Al Hanouneh's extraordinary "Guardians of the Memory"

Al Hanouneh troupe members dance
 in traditional Palestinian outfits
 in Amman on Saturday evening
(Reuters photo by Muhammad Hamed)

From the Jordan Times, by Mohammad Ben Hussein

AMMAN - Arab nationalism and Palestinian folk traditions were set to live music in a performance in the capital on Saturday evening.

In a concert held to express solidarity with the Palestinians, Al Hanouneh folk troupe took to the stage at the Royal Cultural Centre and danced to popular tunes such as “Youya” “Alee Narak”.

Band leader Musa Saleh said the performance titled, "Guardians of the Memory", is part of the group’s mission to preserve the recent and historical memory of Palestine and the greater Arab world.

“We have a duty as a band to protect the collective Palestinian memory. Our memory is part of our identity and Israel is doing its best to tarnish that memory to destroy our identity,” Saleh told The Jordan Times after the concert, which marked the anniversary of the partition of Palestine by the UN General Assembly in 1947.

“We see Israel as trying to rob everything from us, not only the land. They dress air hostesses on their planes with Palestinian attire and claim to have invented falafel among other things. We should not allow them steal our tradition and culture,” he added.

This year’s event featured prominent bands and poets from across the region, including Tawfiq Al Halabi, Rayek Kheir, Shadi Mousa, Najeeb Yuakbi, Ahmad Fahmawi, Flayeh Al Jubour, Sana Mousa, Talal Haidar and Ahmad Fahmawi, among others.

Al Hanouneh was established in 1993 in Amman with the goal of protecting and safeguarding the culture and folklore of the area through the selection and classification of Palestinian folklore.

The group comprises over 80 dancers, musicians and singers.

20 December 2010

More photos:  Photos from Emirates247.com