Gaza hosts a musical concert to revive Palestinian cultural heritage

In a joyful atmosphere, a group of Palestinian musicians performed several Palestinian songs to their audience in archaeological public sites in the besieged coastal enclave of the Gaza Strip.

The musicians organised their concert to revive the traditional Palestinian cultural heritage amid a lack of cultural centres and theatres for music, according to the organizers of the artistical event.

Under the title of "A Journey with Soul," the musical concert was held by the Kamandjati association in collaboration with Premiere Urgency International in Tell Umm Amer, an archaeological site in an al-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central of the Gaza Strip.

"We came here to provide some traditional Palestinian songs to let our people enjoy such atmosphere of music in public places," Mohammed Obaid, one of the organisers, spoke to The New Arab.

He says, "We are focusing on the most prominent Palestinian archaeological sites and landmarks by organissing several cultural events to convey our message to the world that Gaza has a rich heritage, not in the culture side but also in all our life aspects."

Additionally, he explains, our people are looking forward to participating in such cultural events, mainly as most of the Gazans have been suffering from hard-living conditions because of the long-term Israeli blockade and its military wars against their territory.

The musical concert was praised by dozens of attendees from various places in the Gaza Strip.

Elham al-Haj Ahmed, a young woman from al-Nuseirat refugee camp, told TNA that "such musical events let us feel that we live our life normally far away from the wars and bloody tensions in Gaza."

"I am thrilled to witness such an incredible event, mainly as we have suffered psychological issues (…). Now, we can release our internal pressure while spending fun time with our loved ones," the lady added, filming short concert videos.

The same opinion was adopted by Mohammed Hassan, another Gaza-based man in his 30s, who attended the festival with his wife and two of his sisters.

"I am happy to witness such incredible events in Gaza, mainly as it aims to revive our heritage, either the cultural or even musical one," the 42-year-old father of three told TNA.

He stressed, "Gaza is worth living in peace as well as all other countries worldwide. We are people who love happiness, music, traditions, and history. We want to live in peace."

Since 2007, the Palestinians in Gaza have been suffering from the consequences of the Israeli blockade imposed on them right after Hamas took control of the enclave after rounds of fighting with forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority.

Since then, the situation has cast a dark shadow on Gaza's economic and living reality, particularly with Israel sporadically launching military attacks on the coastal enclave. 

According to a report issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on International Labor Day in 2021, the unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip has reached about 50 per cent.

The report indicated that about 83 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip lives below the poverty line due to the deteriorating political and economic conditions, in addition to the strict Israeli blockade on the Strip.