Rocking the Middle East - Lebanon

Social networking spreads fresh voices after Arab Spring


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The Arab Spring has seen old regimes crumble and new voices fill the political vacuum. In Beirut, one rock band has been reaching audiences across the Arab world, tackling conservatism and social taboos.

The lead singer of Mashrou' Leila is openly gay and has no reservations when it comes to discussing sex, civil war and religion: "I think we are touching on stuff that everyone had big question marks about". Their music has not been universally welcomed but, like elsewhere in the Arab world, social media has generated an opportunity for the young generation to break from their conservative societies and spread a new message. "I feel that with globalisation the people from my generation have changed so much."

A Film By SBS
Distributed By Journeyman Pictures
November 2011

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