Reem Kelani
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Reem Kelani (born 1963) is a British Palestinian musician, born in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England. Initially influenced by the
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
music her father played on his record player, her interest in
Palestinian music The music of Palestine ( ar, الموسيقى الفلسطينية) is one of many regional subgenres of Arabic music. While it shares much in common with Arabic music, both structurally and instrumentally, there are musical forms and subject matt ...
was sparked by the music at a family wedding in her maternal home in
Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
in the 1970s.


Biography

Kelani was born in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England, the daughter of Yousef Zaid Kelani (1925– ), a physician and endocrinologist from
Yabad Ya'bad ( ar, يعبد) is a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank, 20 kilometers west of Jenin in the Jenin Governorate. It is a major agricultural town with most of its land covered with olive groves and grain fields. According to the Pales ...
near
Jenin Jenin (; ar, ') is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate of the State of Palestine and is a major center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, Jenin had a population of app ...
in the West Bank, and Yusra Sharif Zu'bi (1931–2004), a homemaker from
Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
in the Galilee. She was brought up & educated in
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, graduating from
Kuwait University Kuwait University ( ar, جامعة الكويت, abbreviated as Kuniv) is a public university located in Kuwait City, Kuwait. History Kuwait University (KU), (in Arabic: جامعة الكويت), was established in October 1966 under Act N. 29 ...
in Biology. Kelani is a maternal cousin of
Haneen Zoabi Haneen Zoabi ( ar, حنين زعبي, he, חנין זועבי; born 23 May 1969), is a Palestinian-Israeli politician. The first Arab woman to be elected to the legislature on an Arab party's list, she served as a member of the Knesset for t ...
, the first Palestinian Israeli woman to be elected to the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
, a relative of Shawkat Kelani, a prominent doctor and co-founder of
An-Najah University An-Najah National University ( ar, جامعة النجاح الوطنية) is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of trustees. It is located in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The university has 22,000 student ...
in Nablus, and the great niece of Wajih al-Kaylani, Shaykh al-Islam of the Philippines.


