‘Break the silence’: In Tunisia, rappers keep revolution alive
“Break the silence, stop the violence,” DJ Costa says as he bops his head left and right to the beat, sweat beading on his brow. “Break the silence, stop the violence,” he leans into the microphone and utters: “Police.”
But this is not an American studio.
A decade after serving as the soundtrack to Tunisia’s revolution, rappers today are expressing Tunisians’ hopes and anxieties as they continue to rebuild their society.
Freed from a dictator, Tunisia’s rappers have moved on from toppling oppressors to exploring how music can be used to empower the marginalized in the young democracy. Their new focus has an all-too familiar refrain: poverty, inequality, police brutality, and racism.
“We still do not have decent schools or proper hospitals; some regions do not even have access to drinkable water,” says
Lessons from AmericaConnected to realityRevolutionary historyRapping forward
