Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amneh exhilarated the audience with a musical concert at Education City during Qatar Foundation’s D’reesha Performing Arts Festival, with songs connecting the Palestinian diaspora with their roots and their homeland.
Joined by a group of Palestinian female singers from Nazareth and others who are residents of Qatar, yet remain firmly attached to their homeland in spirit and heritage, Dalal chose to kickstart the show - which she described as ‘a family reunion’ - with the song titled I Love You, Jerusalem, composed in the 1960s by the late Qatari composer Abdel Aziz al-Nasseri, with lyrics by Palestinian poet Hashim Rashid.
Speaking about her joy at taking part in the festival, the singer said: "Today we celebrate songs from our heritage that reflect our attachment to our land and our history.
“Today, we bring alive the Palestine that is in our hearts and will remain there, regardless of who disagrees. And I’m happy to be among those who can bring Palestine with them to people wherever they go.
“During the historic sporting event of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that is being held on an Arab land for the first time, we found that, despite the cultural differences and the multiple backgrounds of the visitors and fans, Palestine is present - with its flag fluttering in the stadiums and throughout Qatar, despite the absence of a national football team that represents Palestine in the tournament. It reflects that Palestine is emotionally present and that it is a humanitarian matter before it was a national one.
"I am also happy that the audience came to experience Palestine through songs that reflect our joys and sorrows. We sing of revolution, homeland, love, women, and land, to an audience of adults and children, and people of all abilities. Today, we bring the Palestinian family together."
Singers who presented the show, and the audience, wore Palestinian costumes with unique patterns of Palestinian embroidery. The show included a cultural segment, during which the performers - who included researchers of Palestinian heritage - presented excerpts from the Palestinian Mahaha, a female genre of singing that brought to the audience vivid scenes from the alleys of Palestine that take them back to their roots.
Among the audience were well-known Palestinians including international businessman Mohamed Hadid, activist Mona El-Kurd, parliamentarian Khalil Attia, and famous Palestinian chef Abu Julia.
"I am happy to attend this event presented by Qatar Foundation, which sheds light on Palestinian culture, and seizes the opportunity of hosting a global event such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, to deliver a message to the whole world about Palestine,” said Riham Kassem, who was among those attending the performance.
In addition to the music concert, D’reesha’s main stage also hosted a talent show, which included various music performances, and a musical titled ‘The Journey of Ibn Battuta’ highlighting the adventures of the famous Arab explorer Ibn Battuta, while Al Khater House hosted a poetry night.
Other highlights at this year’s festival, which concludes tomorrow (Saturday, December 17) include science and research related activations, titled D’reesha of Invention – sponsored by ConocoPhillips Qatar.
The D’reesha Performing Arts Festival is being held in collaboration with principal partners ConocoPhillips Qatar and the Social & Sport Contribution Fund. Strategic partners are the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Social Development and Family, Doha Film Institute, Torba Farmers Market, Woqod, and Dukhan Bank.
Tickets can be purchased from: tickets.virginmegastore.me/qa/family/17911/d-rsquo-reesha-performing-arts-festival.
