Deena Abdelwahed is set to release an EP in February through the imprint Shouka, consisting of music composed for ‘Flagranti‘, a play that dissects the horrors suffered by the LGBTQI+ community in Tunisia.
Performed for the first time in 2022, the two-hour play bluntly sheds light into a decades-long struggle for Queer rights in the North African country, where same-sex acts are punishable with prison terms.
Steeped in black humour, ‘Flagranti’ reveals stories of people who have suffered violence at home, in the workplace and in public, as well as highlighting problems facing all Tunisians: police and judicial corruption, impunity and the brain drain as people leave to seek better economic prospects in Europe and elsewhere.
Written collectively under the initiative of LGBTQ+ organisation (NGO) Mawjoudin (WeExist), the play was conducted by director, playwright and producer Essia Jaibi featuring music composed by Deena Abdelwahed – an avant-garde array of music sprinkled with traditional elements of Arabic music.
‘Flagranti’ is scheduled for release on 3 February via Shouka. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
Photo by Marie Rouge
TRACKLIST
1. Diner
2. Fête
3. Flirt
4. Homosapiens