Images/Bio Sources: https://www.timesofisrael.com/leading-arab-israeli-singer-rim-bana-dies-aged-51/ http://www.palestinechronicle.com/rim-banna-symbol-life-unity/ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/rim-banna-palestinian-singer-dies-51-battle-cancer-180324063742378.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rim_Banna https://www.arabamericannews.com/2018/04/06/rim-banna-and-the-cultural-war-that-palestinians-must-win/ https://www.barbican.org.uk/the-trace-of-the-butterfly-a-tribute-to-rim-banna

Historical Note

Rim Banna (1966-2018) was a Palestinian singer, composer, arranger, and activist, remembered for her modern interpretations of traditional Palestinian poetry and songs. Born in Nazareth, she grew up in a working-class Christian family. She first gained fame in the 1990s after releasing an album of largely-forgotten Palestinian children's songs. She later released over a dozen albums, and became popular in Europe after accepting Norwegian music producer Erik Hillestad's invitation to participate on the CD Lullabies from the Axis of Evil (2003). The album was an anti-war work featuring women from Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Norway, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and Afghanistan. In her own music, Banna focused on themes of Palestinian suffering, particularly in the West Bank. However, she also wrote songs lauding the sumud (steadfastness) of Palestinian people. She aimed to contribute to a sense of Palestinian unity through music. She studied singing and conducting at the Higher Music Conservatory in Moscow, graduating after six years in 1991. She performed her first concert in Syria in 2009. Rim Banna was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and passed away to much worldwide grief in 2018.