For months, Residente has been drawing his fans' attention to the deadly outcome of the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday, the Puerto Rican rapper continued his mission by releasing a powerful video for “Entre Los Escombros,” or “Under the Rubble,” his song with Palestinian singer Amal Mourkous about the killings in Gaza.
“I wrote this song out of pain, amidst the shelling of Gaza. I see my son in each of the massacred children,” Residente he wrote on Instagram Thursday. “Through music, I try to manage the helplessness that I feel like I can't do more than that. The truth is, I don't understand the silence of many fellow artists, it makes me lose hope in humanity.”
The video, shot in New York, sees Residente, wearing a keffiyeh, strumming over instruments like the oud. “O Gaza, do not despair, my people. Your voice is loud. Don't cry, my country. Your tears are precious,” Murkus sings in Arabic for her verse, as the video zooms in on the Palestinian children inside the studio.
“The invader is a pig, understand, 'cause he'll shoot even if I raise my hands,” Residente raps in Spanish, later adding, “Under the debris are the cheers of the one who shoots from afar, who hit the red. button and I didn't care if he looked me in the eye.'
In his post, Residente thanked Murkus, who he said fled Palestine amid Israeli attacks. “She has an impressive voice and I worked with her while she was in Palestine … and I also worked with a group of Palestinian artists in New York and musicians in Gaza,” Residente said. Rolling rock in February when his album was released Las Letras Ya No Importan. “While they were bombing Gaza, they were recording and sending the music, which is crazy, and it became part of the album.”
Residente has voiced his support for Palestine and criticized other artists who have not used their platform to support Gaza amid Israel's onslaught. According to the United Nations, more than 34,500 Palestinians have been killed since Israel targeted the Gaza Strip following the October 7 Hamas attack. Over the weekend, Israel bombed Rafah, which had been presented as a safe zone for those fleeing. The Israeli government described the massacre as a “tragic accident”. Another 37 people were killed during an attack in the area on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
“It's important to me, and I see it as part of an artist's job to reflect what affects them and not be indifferent to what's happening,” Residente said. Rolling rock. “We cannot be indifferent to these atrocities happening in the world. What's happening in Gaza is horrible and so many people don't understand, especially in the U.S. It's crazy the way we see the genocide of thousands of children, mothers and fathers. I don't know how you can justify it.”
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/residente-entre-los-escombros-gaza-amal-murkus-1235030219/