On Wednesday, October 9^th, 2013, An-Najah National University hosted the Fifth Conference on Palestinian Art and Folklore. This year’s conference was entitled “Palestine in the Musical Memory.” Dr. Anwar Abu Aisha, Minister of Culture; Dr. Sami Jaber, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Anan Attereh, Deputy Governor of Nablus; Dr. Hasan Nu’irat, Dean of the Faculty of Arts; and many others attended the conference.

For the fifth year in a row, the conference was held on Palestinian Folklore Day, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. The events and themes of the conference differ year to year. This year the focus was Palestinian music and musical instruments, especially their use in modern music.

Welcoming the attendees to the university, Dr. Sami Jaber explained that “An-Najah National University is the University of every Palestinian.” For decades the university has been interested in preserving Palestinian heritage and folklore – the Faculty of Arts was among the original colleges established. The university also supports the Center of Documentation and Manuscripts and the Palestinian Heritage Museum which have preserved hundreds of artifacts for the benefit of future generations.

Dr. Jaber went on saying that music is one of the most distinctive elements of the Palestinian identity and must be protected and introduced to new generations. Rapid change resulting from technological development, Western influence, and the internet endangers traditional art forms. To protect Palestinian culture, Dr. Jaber proposed creating a multilingual website, holding folklore festivals, encouraging research, and establishing a national archive and museum of the heritage of the Palestinian people.

Dr. Abu Aisha, the Minister of Culture, thanked the University for supporting Palestinian culture by holding the conference each year. The university takes national responsibility to maintain Palestinian resources, traditions, and customs.

The conference included various performances and presentations. Mousa Hafez performed a selection of traditional Palestinian songs. Yahya Jaber, accompanied by the An-Najah Choir, performed a musical piece called “Palestine in the National Musical Memory.” Dr. Naser Al Asmar presented a comparative study of the Palestinian muwashshah, a musical genre, and the traditional muwashshah. Dr. Idrees Jaradat talked about the rebab, a traditional string instrument with the tone of a sad voice. This popular traditional instrument enriches the modern artistic scene in Palestine. Finally, Awad Abu Hadid performed a piece on the rebab, winning the audience’s admiration.