Christmas number 1 is perhaps the most sought-after chart position of the entire year, a space occupied in the past by the likes of The Beatles, Queen, The Spice Girls, WHAM! and, of course, Band Aid. Reaching number 1 thrice (in 1984, 1989, and 2004), Band Aid and many other charity organisations have recurrently taken this opportunity to fundraise for global crises.
This year, with the extreme ongoing crisis in Gaza, Together For Palestine has taken the lead in fundraising for this significant cause, following on from their sold-out concert at the OVO Arena Wembley in September, which was attended by over 150 figures, including Damon Albarn, Cat Burns and Benedict Cumberbatch and raised over £2 million.
‘Lullaby’ features a combination of UK and Palestinian artists, including Brian Eno, Amena, Celeste, Dan Smith (Bastille), London Gospel Choir, Neneh Cherry, and Yasmeen Ayyashi, to name a few.
Unlike Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, which, despite being well-meaning, has faced criticism for its outdated and harmful depiction of Africa from a westernised perspective, ‘Lullaby’ comes from the very heart of the cause itself as a reimagining of a traditional Palestinian folk song (‘Yamma Mweel El Hawa’), which combines the original Arabic lyrics with English ones by Peter Gabriel. Hence, the track is not only raising integral funds, but is poignantly platforming and showcasing Palestinian voices, culture and talent, all while reaching English audiences.
Nai Barghouti, who sings on the track and recomposed it alongside Keiran Brunt, describes how special the meaning of the song is for Palestinians, and how its lyrics are about wanting to “die in dignity” rather “than live a life without freedom”, a sentiment echoed in the English lyrics, ‘is it better to die in freedom / Than a captive life in chains?’, which highlight the resilience and integrity of those in Gaza, and evoke the question of how a life in such suffering can be worth living. The track is ultimately not just a stunning, touching ‘Lullaby’ but also a statement of persistence and a demand that we keep fighting for a free and safe Palestine.
These resonant, poetic lyrics amalgamate with stunning instrumentals, beautiful album art by Malak Mattar and a powerful video directed by Lina Makoul featuring panoramic views of Palestine to form a hopeful, striking campaign which is thus far tracking successfully in the charts; however, it has tough competition against chart-dominating artists including Kylie Minogue, RAYE and Olivia Dean.
The band are urging listeners to not only stream the single, but download and buy it to make as much of an impact as possible.
Emily Sanderson
Image: Malak Mattar
If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider buying us a coffee. The money from this pot goes towards the ever-increasing yearly costs of running and hosting the site, and our "Writer Of The Month" cash prize.