What is Palestinian music ?
Palestinian music has a rich and diverse history that reflects the region's cultural and historical influences. The origins of Palestinian music can be traced back to ancient times, with evidence of musical instruments and performances dating back to the Bronze Age.
Throughout history, Palestine has been a crossroads of different cultures and traditions, with music reflecting the influences of Arab, Jewish, Christian, and other regional and international cultures. The music of Palestine is characterized by a strong vocal tradition, with singers often accompanied by instruments such as the oud, qanun, violin, and ney.The music of Palestine is one of many regional subgenres of Arabic music. While it shares much in common with Arabic music, both structurally and instrumentally, the musical forms and subject matter are distinctively Palestinian. 1
Palestinian child playing the flute in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem,1954.
Pre-1948:
Palestinian music has a rich and diverse history that reflects the region's cultural and historical influences. The origins of Palestinian music can be traced back to ancient times, with evidence of musical instruments and performances dating back to the Bronze Age.
Throughout history, Palestine has been a crossroads of different cultures and traditions, with music reflecting the influences of Arab, Islamic, Christian, and other regional and international cultures. The music of Palestine is characterized by a strong vocal tradition, with singers often accompanied by instruments such as the oud, qanun, violin, and ney.
Early in the 20th century, Palestinian Arabs lived in cities and in rural areas, either as farmers or as nomads. The fellahin (farmers) sang a variety of work songs, used for tasks like fishing, shepherding, harvesting and making olive oil. Traveling storytellers and musicians called zajaleen were also common, known for their epic tales. Weddings were also home to distinctive music, especially the dabke. Popular songs made use of widely varying forms, particularly the mejana and dal'ona.
Palestinian oud performer in Jerusalem,1859.
Palestinian man playing the flute,1885.
During the British colonization of Palestine, Palestinian women developed a unique way to send messages to Palestinian prisoners through songs. They would sing in a distinct accent that the British were unfamiliar with, allowing them to communicate important information . This demonstrates the resilience and creativity of Palestinian women in the face of oppression, and their ability to use their voices as a tool for resistance. An example of such old song sung later by Rim banna:
Another song called "Min Sijn Akka" tells the story of three Palestinian revolutionaries who were executed by British occupation forces on June 17th, 1930, before the Nakba ”the catastrophe“ in 1948. The individuals, namely Mohamad Jamjoum, Foud Hejazi, and Atta Al Zeir sacrificed their lives in pursuit of a noble cause and their story serves as a testament to the struggle and determination of the Palestinian people.
Min Sijn Akka, a 1930 Palestinian song.
Post-1948:
After the creation of Israel on native Palestinian lands in between 1947–1950, 80% of the Palestinian populace were ethnically cleansed and forced into refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and surrounding countries. The most popular recorded musicians at the time were the superstars of Arab classical music, especially Umm Kulthum and Sayed Darwish. The centers for Palestinian music were in the Palestinian towns of Nazareth and Haifa, where performers composed in the classical styles of Cairo and Damascus. A shared Palestinian identity was reflected in a new wave of performers who emerged with distinctively Palestinian themes, relating to the dreams of statehood and the burgeoning nationalist sentiment.
In the 1970s, a new wave of popular Palestinian stars emerged, including Sabreen and Al Ashiqeen. After the First Intifada (1987), a more hard-edged group of performers and songwriters emerged, such as al- Funoun, songwriter Suhail Khoury, songwriter Jameel al-Sayih, Thaer Barghouti's Doleh and Sabreen's Mawt a'nabi.
In the 1990s, the Palestinian National Authority was established, and Palestinian cultural expression began to stabilize. Wedding bands, which had all but disappeared during the fighting, reappeared to perform old Palestinian folk songs and popular Egyptian and Lebanese songs. Other performers to emerge later in the 90s included Yuad, Washem, Mohsen Subhi, Adel Salameh, Issa Boulos, Wissam Joubran, Samir Joubran, and Basel Zayed with his new sound of Palestine and Turab group founded in 2004 with the CD Hada Liel.
Rim Banna, a well known Palestinian singer and composer.
