We rarely see aspects of Yemen beyond the damage of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and clashes with Houthi rebels. Of course Yemen, like any other nation, is a country with culture and history, and its people have lives beyond those dictated by conflict.
That's what footage uploaded on YouTube earlier this week served to remind us of, as it features two talented street performers in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. But as the video goes to show, culture can never thrive without politics.
The video was titled "A mighty performance by the military band of the Republican Guard," as a joke; the video uploader said the lyrics poke fun at exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and called for former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to lead the "new" Yemen. The Republican Guard is an army led by Saleh's son, Ahmed, who is known to be siding with the Houthis.
The uploader said the known Yemeni song's changed lyrics also called Hadi a "Jew" and a "Saudi agent."
Setting all political correctness aside, these talented musicians are still pretty entertaining. Here's the performance:
By Hayat Norimine
