Ghoraba2 is a 4-person rap group from Akkar: Fady Torfeh, Omar Adawieh, Youssef Sayyouf and Omar Ali. They started spitting rhymes and making beats in 2009, and formed the current group in 2014 under the moniker “Ghoraba2” which roughly translates to “strangers”, given they are all from different backgrounds, towns, sects and rap in different styles. It’s also because they feel like “stangers” in their own country, like many of us sadly do.
Working in Tripoli and Akkar with MARCH Lebanon, I’ve had the pleasure to follow their journey since the early days. All of us at MARCH love their passion and dedication, and they are always staples in our events in Tripoli, Akkar and Beirut. We’ve supported them over the years both on an individual basis, and as an NGO, and their latest single “Tabi3a” is a perfect example that our faith in them wasn’t in vain.
The flow of this song is sick. It’s been stuck in my head since last week when they debuted their “Rayyes” album at Radio Beirut. The message is also uplifting, and promotes a somewhat positive “natural” body image in today’s extremely frustrating snapchat-filter, make-up-centric online personas many of us try to promote.
Their songs are very empowering, embracing the negative stereotypes people unfortunately attribute to folks from Akkar, and transform them into rallying cries against the injustice, neglect and corruption the Akkar governorate suffers from. “Mou-Si2a” is a great example of this political-leaning rap, with sick rhymes and a fun beat and a beautifully shot music video (they produced and shot themselves) around different parts of Lebanon’s northernmost district.
Ghoraba2 also collaborated with several other young local artists in Tripoli and Akkar, creating “Kif 3aychin”, a powerful song that asks more privileged people to “not whine” and “look at how we’re living” while disowning the drivers towards violence, sectarianism and extremism, in this epic music video shot and edited by Wissam Kamal.
The last track I’m adding in this post is one I find hilarious, called “Tatleh”. Tatleh is what many northern Lebanese call jam, and they used that somewhat funny word in this track featuring Fady. I can’t help but chuckle at almost every verse in it. Be warned though, it has a tendency to get stuck in your head and get you singing “badde ekol tatleh! nater tijeh el 3atleh! la roo7 a3mel fatleh! baddeh 2e2rot satleh, w ba3da ekol atleh!” at the office all day.
I think it’s very important we highlight the awesome talent we have in this country, other than the horrible “motribat” and “motribeen” we are constantly bombarded with. Supporting local talent is something I am very much fond of, and these guys are awesome. They self-produce, record, shoot and promote their own music, and if you wanna support them, hop on to their Facebook and message them to buy their newest album for just 10,000LL.
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