1 00:00:00,186 --> 00:00:06,918 Al Jazeera Anchor: [Speaking in formal, literary Arabic] ...Tunisians and because of the quality of the singing that he presented that talked about the deposed president personally. 2 00:00:07,364 --> 00:00:11,810 So he was arrested during the society-wide protests a few weeks ago. 3 00:00:12,841 --> 00:00:14,420 El Général: Mr. President! 4 00:00:14,420 --> 00:00:18,210 Here, today, I speak in my name and the name of the people and everyone who lives in misery. 5 00:00:18,210 --> 00:00:21,123 2011: this man is still dying of hunger. 6 00:00:21,123 --> 00:00:23,600 He wants to work to survive, but his voice is not heard! 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,308 Go out into the street and see how the people have become animals. 8 00:00:26,308 --> 00:00:29,098 Look at the police with batons. Thwack-thwack-thwack! They don't care! 9 00:00:29,098 --> 00:00:31,775 There is still no one to tell them the word "stop." 10 00:00:31,775 --> 00:00:34,674 Even the law that's in the constitution, put it in water and drink it. 11 00:00:34,674 --> 00:00:37,810 Every day I hear of a man's case decided by the sword, 12 00:00:37,810 --> 00:00:41,133 even if the official knows that he is an honest citizen. I see 13 00:00:41,133 --> 00:00:43,267 the police beat women for wearing headscarves. 14 00:00:43,267 --> 00:00:46,471 Would you accept that for your daughter? I know my words make the eye weep - I know! 15 00:00:46,471 --> 00:00:49,413 But you're still a father. You would not accept evil being done to your children. Alors! 16 00:00:49,413 --> 00:00:51,692 This is a message from one of your children 17 00:00:51,692 --> 00:00:54,265 who is speaking with you of suffering. We are living like dogs! 18 00:00:54,265 --> 00:00:57,067 Half of the people live in humiliation and have tasted from the cup of suffering. 19 00:00:57,067 --> 00:01:01,221 Mr. President, your people are dying. So many people are eating from the garbage. There, you see... 20 00:01:02,190 --> 00:01:05,952 AJ: And joining us today in [Al Jazeera's Tunis] studio is the rap singer Hamada ben Amor. 21 00:01:06,029 --> 00:01:10,129 I mean, as he is known, "El Général," as I wish to greet him from the beginning. 22 00:01:10,129 --> 00:01:10,923 G: May peace be upon you. 23 00:01:10,923 --> 00:01:18,045 AJ: Hamada, this genre of music, how can it influence people and reach them? 24 00:01:18,998 --> 00:01:24,730 G: [Speaking in very colloquial Tunisian Arabic] In all honesty, right now, because of rap, the people in Tunisia came together. You understand? 25 00:01:24,730 --> 00:01:27,132 It speaks in the name of the people and it in the name of the "why?," the Tunisian people, 26 00:01:27,132 --> 00:01:29,533 and the problems that are happening in the country. You know what I mean? 27 00:01:29,533 --> 00:01:34,456 And this, I mean, I'm still a Tunisian rapper, you know? I spoke in the name of the entire [Tunisian] people in the song. 28 00:01:34,456 --> 00:01:39,265 And it reached the president of the country and, in this way, I was arrested. 29 00:01:39,265 --> 00:01:42,325 AJ: Was it your first directly political song? 30 00:01:42,325 --> 00:01:45,946 G: No, no, no. I sing about politics but this, for the public, is the most famous song. 31 00:01:45,946 --> 00:01:48,772 AJ: The most famous song. When they arrested you, what did they do to you? 32 00:01:49,141 --> 00:01:56,333 G: In all honesty, they took me to the Interior Ministry. I was questioned for three days. You know? Interrogated. 33 00:01:56,595 --> 00:02:00,554 They liked to say, "Who's the leader? Who's writing this?" Know what I mean? 34 00:02:00,554 --> 00:02:03,070 AJ: You mean, "Who was it who wrote these words?" 35 00:02:03,070 --> 00:02:05,236 G: I mean, [state security] knew that I worked alone. 36 00:02:05,252 --> 00:02:08,463 AJ: Were violent methods used on you in the investigation? 37 00:02:08,463 --> 00:02:11,646 G: No, no, God be praised! AJ: No, they didn't use any... G: No, no. 38 00:02:11,646 --> 00:02:20,736 AJ: Now, you have become famous. What can rap music contribute now to the transformation of the new Tunisia? 39 00:02:21,136 --> 00:02:26,252 G: By God, I see so much that is lacking in Tunisia right now, in a new Tunisia. 40 00:02:26,667 --> 00:02:32,669 I see so much that is lacking in the new transitional government and I will try to give [Tunisia] something more with rap, 41 00:02:32,669 --> 00:02:36,456 not in the voice of government officials but in the voice of the Tunisian people. 42 00:02:37,148 --> 00:02:42,147 AJ: Being named "El Général" - where did that come from? In Tunisia there was a general, but that general was Ben Ali! 43 00:02:42,147 --> 00:02:52,674 G: That's true. It was because the leading rappers weren't singing about politics, you know? I chose it because I would sing about politics. 44 00:02:52,674 --> 00:02:57,600 I chose this name because it's strong, because it's a symbol...a political symbol. 45 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:06,790 AJ: The political significance of rap...did it have a specific political color? G: Huh? 46 00:03:06,944 --> 00:03:13,221 AJ: I mean a...a specific partisan color that meant liberal or whatever? 47 00:03:13,221 --> 00:03:21,221 G: Color? No, no, no. I mean, I'm a person with no party. I work in rap and only in rap. You know? 48 00:03:21,221 --> 00:03:24,312 I'm not a politician but I sing about politics. You get what I mean? 49 00:03:24,312 --> 00:03:28,375 AJ: In the era of the 1970s and 1980s there were political songs in Tunisia, in the universities. 50 00:03:28,375 --> 00:03:34,780 There were Cheikh Imam, Marcel Khalifa, and other Tunisians as well. 51 00:03:35,996 --> 00:03:40,543 Now, have politics in Tunisia become necessarily entangled with rap? 52 00:03:41,620 --> 00:03:48,229 G: No, it's not entangled with rap. But, because rap is, right now, the closest way to... 53 00:03:48,583 --> 00:03:59,825 All of the people are listening to it now. Rap has become the most well-known form of art - not just in Tunisia but in the whole world. But it's near the roots. 54 00:03:59,825 --> 00:04:02,710 AJ: Are you currently engaged in the production of a new song? 55 00:04:02,710 --> 00:04:07,702 G: God willing. Two days ago, a new song came out. Its name is ta7ya tunis ("Long live Tunisia"). 56 00:04:07,702 --> 00:04:08,544 AJ: ta7ya tunis... 57 00:04:08,544 --> 00:04:17,754 G: It's about the reality of the current time. God willing, we'll get our freedom. 58 00:04:17,754 --> 00:04:26,092 AJ: Thank you very much, Hamada bin Amor, the famous Tunisian rap singer El Général. You are most welcome here.