In the middle of the breakout of a new Iraq war, American and Arab artists sing duets on a new CD from KKV. The project, about the eternal struggle for freedom, has given birth to the new record called "Songs from a Stolen Spring".
The demonstrations we in the West called "the Arab Spring" in 2011 led to the downfall of several heads of state. In country after country from Tunisia in the west to Yemen in the east people took to the streets in numbers that surprised the world. Today, however, the winds of spring no longer blow across the Arab world. Those who fought for freedom in Egypt and Tunisia wanted something else than to have their revolutions taken over by Islamists or military leaders. But these are the forces that soon stole "the spring" out of the hands of those who started the struggle.
When people demand freedom, new songs are born. We saw it during the civil rights battles and the peace movements in the USA in the 1960s and 1970s, when Jimmy Cliff wrote "Many rivers to cross", Richie Havens sang "Freedom" and Elvis Presley performed "If I can dream". And we have seen the same during the Arabian struggles for freedom over the last three years. To show that the battle for freedom is the same everywhere and at all times, the producer Erik Hillestad has brought together American and Arabian artists, and meshed well-known freedom songs from the USA with new songs on the same theme written during the last three years in the Middle East.
Even if a new winter now has clamped down on most of the Arab world, the songs created in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine continue to nourish a hope that freedom and equality will be won again. In other regions of the world freedom has been a dearly bought child. Several setbacks have occurred before the child has been able to stand more or less securely on its own legs. "Songs from a Stolen Spring" is a tribute from an American freedom movement that can look back on many victories to one that still has "Many rivers to cross". While such battles may eventually move into parliaments and courtrooms, they always start in the city square and on the streets. And always, the songs are a vital part of mobilizing, motivating and raising the awareness of people about the values at stake.
The artists
On "Songs from a Stolen Spring" the Blind Boys of Alabama meet the revolutionary Cairo band Eskenderella. The singer-songwriter Tania Saleh from Beirut sings with the blues and gospel artist Terry Evans, and the country rock artist Maria McKee has met the fusion bandMassar Egbari from Alexandria. Palestine's most famous artist Rim Banna sings with the country artist Soozie Tyrell, the Egyptian freedom singer Ramy Essam (who has also received the Freemuse Award) sings duets with the soul and gospel legend Mighty Sam McClain, and the young talent Lobna Noomene from Tunisia shares a track with the film hit queen Lisbeth Scott from Los Angeles. Singer Glenn Tilbrook from The Squeeze also performs in the company of the young Egyptian starDina El Wedidi, and Ray Benson from the country swing band Asleep at the Wheel meets the artist Mounir Troudi from Tunisia.
The band
The band featured on all the tracks, the glue that holds these new recordings together, is Norwegian Knut Reiersrud (guitar, Fender Rhodes and autoharp), New Yorker Larry Campbell (pedal steel and violin), and the Norwegians J?rund B?geberg (bass) and Rune Arnesen(drums). A number of musicians from the Middle East also perform on oud, ney, percussion, violin and kanun.
The process
"Songs from a Stolen Spring" started with trips in the Middle East in 2012 and 2013. The producer Erik Hillestad went from country to country, meeting artists and asking each of them to find an American freedom song to link to one of their own. Then in cooperation with the American company Valley Entertainment he invited singers from the USA to participate. A four-man band led by Knut Reiersrud arranged and recorded a basic comp at Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn together with some of the American artists. Then followed new trips to the Middle East for Hillestad, this time to make recordings with the local singers and some of their instrumentalists. Finally the record was mixed by Daniel Lernerat Rockit-Science in Los Angeles.
The songs
The following freedom songs are on the album:
From the USA:
"Freedom" (Richie Havens, originally performed at the Woodstock festival in 1969)
"Ol' Mother Earth" (Tony Joe White)
"Simple Song of Freedom" (Bobby Darin)
"Get up, Stand up" (Bob Marley/Peter Tosh)
"If I can dream" (Elvis? super hit from 1968)
"Danger Zone" (Ray Charles)
"Many Rivers to Cross" (Jimmy Cliff)
From Egypt:
"A new beginning" (Eskenderella)
"I still exist" (Massar Egbari)
"Beyond these doors" (Dina El Wedidi)
"Bread, freedom" (Ramy Essam)
From Tunisia:
"Once we were true rebels" (Mounir Troudi)
"Once upon a time" (Lobna Noomene)
From Lebanon:
"Not a word was spoken" (Tania Saleh)
From Palestine:
"Break your fears" (Rim Banna)