The Diaspora Palestinian Reem Kelani is one of the foremost present day researchers and performers of music with a specifically Palestinian narrative and heritage.Her 2006 debut solo album Sprinting Gazelle – Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora comprised Kelani's research and arrangement of five traditional Palestinian songs, whilst the other five songs were her own musical settings of popular and resistance poetry by the likes of Mahmoud Darwish, Salma Khadra Jayyusi, Rashid Husain and Mahmoud Salim al-Hout. All the songs on the album relate to pre-1948 Palestine. 2
A large part of Palestinian music comprises wedding songs and dances. Due to the large amount of weddings in Palestinian culture, wedding singers have been able to maintain the tradition of Palestinian songs whilst incorporating modern vocals and rhythms. Wedding singers draw from a repertoire of ceremonial material including henna songs sung at the henna ceremony, wedding processionals (zeffat), and popular debkah and dance songs.
A'daffa (The West Bank) is a Palestinian song by Ahmad Kabour about the story of high school girl named Lina in 1967. Lina went out with her friend during her high school exams. After the exam, popular protests erupted which led to clashes and throwing of stones. Lina and her friend rushed to hide in a blacksmith's shop. After about 10 minutes, when the situation calmed down a bit, they left and took refuge in a house. An Israeli soldier followed them, broke into the house, and shot Lina in her chest.
Classical music:
Before 1948, the Palestinians formed a part of the Arab cultural mosaic in the Levant. Although the popular music was limited to the genre of folk music that served the needs of ritual and social events varied, but the beginnings of a serious musical phenomenon began to form in Palestine with the presence of profound composers of the first generation, such as Augustine Lama, Yousef Khashou, Salvador Arnita and others. the second generation of composers included among others: Patrick Lama, Amin Nasser, Nasri Fernando Dueri, and Saleem Zoughbi,. The third generation includes younger musicians such as Habib Touma, Mounir Anastas, Bichara El Khail and Sam Gebran, etc.. From the confrontation with the Israeli occupation emerged the movement of the poetry of the resistance, and with it emerged national Palestinian song against the occupation. During the occupation, Palestinian classical music continued to rise, with new names in the realm of classical music along with the founding of many symphony orchestras (such as the Palestinian Youth Orchestra, and West-Eastern Divan, founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said) as well as string quartets and quintets, which gave the Palestinian Territories the highest number of orchestras among Arab countries.
Palestinian Musicians in Jerusalem, late 19th century.
Names of Palestinian composers: Salvador Arnita (1914–1985), Habib Hasan Touma (born in Nazareth, 1934, died in Berlin 1998), Nasri Fernando Dueri (born 1932), François Nicodeme (born in Jerusalem 1935) and his brother William Nicodeme, Amin Nasser in Ramleh 1935, Patrick Lama, Abdel-Hamid Hamam, Saleem Zoughbi.
Lydia Akkawi, the first Palestinian radio singer,1938.
Music and identity:
Palestinian music reflects Palestinian experience. As might be expected, much of it deals with the struggle of living under Israeli occupation, the longing for peace, and the love of the land of Palestine. A typical example of such a song is Baladi, Baladi (My Country, My Country), which has become the unofficial Palestinian national anthem:
Palestine, Land of the fathers,
To you, I do not doubt, I will return.
Struggle, revolution, do not die,
For the storm is on the land.
"Zareef et Tool" is one of the most popular Palestinian songs of today and can be traced back many decades ago. The song encourages Palestinians not to leave their homeland:
O, elegant and tall one stop so I can tell you
You are going abroad and your country is better for you
I am afraid you will get established there
And find someone else and forget me
Palestinian traditional dance:
Dabke ( also spelled Dabka, Dubki, Dabkeh, plural Dabkaat) is a native Levantine folk dance. Most popular in Palestine. Dabke combines circle dance and line dancing and is widely performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. The line forms from right to left and the leader of the dabke heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers. 3
Palestinian wedding party,1930.
Dabke is derived from the Levantine Arabic word dabaka (Arabic: دبكة) meaning "stamping of the feet" or "to make a noise". 3 4
Palestinians dancing in the city of Nablus.
It may have developed from Canaanite fertility rites wherein communities joined in the energetic foot stomping dance to scare away malicious spirits, clearing the way for healthy and secure growth of their seedlings. 5
Palestinian embroidery depicting the traditional Palestinian dance: Dabke.
