Our Lost Voices: Delving into the Music of Palestinian Pioneers

With Nader Jalal Al-Bas
Ages 17+
In Arabic

This course explores the diverse musical heritage of Palestine, challenging the prevailing notion that Palestinian music is confined only to folkloric heritage. For years, it was widely believed that these traditional forms were the sole sacred legacy to be preserved and passed down to future generations. However, deeper research revealed a significant urban musical heritage that has emerged in cities such as Jaffa, Haifa and Jerusalem. Shaped by cultural layers distinct from those that produced popular folk songs, this urban music, rich in passion, creativity and craftsmanship, deserves thorough study, documentation and revival as it stands on par with the works of renowned Arab musicians beyond Palestine.

With this understanding, the Palestinian Institute for Cultural Development (Nawa) has been working for the past 15 years to reshape the lost Palestinian artistic narrative of 1948, reinforcing the cultural story in a manner that reflects Palestine’s position within Arab, Levantine and global cultures. In this course, we will delve into Nawa’s practical experience in creating an archive of ‘refined’ Arab music in Palestine, addressing key questions posed at the start of the project:

• What are the origins of the musical and lyrical expressions that flourished in Palestine prior to 1948?
• What role did urban centres play in musical life, and was musical activity confined solely to folk heritage?
• How did Palestine's geographical location and the vibrancy of its people attract diverse artists and bands to its cities?
• When did the refined musical recordings of Palestinian musicians begin, and who were their creators?
• Where do we begin, and what methodology should we adopt in our research?
• How will we integrate our findings into contemporary and future cultural life?

This session is free, and all materials are provided by Sharjah Art Foundation.
 

About Nader Jalal Al-Bas 

Nader Jalal Al-Bas is a researcher and music producer who has founded and led numerous musical ensembles, performance troupes and local and international festivals. He has also written and composed several national songs and popular chants. He served as General Director of the Department of Arts at the Palestinian Ministry of Culture and later as Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Education and Culture in the Palestine Liberation Organisation. He established Nawa in 2009 and continues to serve as its Director and Chief Researcher. In 2013, he contributed to the book Palestinian Music and Song: Expression and Resistance Since 1900. In 2023, he published Palestine in the Arab Musical Renaissance in the First Half of the 20th Century, the first volume of the Here Is Jerusalem Encyclopaedia.

About Nawa

Founded in Ramallah in 2009, Nawa is a non-profit organisation dedicated to collecting, documenting and disseminating the musical heritage of Palestine. As part of its efforts to revive the works of pioneering Palestinian musicians, Nawa has produced four music albums, which were performed live by the Nawa Group for Arabic Music in Palestinian cities as well as Türkiye, Tunisia, Turkmenistan and Bahrain. Nawa was awarded first place in the Palestine International Award for Excellence and Innovation in 2014, and in 2019, it received the Excellence and Innovation in Cultural Work Award from the Taawon (Welfare Association).

The Foundation is committed to making its programmes inclusive and accessible. You will find disability access symbols indicating accessibility for all sessions on the registration form. Kindly contact us in advance to arrange for any support needed.

For more information, email learning@sharjahart.org or call 06 568 5050.