Music

Kelani started singing at the age of four, and she recalls it as one of the most profound experiences of her life. She continued singing as an amateur and semi-professional singer until she went professional in 1990. She studied piano as a child, exposing her to Western classical music, of which her father was an avid listener. Her father’s early fascination with Fred Astaire’s black-and-white films introduced Kelani to the music of George Gershwin and Irving Berlin, the Jazz elements of which can be heard in her own music and in her choice of a band based around a Jazz rhythm section, alongside traditional Arabic instruments. Kelani has spoken publicly about a turning point when, as a teenager attending a family wedding in the village of Nein outside Nazareth, she became interested in Palestinian and
Arabic music Arabic music or Arab music ( ar, الموسيقى العربية, al-mūsīqā al-ʿArabīyyah) is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. Arabic countries have many rich and varied styles of music and also man ...
. She has also described Kuwait as "a country whose rich musical heritage remains an essential part of my personal and collective soundscape". In Kuwait in 1988, Kelani organised and led a major fundraising show called "I Got Rhythm" for the British charity
Medical Aid for Palestinians Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon, and advocates for Palestinians' rights to health and dignity. It is in special consultative status with ECOSOC since 2002. Ai ...
, MAP, the organisation which employed Dr Pauline Cutting O.B.E. and Dr
Ang Swee Chai Ang Swee Chai () is an orthopedic surgeon and author. She is a co-founder of the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. Life Ang was born in Penang, Malaysia but raised in Singapore. She attended Kwong Avenue Primary School, Raffles Girls' School ...
in Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut. In 2003, Kelani performed alongside Guy Barker and his band on the BBC World Service's World Cafe. For the programme, Kelani performed her own unique blending of George Gershwin's "
The Half of It, Dearie' Blues "The Half of it, Dearie' Blues" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire and Kathlene Martyn in the 1924 musical '' Lady be Good''. Recordings * Fred Astaire with George Gershwin at t ...
" with traditional Palestinian singing. Kelani's release in 2006 of her solo album ''Sprinting Gazelle – Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora'' represented the culmination of many years of research and preparation. In January 2007, Kelani led a tour of Syria, performing twice at the Opera House in Damascus and once at the Directorate of Culture in Aleppo. Organised by the British Council, Reem brought together for the tour a bespoke line-up comprising 3 of her UK musicians and 3 from Syria: Amir Qara Jouli (violin),
Basel Rajoub Basel Rajoub is a Syrian-Swiss saxophone player. An Aleppo-born and Switzland-based graduate of the High Institute of Music in Damascus, Rajoub is known for developing oriental music for the saxophone. He performs as a solo artist and leader of th ...
(saxophones) and Simon Mreach (percussion). Kelani also undertook in 2007 a commission from the Manchester International Festival to compose a 30 minute piece for performance at the Festival with the Beating Wing Orchestra comprising refugee musicians. The resulting work "Paradise in Strangers" explored universal themes such as migration, suffering, parting, reunion and celebration. It featured poetry and prose written by Reem and members of the orchestra, as well as verses by
Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
(A Slave's Lament) and
Salma Khadra Jayyusi Salma Khadra Jayyusi ( ar, سلمى الخضراء الجيوسي; born 1926 or 1927) is a Palestinian poet, writer, translator and anthologist. She is the founder and director of the Project of Translation from Arabic (PROTA), which aims to provi ...
(Rootless). In May 2008, Kelani produced and performed with Gaelic singer, Catriona Watt, a unique arrangement of traditional Gaelic and Palestinian songs for A’ Gharaids, a series of programmes looking at the state of Gaelic music. A’ Gharaids was made for BBC Alba, the Gaelic television channel and presented by Mary Ann Kennedy. The series was subsequently nominated for the Media Award in the MG ALBA Traditional Music Awards 2009. In October 2008, Kelani collaborated with the Portuguese Fado singer, Liana, on a special commission for Musicport Festival, Whitby, entitled "From Palestine to Portugal". The project was funded by the
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation ( pt, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian), commonly referred to simply as the Gulbenkian Foundation, is a Portuguese institution dedicated to the promotion of the arts, philanthropy, science, and education. One o ...
and Visiting Arts. It involved the mixing of Palestinian and Portuguese poetry, the verse of
Mahmoud Darwish Mahmoud Darwish ( ar, محمود درويش, Maḥmūd Darwīsh, 13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008) was a Palestinian poet and author who was regarded as the Palestinian national poet. He won numerous awards for his works. Darwish used Palestine ...
and
Jose Saramago Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...
, and Arabic and Portuguese voices. The production was later reprised in a performance at the
Tabernacle W11 According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...
in December 2009. Kelani's work has adopted a notable profile in Turkey. She first performed in Turkey in June 2005 at the
Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall Cemal is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Jamal (Arabic: جَمَال jamāl) which means "beauty, charm". People named Cemal include: First name * Cemal Erçman (1896–?), Turkish weightlifter * Cemal Nalga (born 1987), T ...
, as part of Istanbul municipality's conference on "Women from the Middle East". This was followed, in November 2008, by her concert at the Babylon Club in Istanbul, on the occasion of the British Council's visiting "Lure of the East" exhibition of Orientalist painting at the Pera Museum. For this concert, Kelani and her trio were joined by
Selim Sesler Selim Sesler (1957 – May 9, 2014) was a Turkish clarinet virtuoso of Romani heritage. Early years Selim Sesler was born at Yenimescit neighborhood in Keşan town of Edirne Province in 1957. His Romani parents originate from Drama, Greece, who m ...
, the legendary Turkish gypsy clarinettist, and they performed a range of songs from Kelani's Palestinian and Egyptian repertoire. Among the audience that day was
Osman Kavala Osman Kavala (born 2 October 1957) is a businessman, activist and philanthropist who has supported numerous civil society organizations in Turkey since the early 1990s. Kavala is the founder and chair of the board of Anadolu Kültür, an Istanbu ...
, the Turkish philanthropist and founder of Anadolu Kültür. He saw a natural partnership between Kelani, with her representation of Palestinian culture, and Kardes Turkuler, which is one of the musical arms of the collective organisation BGST. And so Kelani performed as a special guest with Kardes Turkuler at their June 2009 concert in the Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena, Istanbul. In October 2009, Kelani also performed with her Anglo-Syrian band at a major women’s festival in
Nusaybin Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...
in south east Turkey. Kelani’s association with Kardes Turkuler continued in April 2014 with a joint concert at TIM Maslak in Istanbul which attracted considerable interest in the Turkish media. Alongside her performances with her own musicians, Kelani is a member of The Anti-Capitalist Roadshow. It is a collective of singers and songwriters comprising
Frankie Armstrong Frankie Armstrong (born 13 January 1941) is an English singer and voice teacher. She has worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement and as a trainer in social and youth work. Her repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to m ...
, Roy Bailey (folk singer),
Robb Johnson Robb Jenner Johnson (born 25 December 1955) is a British musician and songwriter who has been called "one of the last genuinely political songwriters". He is known for his mix of political satire and wit. He has his own record label, Irregular ...
,
Sandra Kerr Sandra Kerr (born 14 February 1942, Plaistow, Essex) is an English folk singer. Kerr sings and plays English concertina, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp. She was a member of The Critics Group from 1963–1972. With John Faulkner, she ...
,
Grace Petrie Grace Petrie (, born 24 July 1987) is an English folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leicester, England. She was hailed in ''The Guardian'' as "a powerful new songwriting voice" in 2011. Biography Grace Petrie began performing in 2006 as ...
,
Leon Rosselson Leon Rosselson (born 22 June 1934, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, i ...
, Janet Russell,
Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American Folk music, folk singer. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years, and was married to the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. First American period Seeg ...
, Jim Woodland, plus socialist magician,
Ian Saville Ian Saville (born 30 April 1953) is a British magician whose act incorporates ventriloquism and comedy. His performance is distinctive primarily for the fact that it is geared towards a comic form of socialist propaganda. He says of his act, " ...
. After release of her ''Sprinting Gazelle'', Kelani began her next project focused on the Egyptian composer
Sayyid Darwish Sayed Darwish ( ar, سيد درويش, ; 17 March 1892 – 15 September 1923) was an Egyptian singer and composer who was considered the father of Egyptian popular music and one of Egypt's greatest musicians and seen by some as its single gre ...
. In her article for the Journal of Palestinian Refugee Studies, Kelani explained this decision. The project will comprise the arrangement, performance and recording of a selection of Darwish's songs for a double album, plus the writing of two booklets in Arabic and in English about the composer and his songs. In May 2014, Kelani performed as a soloist with the
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The Musical Society), it later changed its name t ...
in the
Bergen National Opera Bergen National Opera ( no, Bergen Nasjonale Opera, links=no) in Bergen, Norway, originally called ''Den Nye Opera'' (the new opera) is a foundation established in 2005 by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Den Nationale Scene, Grieghallen and the ...
's production of English composer, Orlando Gough's major work entitled "Stemmer".


