To mark the one year anniversary of the deadly Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, a vocalist who grew up in Lebanon and now lives in the United States has released her version, in Arabic, of the song “October Rain,” which was rejected as an entry to the 2024 Eurovision contest because it was deemed “too political.” Carine Bassili recorded “October Rain” in Tel Aviv, singing Arabic lyrics written by Avi Ohayon and Keren Peles.
This past May, Bassili performed a cover of the Israeli Eurovision song submitted in its stead, “Hurricane,” in solidarity with Israeli vocalist Eden Golan, who was unmercifully bullied while in Malmo to perform the song.
Bassili’s Arabic-language version of “October Rain” was dedicated to Israel and the Jewish people in support and solidarity to acknowledge the massacre that took place on October 7. “It is a gift from Arab advocates who want peace in the Middle East, especially with Israel. The message is clear: ‘You are not alone; here we are, we stand with you,'” Bassili and her team wrote.
