Media Type:
Songs
Title
Act Thuggish (Tabaltag) by Sama El-Masry
Subject
Song
Description
This song, sung by belly dancer Sama El-Masry, mocks the Muslim Brotherhood. It was a viral hit amongst opponents of former president Mohammed Morsi when it was uploaded in November 2012. It incorporates political chants from anti-Muslim Brotherhood protests in October 2012.
El-Masry broke social taboos by mixing politics and belly dancing and many considered her to be part of a wider movement of artists and writers who were resisting the conservative-religious standards of the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Masry, like many Egyptians, supported the military's removal of Morsi in July 2013. She released a song insulting then president Barack Obama, accusing him of siding with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Creator
Sama El-Masry
Source
Publisher
YouTube
Date Published
Rights
YouTube
Related Resources
Language
Arabic
Date Created
14/11/2012
Tags
Citation
Sama El-Masry, “Act Thuggish (Tabaltag) by Sama El-Masry,” Politics, Popular Culture and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, accessed November 21, 2024, https://blue-owl.lnx.warwick.ac.uk/items/show/157.
Media
Translation
“Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Watch out, watch out
Your…haha ‘project’ *
Was actually a sham
Watch out, watch out
Your…haha ‘project’
Was actually a sham
Turns out he’s a clever+ boy
But all he’s good at
Are mangoes
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Never!
Their head honcho
Said ‘screw you’
No, screw you and your lot!
Their head honcho
Said ‘screw you’
No, screw you and your lot! Twice!
Baltooga^ shouts and gives mean faces
Oh mum, I’m so scared!
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Hagouza±, he’s a Agouza§ specialist
Barnousa±±, with that crazy smile
Hagouza, he’s a Agouza specialist
Barnousa, with that crazy smile
Stop this childishness, it’s not very manly
Cover up, Ariouna§§
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Oh, you delicious Mango!”
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Watch out, watch out
Your…haha ‘project’ *
Was actually a sham
Watch out, watch out
Your…haha ‘project’
Was actually a sham
Turns out he’s a clever+ boy
But all he’s good at
Are mangoes
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Never!
Their head honcho
Said ‘screw you’
No, screw you and your lot!
Their head honcho
Said ‘screw you’
No, screw you and your lot! Twice!
Baltooga^ shouts and gives mean faces
Oh mum, I’m so scared!
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Hagouza±, he’s a Agouza§ specialist
Barnousa±±, with that crazy smile
Hagouza, he’s a Agouza specialist
Barnousa, with that crazy smile
Stop this childishness, it’s not very manly
Cover up, Ariouna§§
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Go ahead,
be a thug
I won’t be scared
And I won’t go back inside
Oh, you delicious Mango!”
* A reference to the Muslim Brotherhood’s failed ‘renaissance' ('nahda') project
+ Masry uses the word ‘Shater’ which translates to clever, but is also the name of senior MB figure Khairat al-Shater
^ Something of a derogatory nickname for Mohamed El-Beltagy, another senior MB figure, but shortening his last name to Baltooga.
± Safwat Hegazi, another MB figure
§ An area of west Cairo
±± Hassan El-Brince, MB figure in Alexandria
§§ Essam El-Erian, whose last name translates as ‘naked’ or ‘uncovered’
Original Format
video clip
Duration
2m 58s
Player
