Ramzi Aburedwan and Dal’ouna Ensemble at An Die Musik

Ramzi Aburedwan and Dal'ouna Ensemble
An Die Musik Live
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
October 21, 2024

Ramzi Aburedwan and Dal'Ouna Ensemble presented a unique set of jazz-touched Palestinian music at Baltimore's An Die Musik Live.

The set was a showcase for each musician involved, with every song beginning with a solo by one of the performers before moving to the main melody. Aburedwan's bouzouk playing was the guiding force of the band,. He used rapid tremolo on the lute-like instrument and pedal tones throughout his solos and melodies. The pieces sometimes showcased a bit of call and response between accordionist Michael Geyre and Aburedwan, adding depth to the melodies of the vocalist Oudai Al Khatib's lines. Jon Seligman contributed with percussion instruments, including cajon and hand drums.

Aburedwan's songs often highlight Palestinian history and culture. One particularly beautiful composition was based on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, who is regarded as Palestine's national poet, about falling in love with Israeli women. It began with a stunning introductory flute solo by Baltimore native Danielle Williams that elicited applause from an audience and a "wow" from Aburedwan.

These songs are often about love or the joys of the Palestinian countryside. One tune, for example, was about watching a farmer graze his sheep on a hill. Aburedwan is deeply involved in the cultural life of his home country, operating a music school Al Kamandjâti in Ramallah. Aburedwan achieved notoriety at the age of 8, when an image of him throwing a rock at an Israeli tank became a symbol of the first intifada, a series of protests against Israel in the '80s across Palestine.

The band's efforts to share Palestinian culture with international audiences are particularly significant, as there has been a long-standing attempt by some to deny or downplay the existence of a distinct Palestinian cultural identity. For example, in 2023, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made a controversial statement suggesting "there is no Palestinian history," which contradicts historical evidence showing the term "Palestinian" has been in use since at least the 19th century, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. In this context, a concert showcasing Palestinian poetry and music helps to raise awareness of this rich cultural heritage and its importance, especially given the ongoing legal investigations into alleged human rights abuses.

The concert highlighted the power of music to blend cultures to create something unique. One particularly touching moment came during the group's performance of the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves." Dal'ouna Ensemble delivered the lyrics in Arabic, adjusting some of the language. Still the tune's classic melody came through. The group even turned it into an audience singalong. If the sight of a crowd in Baltimore singing along to an Arabic translation of a song written by a Hungarian immigrant to France and largely popularized by Black jazz musicians does not inspire some hope that cross-cultural understanding is possible, nothing will.