Giant Steps Towards Musical Resilience
Explore the inspiration helping us flourish in the age of adversity.
Friends,
I was reminded of a short Kuwaiti film called Wonderland (2011) by Dana Al Mojil after someone told me it reminded them of the Lost Empire video.
Googling her name I couldn’t find more of her work, but her film is a satiating Khaleeji response to Alice in Wonderland. Revisiting this clever 37 minute masterpiece, I was reminded of its profound symbolic import and political bite. I love how the script spotlights universal themes like fear of change and bureaucracy’s comical absurdity.
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I remember meeting the director at Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah for a public screening and its held up well to the test of time. She and others like Suleyman Al-Bassam remind me there’s a place for Kuwaiti voices on the global stage.
Back to Reality
June was a month of overcoming hurdles and enjoying good weather. We take time off when we need it because it gets super busy with the amount of workstreams this band has going. Here is some of what’s happening:
Completed a massive application process for a $25k grant. Our pitch focused on telling the story based on the life of Sakhr Computer’s Mohammed Al-Sharekh.
Developed a shot list for our photoshoot with Rachel Bennett.
Kicked off our livestreaming with OBS, which will help us broadcast to different platforms simultaneously directly from our camera.
What’s next? Finish up tracking all instrumentals for our upcoming EP (6 tracks).
As you might recall, our song Chub is the End Credits song for an indie Kuwaiti film called Akh (which means ‘brother’). We’ll release a music video soon as the film passes Kuwait’s censorship apparatus.
Expressing our political anger with Status Quo, a new song we’ll be playing at our next shows in Seattle (7/12 at Skylark Cafe) and Tacoma (7/20 - Mutual Aid for Palestine show and PorchFest). Two sets in one day!
And work is never over. The band capped off June with brisk trip to Portland over the weekend and made a stop in Olympia, WA.
Riders on the Storm.
Working together as a trio for 2 years, we’re finally at the stage to have our editorial output reflect contributors to the music. You’ll get to learn about Brian and Yousef through vignettes like the one below about Fela Kuti.
By Brian Riedel (bassist)
Did you know that a single song triggered the Nigerian government to storm and burn down Fela Kuti's home? This was just one episode in the life of the fearless musician who founded Afro-beat.
It's a pretty intense story. In 1970, after returning from a US tour, Fela declared his home an independent state, separating himself from the Military Junta, the military dictatorship running Nigeria. He called this place the Kalakuta Republic. It wasn't just a home; it was a vibrant commune where Fela housed his bandmates, recording studio, and even a free health clinic. For the next seven years, life in the Kalakuta Republic was full of music-making and living harmoniously with nature. The Kalkuta Republic stood as a symbol of resistance and freedom.
Fela managed to record and release a dozen albums during this period. Collaborating with legendary musicians such as Ginger Baker, drummer of Cream. Everything was well until 1977 with the release of Zombie, a track that took a hard swipe at the Military Dictatorship. This didn't sit well with the head-of-state general, leading to a brutal government raid that burned down the commune, fatally injured Fela’s mother, and destroyed all of Fela’s instruments and master tapes.
But here's what’s truly inspiring: Fela didn’t back down. He delivered his mother's coffin to the head of state's house, creating a shrine of resistance.
He continued to release songs that criticized the government, including one directly referencing the shrine, Coffin for Head of State. Despite his entire home being uprooted and his life threatened, he stood up for his community, showing incredible strength against an authoritarian regime trying to silence him.
His resilience reminds us to stand up for our beliefs, no matter the obstacles.
Clicks worth your energy
We curated nearly 3 hrs. of South Korean rock in a Spotify playlist.
Dr. Fahad Bishara’s presentation on oceanic captains, The Voyage of the Crooked: A Connected History of the Gulf and Indian Ocean.
An extended mood board defining our aesthetic for Fall/Winter 2024. This is what we’ve been sharing with photographers and videographers.
Our drummer loves math rock. It’s some really eccentric stuff. Watch music videos from Portraits, The Callous Daoboys, or Kaonashi to get an idea.
A playlist of mostly ambient tracks to fall asleep to.
Thank you for fueling our growth in your own way! Getting noticed is tough in a city that has a ton of amazing bands. Being in community with you (on or offline) empowers us to go further.