There are numerous kinds of songs that are sung during and specifically for dabke, by both men and women respectively, depending on the occasion, song, and audience. Some of the most popular of these songs, such as Dal Ouna, Al Jafra, Al Dahiyya, and Zareef il-Tool, are actually entire genres in themselves, in the sense that lyrics can vary significantly in each performance but the basic rhythm of the music is consistent and recognizable. This variation can be seen in the hundreds of Palestinian lyrical variations heard and recorded of these songs which regardless of specific lyrics, are recognized by their rhythm and at times, a single phrase, as in Ala Dal Ouna, Jafra, and others. For example, even though one might have heard Ala Dal Ouna sung previously telling a different story in this famous love song, people will still call another song ascribing to the same rhythm and theme as Dal Ouna.
Palestinian men dancing and playing the flute.
Famous Palestinian singer Mohammad Assaf dancing dabke.
Forms of traditional Palestinian songs:
Unlike many other cultures, traditional Palestinian songs have no set lyrics but rather a set rhythm. The singers are usually family members or close friends who make up the lyrics on the spot. At modern Palestinian events there may be a professional singer, but the forms mentioned below, still very popular today, were created long way before the popularization of professional singers. Therefore, the song lyrics differ from city to city. Many types of Palestinian songs, including Atab/Mejana and Dal'ona, have transcended time. Due to the relevance of the subject matter and the need to maintain tradition and culture, traditional types of Palestinian songs can still be heard at events of today, such as weddings or gatherings. They still remain extremely popular throughout the Palestinian culture. Among the forms:
- Ataaba is the most popular type of song in Palestine. It is often sung by farmers, workers, and shepherds as a work song. However, weddings are the main environment for the songs. As with the other forms of songs, Mejana is based on poetry. Usually the singer starts with the long sound of "Ooaaaff". Then the verses of ataba follow. Ataba is composed of four verses of poetry. The first three end with the same word in sound but different meanings. The fourth verse ends with a word that usually ends with a sound like "Aab or Aywa!"
- Dal'ona is the second most popular type of song in Palestine. It is easier to compose than ataba because it does not require the similar sound of the ends of the first three verses. However, like ataba, dal'na has four verses of poetry, where the first three have similar endings and the fourth usually ends with a sound like "Oana". Dal'ona is the sound of the Palestinian popular dance, dabka, where the dancers sing it along with the sound of the shubbabah (flute), yarghool or mijwiz.
- The Sahja is another popular form of Palestinian song usually sung at weddings. It may be done by men or women and involves clapping to the rhythm of the song that is being sung to the bride by women, or groom by men. The men gather in two lines facing each other, or surround the groom. Then the zajal leads the sahja. The zajal is a talented singer or close family member who sings the sahja on the spot. The zajal leads the sahja with a verse, and the entire group repeats. The sahja done by women carries out the same process but with many women leading (usually older women) while the young women repeat. Also, the women may add a loud, "Lolololeey" during and at the end of the sahja. There is no female zajal.
- Zaghareet (pl), one of the oldest forms of Palestinian song, is another important form of song during Palestinian weddings. The zaghreet is traditionally sung by women at weddings or important events. One woman starts the zaghroot with a loud "Heeey Hee..." or "Aweeha...". She then continues with a short poem or few rhyming words. After the women are done, they all join with a loud, "Lolololoolololoeeeey" sound. Unlike the women's sahja, the zaghroot involves no clapping, and only one woman must take turns to offer a zaghareet.
Songs for the love of Palestine.
The culture of Palestine
Palestinian hip hop:
Palestinian hip hop reportedly started in 1998 with Tamer Nafar's group DAM. These Palestinian youth forged the new Palestinian musical subgenre, which blends Arabic melodies and hip hop beats. Lyrics are often sung in Arabic, Hebrew, English, and sometimes French. Since then, the new Palestinian musical subgenre has grown to include artists in Palestine, Israel, Great Britain, the United States and Canada.
