Pictures of Palestinian singer and musician Reem Kelani and her band at Rich Mix The intimate venue at Rich Mix, a cultural hub in the buzzing area of Shoreditch, East London, was packed last night for an inspired and electrifying performance by the Palestinian singer and musician Reem Kelani and her band. Reem performed songs from her debut album Sprinting Gazelle: Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora and from her forthcoming album of songs and music by the Egyptian legend Sayyid Darwish (1892-1923) whose work has been enjoying a revival in the Egyptian Spring. Reem writes about her Darwish project here . The concert was a most welcome reappearance by Reem on a London stage; she recently returned from five months in Cairo, much of it spent in Tahrir Square. She maintained an illuminating blog during this time, on musical and other aspects of the revolution.
Reem accompanied herself on frame drum. Her musicians were Bruno Heinen on piano, Ian East on saxophones, Ryan Trebilcock on double bass and John Blease on drums.
Reem and the musicians more than lived up to the Rich Mix billing:
"We’re delighted to be offering a number of UK performance dates this year for Reem Kelani, arguably the most outstanding and innovative Arabic singerof her generation. With her fine cross-cultural band she explores a profoundly personal musical territory, creating an intense & emotional soundscape that starts somewhere between propulsive contemporary jazz & spine-tingling Arabic maqaams, and continues with power, passion & poetry."
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