Ramallah Underground

File:Boikutt.jpg

Ramallah Underground, based in Ramallah, Palestine, is a musical collective born in 2002,{{Cite web |title=Ramallah Underground - MusicBrainz |url=https://musicbrainz.org/artist/33465368-f49a-4e9e-8e33-5b924f4c9d33 |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=musicbrainz.org}} {{Cite web |title=stegi.radio {{!}} Onassis Stegi |url=https://stegi.radio/podcasts/muqataa |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=stegi.radio}} from the desire to give voice to a generation of Palestinians, in a situation of great economic, artistic, and political difficulty. The collective was founded by artists Stormtrap (later known as Asifeh) and Boikutt (later known as Muqata'a), later joined by Aswatt, who aim to rejuvenate Arabic culture by creating "music that Arabic youth can relate to," in the words of Boikutt.{{cite web

|last = Issa

|first = Wafa

|author2 = Suhail Al Rais

|title = Hip-hop singer conveys hope under occupation

|work = Gulfnews.com

|date = 23 July 2007

|url = http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/23/10141184.html

|accessdate = 21 May 2009

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080505081229/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/23/10141184.html

|archivedate = 5 May 2008

}} They rap in Arabic,{{cite web|last=Carr |first=Joe |title=East Meets West in Ramallah |publisher=Citizens for Justice in the Middle East |date=27 August 2005 |url=http://www.cjme.org/speakers/joecarr/joe-05aug27.htm |accessdate=21 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007001357/http://www.cjme.org/speakers/joecarr/joe-05aug27.htm |archivedate=October 7, 2008 }} and are credited as some of the founders of Palestinian hip-hop.{{cite news

|last=Rawoot

|first=Ilham

|title=Band aid for Palestine

|work=Mail & Guardian

|date=9 May 2009

|url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-08-band-aid-for-palestine

|accessdate=21 May 2009

|url-status=dead

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512204609/http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-08-band-aid-for-palestine

|archivedate=12 May 2009

}} Their music combines hip-hop, trip hop, and downtempo, besides more traditional Middle-Eastern music,{{cite web

| last = Chen

| first = Michelle

| authorlink =

| title = Rap the Casbah

| work = In These Times

| publisher =

| date = 9 May 2008

| url = http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3613/rap_the_casbah/

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| doi =

| accessdate = 20 May 2009}} with a commitment to their local culture and an awareness of the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives.{{Cite web |last=Underground |first=Ramallah |date=2007 |title=Presskit |url=http://www.ramallahunderground.com/presskit/Press%20kit%20RU%202007.pdf |access-date=2024-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610011509/http://www.ramallahunderground.com/presskit/Press%20kit%20RU%202007.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-10 }}

As producers and as MCs, the collective has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe, most recently Slovo, Boikutt appears on the track "Nakba" from their new album Todo Cambia.{{cite news

| title = Why music and politics do mix

| work = The Morning Star

| date = 21 June 2007

| url = http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/culture/music/why_music_and_politics_do_mix

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053412/http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/culture/music/why_music_and_politics_do_mix

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 4 March 2016

| accessdate = 21 May 2009}} They have performed live in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Vienna, Melbourne (at the Melbourne International Arts Festival{{cite news

| last = Griffin

| first = Michelle

| title = Reigning arts festival returns

| work = The Age

| place =

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| date = 15 July 2009

| url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/reigning-arts-festival-returns/2009/07/14/1247337120039.html

| accessdate = 29 July 2009}}), Liverpool,{{cite news

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| title = Liverpool hosts Arab arts and culture festival

| work = Liverpool Daily Post

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| date = 19 July 2009

| url = http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/07/19/liverpool-hosts-arab-arts-and-culture-festival-92534-24190777/

| accessdate = 29 July 2009}} Cairo, Lausanne, Amsterdam (as part of "Rap4Justice" in the Melkweg{{cite news

| last = Maes

| first = John

| title = Rappen voor rechtvaardigheid

| work = Sp!ts

| place =

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| language = Dutch

| publisher =

| date = 6 December 2006

| url = http://www.spitsnet.nl/nieuws.php/1/85332/cci/Rappen_voor_rechtvaardigheid.html

| accessdate = 21 May 2009}}), and Washington, D.C., and recently incorporated a visual set by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne Abou-Rahme in their live performances.{{cite web

|last = Lidia

|first = Ravviso

|title = Ramallah Underground: non solo musica

|work = Stile

|publisher = Arte.it

|date = 13 October 2008

|url = http://arte.stile.it/articoli/2008/10/13/musica-ramallah-underground-non-solo-musica.2868219.php

|accessdate = 21 May 2009

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090417074502/http://arte.stile.it/articoli/2008/10/13/musica-ramallah-underground-non-solo-musica.2868219.php

|archivedate = 17 April 2009

}}

Ramallah Underground does not have an official release yet and mostly uses the internet as a way of circulating their music. In fact, their MySpace page led David Harrington of the Kronos Quartet to ask them to collaborate on a piece, "Tashweesh," composed by Boikutt, which the quartet started playing live in 2008.{{cite news

| last = Denselow

| first = Robin

| title = Rev. of Alim Qasimov & Kronos Quartet/The Kamkars

| work = The Guardian

| place =

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| date = 29 September 2008

| url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/sep/29/worldmusic?ref=Guzels.TV

| accessdate = 21 May 2009}}{{cite news

| last = Kozinn

| first = Allan

| title = The Week Ahead: Nov. 30-Dec. 6

| work = The New York Times

| place =

| pages =

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| date = 25 November 2008

| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/arts/30weekahead.html

| accessdate = 21 May 2009}} and which is included on their 2009 release Floodplain.{{cite news

| last = Stabler

| first = David

| title = New Kronos CD: Wild beauty

| work = The Oregonian

| language = Dutch

| date = 13 May 2009

| url = http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2009/05/new_kronos_cd_wild_beauty.html

| accessdate = 21 May 2009}}