TootArd: Laissez Passer

TootArd: Laissez Passer
Order here: goo.gl/JUD97v
www.glitterbeat.com
I do not exist on an ID card
A string and a piece of wood are my gunpowder
A Laissez Passer. Let him pass. That’s the document the stateless carry. It’s all that those from the occupied Golan Heights possess. Since 1967 the area has been part of Israel, but the inhabitants aren’t Israelis. They don’t have any citizenship. They don’t have passports. Just a Laissez Passer. And for the members of TootArd who all grew up in the village of Majdal Shams in the Golan, it’s a very apt name for their new album.
“Laissez passers are special situation papers,” explains singer and guitarist Hasan Nakhleh. “It took us a while to realise the effect. We’re permanent residents in Israel, but not citizens. We have no travel documents. When we travel we need the laissez passer. With no nationality, we’re officially ‘undefined.’”
But in statelessness, the five-piece has discovered musical freedom. TootArd grew up understanding that borders are something imposed by governments, lines that only exist on a map. On a disc, in concert, they can go wherever their imagination carries them. They carry their citizenship inside.
“What we do now is the result of everything we’ve ever done and heard,” Nakhleh says. “We began listening to Tuareg music and we fell in love with it. It resonated with us. North African music is something we’ve heard since we were children. We all grew up with classical Arab music. In finding our own sound, we’ve discovered things from all over.” With Laissez Passer, the past has helped create the future.
On the title cut, Nakhleh notes, “the first verse is the reality, the second is our solution. Our people are stateless. We have no flag, no sense of belonging. It also reflects our emotions. We feel undefined, we don’t know where we belong, when everything in the world tells us we should belong. People always want you to say who you are.”
With its insistent riff that evokes the space of the desert, glorious driving, funky percussion, and an electric guitar that Nakhleh modified with extra frets to sound like an oud, the song builds a manifesto that bonds West Africa and the Maghreb to the Levant. It’s a thrilling opener; more than that, it’s a very catchy one, with the subtle reggae flourishes adding a very organic, international feel. But those were a natural touch for the band, a nod towards their musical beginnings.
Laissez Passer is the sound of a band that’s found its voice. The songs seemed to be pulled from the air, to have found them, whether it’s the catchy optimism that transports “A’sfur,” the biting groove that propels “Oya Marhaba,” or the flickering shadows-and-light shifting guitarscape of “Sahra.”
The album closes with the yearning “Syrian Blues,” a gaze across the Golan Heights into the distance and history of another country.
“It’s something calm to finish, a very emotional quality. Our region used to be a part of Syria. Historically we’re Syrians, but I’ve never been to there. I feel the music has an emotional quality, and sadness in the harmonies. I even wrote it in the Rast scale, the one that’s most used in Arabic music. I thought it would evoke Syria.”
The result is an Arabic blues, the quiet, sad music of people who have a home but no nationality.
With music I become a flying bird
I change my feathers, I change my strings.
TootArd are not ‘undefined’; they’ve fashioned their own identity in their music, creating a bond of the stateless that reaches from the Levant to the Tuareg - another people without a real home - and reaches out far beyond. Let them pass.
Camera by:
Wael Abu Jabal
Melad Awidat
Jenan Shokair

[@fz95]

listening to this and sahra on my way to morocco by car from Holland, my dad loved their music so much it gave him so much energy to drive haha LOVE YOUR MUSIC

[@Harry_Ballz]

Jij gekkie

[@biyolojikalesi6503]

Hi from Turkey. The rhythms of the song are perfect and fun

[@TheArtbyartemis]

I do not exist on the ID card A string and a piece of wood are my gunpowder Without a nationality, without borders And if you ask me I would say I play the ´oud Laissez Passer; your name…your image isn’t familiar Laissez Passer; your origin…your roots aren’t known Laissez Passer; your country…your homeland isn’t known With music I become a flying bird I change my feathers, I change my strings Between my letters…words of fire Arabic, African, ´oud, and guitar Laissez Passer; your name…your image isn’t familiar Laissez Passer; your origin…your roots aren’t known Laissez Passer; your country…your homeland isn’t known

[@cramerhelen]

Artemis Antoniou Grazie per la traduzione!

[@cramerhelen]

Thanks for the translation!

[@LifeIsntHealthy]

Thank you!

[@stephanie163]

thank you very much!

[@brookepackheiser6639]

Many thanks!!

[@mdelconte92]

I am from Italy, I can't understand the idiom unfortunately, but I love the vibe and the groove. Music has no borders, Love for all the people.

[@horseyyyyy]

laissez faire laissez passer means let dp and let pass (french), its about trade and immigration in 18th century france.

[@stanislok.7106]

@@horseyyyyy it's about the lessez-passer document the Druze get from the israeli government instead of passports, as they have no nationality (it's an occupied area, originally Syrian). The song is about searching for their lost identity.

[@user-sm7oo3yu7q]

تحيتي لكم من السعودية، ما عندنا حدود❤️

[@abdoudakhouch8520]

Bravo les jeunes bonne inspiration du style touareg africain blues, very nice combination ;)

[@nunenmacalpine8112]

J'adore votre musique ! I love your music.

