Arts·Commotion

More musicians are speaking out about Gaza than ever before. Why now?

Palestinian-Canadian musician John Kameel Farah, Israeli-American culture writer Lux Alptraum, and Vassar College music professor Justin Patch discuss the recent surge of musicians speaking up about the plight of Palestinian people.

Musician John Kameel Farah, culture writer Lux Alptraum, and professor Justin Patch discuss how we got here

Bobby Vylan of Bob Vylan performs next to a Palestinian flag at Release Athens Festival 2025, on July 4, 2025  in Athens, Greece.
Bobby Vylan of Bob Vylan performs next to a Palestinian flag at Release Athens Festival 2025, on July 4, 2025 in Athens, Greece. The band sparked controversy during their 2025 Glastonbury Festival performance for leading the crowd in a chant of "Death to the IDF", as a result of which their visas for an upcoming US tour were revoked. (DIMITRIS KAPANTAIS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)

From major pop stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish to rap acts like Bob Vylan and Kneecap, this summer has seen the music industry turn its focus to what's happening right now in Gaza in a big way.

But each artist has taken their own approach to spreading the word about the ongoing crisis. The acts that have taken a more bold stance on the festival circuit, however, have been met with undeniable backlash.

Today on Commotion, Palestinian-Canadian musician John Kameel Farah, Israeli-American culture writer Lux Alptraum, and Vassar College music professor Justin Patch join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the recent surge of musicians speaking up about the hunger crisis in Gaza, and how the repercussions for speaking out have changed since the war in Gaza began almost two years ago.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube:

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Panel produced by Stuart Berman.