A chronicle of the Pan-Arab Ballad: From victory to downfall to resistance
Hear the Blood-Pumping Beats of "The Greater Homeland"
Remember any Arab growing up in the 60s or 70s and ask them about the most patriotic, spine-chilling song - it's likely they'll mention "Al-Watan Al-Akbar". This badass anthem, rocking Egyptian, Lebanese, and Algerian artists alike, screams pride and solidarity from its opening notes.
With a roaring symphonic arrangement, complete with thunderous drums and jingling cymbals, its brass and strings radiate confidence, creating a sense of grandeur and triumph. The hum of a choir in the background matches the zeitgeist - a skyrocketing Arab identity with aspirations to match.
Composed in 1960, during the brief union of Egypt and Syria as the United Arab Republic (UAR), the 11-minute track was a celebration of Arab unity and nationalism.
Lebanese singing sensation Sabah describes Arab unity as a "melody flowing between two oceans, between Marrakech and Bahrain, in Yemen, Damascus, and Jeddah, the same song of the most beautiful unity, the unity of all Arab people".
Egyptian artist Abdelhalim Hafez closes the song promising to liberate Palestine under the banner of the glorious Arab homeland. Palestine was at the heart of this cultural revival, with Arab musical productions fueling the fire for Palestine having audiences all over the region hooked.
However, as anyone familiar with the current Middle East will recognize, political climates shift, and the prominence of Palestinian cause in music faded.
The Crumbling Unity
In 1979, Egypt made peace with Israel following the October War against the Zionist state. This paved the way for Egypt to regain Sinai land lost in the 1967 defeat.
As Pan-Arabism waned in power, the Islamist revival swelled. Between Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League for normalizing relations with Israel and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991, the dream of Arab unity vanished. It wasn't until 1989 that Egypt was readmitted to the Arab League, two years after restoring diplomatic ties with other Arab states.
Simultaneously, the brutal first Palestinian intifada from 1987 to 1991 saw over a thousand Palestinians killed. These events silenced the music for a long time, partly due to growing American cultural hegemony in the region and partly because Egypt, the cultural epicenter of the Arab world, was shunned.
But the 80s, 90s, and 00s brought the rise of Lebanese composers Marcel Khalifeh and Charbel Rouhana, whose work echoed pan-Arab themes while resonating across borders.
The Rebirth of the Pan-Arab Anthem
During the 90s, the Palestinian situation once again became a rallying cry for Arab peoples and a theme reflected in cultural output.
In 1998, Egyptian producer Ahmed Al-Arian broke the silence with his score "The Arab Dream". Featuring 21 artists from Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Kuwait, the UAE, Lebanon, Sudan, and Jordan, the piece gained prominence with the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000.
The stark contrast between "The Greater Homeland" and "The Arab Dream" is apparent. Where "The Greater Homeland" released in jubilant spirits, "The Arab Dream" has a more somber tone, tentatively dreaming of overcoming the "dark night" a new generation of Arabs had found themselves in.
"The Arab Dream" implores listeners to shake off their apathy and makes a subtle but pointed message to Arab leaders, reprimanding them for their hesitation in confronting the Palestinian issue.
A decade later, in 2008, Al-Arian returned with a sequel titled "The Arab Conscience". With 33 artists representing the majority of Arab countries, it tackled the horrors of the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the ongoing brutality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the spreading Islamophobia in western societies.
"The Arab Conscience" served as an early bellwether of the coming "Arab Spring". With the Arab uprising beginning in late 2010, cultural production became more independent of the state, and the tide shifted in support of Palestine.
Pan-Arab Anthems Today
The Arab Spring marked a divorce between Arab governments and their populations reflected in independent cultural production that refused to bow to the state.
A major turning point was the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, normalizing relations between Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and Sudan with Israel. This effectively ended official support for pro-Palestinian productions in those countries.
However, the collective Arab consciousness has found a way through, fueled by Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, for which Israel faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
Produced and performed by independent artists, the hit song "We Shall Return" reflects a shift in musical taste among younger generations while echoing longstanding pan-Arab sentiments. Since its release in November 2023, "We Shall Return" has been watched over 5.8 million times on YouTube alone.
Filmed in Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, the song features 25 young artists from across the Middle East and North Africa, highlighting the gaping rift between Arab governments and their citizens.
Described as an "anthem that transcends boundaries, embodying resilience and resistance," the lyrics condemn the unfolding genocide in Gaza with indignation, anger, and defiance.
"Where are the Arab rulers? Where are the leaders? My brothers and sisters in Gaza are subject to extermination Only two words: Either "martyrdom" or "victory" It's time to rise up How can we declare peace, When Belfour's declaration stands? Still, my heart is Palestinian in life, in death."
The eight-minute track samples a range of musical genres like pop, Egyptian folk, and rap, coming across as a call to arms, promising a triumphant return to the Holy Land while confronting western hegemony, the hypocrisy of world leaders, and Arab capitulation.
"This is part of the legacy of Pan-Arab music supporting Palestine and can be traced back to iconic productions like "The Greater Homeland" and "The Arab Conscience," said Middle East scholar Sherifa Zuhur, [singing]"We feel and remember this as our personal cause for all of us." Producer Nasir Al-Bashir added, "The younger generation's engagement with this song proves that our elders have not forgotten, and neither have their children."
- The 11-minute track "Al-Watan Al-Akbar" is reminiscent of a powerful news story, stirring Arab pride and solidarity.
- In interviews, Lebanese singing sensation Sabah described Arab unity as a "news" that flows through the Middle East, connecting cities from Marrakech to Bahrain.
- The song "Al-Watan Al-Akbar" was composed during a time of unity in the Middle East, specifically the United Arab Republic (UAR), a brief union between Egypt and Syria.
- Arab musical productions, like "The Arab Dream" and "The Arab Conscience", often delve into political issues, including the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
- The song "We Shall Return", released in 2023, is a modern-day pan-Arab anthem in the style of entertainment and lifestyle, addressing the ongoing conflict in Palestine and criticizing both Israeli war actions and Arab leaders.
- Middle East scholar Sherifa Zuhur mentioned the legacy of pan-Arab music supporting Palestine, tracing it back to iconic productions like "The Greater Homeland" and "The Arab Conscience."
- Part of the media coverage of the Gaza crisis features the hit song "We Shall Return", a testament to the younger generation's ongoing engagement with the Palestinian cause.
- The song "We Shall Return" serves as a call to arms and confronts western hegemony, the hypocrisy of world leaders, and Arab capitulation, all documented in the annals of politics and general-news.
