In this workshop, I focused on the theme of Doubt, inspired by my collaboration with Dr. Koul, where I featured on one of Mike's tracks, "Ode to Doubt," from his latest album, "Prophet of Doubt." The song delves into the complexities of doubt, and discussing this theme with Dr. Koul allowed me to explore the subject more deeply and reflect on its nuances.
Doubt
Today I come to you with doubt.
Doubt, my friend, you have been good to me, but today you
betrayed me.
You are the kind of friend that makes my insecurities come out.
You are the kind of friend that makes me anxious.
But mostly, you are the kind of friend that keeps nagging at the
back of my head.
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
Doubting if what I'm about to say
Might awaken the doubt in everyone else.
I know, then, doubt, you are good.
You are as important in my life as in anyone else's.
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
The one that took my tongue away,
The one that took my breath away,
And tells me to simply not speak,
Because if I do, I might fall down that trap.
And if I don't, then basically I’m considered crap.
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
That one that says: Why?
Why us? Why now? Why forever?
Why this enduring uncertainty?
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
Knowing what I'm about to say
May cause the suffering of my loved ones.
Knowing what I'm about to say might end my voice forever.
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
But this time I will start speaking,
Not allowing you, doubt, to take control.
Not allowing you, doubt, to stop me from doing anything.
STOP
STOP
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
Not understanding why none of you can’t hear me.
I doubt that my voice is heard.
I doubt that I exist.
I doubt that any of what I say matters.
STOP
Today I come to you with doubt,
Not knowing what language to address you with,
Not knowing how to phrase my words,
And not knowing if there is even a space for my own words.
But today, I come to face you, doubt.
I tell you that I know,
In my blood, it screams to me,
Without doubt, this is not the end.
—Without doubt, this is not the end–
With the voices that run through my body, that my ancestors' suffering is calling me out,
That my people's suffering is screaming.
So hear me now, doubt, and stop, stop what you are doing,
Because you are the cause of my chaos,
You are the cause of my bleeding.
Today I come to you, doubt,
And I tell you that I am stronger than you,
And that at this moment, you are not my friend.
You can't be.
There is no doubt that what is happening is more than just what
everyone calls a "war".
There is no doubt that what we see is a genocide.
There is no doubt that this has been our reality for more than 75
years.
There is no doubt that I carry my grandparents' pain.
There is no doubt, no doubt, no doubt.
If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be a person of reflection. You are
who I am, but you are the part in me that I also deny. You are
also that part in me that everyone dislikes.
But deep down, you are still my friend, and doubt that one day
you might never doubt me, because if you do, it will be the end
of you.
DOUBT
The workshop was divided into two parts. The first part focused on the theme of doubt through interactive games, and included a rap workshop led by Mike Azkoul, where doubt was a central theme. In the second part, I organized a live concert featuring Dr. Koul's album "Prophet of Doubt," followed by a discussion with the audience to further explore and reflect on the concept of doubt.
