Palestinian Music: Between Cultural Identity and Transformation
This lecture offers a focused view of a living, continually evolving musical tradition. Through the narrative of maestro Tamer Al-Sahouri, it explores the relationship between musical expression, social life and Palestinian collective identity.
It retraces musical practices prior to 1948 -the year of the Nakba- with particular attention to the role of folk song in rural and urban communities and to the transformation of music into a medium of cultural resistance.
Maestro Al-Sahouri then introduces key figures who have shaped Palestinian musical heritage, the resulting stylistic developments, and new forms of hybridity between traditional instruments and contemporary musical languages. Finally, he reflects on how Palestinian music has navigated political, economic and infrastructural challenges to the present day, and on the crucial role played by educational institutions and new generations in transmitting cultural heritage.
