May 14, 2015	By Voices of NY
Source: Women's eNews
All-Girl Palestinian Rap Trio Bring Message to NYC
Dalia Ramadan, Nadeen Odeh and Sophia Alissa, from left to right, perform at rehearsals. (Photo via Women's eNews video)
Palestinian rap trio Shoruq visited New York City in early May. The trip, which marked their first time outside of the Palestinian refugee camp of Dheisheh in Bethlehem, included a performance at Capitale in Downtown Manhattan. Through hip-hop, Sophia Alissa, Dalia Ramadan and Nadeen Odeh want to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians. The teens spoke to Women's eNews reporter Hajer Naili.
The three teens, between 13 and 14 years old, rap about their dreams and denounce the Israeli occupation. Their dream is "to live free, like normal people," Alissa told Women's eNews during one of their rehearsals. The group is named Shoruq, which means "sunrise" in Arabic.
The teens were able to travel and perform here thanks to the Brooklyn-based artist and educator Aja Monet, who met them in a recent trip to their camp.
Monet traveled to the West Bank as part of a delegation of the Dream Defenders, a group that on its Facebook page describes itself as developing "the next generation of radical leaders to realize and exercise our independent collective power; building alternative systems and organizing to disrupt the structures that oppress our communities."
For Monet, how do the struggles of Palestinians mirror the experiences of communities in the U.S.? What did one of the girls say when asked about the recent protests in the U.S. over the deaths of African Americans at the hands of the police? And what shocked them about New York City? Go to Women's eNews to find out. There, also watch Shoruq in action in a video from rehearsals that also includes interviews with the girls and Monet.
Tags: Capitale, Palestinians, Shoruq
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