardcore, and post-punk catapults Kuwaisiana to the frontlines of protest music. Forget the half-hearted rage of your typical punk track; this is pure, unadulterated chaos. With riffs that cut like jagged glass and rhythms that hit like a riot, ‘Gentrification’ feels like a sonic Molotov hurled at the forces that reduce communities to dust. The gnarled vocals alone could level cities, calling back to the uncompromising energy of Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys.

The lyrical narrative is equally ferocious, painting a vivid picture of the hollowed-out ruins left by gentrification. The reference to ‘Disneyland nose jobs’ alludes to how Kuwaisiana aren’t just on the money, they’re holding the monopoly in the punk scene.

The haunting opening image sets the tone for a journey through displacement, exclusivity, and transience. +Aziz’s Kuwaiti-American identity bleeds through every note, making the track a gut punch for anyone who’s watched their cultural landscape get obliterated by the greed of the powerful.

Gentrification will reclaim the airwaves when it officially releases on September 27; stream the single on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Jindi remixed fresh fire into his Afro Dancehall hit, HASSA, feat Kushman and MasterKraft

The award-winning world music artist, Jindi, has reached heights most could only dream of since making his debut; from international airplay to headlining major festivals, his sound could move mountains. For his latest drop, the Dubai-residing Afro-Dancehall artist infused Kushman’s Genge sound with his Afro-Sudanese style; to entrancingly hot effect. With MasterKraft in charge of production, the lusty earworm of a floor-filler was never going to fall flat.

The original version of HASSA left very little to be desired, but as the ancestral roots of Jindi and Kusman converge in the remix, galvanising cultural dynamism was always going to flood through the arrestive dancehall grooves.

“I originally wrote and performed HASSA; I wanted to spice it up with an East African touch; it’s my first venture into the Sudanese Arabic sound. Hassa translates into ‘right now’, which is the hook. It translates into my love for my girl and my compulsion to give her everything she wants.”

The HASSA Remix was officially released on February 10th. You can catch it on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Follow Jindi on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The East and West coalesces in Yazan AL Hajari’s achingly profound classical composition, Suite for Orchestra No.2

Yazan AL Hajari’s most recent composition, Suite for Orchestra No.2, is achingly beautiful from the first quiver of the cello bow from the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. Like all of his work, this classical piece pays homage to his Arabic heritage while embracing his passion for freedom, peace and creativity.

The Damascus, Syria-born, New York-based artist wrote his first song at the age of nine before studying classical music, classical Arabic music, jazz, world music and film scoring. If anyone can break the monocultural moulds that shield us from truly embracing the beauty in all corners of our globally intertwined world, it is Yazan AL Hajari.

It’s infinitely harder to feel numb towards the atrocities relayed on Sky News once you have experienced the east and west intricately weaved together in such nuanced fashion where borders aurally dissolve and timelines intersect.

With every crescendo scored to crawl beneath the rib cage and every minor note placed to share the weight of our sickness-riddled world, this classical reflection of humanity is one of the rare works that proves the beauty we are capable of.

You can watch and hear Yazan AL Hajari’s composition come to life for yourself via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast