Meet Sosan Firooz, Afghanistan’s First Female Rapper
NewsOne has a great write-up on 23 year old Sosan Firooz, Afghanistan’s first female rapper.
The popularity of Hip Hop music and culture is steadily increasing throughout her homeland, but Firooz is truly the first of her kind. Her work speaks to the repression of women, war, and childhood trauma she experienced as a refugee in Iran.
Though Afghan society frowns upon female performers, Firooz is unfazed.
“She is still not yet widely known among Afghans, but she’s breaking traditional rules for women in a very conservative society, where some women don’t go outside without wearing blue burqas that cover them from head to toe. Violence against women is still common in Afghanistan, especially in remote areas. There are reports of women being stoned or executed in public for having affairs with men. Women are arrested and others set themselves on fire to escape domestic violence. Women accused of adultery have been killed or imprisoned.
‘We want an end to all cruelty against women and children,’ Firooz chants.
Firooz’s uncle has cut off relations with his family because she appears on TV and sings, says her father, Abdul Ghafar Firooz. He says he has quit his job at the government-run electric department to accompany her whenever she leaves the house and protect her as she pursues her acting and musical career.
‘I am her secretary, answering her phones. I am her bodyguard, protecting her. When she’s out, I must be with her,’ her father said. ‘Every parent must support their daughters and sons to help them progress,’ he said.
Her mother, who does humanitarian work in some conservative, remote areas of southern Afghanistan, says she’s careful not to mention her daughter’s budding career.
‘Family support gives me the strength to fight against the problems in our society,’ the young singer says.”
Sosan Firooz is a testament to the the power of Hip Hop as an artistic outlet and mode of resistance for opressed people around the world.
Much love and respect to Sosan for her bravery and commitment to inspiring her community through art.
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