WEBVTT 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. 00:00:07.364 --> 00:00:11.810 So he was arrested during the society-wide protests a few weeks ago. 00:00:12.841 --> 00:00:14.420 El Général: Mr. President! 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. 00:00:18.210 --> 00:00:21.123 2011: this man is still dying of hunger. 00:00:21.123 --> 00:00:23.600 He wants to work to survive, but his voice is not heard! 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:26.308 Go out into the street and see how the people have become animals. 00:00:26.308 --> 00:00:29.098 Look at the police with batons. Thwack-thwack-thwack! They don't care! 00:00:29.098 --> 00:00:31.775 There is still no one to tell them the word "stop." 00:00:31.775 --> 00:00:34.674 Even the law that's in the constitution, put it in water and drink it. 00:00:34.674 --> 00:00:37.810 Every day I hear of a man's case decided by the sword, 00:00:37.810 --> 00:00:41.133 even if the official knows that he is an honest citizen. I see 00:00:41.133 --> 00:00:43.267 the police beat women for wearing headscarves. 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! 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! 00:00:49.413 --> 00:00:51.692 This is a message from one of your children 00:00:51.692 --> 00:00:54.265 who is speaking with you of suffering. We are living like dogs! 00:00:54.265 --> 00:00:57.067 Half of the people live in humiliation and have tasted from the cup of suffering. 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... 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. 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. 00:01:10.129 --> 00:01:10.923 G: May peace be upon you. 00:01:10.923 --> 00:01:18.045 AJ: Hamada, this genre of music, how can it influence people and reach them? 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? 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, 00:01:27.132 --> 00:01:29.533 and the problems that are happening in the country. You know what I mean? 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. 00:01:34.456 --> 00:01:39.265 And it reached the president of the country and, in this way, I was arrested. 00:01:39.265 --> 00:01:42.325 AJ: Was it your first directly political song? 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. 00:01:45.946 --> 00:01:48.772 AJ: The most famous song. When they arrested you, what did they do to you? 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. 00:01:56.595 --> 00:02:00.554 They liked to say, "Who's the leader? Who's writing this?" Know what I mean? 00:02:00.554 --> 00:02:03.070 AJ: You mean, "Who was it who wrote these words?" 00:02:03.070 --> 00:02:05.236 G: I mean, [state security] knew that I worked alone. 00:02:05.252 --> 00:02:08.463 AJ: Were violent methods used on you in the investigation? 00:02:08.463 --> 00:02:11.646 G: No, no, God be praised! AJ: No, they didn't use any... G: No, no. 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? 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. 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, 00:02:32.669 --> 00:02:36.456 not in the voice of government officials but in the voice of the Tunisian people. 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! 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. 00:02:52.674 --> 00:02:57.600 I chose this name because it's strong, because it's a symbol...a political symbol. 00:02:57.600 --> 00:03:06.790 AJ: The political significance of rap...did it have a specific political color? G: Huh? 00:03:06.944 --> 00:03:13.221 AJ: I mean a...a specific partisan color that meant liberal or whatever? 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? 00:03:21.221 --> 00:03:24.312 I'm not a politician but I sing about politics. You get what I mean? 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. 00:03:28.375 --> 00:03:34.780 There were Cheikh Imam, Marcel Khalifa, and other Tunisians as well. 00:03:35.996 --> 00:03:40.543 Now, have politics in Tunisia become necessarily entangled with rap? 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... 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. 00:03:59.825 --> 00:04:02.710 AJ: Are you currently engaged in the production of a new song? 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"). 00:04:07.702 --> 00:04:08.544 AJ: ta7ya tunis... 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. 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.