It started out as a debate on Facebook. But as their Tunisian and Egyptian neighbors rose up against their rulers, a group of young Moroccan activists came together in the spirit of revolution and began to discuss how they could bring democratic reforms to Morocco.

February 17, 2011 marked itself as the day the music did not die. After 40 years of suffocating under dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s iron fist, protesters followed their neighbors in Tunisia and Egypt by taking to the streets and risking their lives in exchange for liberation. When his grip over Benghazi fell to rebel fighters, radio airwaves blossomed and the country’s once-stifling music scene, dominated by the singular voice of Muhammad Hassan, Gaddafi’s handpicked singer, became a free-for-all forum that also found itself in the center of history of a new Libya.

The controversial trial of anti-monarchist Moroccan rapper Mouad Belghouat, who performs as El Haqed or “The Spiteful,” ended on January 12 with a prison sentence and a 500-dirham fine ($57 USD). With demands such as establishing a constitutional monarchy in Morocco, creating an independent judiciary, and cracking down on government corruption, his following amongst Moroccan youth has only gained momentum since last year’s Arab Spring. Labeled as the singing voice of the Moroccan revolution, his scathing lyrics tell his listeners to “wise up,” and in channeling the widespread youth cynicism over nation-wide corruption and unemployment, his popularity has many monarchists worried.

Hope, change, unity, anti-corruption, freedom, dignity, social justice - these are not just words; they are concrete goals protesters in Egypt demanded almost a year ago and are still fighting to fulfill today. And in a revolution that is almost inseparable from its music, they are also the themes that dominate the country’s protest songs, in lyrics that are confrontational, confident, even reflective of music’s place in Egyptian society.

Last week, Washington DC's Kennedy Center hosted the US premiere of “Hannibal Barca,” a symphony by Jaloul Ayed that pays homage to the famed, eponymous military figure of yore. This reference to an epic past marked the one year anniversary of the successful Tunisian revolution, which continues to have repercussions in the Mideast region; as such, the event was more than just a musical recital. And, Ayed is an unlikely composer, better known around the world as the former Finance Minister for Tunisia's post-Ben Ali interim government. And while he characterized himself as a "humble, modest, and amateur" composer, the stunning performance of “Hannibal Barca” on January 9 belied any notion that the work of a novice was on display. Aslan Media attended the event, where the symphony, performed by 25 Tunisian musicians and the Kennedy Center's house orchestra, did not disappoint.

Last week, we released part one of our three-part series The Soundtrack of Revolution: Celebrating #Jan25 Through 25 Music Videos that Gave it Voice. While most of the eight songs featured in our first installment focused on the contagious Hope that permeated around Egypt’s overthrow of dictator Hosni Mubarak, this week’s set focuses instead on the rage that blew his 30-year grip.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a song is worth a million, and a video gone viral is worth even more.

Since protests ran aflame in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, taking down the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, we’ve all be witness to the country’s triumphs, its setbacks, its challenges, and most importantly its contagious hope for freedom through peaceful protest.

Over the next several weeks, as we approach the anniversary of Jan 25th, our three-part Music series will highlight the grassroots role music played alongside the organic movement of defiant idealism that had nothing to lose but its own voice.

“We are Egyptians” - Hannah Magar, featuring The Brothahood

Hannah Magar, an Egyptian Muslim student in Australia who describes herself as “not a professional,” felt compelled to contribute to the movement through her music after watching the media coverage of Tahrir Square demonstrations. “Watching the brave people of Egypt in awe these last couple weeks, I feel they certainly deserved a song,” she wrote on YouTube. “It was the absolute least I could do.”

Featuring renowned Melbourne-based Hip Hop group The Brothahood, “We are Egyptians” not only recaps the country’s revolution through a montage of photographs taken during the protests, its lyrics capture the national unity and pride that “[tore] down walls and walked on water, / burned out flames, removed a dictator… saw the impossible and said I am possible.”

2011 not only brought unprecedented social and political changes to the Middle East, it also created a wellspring of creative expression in the region. As censorship fears began to dissolve along with the governments that enforced them, new voices began to emerge in the arts.