Workers Solidarity Movement

To mark todays 80th anniversary of the Spanish revolution and what is also the 4th anniversary of the Rojava revolution in Kobane this recording of a Kurdish version of A Las Barricadas has just been released.

It's recorded in Qamişlo, Rojava by members of the Mohamed Şêxo art and culture centre. The performers say "What happened in Barcelona on 19th July 1936 was repeated 76 years later. We started in Kobanê, and it was there that we put up our fiercest resistance. Countless comrades have fallen to defend this city against the fascists, just like the countless comrades who gave their live to defend the revolution in Catalonia and Spain.

The spirit of revolutionary Barcelona lives on in the streets of the towns and villages of Rojava"
The English translation of the traditional lyrics from 1936 follow. The confederation referred to is the anarchist CNT.

The main changes to this new version are to make the lyrics explicitly feminist with the addition of

"Freedom, autonomy and women's liberation
Must be defended as the most precious values

...

Comrades, be ready with heart and love
To bring patriarchy and state to an end"

You can listen to the Kurdish version at http://youtu.be/-Juv6livzCY with English subtitles

Black storms shake the sky
Dark clouds blind us
Although pain and death await us
Duty calls us against the enemy
The most precious good
is freedom
And we have to defend it
With faith and courage
Raise the revolutionary flag
Which carries the people to emancipation
Raise the revolutionary flag
Which carries the people to emancipation
Working people march
onwards to the battle
We have to smash
the reaction
To the Barricades! To the Barricades!
For the triumph of the Confederation
To the Barricades! To the Barricades!
For the triumph of the Confederation

Kurdish lyrics
Bahozên reş hewayan dilerizînin
Ewrên tarî nahêlin em bibînin
Tevî ku mirin û zorî li benda me dibin
Bi ruha hevaltî em ê tirs derbas bikin
Azadî, xweserî û rizgariya jin
Wek pivan hejatirîn gerek bên parastin
Ala şoreşgeran em hildin azmanê
Û cîhanê nû bi destê xwe em afirînin
Ala şoreşgeran em hildin azmanê
Û cîhanê nû bi destê xwe em afirînin
Bi dil û evîn amade bin heval
Baviksalarî û dewlet dawî bikin
Werin barîkadan, werin barîkadan
Ji bo serkeftina konfederasyon!
Werin barîkadan, werin barîkadan
Ji bo serkeftina konfederasyon!