Palestinian Music in Exile

Louis Brehony is an activist, musician, researcher and educator, and a preeminent global scholar of Palestinian music. He is the director of the award-winning documentary film Kofia: A Revolution Through Music (2021) and has published widely on Palestine and political culture in the Palestine Chronicle, Middle East Monitor, Arab Media and Society, and a range of other journals. Louis received his PhD from King's College London and a master's in composition from the University of Salford, and performs internationally as a multi-instrumentalist. He has family origins in Ireland and lives in Manchester, UK.

"Brehony’s book is a towering achievement, and essential reading that provides context and texture to current world events"—Journal of Refugees Studies"An incredible read. . . . Anyone reading this book would do well to keep it as a permanent source of reference."—Middle East Monitor"A compelling narrative that not only informs but also inspires a deeper appreciation for the resilience and creativity of Palestinian musicians in exile."—Arab Studies Quarterly“A valuable contribution to ethnomusicology, musicology, anthropology, global and area studies, and more importantly to the continual work of Palestinian recognition and liberation. “—Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies"[Brehony's] analysis, incorporating unique language (Arabic and English) and theories . . . makes the book appealing to a diverse range of academic disciplines, including historians, social scientists, linguists, and music researchers engaged in post-colonialism, women's studies, or modernization theories."—Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies"Brehony’s book provides valuable insight into the continuing relevance of sumud for Palestinian musicians in exile by articulating the multivalent critical practices that musicians employ. Through his Marxist lens, Brehony clarifies the historic and ongoing impact of imperialism and colonialism among Palestinian communities in various sites of exile; further, he recognizes their differing impact along lines of class, gender, and locale. . . . Each chapter is full of information and could constitute a book on its own; further publication on some of the shorter case studies would be a welcome addition. However, by delving into such wide-ranging case studies, the book celebrates both the diversity and cohesion of Palestinian musicianship."—Journal of Palestine Studies"In addition to its masterful history of Palestinian music, Brehony’s book serves as such a guide, reinforcing already held beliefs with a fresh view of how to create a better world."—Mondoweiss"The book leaves the reader with the impression that although Palestinians are not yet free, their music and culture remain sources of strength and inspiration . . . serving to keep their collective spirit alive."—Morning Star"A book brimming with research which weaves together the many strands of Palestinian resistance, explored through music and from a Marxist perspective."—The New Arab"This book evokes the pulse of the people by foregrounding the voices of displaced Palestinian musicians in a breadth of musical situations."—Scottish Left Review"Based on a deep knowledge of Palestinian resistance and culture, this book weaves together revolutionary Marxist and anticolonial theory with Palestinian history, music, and political and social ideas, in a way which is both accessible and intelligent."—Tahrir Hamdi, Arab Open University"Louis Brehony’s book is a testament to the centrality of Palestinian culture, particularly music, to the continuity of the Palestinian struggle. He bears witness to the power of culture as a generator of meaning, and as a revolutionary tool in the hands of working-class Palestinian refugees in Palestine and in the diaspora."—Ramzy Baroud, Palestine Chronicle"Louis Brehony's outstanding work sheds light on the various circumstances and factors that influenced the creation of Palestinian music in exile, which then became truly diverse and unique in the Arab world.”—Bashar Shammout, Al Fajer

• Timeline of eventsAcknowledgementsPrefaceChapter 1. IntroductionStrings Of The Street: Resistance Aesthetics Of A Nation In MovementChapter 2. Za’atar, Zeit, And Fairuz: Growing Up Palestinian In KuwaitReem Kelani’s Musical BeginningsChapter 3. ‘Nothing Stops Tradition’: Dialects Of Cultural Reinvention In ExileExperiences Of Palestinian Instrumentalism In Bilad al-ShamChapter 4. Village Dreams In Urban Gaza: A Young Girl’s Musical IntifadaMusic And Land In A Palestinian Socialist HouseholdChapter 5. Smashing The Pyramids: Encores Of Palestinian Radicalism In EgyptTamer Abu Ghazaleh, The Cairo Underground, And The Sabreen InfluenceChapter 6. ‘An Even Tougher Act Of Resistance’: Instrumentalism In The DakhilSaied Silbak And The Music Of Internal DisplacementChapter 7. ‘Ahla Ayām’: The Most Beautiful DaysTarab, al-Waṭan, And Gaza’s New Generation Of MusiciansChapter 8. Sumud And The City: Old And New Comradeship In IstanbulFares Anbar, Ahmed Haddad, and The Turkish Migrant SceneConclusion: Where To?GlossaryReferences