[@henrique6807]

that chorus... so simple, and yet so beautiful

[@jacobgray4380]

Thank you usataaza Tara for introducing me to this awesome song!

[@salimtessa8789]

Great music brothers! Big respect from Algeria.

[@wellnesspharmacy6903]

Written by two Syrian brothers who hail from Golan Heights which has been occupied by Israel since 1967

[@muhammedbirlik3129]

There are many Turkish Turkmens in the Golan Heights. During the Ottoman period, especially Sultan Abdulhamid Khan had them settle there due to the importance of the region. Because in order to protect the region, most of the population had to be Muslims.

[@lindsayshaw3759]

Fabulous. Saw them play one of the most enjoyable performances at the Greenbelt Festival a few years ago.

[@silvianavarro8713]

Me encanta, cuanta energía transmiten estos jovenes❗👏👏👏😘🙋🏼‍♀️

[@eylemtalipoglu5794]

Bağımlılık yapıyor

[@malikkef7679]

asıl migrant birds bağımlı ediyor insanı=)

[@HichamHicham-jg4xy]

Tinariwen mode ❤❤❤

[@husoyello6727]

Habe ich im radio gehört und jetzt KZbin einfach hammer weis nicht das land aber hammer super klasse alles wirklich

[@blue-lc1bl]

حبيت اللبس وطريقه غنائكم جدًا جميله ومميزه اتمنى لكم النجاح ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@theyatter]

A long overdue and hugely welcome voice.. Fantastic! Keep it coming

[@Serhat_Kacar]

0:47 words on wall "Seni Seviyorum" means I love you :D hi to Golan heights.

[@muhammedbirlik3129]

0:47 ❤ 🇹🇷 It says "I love you" in Turkish on the wall. what a coincidence Turkish is everywhere 🎉 Seni Seviyorum❤

[@RosaReyes-mk5ui]

Son geniales...👏👏👏👏👏

[@rosemarymeans7576]

i love them

[@costbart]

Wish I went when you were in Copenhagen

[@ergin6593]

"140 journos" tan geldim . Bu arkadaşlar müthiş. Çok keyifli müzik yapıyorlar .

[@skcbirivar9776]

140journos' un hangi belgeseli?

[@ergin6593]

@@skcbirivar9776 2 yıl önceki video. Belgesel ile çalan müzikler idi. Bi bakayım bulursam link bırakırım :)

[@skcbirivar9776]

@@ergin6593 tamam bro

[@jojopushes912]

i love you boys....i love your music its close to greek music...

[@BroZap1]

Stolen from this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHKmi3RvmaypjJY shameless

[@bombinozag]

so so good vibrations !! nice track

[@lolagordoba4499]

روعة يا شباب ابداع عاشت الجولان حرة ابية

[@frantzbubu6790]

Sympa signe Bretagne France

[@uncontrollable343]

Glastonbury!!

[@zoemor961]

מוסיקאים נהדרים! אחלה! תצליחו! Bravo !

[@andr01d1]

This is awesome! Some quality grooves

[@salvatoretitolo2541]

Ottimo !! Una grandissima produzione .

[@opticintake3399]

Dope...

[@Owza57]

Love it!

[@marthades]

Excellents sur scène, super concert à l'Espace B le mardi 30/01 !

[@alexeizybkov6032]

Кайф❤️

[@Ramadan_Ali726]

اغنية ممتازة لكن فيها مزيج الحان يشبه اغاني فرقة تيناروين و القبائلي بعض الشي

[@BroZap1]

It's EXACTLY the same. Stolen...

[@tajkaisi5614]

أحلى توت أرض

[@ahmadomrankhraish8384]

أغنية فلسطينية جميلة على موسيقى الطوارق

[@aliali-zl1fp]

سورية

[@BroZap1]

@@aliali-zl1fp No, Algerian: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHKmi3RvmaypjJY

[@stanislok.7106]

@@BroZap1 جولانية

[@principie6767]

i'm ur fan from now on

[@BroZap1]

You mean a fan of the band that actually created the music: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHKmi3RvmaypjJY

[@stanislok.7106]

@@BroZap1 bro, you keep going from comment to comment trying to force your imaginary point. They play music inspired by the amazigh tones, it takes a lot from desert blues and of course they will borrow a lick from the most prominent, it could seem so, Tuareg band. It's one lick. A good lick. Borrowing a lick isn't illegal or immoral. And it isn't even played entirely the same. The whole song is different, the lyrics are different, the message is different. Did you at least try to listen and understand?

[@GraveWalk]

ممتاز !

[@SirWilliam1986]

😎👊🏽🇫🇮

[@muslumgurses4995]

sahra şarkısı ve bu çok iyi

[@shinrarango]

does anyone have the lyrics bil arabee?

