2. Outline of the Key Concepts

The act of creating music offers profound insights into the interplay of identity, collaboration, and cultural memory, serving as a lifeline for cultural preservation and self-expression, particularly within the Palestinian experience. Art, as Meskimmon (2011) notes, reconfigures the social, ethical, and political climate of our time.  

This research explores my Palestinian identity through music, positioning music not only as a means of artistic expression but also as a potent channel for healing, self-definition, and self-determination. Through improvisation, cross-cultural collaborations, and an exploration of the contexts in which these expressions take place, music emerges as a sacred vessel—one that holds both personal narratives and collective histories.

It is essential to recognise the role of music  in processing the complex experiences of trauma and the fragmentation of self that often accompany it.  Continuous traumatic stress, distinct from isolated traumatic events, permeates the daily lives of those who lack safe spaces, where trauma is normalized (Farajallah, 2022). This ongoing trauma not only undermines physical safety but also destabilizes psychological well-being, often leaving little room for relief or recovery. The psychological impact is particularly severe among Palestinian children, with 95% displaying symptoms of depression, hyperactivity, aggression, and a preference for isolation, underscoring the profound and enduring effects of living under constant threat (Farajallah, 2022). Through sound, lyrics, and collaborative creation, music transcends its role to become a vital tool for navigating and processing the deep psychological wounds inflicted. . Intergenerational trauma stemming from direct and constant violence, among others (Veronese, 2020; Weiner, 2023), has ultimately limited the capacity for free engagement within the community and with the world, disrupting self-worth, self-expression and creativity. In response, integrating personal experiences of pain, collective memories, tradition, and the enduring spirit of resistance into the music offers a medium to revisit the ancestral legacy of culture and authentic identities, and bring forward the longing aspirations for life of dignity and collectivity. Palestinians not only bear witness to their struggles but also confront the forces of erasure. music emerges as a medium for bringing fragmented memories, identities, and hopes into harmony. It serves simultaneously as an act of survival and a powerful assertion of Palestinian identity. As Veronese (2020) observes, places hold the power to shape identities and define the possibilities for individual and collective lives. However, through deliberate actions and engagement with these spaces, individuals can challenge and redefine these boundaries. This idea underscores how creative acts can become more than mere reactions to external forces; they are intentional efforts to reclaim and reshape physical and emotional spaces.

The core concepts guiding this research are outlined below:

Artistic Identity and Its Evolution

Artistic identity is a fluid and evolving concept, shaped by the interconnection of cultural, political, and personal forces. It suggests that identity is not static but is constantly reconstructed through experiences and creative processes, particularly within the realm of art. Palestinian artistic identity, in particular, intertwines personal narratives with a collective struggle, reflecting how art serves as both a repository of memory and a medium for resilience.

Laïdi-Hanieh (2006) underscores that Palestinian cultural resistance is deeply rooted in self-representation rather than externally imposed narratives. This emphasis situates artistic identity within a dynamic process of reconstructing self-narratives amidst occupation and fragmentation. As Palestinian art transitions from traditional frameworks like sumud (steadfastness), which Abuelhiga (2020) describes as 'a kind of patient strength, an active commitment to righteousness, a firm nonviolence.'..., to contemporary explorations of identity and belonging, it illustrates how artists navigate evolving social and political realities. This evolution highlights the continuous negotiation between preserving cultural heritage and engaging with global artistic influences.

Historically, Palestinian art has been inseparable from the national struggle for survival and resistance. As Maha Nassar (2014) explains, Palestinian artistic production became closely tied to the nationalist resistance movement following the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964, with art serving as a powerful tool for protest and empowerment. El-Amyouni (2024) expands on this by emphasizing the fragmentation inherent in Palestinian political identity, which oscillates between moments of unity and disintegration.

The Palestinian experience, marked by cycles of coming together and falling apart, manifests in the complex and often contradictory nature of the national struggle. The frequent shifts between collective unity and disintegration reflect not only the challenges of resistance but also the deeply embedded tension between fragmentation and coherence within Palestinian identity. As El-Amyouni, (2024),  articulates, Palestine exists both as a political force and as a symbol—a name shouted from the margins of global power structures, even in the absence of official representation. This duality shapes how Palestinian artists engage with their identity, navigating between fragmentation and unity, in a constant process of redefining selfhood. 

