Brothers Keepers’ Song “Triple Rois”

The song “Triple Rois” (Drei Koenige/Three Kings) contains the voices of three distinct cultures speaking from three distinct vantage points, yet all sharing the same message. This song speaks mainly to the disenfranchisement and alienation felt by those who do not feel that they fit into the dominant cultural paradigm of their country of residence. The lyrics are broken and disparate, full of non sequiturs which serves to illustrate the discord and irony of not belonging in one’s country of origin. The three languages sung by three nationalities create a universalist narrative highlighting that these issues exist throughout Western Europe, and are not simply particular to Germany. They speak of change, of revolution; a change that must come from within the system. The French, English, and German experience all speak to the same issues, and by combining forces in this song they create a stronger opponent, a stronger voice, to speak out against institutionalized racism. The use of slang and obscure reference, coupled with the different languages, serves to complicate the narrative, narrowing the ability of the audience to fully understand all that is said, perhaps encouraging one to look further into issues that may be unfamiliar. The style of the song (rap) also serves to strengthen the sentiment of revolution and change, as it is accessible and appealing to many and is indeed a style of the people, where change must be engendered before anything widely systemic can be initiated.