Was very happy to see Mahmoud Kohail, from Gaza, sharing his talent on stage. No matter what the zionists do to Palestinians, they can NEVER kill their culture, karama, hope, life. Viva Palestine! I interviewed Mahmoud in 2010, when he’d only been studying the qanoon for a year. Already he was incredibly talented. “Mahmoud… Read More Mahmoud Kohail and Palestinian youths do Palestine PROUD 🙂
(Ma’an News) — Muhammad Assaf, a Palestinian finalist in the TV singing contest Arab Idol, says he is inspired by long-term hunger striker Samer Issawi and would trade winning the competition for the prisoner’s freedom. “I am conveying Palestine’s message to the world, and if I had to choose between winning the Arab Idol title… Read More Palestinian Arab Idol finalist says Issawi an inspiration
Vanessa Beeley writes from Gaza on Mohamed Assaf, a talented and inspiring Palestinian from Gaza: “Two days ago Mousheera Jammal and I went to Palestine University to talk to Lecturers and fellow students who know Palestine’s rising Arab Idol star…Mohamed Assaf. Mohamed has been setting the stage alight and bewitching the Arab Idol judges with… Read More Gaza Palestine’s rising Arab Idol star
first published by Eva Bartlett at the New Internationalist Wedding season began weeks ago with the first convoys of honking cars overloaded with singing, dancing, cheering shebab [guys]. From 4pm onwards, the beeping cars and wedding bands – five or more musicians dressed in traditional trousers and blouses, playing different-sized drums and something akin to… Read More street celebrations
*photo by Emad Badwan first published: (IPS) – By Eva Bartlett “Why are you rushing? Isn’t it nicer like this?” Mohammed Omer, oud teacher (an oud is similar to a lute) at the Gaza Music School, asks his student. Omer takes the oud and demonstrates, playing the song slowly, gracefully, with the ornamentations that are… Read More music to live by
While harvesting olives, Beit Hanoun “Local Initiative” volunteers show an amazing spirit, humour, comradery.
Mohammed is largely self-taught, yet his fingers seemed destined for the oud.
*Palestinian Rapperz [/source] (IPS) By Eva Bartlett– In a backstreet open-air cafĂ© in Gaza late at night, Khaled Harara from the Black Unit Band starts to talk about rap. A phone call interrupts him. “Oh my god, it’s my dad, he will kill me because I’m not home yet.” Not quite the tough image one… Read More To Rap Is to Resist
I try to remain open to the beauty of Palestinian life in Gaza. It’s hard, when most encounters vocally or visibly tell of suffering, suffocation, dreams lost. The other day, stopping in a shop to buy phone card refill, the shop owner told me dogs have more rights and live better than Palestinians. So when… Read More Nicer times 4
Part of a wedding celebration. Other parts include the procession through town, festive music blaring, boys and men hanging out of car windows or on top of flatbed trucks, dancing, reveling in the wedding or in a reason to celebrate. While I’ve seen many of these, it never fails to bring a smile. This afternoon,… Read More nicer times 3
In Gaza 