To transcend what Mbembe (2002) terms “the dead end” of simplistic victim narratives in the struggle for selfhood, it is essential to look beyond narrow definitions that confine identity to race and geography. Mbembe calls for the acknowledgment of “intersecting practices” that not only address factual and moral disputes but also provide a pathway to "self-styling"—the active and intentional creation of one's identity. This shift from a static to a dynamic, self-directed conception of identity is key to understanding how Palestinian artistic production, and the cultural narratives that accompany it, are shaped by ongoing struggles for self-definition and autonomy.

In sum, artistic identity is not merely a reflection of cultural heritage or political circumstances; it is an active, dynamic process that transcends external limitations and allows individuals to assert their own voices and agency. Through their creative work, Palestinians challenge imposed identities, redefine their narratives, and navigate the complexities of survival, resistance, and self-determination. Palestinians also challenge the ongoing settler colonialism that culminates in historical erasure, denial of equal rights to language, identity, social, political, and economic participation across historic Palestine (Weiner, 2023). In this way, Palestinian artistic self-narratives become a crucial mechanism to construct and reconstruct their identity, affirms dignity and humanity of the Palestinian community  in the face of sociocide and political erasure (Laïïdi-Hanieh, 2006)..

Cultural Resistance:

Cultural or creative resistance is the reclamation and preservation of cultural narratives through artistic expression, allowing marginalized communities to assert their identity and heritage in the face of erasure. Webb-Mitchell (1995) poignantly states, “Forgetting the narratives of self, family, and community is inhuman because our accumulated history of suffering and happiness is then gone and forgotten”. This profound observation emphasizes the critical need for cultural preservation, especially for Palestinians, for whom music, poetry, and art have long served as vessels of memory, preserving narratives that would otherwise be lost to time and erasure. El-Amyouni (2024, p.21) articulates that “existence is resistance,” tackling the fact that by simply being and creating within the confines of occupation becomes a profound act of defiance. asserting existence through creation is not just a personal act, but also a communal one, resisting both the external forces of occupation and the internal forces of forgetting.

Palestinian resistance to these forces has been robust, centering on sumud—the steadfast refusal to leave and to be colonized (Qumsiyeh, 2010). Historically, Palestinian resistance has found expression in a wide range of nonviolent actions, from labor and tax strikes to boycotts of Israeli products. This robust history has coalesced into movements such as the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) movement,  supported by the Geneva Convention, which affirms the right of colonized peoples to resist all forms of oppression, including through violent means when necessary (Weiner, 2023). However, as Weiner (2023) suggests, ending the occupation would likely end much of the resistance itself, highlighting the interconnectedness of resistance and occupation.

Palestinian art and music reject the notion that their struggles should be relegated to the past, challenging the normalization of occupation and giving voice to lives defined by resistance that hold the core of the collective pursuit of self-determination. As El-Amyouni (2024) notes, the Palestinian identity is “deeply intertwined with resistance”; even in the diaspora, Palestinians continue to sing, write, and create as acts of existence and endurance, demonstrating their right to a place within the world’s collective narrative. Music, poetry, song and theater  have long been instruments of resistance against occupations from Napoleon to the British to Zionist militias and organizations and of collective imagination and strength (Al-Araj, 2018; El-Amyouni, 2024). Art became a dynamic force that preserve, empower and carry forward the collective identity and aspirations for a future where oppression and violence have no more place. This resistance is not passive; it is active and present, woven into the very fabric of their culture. 

Moreover, Stephen Duncombe (2002) elaborates on the power of cultural resistance to create a "free space" where new meanings and visions for the future can emerge, challenging the ideological and material dominance of oppressive powers. He also suggests that ideologically, cultural resistance "creates a space for new language, meanings, and visions of the future,” positioning it as a transformative force capable of redefining both the present and the future of marginalized communities. For Palestinians, this creation of a new language is crucial in asserting their identity and vision in the face of displacement and occupation.

While Mbembe’s theoretical framework for the exercise of selfhood offers valuable insights into colonial resistance, there are important aspects that this proposal does not fully address when applied to the Palestinian context. As Mbembe (2003) notes, the exercise of selfhood within the colonial context must also account for the specific historical and material conditions that shape resistance, including the ongoing displacement and fragmentation of Palestinian communities, both within Palestine and in the broader diaspora.