Borrowing from traditional rap music that first emerged in New York in the 1970s, "young Palestinian musicians have tailored the style to express their own grievances with the social and political climate in which they live and work." Palestinian hip hop works to challenge stereotypes and instigate dialogue about the Palestinian question. Palestinian hip hop artists have been strongly influenced by the messages of American rappers. Tamar Nafar says “when I heard Tupac sing “It’s a White Man’s World” I decided to take hip hop seriously”. In addition to the influences from American hip hop, it also includes musical elements from Palestinian and Arabic music including “zajal, mawwal, and saj” which can be likened to Arabic spoken word, as well as including the percussiveness and lyricism of Arabic music. 6
Historically, music has served as an integral accompaniment to various social and religious rituals and ceremonies in Palestinian society. Just as the percussiveness of the Hebrew language is emphasized in Israeli Hip-hop, Palestinian music has always revolved around the rhythmic specificity and smooth melodic tone of Arabic. “Musically speaking, Palestinian songs are usually pure melody performed monophonically with complex vocal ornamentations and strong percussive rhythm beats”. The presence of a hand-drum in classical Palestinian music indicates a cultural esthetic conducive to the vocal, verbal and instrumental percussion which serve as the foundational elements of Hip-hop. This hip hop is joining a “longer tradition of revolutionary, underground, Arabic music and political songs that have supported Palestinian Resistance”. This subgenre has served as a way to politicize the Palestinian issue through music. 6 7
Themes:
Many Palestinian hip hop artists address themes that directly affect Palestinians in the occupied territories, living in Israel and those in exile. These artists use hip hop to address issues including patriarchy, drugs, violence, corruption and police brutality. Unlike the ideals of American rap, Palestinian rappers focus on exposing the lived conditions of the Palestinian people, especially the denial of Palestinian self-determination in their homeland. Palestinian nationalism is at the center of all Palestinian hip hop, regardless of the artists. The current living conditions of Palestinians living in the occupied Palestine and within Israel is addressed in the songs 'Who is the Terrorist' by DAM and "Free Palestine" by the Hammer Brothers. Rather than succumbing to the violence that surrounds them, Palestinian hip hop artists instead, attempt to spread their politically conscious messages to the world. 6
Who is the terrorist? by DAM.
1- Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
Palestinian rappers have been explicit in their criticism of the current situation between Israel and Palestine. The song "Who is the Terrorist" by DAM is arguably the most explicit criticism of the relationship between Israel and Palestine. These rappers want to address the "paradox inherent in the notion of a state that claims to be both democratic and Jewish". The book, Representing Islam: Hip-Hop of the September 11 Generation, states that "the Palestinian struggle for self-determination has become a major rallying cry for Muslim hip-hoppers. Many established or up-and-coming Muslim hip-hopper either have a song about Palestine or make references to the politics of dispossession in the third holiest land in Islam". MC Abdul, a young rapper who has been raised in the conflict, focuses much of his work on the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict. 6 8
MC Abdul, a Palestinian child rapper singing from Gaza.
2- Living conditions
All Palestinian artists, regardless if they are within Palestine or abroad, have addressed their lived experience as Palestinians. For rapper Mahmoud who lives in Israel, he describes his experience as "whenever I walk the streets, my enemy steps to me in ignorance, he demands my ID, sees I’m an Arab. It drives him crazy. He begins to interrogate me, tells me I’m a suspected terrorist". Similarly, in the song, "Who Is The Terrorist", DAM describes the physical conditions, rapping: "Crawling on the ground, smelling the rotting bodies? Demolished homes, lost families, orphans, freedoms with handcuffs?". The Palestinian female rap duo from Acre, Historic Palestine/ now Israel, Arapeyat, address challenges among the Palestinian community by rapping "what’s happening to our society, we’re imprisoning ourselves, with crimes and drugs, we need to make change now".
3- Establishment of an independent state
Palestinian rappers have addressed the need and right to establish an independent Palestinian state in the Palestinian territories. For these rappers, "Palestinian liberation is obviously a key touchstone topic of identity...their music deals not just with issues of cultural identity but also of global politics". 9
4- Palestinian unity and pride
For many Palestinian rappers, especially those in exile, their aim is to raise consciousness. In their song "Prisoner," DAM raps, "our future is in our hands, there is still good in the world my brothers, the sky is wide open, take flight my brothers". The song "Born Here" delivers a similar message by saying "when we said hand in hand we should stand, we didn’t mean just a finger, cuz in order to achieve power we shall all be together". Despite location or overall theme, Palestinian rappers all support and wish to give hope to Palestinians.
Born here by Dam.
Shabjdeed is an another Palestinian rapper from Kafr 'Aqab, East Palestine. Based in Ramallah, he has become an influential figure in underground Palestinian hip hop.
Shabjdeed's lyrics often deal with conflicts between the Israeli Occupying Forces and the Palestinians. His use of the Arabic language is characterized as playful, using alliteration and rhyming to create a unique style. His delivery has been described as a "constant overflow of words that fills every corner of a track." His rapping has been characterized as having a thick accent
He cites the Ramallah rap collective Saleb Wahed as a major source of inspiration.
