Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Reem Jamil Banna (December 6, 1966 - March 24, 2018) is a Palestinian singer and composer, as well as a composer and activist. She was born in the city of Nazareth, the capital of Galilee, and died on March 24, 2018 in the city of Nazareth, after a long struggle with cancer. She is the daughter of the Palestinian poet Zahira Sabbagh. She studied music and singing at the Higher Conservatory of Music in Moscow, and graduated in 1991 after 6 academic years during which she studied modern singing and leading musical groups. She has several music albums with a national character in them, and she also has several song albums for children, and she has participated in many international celebrations and activities. To support human rights. Her musical style is characterized by merging traditional Palestinian chants with modern music.
The beginning of her life
Reem has loved singing since she was young, and participated in many artistic events, including the Earth Day Memorial Festival on March 30 and other national and political events. She also participated in the celebrations held by her school - the Baptist School - in Nazareth. Reem began her artistic career when she was ten years old. She studied music and singing at the Higher Conservatory of Music (Gnesins) in Moscow. She specialized in modern singing and leading singing groups. Reem completed her 6-year academic studies, graduating in 1991. During this period, Reem released two albums of live singing: Jafra, and Your Tears, Mother. In 1991, Reem married the Ukrainian musician Leonid Alexyanko, who studied music and singing with her at the Higher Conservatory of Music in Moscow, where they worked together in the field of music and composition. They lived together in Nazareth. But their marriage did not last long and they divorced in 2010. She lived until her last days in her hometown of Nazareth with her three children.
Her artistic philosophy
Reem's songs are first and foremost unique. Because she composes most of her songs, and she also has a distinctive musical way of composing and singing. The lyrics of her songs are inspired by the conscience of the Palestinian people, their heritage, history and culture. The music and melodies stem from the core of the poem and its tributaries, and from the feeling of the rhythm of the word. The mixing of words and melodies together takes us beyond the borders of Palestine to reach all parts of the world. Reem's songs express the suffering and concerns of the Palestinian people as well as their joys, sorrows and hopes. One of the most prominent singing styles that Reem performed alone is the traditional Palestinian Tahalil, which was distinguished by her performance and stuck to her name.
Reem Al-Banna first rose to fame in the early 1990s when she recorded her own version of traditional Palestinian children's songs that she almost forgot. Many songs and poems are still sung by Palestinian families today, thanks to Reem's efforts to preserve them by re-recording them. Reem sang many children's songs that she wrote and composed herself. These songs became widely popular among children, especially when she performed them in children's festivals such as the Nouar Nissan Festival, the Farah and Marah Festival, the Jericho Winter Festival, and the Martyrs' Children Festival.
Rim Banna doesn't just write her own songs; She also composes Palestinian poetry. Among the poets whose poems Reem composed were: Tawfiq Ziad, Mahmoud Darwish, Samih al-Qasim, Zuhaira Sabbagh, and Sidi Harkash. As for the melodies; Reem and her husband, Leonid, co-author it together in a creative and unique way. Her music is described as “poignant, emotional, and sometimes bordering on kitsch.”
As for her, she describes her music as a means of cultural self-expression, saying: Part of our work consists of collecting uncomposed Palestinian heritage texts, in order to preserve these texts from being lost. Then we try to compose modern music inspired by the traditional Palestinian music to be in line with these texts. In this way Rim Banna does more than just mimic the traditional methods and rendering of the pieces, she blends them with the modern style of singing. And because the oriental singing style is usually decorative, which is not in line with Reem's more than two-dimensional voice. She says: That's why I try to write songs that suit my voice. I want to create something new in every respect. This requires bringing people closer to the Palestinian music and spirit.
Reem's songs have played an important role in the production of many films and series, as well as documentaries that dealt with the Palestinian popular uprising.
Reem performs live concerts in the West Bank, and reaches her fans in Gaza, where Israel prevents its citizens residing there from entering. Reem gave her first concert in Syria on January 8, 2009. She also gave a concert in Tunisia on July 28, 2011, and her first concert in Beirut was on March 22, 2012. The married duo - Reem and Leonid - also performs - By participating together in many international festivals, representing Palestine. These festivals were held in Egypt, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Jordan, and also participated in the Caucasian Women’s Festival, which was held in Tunisia, Switzerland, Romania, Denmark, and Morocco.
