Nana's Sunday Jams: Sanna Moussa - We’youneha

Published on 2020-06-14 00:00:00 by Nana Fani-Kayode

Yes, Yes Sunday Jammers, so my name is Nana and I am going to be your regular tour guide from this point in. Really looking forward to going out on the road with you. I am taking over this post at time when the world around us seems to be unearthing, its impossible not to be affected by it, and, for me, disrespectful not to acknowledge the outpouring of emotion of late. I have been moved to tears by the voices of resistance screaming out in furious unison; to say it’s been emotional does not even begin to explain it.So, I have been thinking about resistance and its manifestations. Music, in all its forms, has given voice to protest of all sorts, bringing the experiences and laments of those affected to others who might be inexperienced or unaware, and in many cases has galvanised millions. That is the thinking behind this track selection. It’s a beautiful, melodic and haunting offering from renowned Palestinian singer, Sanaa Moussa. A cross point between traditional and modern sounds.I have an algorithm to thank for this discovery and today I am very grateful. This piece made me put everything down, shut my window, sit still and just listen. I don’t speak Arabic, but I didn’t need to, the intonation in her voice, the delivery and the musical arrangement did what all great music should do; transport me to somewhere new. Then after I looked her up and the English translation; I fell doubly hard. Sanaa Moussa is a rarity in any sphere, she holds a Phd in Nueroscience and Microbiology, she is also an activist who uses music to resist. As a Palestinian and a woman, she sings in the traditional style of her culture to resist, as we know the most effective ways to erase the identity of the colonised is to outlaw their language, sever ties with cultural traditions and create a single story from the point of the oppressors.This spoke to me and reminded me that just existing is an act of resistance, then to sing a simple love song as a woman, in the traditional style of your people without anyone’s validation, is one of the most powerful statements a person can make. Music, again, music did this.