Celebrations are erupting in Cairo's Tahrir Square as well as other areas today as the Egyptian Revolution has finally ended the 30-year rule
of President Hosni Mubarak. After 19 days and, according to Human
Rights Watch, more than 300 deaths, the power of the people is on full
display. The deafening cheers of the crowd celebrate the unseating of a
leader who has been in power longer than I have been alive.
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As it turns out, UC Irvine professor and author of Heavy Metal Islam, Mark LeVine has been in Egypt the past few days to witness history and to record it in song. Keeping friends abreast via Facebook, LeVine wrote on Tuesday, “hooked up with ramy essam, the egyptian singer, with whom I am recording a song produced by my good friend anton pukshansky.” Essam took the slogans of Tahrir Square and performed a stirring song there on Egypt's “Day of Departure” protests, exactly one week ago.
LeVine updated people yesteday on the status of the collaboration, writing, “Right now, we´re mixing the final version, as I found Ramy at Tahrir, as he´s been living there, and we went in the studio to finish the song. From Cairo to LA and back to Cairo in four days. Debuting tonight at the stage underneath `The People Demand the Removal of the Regime´ sign in the middle of Tahrir. Enjoy.” The professor, thinking as many had that Mubarak was going to resign yesterday before the president delivered a speech to the contrary, wrote less than 24 hours ago, “Mubarak is provoking a blood bath, but if people can stay disciplined and nonviolent, they could sweep the regime away over the next few days. if not, who knows . . .”
“Over the next few days” turned out to be the next few hours. On a such a historic occasion, enjoy this rough mix, as the final version is still under works–just like the future of Egypt!
Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!