The show on july 1st was in honour of all revolutionary martyrs who fell during the mass hunger strikes and death fasts in turkey between 1996 and 2002 – specifically Ayse Idil Erkmen, the first woman prisoner to die on hunger strike in Turkey (or probably anywhere) on the 26th of july 1996 (twentyfive years this month), and sisters Canan & Zehra Kulakzisz, who both fell during death fasts in support of the prisoners struggle against f—type isolation prisons in 2001 – Canan on april 15 and her sister Zehra on the 29th of june, twenty years ago this week.The first track was by Grup yorum and was titled “Mitraloz, Halkımızın Gelini” (machine gun, bride of the people) written in memory of Ayse Idil Erkman (see below for link and full playlist). As well as being a member of the DHKP-C Ayse Idil Erkman was a writer, actor, musician and singer in Özgürlük Türküsü Müzik Topluluğu-the Freedom Song Music Ensemble – a group closely linked to Grup Yorum, who named their Idil cultural centre after her. The next song, for sisters Canan And Zehra Kulaksiz was by another Music For The Global Intifada regular, Ferhat Tunc.
We then played a track in solidarity with the turkish hunger strikers by Pol Mac Adaim that deftly links their struggle with the 1981 hunger strikes in occupied Northern Ireland that left 10 freedom fighters dead after margaret thatcher ordered there be no negotiation over conditions or status with the political prisoners. This was followed by a Rafeef Ziadah song about the 2012 hunger strike by Palestinian prisoner Hana shalabi in solidarity with the ongoing struggle there.’
The second part of the show was songs specifically against french colonialism, or at least about crimes committed by the French state essentially random but all themeticaly linked . We usually do a show of this type around Bastille day (since we love celebrating mobs liberating prisoners, and see such a show as a worthy attack on the patriotic fools who celebrate it for nationalistic reasons) and will likely post a larger play list later in the month. We started with a track by Chjami Aghjalesi from Corsica – E Prigione Francese – ‘In a French prison’, or ‘Imprisoned by France’. Then we heard a Song in memory of Aline Sitoe Djatta, a young Senegalese woman. She was prominent in the anti colonial movement among the jola people of the Casamance region , and when the french imposed a massive war tax during ww2 she was a leader of the resistance to it. For this she was arrested and sent to a prison in remote Timbuktu where, due to the appalling conditions, she died on may 22 1943, age 24. Still in west Africa the next track was from the ivory coast, that was Ernesto Djedje, who was a big name in the region back in the 70s and 80s . the song was in memory of Zokou Gbeuly, an anti colonialist agitator hung by the colonialists in Zuénoula prison way back in 1912.
When talking at all about French colonial atrocities it is of course impossible to leave Algeria out of the discussion, so our last song was an oldy by Algerian Kabylie singer and former freedom fighter and political prisoner Farid Ali. This track,titled Racconto D’Oggi, or Story of today, is off the Folkways compilation ‘Freedom Fighters of Algeria’. It urges listerners not to forget how everywhere the French go they leave the earth covered in blood. Hope you enjoy it, and as he says in the song – listen carefully.
Playlist:
01 Grup Yorum – Mitralyöz (Halkımızın Gelini)
02 Ferhat Tunç – Zehra Kız Canan Kız
03 Pol Mac Adaim – If We Don’t Help Them Now
04 Rafeef Ziadah – Cultivate Hope
05 Chjami Aghjalesi – E Prigione Francese
06 Sousou & Maher Cissoko – Aline Sitoe Diatta
07 Ernesto Djedje – Zokou Gbeuly
08 Farid Ali – Racconto D’Oggi (Story of today/Ayouliou nehoughak koulas)