The music of Libya’s uprising

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Jasmine Ikanovic (guitar) and Hussein Kablan (vocals) (Photo: Ben Gilbert)

Dozens of songs have emerged as themes to Libya’s revolution. There are traditional Arabic songs, hip hop songs and rock songs about the new found freedom in Libya’s east. One particular tune, a rock ballad, was written by three young men just after Benghazi was freed from Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s iron-fisted rule. Now, the song has become an English language hit of the revolution, and serves as a memorial to one of the musicians who made it.

Back in 1992 Jasmine Icanovic moved to Libya to escape the violence in his home country of Yugoslavia. He was a 19 year old Bosnian Muslim and rock music aficionado. His sister had married a Libyan army officer, so he went to live with her. Icanovic, who goes by the name Dadoo, got to Libya with few possessions beyond his Polish made guitar and a love of Dire Straits. He immediately began to make friends in the Benghazi music scene.

“I was foreigner at this time, and everybody they like me, and my music, I learned very fast Libyan Arabic. And I’m happy I’m because I’m here,” Dadoo said.

Dadoo’s house quickly became the epicenter of the rock music scene in Benghazi. After eight years in the country, he met 18 year old Rami Kaleh, a budding guitarist.

The language of music

“From first time we know each other, you know music it’s like a connection, like a language,” Dadoo said. “I loved Rami from the first day, the person and personality. And with music, he’s coming more and more, even his was in my opinion, one of my family.”

Before the revolution in eastern Libya, the two would jam until late at night. Their songs weren’t political. But everything changed when an uprising against Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s iron fisted rule began on February 15 Gaddafi’s troops began firing on unarmed protestors.

“At moment when started to kill guys on streets, with no weapons, all Benghazi people said ‘something is wrong, not good.’ So I said to Rami, ‘what can we do? And he said ‘let’s make the song.’ And that’s it,” Dadoo said.

Letting the world know

They started writing the song, called “We Will Never Surrender,” on March 4 and finished it in four days. Their friend, Hussein Kablan, sang the vocals. Kablan said they decided to sing in English to let the world know what was happening.

“We need the people outside know what’s going on inside. Sometimes the people listen to music and they’re feeling change,” Kablan said. “They took the words from Omar Muktar, we will not surrender, we win or we die. And the words are talking about how we told Gaddafi that the people you burned and buried underground, that they will come out and bring you down.”

Omar Muktar was the famous Libyan resistance fighter who fought against the Italians in the 1930s. As the trio put the final touches on the song, tragedy struck. On March 8, Rami Kaleh went to pick up his brother from a friend’s house in Benghazi when a firefight erupted nearby. A bullet passed through the rear of Rami’s car, and struck him in the heart. He died almost instantly. Dadoo was at home, waiting for Rami to come and re-record the song’s guitar solo.

Then, Dadoo got a call that his friend had been in an accident.

“I get my jacket and go to hospital. We came to the hospital, and two guys came and said ‘sorry for your friend,’ and at this time my legs was cutted,” Dadoo said. “And a very bad moment. Rami was the best person, everybody like him. This moment when Rami died, really something broken in me.”

Now, Dadoo and Kablan see the song as a memorial to Libyans’ dedication to the revolution, and to their friend. A video they made features Rami recording the song. And they haven’t stopped making music for Free Libya. With the Libyan rebels caught in a stalemate with Gaddafi’s forces, the revolutionary fervor has given way to a certain resignation that the battle against Gaddafi may last a long time.

Still, Dadoo and Kablan are hopeful. It’s reflected in Dadoo’s young daughter singing in the last few bars of the song they made with their friend, Rami.

Music extras
“Smile a Smile” by Revolution Beat

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“Martyrs of Benghazi” by NAZ

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