Mustafa, the Poet, pours the gravity of grief and memory into his new single, “Gaza is Calling.” It is an orchestrated lament that thrums with heartbreak and hope in equal measure.
A poet first and foremost, Mustafa’s lyricism runs deep, providing you with a close and personal view of his first taste of the rupture, the most debilitating fracture point in friendship. As an 11-year-old boy growing up in Toronto housing projects, he forged a deep bond with a Palestinian friend. But in a world where love often loses the battle against violence, their bond becomes another casualty. “Not even this love could withstand the violence we were facing,” Mustafa reflects. “One of the last notes he sent me was how we would live on in another life.”
That pain echoes in every note of “Gaza is Calling.” Ethereal strings and sparse instrumentation cradle Mustafa’s whispery, devastating vocal delivery, creating a sound environment where sorrow mingles with yearning. “Gaza is Calling” is a tribute to a lost friendship and a call for humanity to remember itself.
Mustafa has long been adept at making his wounds feel universal, and “Gaza is Calling” continues that tradition. This is memory, mourning, and, above all, it’s a testament to the fact that love clings to be heard even in the darkest corners of history.