Tuesday, April 9th at 7 PM– Traditions Café and World Folk Art

Reem Kelani will provide an authoritative, captivating introduction to music of the Arab uprisings drawn from her experiences in Tahrir Square during the 2011 Egyptian revolution, with short demonstrations of song accompanied by jazz pianist Bruno Heinen. The singer’s debut album “Sprinting Gazelle: Palestinian songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora” gained worldwide acclaim for musical excellence and intellectual integrity.

“Her voice combines the poignancy of Billie Holiday with the glass-busting power of Aretha Franklin ” – Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The Independent

She currently studies and records the music of Egyptian composer Sayyid Darwish (1892-1923), “the father of contemporary Arabic music.” Her profile in the Arab and non-Arab world continues to grow, all the more to her credit as an unsigned artist who has preserved her independence – musically, spiritually and politically. For the past decade, Kelani has worked with the best of British jazz musicians, introducing them to and training them in Arabic music. She has toured extensively in the UK and internationally, and brought musicians together on international tours, extending her UK based line-up to include performers from Syria, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Portugal. Kelani is back in Washington five years after her residency at Seattle International Children’s Festival. She will also perform April 12th at Seattle’s Town Hall.

“Palestinian singer Reem Kelani was a new name in my world, but the woman was so endearing I’ll never forget her.” – Gary Bannister, Artistic director, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle

UPDATE: On March 3rd, in partnership with the Middle East Solidarity Project, we hosted a BDS workshop and performance in Olympia, Washington featuring Remi Kanazi.  Below is the live video from that event:

Remi Kanazi, Palestinian-American poet, writer, and human rights activist based in New York City will bring his spoken word to Olympia in a performance and BDS workshop Sunday, March 3rd.

From 2-4 PM, Kanazi will provide a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) workshop about the Palestinian call for academic and cultural boycott of Israel, misconceptions about this call, and how to mount BDS campaigns.

Author of Poetic Injustice: Writings on Resistance and Palestine and editor of Poets For Palestine, a hip hop, poetry, and art anthology, Kanazi is a recurring writer in residence and advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop. He has taught, lectured, and performed extensively throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. A member of the organizing committee of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, Kanazi has been a featured political commentator for news outlets throughout the world. Through spoken word, he inspires audiences to discover their power to act for justice and peace in Israel/Palestine. An American-born son of Palestinian refugees who deeply feels his roots, Kanazi states, “This isn’t about me being a Palestinian or me being an Arab. It’s about a system of oppression and what’s being done to a people.” Kanazi will be available for book signing.

Friday, March 15th – Where Should the Birds Fly

Olympia Film Society screening & Fida Qishta filmmaker from Gaza

6:30 pm – Capitol Theater, 206 5th Ave SE, Olympia

Event Details

We are excited to team up with the Olympia Film Society (OFS) to present this film followed by a discussion with the filmmaker. Fida Qishta is a Palestinian journalist from Rafah, Gaza, and survivor of the 2008-2009 Operation Cast Lead attack on Gaza by the Israeli Military. The film tells Fida’s story of life during the past decade in Gaza and during the siege, along with the moving story of Mona, a Palestinian girl, ten-years old at the time of Operation Cast Lead.

Fida will be joined by Rachel Corrie Foundation board member Sonja Wentz for discussion with the audience following the movie.

Tickets: $5.50- OFS members, $8.50- non-members