Sunday, March 25, 2018

RIP Rim Banna of Nazareth , the modern voice of Palestine

On Saturday the news came that 51-years-renowned Palestinian singer Rim Banna passed away after six years of struggling with cancer.

Banna, the daughter of Nazareth was Palestine’s most female famous singer in the past decade bringing traditional Palestinian folkloric songs to the modern times with her sweet voice.
A daughter of renowned Palestinian poetess and activist Zuhaira Sabbagh, Rim Banna was also an activist in her way supporting her people’s quest for survival, freedom and independent rightful state.

She was a leading icon of modern Palestinian resistance that used art to remind that cruel world that there are people called Palestinians and they won’t give up that right of having their independence.
Rim Banna
Late Rim Banna of Palestine 

Here is my favorite song by her, a Palestinian folk song called “On the top of the mountain”


Banna was also a strong supporter of the revolutions in the Arab world, unlike many artists. She supported the Egyptian revolution and came to Cairo where she had concerts.

I remember seeing her photos from an outing she went with a couple of younger friends from bloggers, photographers and journalists. Rim seemed to be true down to earth person.

She was also a supporter of Syrian revolution as well Syrian refugees quietly. She went in a delegation including Egyptian MPs and activists and visited Syria in June 2013.
Journalist and writer Abdel Rahman Ayyash remembered how she stood to two members of ISIS in Syria when they began to show up at the liberated areas “liberated from Al-Assad’s forces” refusing to give them their camera or cover her hair.
That landed her in a trouble with the Israeli government in Nazareth.

Despite her fight with cancer, she did not forget to show her support Egyptian revolutionaries online demanding the freedom of activists she knew.
Here is another song for her. A romantic song called “Wait for me”.

May God bless your souls Rim Banna of Nazareth.
Here is her funeral earlier Saturday in her hometown of Nazareth where mourners sang her Palestinian folk songs.
Here is also Rim Banna’s page in Spotify.
Again RIP Rim Banna, your art will live forever.

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