How Rajieen, an Arab song, is becoming an anthem of hope for Palestinians
Sometimes, when sentences and words cannot express what you are feeling, it is the words organised in a symphony, ie, music, that come in handy to explain the pain, grief, love, and happiness.
We have seen music and slogans take center stage for numerous protests, such as Iran's "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" (Woman, Life, Freedom) or America's "We Shall Overcome," and it looks like we are witnessing the emergence of a similar song for Palestinians.
What
The Israel-Hamas war has entered its 29th day today, with no sign of slowing down as Israel continues the ground invasion and bombing of the Gaza Strip.
By now, 9,061 Palestinians have died in the war, which started when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of around 1,400 Israelis and the holding of some hostages.
The war has brought many things, but today we will discuss how music plays an important role here.
Rajieen: The song
"Rajieen" is a musical composition that means "Returning." It is a collaboration of nearly eight minutes that unfolds.
This exceptional track showcases the talents of 25 Arab artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, who weave their voices and lyrical expressions into a tapestry of sound.
Some of the very famous voices in the video are Jordanian producer Nasir Al Bashir, who sets the dramatic musical backdrop, Egyptian musicians Marwan Moussa and Amr Shomali, and others.
Among the featured artists, the song includes prominent hip-hop figures from the Arab world. Notably, Afroto and Marwan Pablo, Issam Alnajjar from Jordan, the Syrian singer-songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker, and the Tunisian singer Balti contribute their unique voices to the composition.
The music video, which was released on YouTube, was 8 minutes long, and to complement this, an accompanying video was filmed at the Olive Wood Studios in Jordan.
This visual masterpiece juxtaposes scenes of the current devastation in Gaza with historical footage of Palestine, offering a powerful narrative through the medium of music.
Additionally, all the funds raised from this track will be given to Palestine.
Listen to it here:
The profound meaning
The eight-minute-long song talks about the struggles of Palestine and asks the Arab world to unite for Palestinians.
The first four lines translate to, "Have we forgotten that I'm in my land, and this is my country, and in my country, I'm imprisoned? In my country, I'm imprisoned."
Other equally powerful lines include, "What crime did the murdered child commit, who dreamt of only a modest future, and what of the child who survived, only to lose their family?"
We are calling upon you Arab leaders, our families in Gaza today are subject to extermination, we’re given two choices: either death or victory, a Palestinian - condemned to death since birth!
But be patient, those against us will not prevail
Where are the Arab nations? It’s time to rise up
How can we declare peace, When Belfour’s declaration stands?
Still my heart is Palestinian, in life, in death
Rajieen aims to raise awareness of the Palestinian struggle to a new generation, with translated English lyrics available on streaming platforms.
The viral sensation
The song was released just two days ago and has become a voice for many people on social media, showcasing their support for Palestine. The song has more than 1000 reels on Instagram and has garnered more than 200K views in just two days.
And if you're wondering why we are talking about a song, let's remember that every artist has their own role when it comes to showing support on any side of a war, and this is theirs.