Discography

Kelani released her debut solo CD ''Sprinting Gazelle – Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora'' in February 2006. To mark the 25th anniversary of Amos Trust in 2010, a group of artists from around the world recorded ''Under the Influence – The Garth Hewitt Songbook Volume 1''. To this end, Reem contributed her rendition of Garth's "Oh Palestine". In 2012, Kelani contributed two songs to a compilation album ''Celebrating Subversion – The Anti-Capitalist Roadshow.'' In one song, she sang a duet with
Leon Rosselson Leon Rosselson (born 22 June 1934, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, i ...
his "Song of the Olive Tree". Kelani's second song was a powerful Tunisian anthem "Babour Zammar". Also known as The Migration Anthem, this Tunisian song was written in the 1970s, inspired by the students' revolution in France. 'Amm El-Mouldi Zalilah, a champion of colloquial poetry, worked as a sweeper for the Tunisian Rail Company. Hédi Guella, the composer and original performer of this song, was a leading political singer. "The only difference between the émigrés and the cattle," the song concludes, "is the passport!" The album was reviewed by Raymond Deane in the Irish Left Review, and by Robin Denselow in the Guardian. Kelani's next album project was her "Live at the Tabernacle". Released in 2016 & recorded live at
The Tabernacle, Notting Hill The Tabernacle is a Grade II-listed building in Powis Square, Notting Hill, west London, England, built in 1887 as a church. The building boasts a curved Romanesque façade of red brick and terracotta, and towers with broach spires on either ...
, it includes songs from Palestine and from the wider Arab world. It's a powerful demonstration of how Kelani is "not so much a singer as a performer and a communicator"


