Location: Jaffa, Israel
“What's so terrific about the "conglomerate" of System Ali's rappers is that each has a separate, distinct identity. The rapper with the accordion looks and sounds like a Russian revolutionary, while the second Russian-speaking rapper, dressed in a jogging suit, resembles an assistant trainer in a Golden Gloves boxing club in Jaffa's Gimel neighborhood - and is responsible for injecting humor into the group's performances.” --Haaretz
Rap and hip hop are big in the Middle East. They are especially important in Palestine. Rap lends itself to teaching our students about another culture. It usually involves the “other,” social protests, and issues important to young people everywhere. It also reflects the particular concerns of a country and its identities. System Ali from Ajami, an immigrant neighborhood south of Tel Aviv, is just such a group and more. System Ali raps in four languages, is connected with the social protest movements of Israel and Palestine, has Israeli, Jewish, and Arab members, themes, and audiences, and is connected to the community through creative and extensive outreach programs in four centers. Four of the band members met in 2006 and began the band in a bomb shelter. The group has grown to ten members with two Arabs, two Russians, two Jewish Israelis, and a woman.
I was lucky to catch System Ali on Masada Street in Haifa, a city that is half Arab and half Jewish, during a street festival in March. Later, I met with and interviewed Yonatan Kunda in a Jaffa coffee shop. Yonatan and I are hoping to connect our students in a multilingual rap project. This is the kind of outreach and opportunity to which System Ali is open.
Please watch the short video I took at the Masada Festival:
YouTube Video System Ali
As well these recent videos of System Ali performing:
YouTube Video System Ali
YouTube Video System Ali