Back to the Blogroll: hawgblawg, mepop, democracy and hip-hop

As sometimes happens when I don’t have time or energy to write (due to housing search and troubles - not the first time that’s happened, eh?)…  I’ve decided to focus on the blogroll for a while instead.

So, people should notice some new additions there…

There is the very interesting hawgblawg, a radical-left and anti-authoritarian (I think) blog on culture, politics and music related to the Middle East.  (Although it is subtitled, “broadcasts from northwest arkansas, the ozarks, razorback country,” which is kind of far from the Middle East…)

This blogger, Ted Swedenberg, knows a lot about contemporary Middle Eastern music, which he covers exclusively in another very good blog, mepop. 

He also has a very good perspective on Middle East politics, opposing cultural/economic/political oppression from many sources - whether Jewish, Muslim, or Arab-secular, fundamentalist and/or capitalist.  He focuses on everything from musical/cultural rebellion to workers’ struggles, which is a nice change from so many  bloggers or reporters who seem only to want to talk about what the various manipulative leaders of the region are doing, their agenda, etc.  I also like the fact that he repeatedly calls attention to the difference between a “Jewish lobby” and a Zionist Lobby and tries to correct the confused idea that many people seem to have that Jews for some reason would or should automatically support Zionism or the state of Israel.

And between this blog and the more music-specific one, he mentions a lot of great  Middle Eastern musicians, singers and even rappers.  Though, one thing I’m wondering is why he seems to have passed over Natacha Atlas.  I haven’t read these these blogs’ archives fully, but if he really has skipped over Natacha Atlas (which seems to be the case), that’s quite a glaring omission, considering what an appropriate topic she and her music would be.  In fact, as Wayne pointed out to me (a while after I first posted this), he even wrote a lengthy and informative article on Natacha Atlas! 

In any event, speaking of music and politics…  A little while back, I mentioned a blog that combines hip-hop music and politics with a continuing appreciation of C.L.R. James…  I have finally gotten around to adding that blog to my blogroll, under its new/improved name, Democracy and Hip-Hop Project. 

Of course, I learned about all of the above blogs from History is made at night, which has been on my blogroll for a while now.  This blog, with its finely honed focus on ”the politics of dancing and musicking,” continues to be one of my own personal favorites.