Former Pink Floyd bassist and vocalist Roger Waters has always been known for his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He recently connected his song “The Wall” to the anti-Israel movement, and even criticized Radiohead’s lead singer, Thom Yorke urging him to call off a Tel Aviv concert. Having such a clear political opinion is one of Waters’ qualities as he makes music to affect and deliver a message to people’s minds.
On March 12, Waters made another appearance in the political arena, this time joining forces with Palestinian oud trio Le Trio Joubran, originally out of Nazareth. He recites verses by author and Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish, rebuking Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S embassy there from Tel Aviv. “There are radar screens to capture the dead,/Who die more than once in this life” says Waters in “Supermacy”.
"On the surface, [the poem] narrates the last speech of the Native American to the white man, but it speaks also to Darwish's beloved Palestine and its indigenous people," said Waters in a Facebook statement. "In fact, [it's relevant] to all victims of settler colonialism everywhere, always."
Accompanying the song is a music video consisting of Water’s face pressing out of a black void, reciting Darwish’s poem "The Penultimate speech of the 'Red Indian' to the white man," in his gritty, suspenseful voice amidst warm resonating ouds played by the three brothers. The recording process of the song took place between Paris and London, after Trump’s declaration last December, which marked the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Exodus, as this move endangered Palestinians that were being pushed out of Jerusalem.
“We honor the struggles of indigenous peoples across the globe, and through our art, affirm that the relationship between people, culture and their homeland survives history,” said the band in a statement to The Rolling Stone magazine. Which affirms their thoughts towards the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Keep up with Le Trio Joubran on their website.
