Al Jazeera documentary celebrates Libya’s defiant music scene

For 42 years, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya with an iron fist. Those were the years the music died; all non-Arabic music was banned, under threat of imprisonment, with western instruments burned in public squares across Libya.

Stronger Than Bullets, an Al Jazeera documentary, explores the defiant music scene that emerged during the 2011 Libyan revolution, where guitars and guns fought side by side.

Hip-hop, metal, rock, blues and even country music were suddenly echoing around Benghazi, as the city’s population found their voices for the first time in generations.

But after the revolution was won, a new threat emerged, and the musicians were again forced to scatter. Will the music scene thrive once more or will it remain mired in post-revolutionary blues? 

See the film here: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/