IN THIS TOGETHER

It's not their fault, the Syrian refugees. Their homes and normal day to day life are history. What would you do? Their crisis is our crisis, the worst since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Here we are, twenty years later, with one difference though; there are far more accessible tools to help now. But it still costs money. It's up to us, fellow citizens of earth (sounds corny, but there's something science fiction flick cool saying it that way, and it's true). If you're reading this, you're a a position to pony up. I'm not going to go on and on, just do a web search. Read about what they're going through. And the insane numbers, the masses, over two million leaving their country so far, and four million plus displaced within the Syrian borders. A real mind fuck. So yeah, skip a seven dollar beer.

As you've come to expect cheese with the whine, here's a couple cuts from Syrian artists, both found at Radiodiffusion International. One was a white whale for the host of the blog, "Al Ghaba" by Assa’d Khoury with his Oriental Electronic Organ and Band (try fitting that on a drum head), for reasons that become obvious.  Billed as "Electronic Touches Belly Dance", if that's the case, the belly dancer had better be a contortionist. Don't pass it up if the intro doesn't grab you, because it gets weirder. And funkier. It's nuts. I don't get worked up by much around here, but this thing is a masterpiece of fucked up shit.

The other song is more of what could be considered a traditional Syrian jam. The album title says "Rhythms and Dances From Syria Belly Dances" but judging from the LP cover, it still ain't no belly dancing I know.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Assa’d Khoury with his Oriental Electronic Organ & Band- Al Ghaba mp3 at Radiodiffusion International
Damascus Music Group -  Raksat Al Mindill mp3 at Radiodiffusion International
Donate:
The UN Refugee Agency
Five more groups at Public Radio International With short podcast.