Hundreds of citizens participated in the music show of Ylalan Group that was organized by the Popular Art Center in Ramallah, Musicians and singers performed a series of classical songs for artists such as Al-Sheikh Imam, Sayyed Darwish, Mohammad Abdel Wahab, Ziyad Rahabani, as well as Muwashahat Andalusiyeh; music in which Palestinians feel related to, in one way or another.
This was the first cultural event organized in the city of Nablus after the latest unrest. Participants expressed their pleasure to see Nablus recover and get back to its cultural activities. Repeated Israeli incursions create a state of fear and anxiety amongst the citizens. It is important for them to be able to come together and enjoy life again. Such festivals allow them to escape the daily realities of life under occupation and create a relaxing environment for them to talk about the positive side of Palestinian life. It is very touching to see them smiling and forgetting about their daily hardships. The citizens of Nablus miss such activities that are giving them back their psychological balance. Wedad Abdulhadi, one of the Nabulsi audience said: “I feel relief when I listen to such music that recalls an interesting era of our history, culture and national sense. It’s important for the citizens of Nablus to enjoy a normal life in spite of the nightly invasions, or at least to live life as normal as possible. These types of activities have become difficult to organize due to the nightly Israeli incursions into the city. These incursions make the local residents afraid to travel and attend these events because they fear for their lives as well as for the lives of their children.
At the end of the party, Dr. Nabel Alwi, Director of the Public Relations Department, highly appreciated the efforts of Ylalan Group and gave them the university plague.
Ylalan Group for music and singing was established in the city of Ramallah, Palestine in December 2005 from an idea among experienced musicians and singers to create opportunities to fulfill their dreams of performing and composing as well as music arrangement. The name “Ylalan”, which refers to a Moroccan vocal rhythm meant to keep the beat, was chosen by the group because of its musical significance in Arabic songs.
Ylalan is neither an NGO nor a profitable business. Rather, its members aim simply to make music, perform, and produce the music of other dancing, acting and music groups. The Palestine International Festival for Music and Dancewas donated by European Union, Paltel Group, Qattan Foundation and Goethe Institute.