2.05 A Song for Liberation: Activism with Music with Leila Hegazy
“It should be enough to listen to Palestinian voices and Arabs voices, and we need to ask that question of why do we need a Western source to stand with us in order to be heard?”
Leila Hegazy is an Egyptian-Italian-American singer-songwriter, social media creator, teacher, and activist in New York City. Using music to advocate for Palestine is one of her passions, and her adaptations of popular songs aim to help those in the pro-Palestine movement feel seen, as they battle the absurdity of the occupation and Western propaganda. Leila is currently working on a protest album for Palestine and plans to donate the proceeds to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. She is also in the process of recording her next project with her twin sister duo, HEGAZY.
In this episode, Anjali and Leila discuss:
Leila’s musical path and background as an Arab-Italian-American living in New York City
Music as a practice of connection to social change
Accessible and authentic activism
Culture, appropriation and power
Social media as an important source of information
Palestine allyship and sources and actions for folks
Buy Leila’s single on Bandcamp based on the poem by beloved Palestinian Professor and writer, Dr. Refaat Alareer. All proceeds will be donated to Dr. Alareer’s surviving family in Gaza to help them rebuild.
Connect with Leila on Instagram @leilajhegazy.
