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Palestinian hip-hop collective DAM: ‘Music can’t stop a war machine’
Despite censorship and boycotts, the veteran rap group have never shied away from the political. But the situation in Gaza has made them question whether there’s really any power in art
It’s just after 10.30pm on a Friday night when, fresh from their packed-out sundowner set, Tamer Nafar, Mahmoud Jreri and Maysa Daw – AKA the Palestinian hip-hop collective DAM – squeeze into a cramped backstage cabin at Womad, the global music festival in Wiltshire. Then on the day of [our] show, the police made excuses about security, saying they needed to increase the number of armed officers present but couldn’t arrange it in time.” They were forced to cancel. It’s impossible to know when someone will flip, or if you’ll be reported.” Since 7 October, Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has increased, an escalation of the decades-long, state-sanctioned campaign to annex land and displace Palestinian residents.
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