“Hana Mash Hu Al Yaman” by A-WA and its music video may speak specifically to the experience of Yemenite immigrants to Israel but its presentation deftly humanizes the plight of so many immigrants around the world. With an eclectic sound that combines the beat-making of hip-hop with traditional Yemenite music and its lively chordal structures and compound time. The video and song was inspired by the story of the trio’s great grandmother who was brought to Israel in 1949 during Operation Magic Carpet. The group (Tair, Liron and Tagel Haim) took the story and cast in call and response fashion as with “America” from West Side Story which itself humanized real tension and conflict using creativity and ace dance moves. A-WA made a big splash with its song “Habib Galbi” in 2016 (from the album of the same name) which is the first song in Arabic to ever reach number one in the Israeli pop charts. On May 31, 2019 the group released its sophomore album BAYTI FI RASI and you can give a listen to that here.
Queen City Sounds and Art 