The quintessential Palestinian pioneer rap group, DAM (Da Arab MCs) electrified us on Saturday, the fourth night of POP Montreal.
Rapping mainly in Arabic, but also in English and Hebrew, Tamer Nafar, Mahmoud Jreri and Maysa Daw admitted to being affected by jet lag at the start of the show. That said, they had no shortage of energy on stage.
With one banger after another, the hip-hop group fired up an audience nearly two-thirds of whom were Arabic-speaking, many wearing keffiyehs as a symbol of resistance for the Palestinian cause. For one of their hits, “Emta Njawzak Yamma,” Maysa made surprising use of the microphone, creating a particularly amusing sound effect. Special mention goes to Maysa, who taught us how to shout the Arabic cry of celebration and took a moment to recite some of the lyrics translated into English, so that newcomers could understand their meaning.
I had tears in my eyes a few times, my mind naturally wandering to Gaza and all the suffering and injustice endured there. I was also touched by this cultural sharing that defies all barriers, even in a room adjacent to a Maxi kosher grocery store located on the edge of Outremont. This coexistence that endures beyond conflicts touches me deeply.
It was a show that was both moving and meaningful, but not without lightness and joy. It just goes to show that one does not preclude the other and that resilience will always prevail.