[@sarasport478]

الفرقة هذي من وين

[@adam_musics]

Sara Al obaide قرية مجدل شمس - الجولان السوري المحتل❤️🇸🇾

[@BroZap1]

Somewhere in Syria, ripping off this band: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHKmi3RvmaypjJY

[@Djefer69]

Europe1 m'a amené ici

[@hasanrızayetiş]

Lan duvarda Seni Seviyorum yazıyordu :D

[@sabrineseg3677]

Tinareiwan music موسيقى فرقة جزائرية

[@BroZap1]

I know! Shameless copying

[@odesmabass]

Sounds like Tinariwen

[@BroZap1]

Because it's stolen from them :)

[@aichacho1129]

وادع اسهع اقلهي ازيق ،😂

[@kahramanbulut3438]

Teşekürler Erdoğan Suriyeli arkadaşlar sayesinde keşfettim

[@kzkz22]

الحن مسروق من فرقة تيناروين

[@MacrobianNomad]

مب مسروق، في التلحين ما يسمى "بأخذ العينات" (sampling in English) وهذا الي سوه وعطو تيناروين حقهم.

[@maltrapilho2178]

free palestine

[@alinuernberg8399]

Why not identified? .... They sing in Arabic, but who are they?

[@akk3367]

هذا في فلسطين

[@akk3367]

dim1377 you're right

[@aloosh4495]

Syrians

[@GrooveRadioPT]

toca a passar www.grooveradiopt.com/

[@user-sm7oo3yu7q]

Yall if you watch this comment support tootard new album

[@hasanbatay3633]

tu es artése savoir

[@salmasamoud3310]

#FreePalestine

[@yassinh.m.a9361]

عل الهوية انت سارق لحن الأغنية 🤣🤣🤣🤣الإبداع لا يحب السرقة اذا انت سارق و لست مبدع

[@yassinemourit6856]

TINARIWEN SOUND! CAN'T BELIEVE YOU COPY THEM MELODY AND SOUND...SHAME..

[@Decoy1138]

This is a nice song but the description seems very misleading since it crucially omits that all Druze in the Golan have the right to apply for citizenship, though approval has become more difficult in recent years. Source: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel

[@suheir7639]

I am sooo happy I discovered this!!! Love it! I hope more and more people get to realise borders and ID-documents are not the things that define who we are. We do that ourselves.

[@suheir7639]

Hi@@zafarzubair2743, like in "getting to know something I didn't know before" does that answer your question? :)

[@AlainChatignon]

superbe

[@eltonsalesm]

hi from brazil! i don't understand the language, but i'm really in love with this band :)

[@BroZap1]

They ripped it off from this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHKmi3RvmaypjJY They copy....

[@mahaibrahim7463]

Bravo

[@Fisherkingnigel]

We got to see seen here in Fukuoka city Japan for Isla De Salsa....they were awesome!

[@MacrobianNomad]

Loving the Tinariwen - Sastanaqqam sampling

[@nadeen1111]

Wow I didnt even catch that - i knew it sounded familiar. Now it's super obvious. Ha!

[@BroZap1]

@@nadeen1111 Shamless copying...

[@MacrobianNomad]

@@BroZap1 it's sampling, learn music crediting and buying rights before you talk out of your ass like a fool

[@BroZap1]

@@MacrobianNomad Hahaha... Sampling is inspiration, it's thematic. This is copy/paste. Anyhow, good luck!

[@stanislok.7106]

@@BroZap1 I hope you got smarter since then.

[@nosmoking2933]

Excellent piece of music performed by highly skilled musicians.

[@HikoX]

¡Temazo! Regards from Spain...

[@TataMaiden666]

adorei!

[@jjstrumr692]

Your bass player kicks ass! Really excellent music with so much soul and funk!

[@Megan-xm5nv]

Cool music! I'll definitely be listening to more!

[@mariehone7130]

Merci . ♥

[@szamee83]

I need your help. Laisser Passer is my favorite album, I can't get enough of it but I need to listen to something else. What can you recommend? Any artist/song similar in sound and spirit? Thanks all

[@DieMammasundieBabbas]

Me recuerda a Dissidenten & Lemchaheb - Sahara Elektrik (1983)

[@szamee83]

Pedro Picapiedra terrific! Thank you

[@sie11pervan]

Mdou Moctar. Tinariwen. Sheikh Sidi-Bemol.

[@szamee83]

H8erfisternator I can’t find it

[@user-vq2de7lj3w]

Soul 47

[@marie-joehouaiss7537]

What type of music is it exactly please??

[@RusNad]

Sahara blues (check out Tinariwen and other Touareg bands) with reggae and middle eastern influence

[@marie-joehouaiss7537]

Love it #freepalestine ❤❤

[@seelz19]

AWESOME

[@husamadin6683]

حياكم يا شباب كتير حلو

[@gozde.-.]

unbelievably good *-*

[@kaibrattan3568]

I love you guys! Your songs are so beautiful!

[@midbay]

No borders

[@ismailozturk6331]

Muazzameee

[@mangoswishersweets]

Laissez passez بصرعاااااا

[@mohamedrissaikitalkouzamat7324]

it's nice

[@kataritenabelasciscix9823]

fantastic

[@El.5awaja]

💜

[@victormamede2443]

Palestine !!!

[@aloosh4495]

Syrians

[@lifestyle4789]

Like tinariwen. same music

[@abdalghanidz6972]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmmroIZopr54aJY الاغنية الاصلية