Amman — Palestinian band “Soul” sang for Gaza, and the audience sang along. Moving between nostalgia, sorrow and joy from one song to the next, the evening brought Palestinian voices and stories back to the stage two days ago, as the band held its charity concert, “From Gaza’s Sea to Amman,” at the Amman Academy Theater, with proceeds dedicated to supporting the “Sumud” campaign.
اضافة اعلان
The hall was packed, with the atmosphere shifting between singing, applause and audience participation, and moments of silence brought on by songs carrying painful stories that prompted the audience to listen until the very end.
Before the concert began, attendees watched a short film about the school established by the “Sumud” campaign in Gaza and the children who found an opportunity there to continue their education. The film offered a simple introduction to the evening’s purpose before the band began telling another part of the story through music.
As the performance began, the singers’ voices became the evening’s most prominent element. The songs moved between nostalgia, sorrow and joy, with performances carrying a clear emotional quality that prompted the audience to respond, sometimes by singing and applauding, and at other times through silence and attentive listening.
The audience remained strongly engaged throughout the concert, particularly during familiar songs. Voices rose as people sang along with the band, while applause continued and grew quieter during the more sorrowful passages. At times, silence itself became part of the audience’s response, especially when a song carried a story that needed to be heard in its entirety.
“Soul” performed a selection of songs, including “Gaza Ya Gaza,” “Rouq Haddi,” “Wladi Asafir,” “Mahla Palestine,” “Ala Madd El-Shouf,” “Laji’,” “Yamma Wein El-Hawa,” “Teshtaq,” and “Hawaha,” before concluding the evening with Palestinian folk music.
“Wladi Asafir” was among the most moving moments of the concert. The song carried a painful story, but the singers’ performance gave it an even stronger presence on stage. The vocals conveyed sorrow without exaggeration, allowing the song’s emotion to reach the audience clearly. At that moment, there was no need for elaborate effects; the voices and lyrics alone were enough to convey the pain at the heart of the story.
In a special segment, the Majdal Folk Arts Troupe joined “Soul,” performing Palestinian dabke alongside the singing. The participation added movement and a different rhythm to the concert, with the dabke extending the songs’ evocation of Palestine, its memory and its folklore.
“Soul” is a Palestinian band from Gaza whose musical experience is closely connected to Palestinian identity, memory and place. At its Amman concert, the music carried another message alongside its artistic dimension, as proceeds from the evening were dedicated to the “Sumud” campaign, which supports the people of Gaza, including educational initiatives.
Between songs, it was clear that the concert sought to connect what was happening on stage with what awaits children in Gaza. There was a school whose story had been presented at the beginning of the evening, an audience that came to listen, and a band that chose to share its music at a concert whose proceeds would go toward support.
The songs ended, but the story remained connected to the purpose with which the concert began. Between the voice of “Soul,” the dabke of “Majdal” and an audience that engaged with the songs throughout the evening, music became a means of support, while the concert ticket became part of a journey that could ultimately reach a child in Gaza waiting for a seat at school.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Roaa Ayman Dweiri
