The former singer for the Lebanese indie band Soap Kills doesn ’ t make an appearance in this video . Instead , the video features a black-and-white slow-moving visual of a young girl dancing in a circle of four withered but dangerous men , its direction complementing the mysterious and desolate vibe of the song . The meaning and underlying message in Nediya , El Mokhatlifeen and many other accompanying arabic indie music videos is never diluted or compromised for the sake of commercial viability .
SHIFTING TIDES
While most of these bands have limited means and a lack of access to the general public , these indie artists are establishing platforms and reaching audiences locally and across oceans . For example , Mashrou ’ Leila have penetrated the world stage with their recent world tour that not only served to bring music from the region to the world , but to reconnect the diaspora with the cultural productions of their homelands .
One of the main platforms for these bands is the Internet , which as Dr . Salti says has “ revolutionized the Arab world ” in terms of the Arabic music scene . “ Without the Internet , I don ’ t think we would have heard of this music ,” he says , referring to how most big record companies will either refuse to sign indie artists or will force them to “ water down ” their lyrics . Indie artists like Tamer Abu Ghazaleh , have created platforms like Eka3 for other indie artists , including their own record label Mostakell . Today ’ s independent artists are also able to release joint projects through sites like CD Baby and Soundcloud . “ I think that has nullified the need for any kind of record label ,” Dr . Salti says , as it enables these artists to continue producing music and gain a following , with the assistance of self- or crowd-funding , which he says has been “ instrumental ” ( no pun intended ) to the release of many CDs by Arab indie musicians .
Off the web , several cultural hubs for indie artists are forming in the indie hotspots of the MENA . In Jordan , artist Hana Malhas has founded a project called Bala Feesh in the city of Amman , strictly for indie artists to experiment and perform for an audience , free of admission . In Lebanon , several large festivals , devoted to indie musicians , have been growing over the past several years . The annual jazz festival in Beirut , held on International Jazz Day ( April 30th ) and the yearly Wickerpark Music Festival , founded by musician Junior Daou , in the city of Batroun are two