German reissue label Habibi Funk is one of the many organisations who have endeavoured to help the victims of the ongoing devastation in Beirut. With their new compilation Solidarity With Beirut they are raising money for the Lebanese Red Cross. This not just any compilation – it includes stunning tracks from Lebanese band Ferkat Al Ard and other local musicians from the 70s and 80s. “Heik ha Nishtghil?” by Munir Khauli has become something of a theme to the crisis, with the following lyrics:
“My, oh my, what a Lebanon.
Garbage on the streets, airport closed down, car thefts thriving,
Is this how we’re gonna work?
Roadblocks and militias, racial kidnapping, guns and Kalashnikovs,
Man, is this how we’re gonna work?”
