DAM (band)
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| DAM | |
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 DAM perform at the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, D.C.
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| Background information | |
| Origin |  Lod, Israel |
| Genre(s) | Hip Hop, Political Rap |
| Years active | 1999 – present |
| Label(s) | '48 Records |
| Website | dampalestine.com |
| Members | |
| Tamer Nafar Suhell Nafar Mahmoud Jreri |
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DAM (Arabic: دام; Hebrew: דם) is the first Palestinian hip hop group. Based in Israel, DAM was founded in 1999 by brothers Tamar and Suhell Nafar and their friend Mahmoud Jreri. The group's name is the Arabic verb for "to last forever/eternity" (دام) and the Hebrew word for "blood" (דם), but can also be an acronym for "Da Arabic MCs." The Arabic word for "blood" (دم) is spelled similarly, but without an alif. The group is one of the main subjects of the documentary, Slingshot Hip Hop.
DAM sings primarily in Arabic, but also in English and Hebrew to widen their audience appeal. DAM's single "Born Here" is in Hebrew. The group collaborated with Israeli rock band Shotei Hanevuah on the song "Generations Demand Peace." On November 17, 2006 they released their first album, Dedication. They appeared on Al Jazeera's program From Washington on June 4, 2007, during a report on Arabic hip hop.
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[edit] Background
Despite not having a formal recording contract, DAM's 2001 single "Meen Erhabe? — Who's the Terrorist? — was downloaded more than a million times from their website. It is a controversial song regarding the Al-Aqsa Intifada and what they perceived as Israel's barbaric methods of dealing with it.
In 2004 DAM released a single called "Born Here" in Arabic and Hebrew. The song was released with a video clip directed by Juliano Mer-Khamis, and produced by the mixed cities in Israel organization Shatil.
They featured Amany, an Egyptian aged 16, in their 2008 release.[citation needed]
DAM have now completed their first album "Dedication" and are featured in the documentary film Slingshot Hip Hop, directed by Jackie Salloum, about the emerging Palestinian Hip Hop scene.
DAM initially performed in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, winning many fans among both Palestinians and Israelis. Since then, DAM's music gained the attention of European and the American audiences, and DAM has performed in the United States, England, Germany, Italy and several other countries, making four European tours.
The group's lyrics often deal with the frustration at the feeling of being second class citizens in Israel, as well as other issues familiar to hip-hop fans around the world, including drug-related violence. Their live performances feature images of Israeli soldiers clashing with stone-throwing Palestinians.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Video
- Interview with Tamer Nafar from Democracy Now! program, May 15, 2008
- DAM:LONDON - official 15-minute documentary film, shot during DAM's brief visit to the UK in October 2006
- Born here video
- Slingshot hiphop
[edit] See also
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