Girls Form Popular Underground Rock Band in Saudi Arabia
With the strong rules and regulations put forth by the religious community of their conservative country, a group of four girls in Saudi Arabia have found means of expressing themselves, even if they can’t do it in public. Dina (Guitar), her sister Dareen (Bass), Lamia (Singer) and Amjad (Keyboard), have formed the underground rock band, The Accolade. The band has to practice in secret locations, cannot shoot album cover pictures or get any sort of recognition for the musical talent they display, but they still love to make music. They record and put music up for download online and through their MySpace page. They believe that with a majority of Saudi Arabia’s population being under 25, some of the laws restricting the actions of women in the Kingdom will change in the future. Their religious upbringing is apparent as you can see a sense of self-censorship where they do not talk of drugs, smoking or drinking in their music. For now the band plans to continue to play underground and hopes to one day record an album, far away from their home nation and the censorship it imposes on them.
Holly MacGillivray