Radio

Kelani is a regular broadcaster on
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
. In 1995, Kelani co-presented "A Day in the Life of a Palestinian Woman" for the
BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...
. The programme was produced by Sara Bradshaw. In 1997, Kelani performed traditional Palestinian songs for "Your Land is My Land", a documentary series for
Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
to mark the 50th anniversary of the expulsion of the Palestinians, on the creation of the state of Israel. The series was presented by Tim Llewellyn and produced by Vanessa Harrison. Also for
Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
Kelani wrote and presented ''Distant Chords'' (2001–2003) featuring the music of migrant communities in the UK. The documentaries comprised: # ''"Can you stop the Birds Singing"'' on the Afghan community. # ''"Yemeni Echoes in a Northern Town"'' on the Yemeni community. # ''"Songs on a Mountain Wind"'' on the Kurdish community. # ''"My Book, My Mountain, Myself"'' on the Armenian community. It was made Pick of the Day by ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' # ''"Islands Here, Islands There" '' on the Micronesian community. # ''"A Strange way of life (Estranha forma de vida)"'' on the Portuguese community. In 2004, Kelani played Scheherazade in
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's programme entitled "A Thousand and One"(a series about the influence of The Arabian Nights on western culture). Writing in the Times Literary Supplement on 4 June 2004, Jane Jakeman noted: ''The most compelling voice throughout the series was, of course, that of Scheherazade herself, ethereally present in spellbinding extracts beautifully read by Reem Kelani.'' Also in 2004, Kelani appeared as a guest of
Sandi Toksvig Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British writer, comedian and broadcaster on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She has written ...
on
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's Excess Baggage, alongside
Sir James Galway Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outstand ...
and singer-songwriter
Glenn Tilbrook Glenn Martin Tilbrook (born 31 August 1957) is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid-1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the music for Squeeze's son ...
. In 2006, Kelani was featured as a guest on
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's ''
Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by A ...
''. In 2007, Kelani explored Salome's ''Dance of the Seven Veils'' on
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
. In 2012, Kelani wrote and presented ''"Songs for Tahrir"'' on
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
about her experiences of music in the uprising in Egypt in 2011. She also relates more of her experiences in her programme blog. In December 2012, Kelani contributed in interview and with songs to the
BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...
's ''Lullabies in the Arab World''. In January 2013, Kelani's music was used in
BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's dramatisation "The Brick", written by the Palestinian writer Selma Dabbagh.


Film and television

For BBC 2's ''Everyman'' series in 1992, Kelani wrote original music for ''See No Evil'' on the
Sabra and Shatila massacre The Sabra and Shatila massacre (also known as the Sabra and Chatila massacre) was the killing of between 460 and 3,500 civilians, mostly Palestinians and Lebanese Shiites, by the militia of the Lebanese Forces, a Maronite Christian Lebanes ...
in Beirut in 1982. The film was produced by Stephen Walker. Kelani also did simultaneous interpreting and sub-titling. In 1998, Kelani worked as Associate Producer for a series of films as part of Channel Four's 'Israel 50' season entitled ''The Unholy Land''. She also provided Arabic vocals in the theme music composed by
Howard Davidson Howard Davidson is a composer of music for film, television, radio and the theatre. Davidson has over 300 scores to his credit, many in collaboration with noted documentary maker Michael Wood and made for the BBC and PBS. His orchestral score ...
. The series director was Colin Luke. Kelani wrote and performed the title music for the film ''Les Chebabs de Yarmouk'' which was released in 2013. Produced by the French film-maker Axel Salvatori-Sinz, it follows a group of young men and women in the Palestinian refugee settlement of
Yarmouk Camp Yarmouk ( ar, مُخَيَّم ٱلْيَرْمُوْك / ALA-LC: ', ) is a district of the city of Damascus, populated by Palestinians, with hospitals and schools. It is located from the center of Damascus and within municipal boundaries (but n ...
outside Damascus. For the title track, Iyad Hayatleh, the Glasgow-based Palestinian poet and son of Yarmouk wrote the verse, which Kelani then set to music.


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* *Soundcloud pag
Reem Kelani
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelani, Reem Living people English people of Palestinian descent English emigrants to Kuwait Musicians from Manchester 1963 births