Issam Hajali Khobs (1976)
Issam Hajali once ran a jewelry store in Beirut – and might still be doing so. It’s unclear if his business is still there or if he’s left the country: over a million people have fled since Israel’s October invasion, with the majority heading to Syria.
This wouldn’t be the first time Hajali had to flee. When civil war broke out in Lebanon in 1975, the Christian-led government faced rising opposition from Muslims, pan-Arabists, and left-wing groups, eventually culminating in violent conflict. As an outspoken ultra-leftist, Hajali became a target for Christian militias, prompting him to leave for Cyprus and then Paris in 1976.
In Paris, he recorded an album that draws heavily on US West Coast folk rock, aligning with a soundscape familiar to Western listeners; yet, the lyrics, taken from Palestinian revolutionary poet Samih al-Qasim, are anything but easy listening. Today's track, "Khobs", is a moving reflection about the weight of inherited traditions and their profound influence on our emotional and spiritual lives.
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