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The Cultural Frontline: Emel Mathlouthi and artists of the Arab Spring

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Emel Mathlouthi and artists of the Arab Spring

15/05/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline, Emel Mathlouthi and artists of the Arab Spring

Emel Mathlouthi shares how her song became an anthem for change during the Arab Spring

Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi on how her song became an anthem for change during the Arab Spring

Ten years on from the Arab Spring, the musician dubbed ‘the voice of the revolution’ has rediscovered her musical roots during lockdown. Emel Mathlouthi talks to Nawal Al-Maghafi about her new found perspective on her home country, the Tunisian Revolution and the song that spread hope.

When the protestors took to the streets of Cairo in 2011 political murals and graffiti soon followed, providing a visual commentary of the Egyptian Revolution. One of the most prominent street artists was Ganzeer, whose murals became emblematic of the protests. He tells us how a particular mural provided a political battleground for local residents. 

How has the Arab Spring been reflected through fiction? Yasmine El Rashidi is the Egyptian author of Chronicle of a Last Summer which follows a young girl who lives through the Mubarak regime and 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Mohammed Alnaas’ short story collection Blue Bloods explores the psychological impact of surviving the Libyan Civil War . They join Nawal to discuss processing historic change and trauma through fiction. 

Plus finding your voice when your country is in conflict - we speak to a Yemeni photographer about capturing the everyday stories of the people living in a divided nation.  


Presented by Nawal Al-Maghafi



(Photo: Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi. Credit: Tommy Lindholm/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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