Lecture Welcomes Text on Palestinian Music and Song

Birzeit University’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences held on April 16, 2014 a lecture to review the book "Palestinian Music and Songs: Expression and Resistance since 1900," published recently by Indiana University. The book is part of the “Encyclopedia of Public Cultures in the Middle East and North Africa,” prepared and edited by Moslih Kanaaneh, Stig-Magnus Thorsen, Heather Bursheh and David A. McDonald.

In his opening remarks, department chairperson Abaher Sakka described the text. "The book is an output of a four-year project, as part of a cooperation agreement between Birzeit University and Goteborg University in Sweden, funded by the Swedish Research Council, in which more than 20 specialized researchers in Palestinian music from various countries of the world participated,” he said.

Social sciences professor Moslih Kanaaneh addressed the contents of the book, emphasizing that it is the first of its kind in diversity and inclusiveness. "The book will be a textbook to be taught at more than one university in the United States and the Arab world," he said.

Director of the Palestinian Institute for Cultural Development (NAWA) Nader Jallad then discussed the impact of the Nakba on musicians and music in Palestine. Jallad explained that the impact of Palestine’s interest in music was to form a conduit for musicians between the two major Arab music centers, Egypt and Syria.

Stig-Magnus's presentation was entitled, "Artistic resistance: Music as an example," while the artist Tareq Abboushi addressed music production under occupation.