Bombs are falling in Libya. Demonstrators are dying in Syria. Egyptians are defining the new political landscape after their revolution as Yemenis are coming under state pressure. But all of these unfolding events have one common thread that has received little attention. Aside from the conflict, chaos and political restarts, this revolution has a creative side.
The Arabic revolutions have largely been a revolt by the young, who have made clear they are no longer willing to live in a climate of corruption, repression and hopelessness. And, like every youth revolution, this one has its own sound. Dozens of revolutionary songs have been composed in the three months since former Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled office in January under popular pressure.
Since the weight of the protests have been carried by the young, the protest songs are not the classic marches or ballads that were used when Arabic countries rose up against colonisers. Instead, today's protest songs are all hip-hop and Oriental pop.
Many of the songs aren't available in stores. To find them, one has to go to YouTube or other websites. "Hello pharmacist, are you open? The people are sick, but they don't know where their pain is coming from," jokes Egyptian singer Mahmoud el-Esseily, better known for sappy ballads.
But the images that accompany his song are anything but funny: alleys full of garbage, torture victims and shock troops beating demonstrators. His song, The Pharmacist, if one of the many revolutionary hits that have come out of Egypt since its revolution.
The militant Syrian rap song Bayan Rakam Wahid (Communique No 1) is all about social injustice. It includes lines like: "The Syrian people must not be insulted and we will not accept this situation any longer ... everyone is sleeping on soft down, but we don't have enough to live on." Libyan rappers are even more hardcore. They curse Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi, who remains in power in Tripoli despite coalition airstrikes against his forces, with no sign that he is willing to back down.
At the same time, their songs celebrate the bravery of the rebels, sometimes with Islamic undertones. "The Libyan folk is learning the Koran by heart," is one line from one of the many songs celebrating the February 17 revolution. The message from Yemeni singers, who back protesters calling for the removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh since the start of February, is particularly concise: "Go away Ali, go away!" Meanwhile, singers from the Gulf state of Bahrain have taken a more subtle approach, focusing on patriotism while calling for unity between Sunnis and Shiites.
"I am a person who loves his people," goes the song, to the rhythm of cheesy Oriental pop. It's clear from the accompanying video that the singer sympathises with the opposition Shiite group, given its images of crying mothers over coffins.