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Why UNRWA?

My father, Yousef Kelani (1925-2016), joined UNRWA in 1953 upon his graduation from Alexandria University in Egypt. He was the physician in charge of UNRWA’s mobile clinics for Palestinian refugees in Irbid and the River Jordan Valley. This culminated in him becoming the assistant medical director of St Luke’s Hospital in Hebron (al-Khalil). My father’s …

Why UNRWA? قراءة المزيد »

Al-Taghriba Al-Filistiniyya [The Palestinian Exodus], by the late and great Syrian filmmaker HatimAli (1962-2020)

At a time when we are watching the mass transfer of the indigenous Palestinian people from their ancestral homelands in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, I’ve decided to post a few clips from this outstanding series. I will start with the opening credits. The lyrics were taken from a poem called Al-Fidaa’i [The …

Al-Taghriba Al-Filistiniyya [The Palestinian Exodus], by the late and great Syrian filmmaker HatimAli (1962-2020) قراءة المزيد »

Gilbert Biberian RIP (1944-2023)

Rest in Peace, Love and Power, my dear friend, fellow musician and Middle Easterner. The great Armenian Greek Turkish composer and guitarist, Gilbert Biberian, left us a few days ago to be with the One. The photo below was taken during my interview with Gilbert for my BBC Radio 4 documentary “Distant Chords”. This particular episode was called “My Book, My Mountain, My Self” [The Bible, Mount Ararat, cultural identity], about …

Gilbert Biberian RIP (1944-2023) قراءة المزيد »

From 2011…….A WEEK IN CAIRO & THE BATTLE OF QASR EL-NIL BRIDGE

The demonstration in Tahrir Square on Tuesday 25th January which provided the spark for the current nationwide uprising saw a few thousand demonstrators confronting a police force well-armed for riot control. Many demonstrators were intent on peaceful protest, but there were also some willing to engage the police in a fight. The police, in turn, …

From 2011…….A WEEK IN CAIRO & THE BATTLE OF QASR EL-NIL BRIDGE قراءة المزيد »

developments in Palestine and Syria

Dear Friends & Fans You may have noticed that I have taken a brief break from promoting my new EP. This is because I have been totally distracted, indeed devastated, by recent developments in Palestine and Syria. Palestinians, Muslim & Christian alike, are being denied access to their respective places of worship, especially to al-Aqsa …

developments in Palestine and Syria قراءة المزيد »

ريم الكيلاني – إصدارٌ جديد

“قالَ المُغَنِّي: طائِرُ السَّحَر” تُصدِر المُوسيقيَّة والمُغنيَّة والإذاعيَّة الفلسطينيَّة ريم الكيلاني ألبُومَها القصير المُقبِل “قالَ المُغَنِّي: طائِرُ السَّحَر” يوم 21 مارس 2022. هذا الإصدار هو إهداءٌ إلى روح المُوسيقار والمُغَنِّي الإيرانيّ المُعارض، محمد-رضا شَجَريان، الذي وافَته المَنِيَّة عام 2020: الأغنية الأولى: “قالَ المُغَنِّي” من شعر محمود درويش، وألحان ريم الكيلاني الأغنية الثانية: “مرغ سحر [طائِرُ …

ريم الكيلاني – إصدارٌ جديد قراءة المزيد »