Renowned Sudanese-Canadian artist and poet, Mustafa, has unveiled a powerful new single and accompanying video titled “Gaza Is Calling,” featuring Palestinian model Bella Hadid.
Crafted in 2020 as an homage to a childhood companion of the Sudanese-Canadian lyricist, the track is paired with visuals capturing present-day scenes from the West Bank city of Jenin.
All proceeds from the song will be directed to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund.
In a statement, Mustafa expressed, “‘Gaza is Calling’ is about my first experience with heartbreak in friendship.”
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When he was 11, the singer formed a deep bond with a Palestinian boy in the Toronto housing project they both lived in.
“Not even this love was a match for the violence we were up against,” Mustafa explained.
“In the end it was all the bloodshed between us that didn’t allow us to see each other without tears appearing, and one of the last notes he sent to me was about how we would continue on in another life.”
In the song, Mustafa’s vocals blend with the soft melodies of an Oud, which he refers to as “the instrument of our homelands, Sudan and Palestine.”
In the chorus, he croons to his friend, “Gaza is calling, it’s been years since you’ve been back,” adding, “every time I say your name / there’s a wall that’s in the way.”
In the video, Hadid and MC Abdul take viewers through a storyline where they reflect on old photographs and share moments of sorrow together. This narrative is interspersed with another tale featuring Israa Ahmed and her brother, residing in a Jenin refugee camp surrounded by devastation.
Despite the geographical distance, the two narratives intertwine visually through parallel scenes: Hadid embraces Abdul, while Ahmed embraces her brother.
All profits generated by “Gaza Is Calling” will be directed to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. This organization offers essential services such as food and healthcare in Gaza, a region where, since October, 37,000 individuals have lost their lives due to conflicts with Israel.