Its European audience
Lullabies from the Axis of Evil album
Reem gained fame in Europe after being invited by Norwegian producer Eric Hellestad to co-sing with singer Kari Bremens on the album "Lullabies from the Axis of Evil" in 2003. After that, Reem went to Oslo after accepting Kari Bremens' invitation to go there, where the two singers performed a joint show.
Then the album “A Musical Message Against the War to US President Bush from Female Singers from Palestine, Iraq, Iran and Norway”, brought these women together and others from North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Afghanistan, to sing lullabies from their cultures in duet form while presenting their songs in English. Which contributed to the songs reaching the hearts of the Western audience.
Mirrors of the Soul album
Mirrors of the Soul, an album dedicated to all Palestinians and Arab political detainees in Israeli prisons, whose style differed from all of her previous works. The album was produced in collaboration with five Norwegians working in the field of music, and what distinguishes this album is the blending of the western style of singing called pop (pop) with the eastern style of singing and the eastern vocal structure along with the Arabic lyrics. Despite this difference in her singing style from her predecessors, the content of the lyrical content remained constant. The album includes songs of despair and hope about the lives of those struggling to live, as well as a song about Palestinian leader and president Yasser Arafat in a thoughtful and subtle way.
The voice of resistance
The last album of the late Rim Banna, which included 15 songs, 14 of which she wrote, and was released two months after her death at the Yabous Center in Jerusalem.
Reem’s artistic message
Reem carries a clear artistic message in her music, which is to shed light on the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially the West Bank, and to revive the Palestinian heritage. It also aspires to achieve several goals, including:
Raising the level of the traditional and non-traditional Palestinian Arabic song to the level of the international song.
Developing the ability to listen to popular music and singing to an appropriate Arab and international level, as well as liberating the Arabic song from negative influences.
Her latest work
The series of episodes of “Khatira fi al-Qatra” was the last that Rim Banna presented on the social networking platform “YouTube”, produced by AJ + Arabic channel. Al-Banna presented the program based on her personal experience of fighting her illness and losing her voice, which she considered a weapon to resist the occupation. The program included 6 episodes on different topics, including excellence, optimism, resistance, colors, success, and parting.
her death
Reem Al-Banna passed away on March 24, 2018, after a long struggle with breast cancer, which she had contracted for the first time in 2009. She recovered from it for a while, then the disease returned again in 2015, and she announced her cessation of singing in 2016.
Albums
1985 - Jafra.
1986 - Your tears, mother.
1993 - The Dream.
1995 - Qamar Abu Laila (children's album).
1996 - Makagaha (children’s album).
2001 - Jerusalem alone remains.
2003 - Krybberom with SKRUK Choir (album of Gregorian hymns - participation with many international artists).
2003 - Lullabies from the Axis of Evil
2005 - Mirrors of the Spirit, an album presented to Palestinian and Arab prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons.
2006 - That Wasn't My Story, an album raised to the Lebanese and Palestinian people.
2007 - Seasons of Violet, love songs from Palestine.
2008 - Songs across Walls of Separation in collaboration with many international artists.
2009 - Nawar Nisan, children's songs, dedicated to Palestinian refugee children.
2010 - A Scream from Jerusalem: with the participation of Palestinian artists.
2011 - Bakra operetta.
2013 - Manifestations of Existence and Revolution.
2014 - Songs from a Stolen Spring. Participation with many international artists.
2018- Voice of Resistance
Achievements and Awards
Honors and awards
1994 - Rim Banna received the “Personality of the Year” honor and also received the title of “Ambassador of Peace” in Italy.
1996 - In Oslo - Norway, the “IBSEN National Theater” shield (Norway).
1996 - In Alma-Ata - Kazakhstan, at the “World Song Festival - Voice of Asia”, the “Municipality of Alma-Ata” shield (Kazakhstan).
1997 - “Personality of the Year” from the “Ministry of Women” in Tunisia.
1998 - “Personality of the Year” from the Governor of Beja - Tunisia.
2000 - Singer Rim Banna won the “Palestine Singing Award of the Year.”
2013 - Ibn Rushd Award for Free Thought.
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