Punk as ultimate resistance
Looking away is pointless. When MAHA sings, you listen. In the video for her track No profit, she stares straight into the camera without flinching. The raw, abrasive line “Counting money won’t fix your problem” cuts through infectious basslines, creating an unsettling but compelling contrast. Stepping lightly on steady rhythms in sturdy shoes, she moves with an almost playful ease. But make no mistake: this is a woman delivering a hard-hitting message wrapped in playful post-punk energy. It is no coincidence she has already supported Pussy Riot on tour. MAHA is an activist powerhouse from Sneek with Sudanese roots. Her DIY zine serves as a platform for voices too often unheard, rooted in her own lived experience as a Black Muslim woman. At Explore the North, MAHA presents new work that screams with joy as a form of ultimate resistance against big capital.
This performance is part of the Tweespraak programme. Within this initiative, Explore the North supports MAHA in the creation of new interdisciplinary work.