Palestinian refugee children music performance in Amsterdam – UNRWA press release

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Palestinian Refugee Children Enrapture Packed House in Amsterdam

Performing on a stage garlanded with carnations from Gaza, 19 Palestine refugee children from the Nimreen Music Centre performed classical Arab ballads at the annual Music in Me gala in Amsterdam on 6 December. After the performance, at the Muziekgebouvw aan’t IJ, the youth distributed the carnations to the audience. These flowers were originally denied export from Gaza owing to the economic boycott; however, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Agrexco flower auction company worked to arrange approval for a special shipment to the Netherlands for the gala.

Before the concert, which was conducted by Juan Qarajouli, Head of the Solhi al-Wadi Institute for Music, in Damascus, the young musicians walked into a room chockablock with eager onlookers. This was the youths’ first time out of the country, yet they exuded natural poise, as well as excitement and uncertainty.

“The audience gave us a standing ovation at the end, which was really touching,” said nine-year-old Maram Haidel, who played the zither.

While in Amsterdam, these musicians also played at the “Sinterklass” celebration at the Orange Church and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

These musicians have taken lessons at the Nimreen Children’s Music Centre – part of a Music in Me-UNRWA initiative – for three years. Opened in September 2004 in Yarmouk, the centre provides professional music tuition in classical Arabic instruments to over 40 gifted students from UNRWA elementary schools in the community. Palestinian children can absorb the rich tradition of Arab music and extend their knowledge of musical genres. Students at the Centre learn the principal Arab musical instruments, including the lute, zither, flute and drum, and come twice a week for hourly sessions conducted by tutors from the Solhi al-Wadi Institute for Music. The launch of this Centre was made possible thanks to generous donations from the Music in Me programme, Rotary International and UNESCO.

Music in Me, founded in 2004, is a Dutch non-governmental organisation that brings music to the lives of people in the Middle East whose access to it is otherwise limited because of war, poverty or lack of opportunity. The goal of Music in Me is to contribute to peace in the region by investing in the lives of children and their communities. The intention is to use the proceeds of this gala to expand the music education project to other Palestinian refugee camps and communities.

Mr. Frans Wolfkamp, Managing Director of Music in Me, said he was extremely pleased with the performance of Nimreen Children's Music Centre. “They succeeded in capturing the minds and hearts of their audience by their masterful rendition of the Arab classical tunes,” he said. “The concert was superb and the Netherlands was lucky to have them perform.”

“These young musicians demonstrated their artistic talents with flair,” said Panos Moumtzis, Director of UNRWA Affairs, Syria. “They have a lot of promise, and I want to commend them for their hard work.”

January 2008