Style Weekly
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Bet you didn’t know that one of the most effective musical voices on the ground at Occupy Wall Street was a St. Christopher School grad with an Arabic last name? Musician, activist and Iraqi-American Stephan Said (formerly Smith) was the singer during the second week in Zuccotti Park, leading the crowd through “Aheb Aisht Al Huriya” (translated as “I Love the Life of Freedom”), an Egyptian civil rights anthem made popular during the Tahir Square demonstrations. The violinist and guitarist also played when Radiohead failed to appear for their free show, and has since performed with veteran activist Pete Seeger. His deceptively poppy political songs have been covered by big names as varied as Dave Matthews and Patti Smith, and Said has gotten widespread media coverage in Time, The New Yorker, on NPR, and other national outlets. He returns home for a Camel benefit concert for the local volunteer Alliance for Progressive Values, which works on issues including clean energy and women’s reproductive rights. Stephen Said will perform at the Camel on Saturday, June 16, at 5 p.m. $10-$12.
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