What followed wasnt just a performance it was an eruption of energy, emotion, and resistance.
Cairokee later called them the best audience in the world.
Sout El Horeya(Voice of Freedom) was already a powerful street anthem.
Abdallah Sabry*
When the band played it live, it cemented Cairokees role as the soundtrack of a movement.
We were part of something way bigger than everyone.
Speaking over Zoom at 8 p.m. Cairo time, his calm demeanor contrasts with the intensity of that night.
We always have a message we are trying to get across.
Usually, the message is powerful, yet simultaneously very simple, Hawary says.
We consider ourselves a social band.
If you would like to label us as a political band, I would have to refuse that label.
This social area often intersects with politics.
They also have a growing audience in the rest of the world.
In Egypt, I thought you could only sing songs that were poetic and romantic.
They know how to express the spirit of the people.
Despite their rise, the band has always stayed grounded in their mission.
WhileRomamay have stepped back from direct political confrontation, Cairokee didnt stay silent for long.
We know that the West has double standards, where they see us as less human than them.
They see us as numbers.
If Palestinians had blonde hair and were European, this would have never happened.
Interviews for this piece were conducted primarily in Arabic.
