This is far from exhaustive, or even completely representative - but here’s a playlist of passionate, innovative and rhythmic Arabic music from all over. It includes music from Iran, Lebanon, Sengal, Italy (!), France, Turkey and more! Most are from the past 10 years. Tucked in amongst the love songs and dance songs are a few recent Iranian/Persian protest songs that have become viral during the recent women’s protests. The song Bella Ciao, performed by the Bolouri sisters is a beautiful and perennial protest anthem. Mostly associated with the anti fascist resistance in Italy, it has been used in India by the occupy movement, and now in Iran by the women’s movement there. It was composed for the resistance during World War II (taken from a thread under a Goran B video). It talks about a partisan that is going to defend his country from the invaders, so he asks the woman he loves "If I die as a partisan, bury me in the mountain under the shadow of a flower". So, he says, everyone that will see the flower will say "What a beautiful flower"; the flower of the partisan who died for freedom. Here are the lyrics to another one of those songs- Baraye (there are both Farsi and English versions of this in the playlist) "Baraye" By Shervin Hajipour ["Baraye" means "For" or "Because of" in Persian] For dancing in the alleys For the fear when kissing For my sister, your sister, our sisters For changing rusted minds For the shame of poverty For the regret of living an ordinary life For the dumpster-diving children and their wishes For this dictatorial economy For this polluted air For Valiasr and its worn-out trees For Pirooz and the possibility of his extinction For the innocent banned stray dogs For the unstoppable tears For the scene of repeating this moment For the smiling faces For students and their future For this forced heaven For the imprisoned elite students For the Afghan kids For all these “for”s that are beyond repetition For all of these meaningless slogans For the collapse of fake buildings For the feeling of peace For the sun after these long nights For anxiety and sleeping pills For men, homeland, prosperity For the girl who wished to be a boy For women, life, freedom For freedom For freedom For freedom (translated lyrics via Genius) Hope you enjoy this playlist - I listened to it last night while going over the Brooklyn bridge and it’s now one of my favorites! -David Byrne | 
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