In the documentary “I Love Hip-Hop
in Morocco” a filmmaker follows the lives of figures in the Moroccan hip-hop
community that greatly stand out. These
artists defy their strict religious codes by dressing in common western-esque
hip-hop clothing, rapping in English and singing of their struggles and the
oppression that exists in their country.
Initially, I was struck by the
story of Fatima, a teenage girl that reaches for her dream of becoming a rapper
in a male dominated society. For Fatima,
rap allows her to express her emotions and beliefs in an environment in which
women do not normally have a strong voice.
What was most surprising, other than this young woman’s aspirations, was
the immense support she received from her family. Her parents entrusted her with her own
decision-making and allowed her to strive for her goals. As people from a western culture, we mostly
identify Muslim families as extremely constricting of their children,
especially of young girls. It was fascinating to
see that her parents acted similarly to how American parents may act in such a
situation-as long as she kept her grades up in school, she could pursue her
dreams. This common link illustrates that maybe Americans are not so different from
middle easterners in basic social aspects.
When Fatima first performed at the festival, the predominantly male
audience booed her as she walked on to the stage. However, once she finished and demonstrated
her true talent, the audience was much more appreciative and respectful towards
the female rapper. This complete
reversal indicates that a middle-eastern community is not completely set
in its deeply religious beliefs, as they allowed themselves to be tolerant of a
woman performing in a man’s setting.
Additionally, the group H-Kayne
broke social barriers in Moroccan culture.
As one of the pioneer groups of its kind, H-Kayne was signed by a record
label and pushed heavily for the festival to take place. The members of the group claim that hip-hop
offers them a release from the hardships they endure on a daily basis living in
an underprivileged area of the world.
Furthermore, due to the lack of freedom of speech, H-Kayne creatively
relays their opinions through symbolic language. This form of expressing one’s views illustrates
how important pop culture is to the youth of society. Without a creative outlet such as hip-hop, it
would be difficult for groups of young people to criticize, or simply comment on
society.
Moroccan leaders greatly disagreed
with the uprising of the hip-hop scene in the country. They view any integration of western culture
with their strict Muslim culture to be lethal.
Muslim representatives believed that allowing people to practice western
art forms would ultimately lead to the disintegration of Islamic cultural
foundations and, consequently, towards an undesirable path of assimilation with its western
counterpart. Due to the views of the
government and religious officials, many of the artists presented in the film
struggled with the dichotomy of their passion for hip-hop and obeying the rule of their
government. DJ Key, for example,
expressed his inner battle on the contrasting ideals. Despite his love of hip-hop and music-making,
he felt guilty for deliberately going against the orthodox practices of his
religious community. Striking a balance
between maintaining his core religious beliefs and love for hip-hop was
extremely problematic for the talented young man. Islam pressures its followers to strictly
follow traditional laws, but in a global society that includes interaction among
cultures, different groups are bound to adopt practices found in other areas of
the world. The example of a
western art form arising in Morocco exemplifies just that notion.
The fact that the American Embassy
sponsored the festival “I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco” was met with completely
opposing responses. On one hand, the
Islamic people most generally viewed the financial and promotional aid of the
Embassy to be representative of the United States’ attempt to bridge the gap
between western and middle-eastern cultures.
American foreign policy in the Middle East has always been precarious;
yet aiding an event such as this sets stage for a new type of relationship and
the development of commonality between the two cultures. Conversely, the absolute government of
Morocco would react in a completely different manner. Because the government fears American
influence on its society, it most certainly would not appreciate the US
promoting one of its types of music.
Additionally, the perspective of an American must also be
considered. While the specific actions
of the American Embassy in various countries is not always explicitly detailed
to the American public, it is not hard to imagine the reaction to this strategy
in foreign policy. Most American
citizens, in their ignorance, would disparage the Embassy for using taxpayers’
money to sponsor a music festival in a middle-eastern country. Because of the deeply impressed stereotypes
placed on Muslims, Americans would most likely believe that the Embassy could
utilize its money by means of a more constructive method. However, upon viewing the documentary and the
attitudes towards America during the festival, it appears that the Embassy
chose wisely to help in sponsoring the event.
Being able to express oneself through freedom of speech is not a right
of the people in Morocco. Subsequently,
those that attended and performed at the festival quickly adopted the notion
that they should have the right to free speech.
Fusing common ideals of seemingly oppositional cultures in a productive
way is extremely beneficial for not only Americans, but also for Moroccans that wish to
change the tide of their oppression.
In conclusion, the documentary “I
Love Hip-Hop in Morocco” illustrates a society’s desire to break free from
tyrannical rule while also maintaining core aspects of its culture. In order to balance both tradition and
innovative concepts, the youth culture adopted hip-hop as a way of combining the two.
Some pioneering artists were able to do this seamlessly, by creating a
form of hip-hop that allowed them to use traditional Moroccan music while introducing specific western aspects. This method
is not only applicable to an art form; it can also be applied to the lifestyle
of a society at large. By using music as
a way to unite aspects of the east and west, Moroccans may ultimately allow for
that synthesis to absorb into their everyday social environment.
No comments:
Post a Comment