BLTNM: Along with Al-Nather and Shabmouri, he is a part of BLTNM, pronounced "blatinum", in reference to Platinum Records in Dubai and the fact that there's no P phoneme in Arabic. The group participated in a campaign for Burberry August 2020.
The critic Ma'an Abu Taleb named Shabjdeed and Al Nather's 2019 track "Mtaktak" for a list of the "greatest hip-hop songs of all time" published by the BBC
Shabjdeed - MTAKTAK
Daboor, another rapper from Ramallah, Daboor’s debut single “Liter Black'' was released in 2020 to much fanfare and critical acclaim. His unique style and raw talent cemented his status in the rap scene and he was soon signed to BLTNM Records. Daboor’s words touch on the violence of the government, and his delivery mimics it with brutal bursts of staccato.
It was less than a year ago that Palestinian rapper Daboor first hit the scene, dropping his track ‘Liter Black’ on SoundCloud, garnering over 100,000 streams. It was only a matter of time before he teamed up with another of Palestine’s brightest talents—and it just happened.
The rapper just dropped a three-track EP with none-other than the Ramallah-based record label BLTNM; and one of the tracks just became a bonafide Palestinian anthem. Entitled ‘Inn Ann’, the Al Nather produced song sees Daboor alongside BLTNM’s Shabjdeed, released with a Shabmouri-directed video that has quickly amassed over 57 million views on YouTube alone.
The track, whose release coincides with violent and deadly attacks by Israeli forces in many parts of Palestine, has unofficially become a contemporary anthem of sorts for Palestinian youth, exemplary of the strength of Palestinians.
In it, Daboor’s verses reinforce the sense of innate power and resistance that come with being Palestinian. “We welcome you, we are the kids of Jerusalem,” says Daboor in a chorus. “We will take it upon ourselves to solve the riddle,” he continues.
Daboor & Shabjdeed - Inn Ann (Prod. Al Nather)
Spread love and peace through music, from Jerusalem/Palestine with ❤️.
Footnotes.
- Rima Tarazi (April 2007). "The Palestinian National Song: A Personal Testimony". This Week in Palestine.
- "Middle East & North Africa Reem Kelani World Music at Global Rhythm - the Destination for World Music".
- Cohen, Dalia; Katz, Ruth (2006). Palestinian Arab Music: A Maqam Tradition in Practice.
- "Dabke". Canadian Palestinian Association in Manitoba.
- Kaschl, Elke (2003). Dance and Authenticity in Israel and Palestine: Performing the Nation. Brill. p. 82.
- Maira, Sunaina (2008). "We Ain't Missing: Palestinian Hip Hop - A Transnational Youth Movement". CR: The New Centennial Review.
- Al-Taee, Nasser. "Voices of Peace and the Legacy of Reconciliation: Popular Music, Nationalism, and the Quest for Peace in the Middle East." Popular Music 21 (2002): 41–61. JSTOR. EBSCO. Brandeis University, Waltham. Apr 1. 2008.
- Mohamed Nasir, Kamaludeen (2020). Representing Islam: Hip-Hop of the September 11 Generation. Indiana University Press.
- Massad, S. (2005). "Liberating Songs: Palestine Put to Music". In R. L. Stein & T. Swedenburg (eds.) Palestine, Israel, and the Politics of Popular Culture. Duke University Press. 175–201.
Links and references:
1- Dabke Dance: History, Types, Technique, Costumes & More by Cora Harris.
2- Echoes of resistance: 8 Palestinian musicians you should have on your playlist by Christina Hazboun.
3- Don't Leave: Reviving the folk songs of Palestinian women by Christina Hazboun.
4- The art of Palestinian Dabke by Rakan Abed El Rahman.
5- Love, loss, longing: How Palestinian musicians are reviving old folk songs by Harem Shurrab.
6- The Palestinian Diaspora Orchestra | Al Jazeera World.
The Palestine National Orchestra was first set up in 1936 but was disbanded when Israel was founded in 1948. In 1993, a group of musicians started a Palestinian national music school in Ramallah which has developed into the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. It now also has branches in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nablus and Gaza. In 2010, the Conservatory decided to revive the national orchestra by bringing musicians together from all around the world.
7- Palestinian dabke and an old Palestinian folk song.
8- A Palestinian man dancing dabke all around Palestine.