Cultural Memory and Artistic Expression in the Palestinian Context:

Cultural memory compasses both the preservation and reimagining of traditional music, stories, and artistic expressions and is essential in connecting our collective past with the present and future. In the face of colonial erasure and displacement, music and art serve as powerful means of re-inscribing memory and asserting identity. As a Palestinian artist, my creative journey is deeply intertwined with the ongoing struggle to preserve and reimagine our cultural heritage.  Santos (2011) speaks of art as a tool for creating "living memory," preserving historical narratives and challenging the exclusionary national stories that have often marginalized Palestinian voices.  In the collective Palestinian consciousness, music becomes a critical vessel to “reinscribe” memory, preserving the past while shaping a new, resilient, and determinant future (El-Amyouni, 2024).

This process of resistance through art is crucial in the Palestinian both at home and in the diaspora, where the boundaries between “being” and “belonging” are constantly negotiated. As a Palestinian artist, I find myself in this ongoing conversation, working to hold onto cultural identity while navigating the complexities of displacement and stereotypes of the Palestinian nationality and existence. Here, the artistic expression of cultural memory and tradition comes as a language to recall history and tell the truth. Cultural production affirms our appreciation of this existence and to the heritage that enriches this resilient existence. In addition,  it is an assertion of our continuous existence especially in the face of efforts to claim otherwise and always question it. Cultural memory, then, is not just a passive recollection; it is a proactive act of resistance, asserting that "existence is resistance" (El-Amyouni, 2024, p.17). 

Palestinian music and poetry often carry the weight of memory, shaping identity within a socio-historical framework. Memory becomes a “mediational tool,” linking individuals to their collective experiences and guiding the formation of new identities and actions (Brescó de Luna, 2012). For Palestinians, particularly those in the diaspora, the very act of remembering is a form of survival. Through music, we can bridge past struggles with present resilience, ensuring that our shared history is passed down and reimagined for future generations.

This ongoing narrative is grounded in the collective memory of the Nakba, the catastrophic displacement of Palestinians in 1948, which continues to shape our identity and politics today. The trauma of the Nakba is not confined to the past; it is a living memory that informs our present and fuels our ongoing resistance. As Masalha (2012) writes, the Nakba is not just an event but a continuing process of dispossession and erasure, one that is actively concealed by dominant narratives that seek to exclude Palestinian experiences from the historical record. In Israel, for example, "Zionist knowledge" and collective memory are promoted in schools and media, erasing the Palestinian story and perpetuating a false national narrative (Masalha, 2012). This erasure is part of the larger strategy of colonial control, which seeks to deny Palestinians the right to narrate their history.

Yet, despite these efforts, our collective memory persists. Through music, poetry, and storytelling, we actively resist the erasure of our history and assert our right to exist, both as individuals and as a people. The continuity of trauma is not a relic of the past but an ongoing reality, intricately linked to current Israeli policies and practices (Matar, 2011). Through my artistic work, I seek to honor this memory, as a vivid recollection and a call to action—a directive act,  where memory actively shapes our present and future.

In this research, collaboration is approached beyond the process of artistic creation, into an exploratory journey of possibilities for self-understanding and negotiation within varied musical and cultural frameworks. As a researcher, I am particularly curious about how these interactions will unfold in Sections 4.1 Sonic Exile and 4.2 Bethlehem Echoes, where music may become a powerful medium that bridges personal histories and shared human experiences. The dialogue between instruments, bodies, and stories creates a sonic space for identity to exist and evolve, a multidimensional landscape where identity might find grounding in cultural memory while simultaneously being reshaped through collective exploration. This research seeks to observe how these collaborative spaces transform identity, allowing it to be both anchored and continuously reimagined in real-time encounters.

In Section 4.3 Discussion, I will engage in a reflective analysis of the commonalities, challenges, and subtle connections that surfaced within both projects, exploring how shared vulnerability, the intimate nature of the duo format, and the serendipitous ways in which these collaborations began have collectively shaped our work. This reflection aims to draw out the nuanced ways in which these encounters resonate with the core themes of this thesis, offering a reimagining of identity, and the transformative potential within collaborative art.

In Section 4.4 explore the collaborative project with Amwaj Choir, which reflect key themes of cultural resilience, identity preservation, and collective resistance central to this research. Composed of young Palestinians, demonstrates how music can function as a counter-narrative to erasure and a tool for reclaiming identity. These collaborations highlight music’s potential to facilitate resistance and solidarity, supporting the broader exploration of identity, cultural memory, and the transformative role of artistic expression in personal and collective resilience throughout the thesis.