Reem Kelani Concert (Bath Friends of Palestine)

This is an event organised by Bath Friends of Palestine (BFoP).

Reem Kelani has often been described as an ‘unofficial ambassador’ for the art and poetry of Palestine. Her first love musically was the jazz her father listened to, but at the age of nine she discovered Palestinian music when she was taken to a family wedding in Galilee. She has spent much of her life researching the songs and singing styles of the Middle East, the Levant and North Africa.

With her rhythm section of Bruno Heinen (piano), Ryan Trebilcock (double bass) and Riccardo Chiaberta (drums and percussion), she has developed an extraordinary, seamless fusion of Arabic music and jazz. You can hear two of their most recent recordings here.

She is, Max Reinhardt said on Radio 3, ‘an astonishing vocalist’. Her voice ‘will make the hairs on your neck stand up’ (Jazz UK); it ‘is holy, strong and seductive, like a call to prayer’ (the Evening Standard).

In performance, her ‘indomitable spirit and emotionally charged introductions are an integral part of the experience’ (Songlines). In these grim times, this promises to be a memorable evening of music, poetry and – inevitably – deep feeling.