Palestine Day

November 29th is the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and on this day Grenseløst Oslo, SPKRBOX, the Palestine Committee in Oslo and Melahuset to a celebration with music, poetry, conversations and dabke.

Doors open at 5:30 PM
The program starts at 6:15 PM.
Free admission!

This evening there will be a concert with Simona Abdallah, the world's first female darboka player, a poetry reading by Wesam Al Madani and Nordic Black Theatre, art contributions from Anas Salameh, Mustafa Hasan's workshop show, ballroom, Arabic rhythms from DJ Refel, dabke dance directed by Aya Abu Nahel and a panel discussion with Simona Abdallah, Anas Salameh, Wesam Al Madani and Mustafa Hasan, and led by Rania Iraki.

The presenter this evening will be Shilpi B.

There will also be stops with Ibrahim Nasser and the Palestine store Al Quds.

On stage:

Simona Abdallah is the first professional female darboka player, an instrument traditionally played only by men, and in her music she mixes Arabic rhythms with house, electronica and other global rhythms. Born in Germany to Palestinian parents, she grew up in Aarhus, Denmark and currently lives in Copenhagen. Simona is a self-taught percussionist and started playing at the age of 15 with a desire to merge the music that has shaped her throughout her life. Despite challenges on her musical journey, she has chosen to hold on to her dreams and can today look back on a musical career that has toured the world and collaborated with artists such as Natacha Atlas, Cheb Khaled, Elham Al Madfai, Haddaway, Jenny Wilson, Najwa Karam, DR Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Alban, SNAP and Danish rock legends DAD

Students from Nordic Black Xpress (NBX) will open the evening with a poetry reading.
NBX aims to develop actors who reflect the diversity of today's
Norway. NBX is an acting school for actors who want to work
in theater, performing arts or film.

The students:

Matias Ignacio Algeria
Sigurd Gomes-Linnerud
Elvira Gomez Snart
Even Tamiru Håseth Julsrud
Hijra Islow
Korab Rama
Marlon Valdes Langeland
Ali Ilyas Mohamed
Akramkhan Nasir
Miriam Teshager

Wesam Al Madani is a Palestinian ICORN writer and activist, recognized for his literary work and commitment to human rights. Al Madani has published one novel and two collections of poetry, in addition to contributing to six collaborative projects with other authors. His works have been translated into several languages, including English, Norwegian, Swedish, Hebrew and Italian. With a strong focus on war, Palestinian rights, LGBTQ+ issues and women's rights, Al Madani has established himself as a significant voice on these topics. Originally from Jaffa, Palestine, Al Madani was born in Sudan, raised in Egypt and later moved to Gaza after the Oslo Accords.

Mustafa Hasan's work exhibition: Do you remember Mustafa? The 18-year-old from Asker who all of Norway became aware of when he was to be sent out of Norway after having been here since he was six years old? Mustafa Hasan (b.2002) became known as "the guy from the case" and he became a symbol of a fight, a trial - and an entire country that discussed who gets to stay and who has to go. After the cameras were turned off and the newspapers stopped writing, it became quiet. In that void - where no one calls anymore and no one asks "how are you now?" - a new story began. A story about a boy who looked up to the King, who wanted to belong, who wanted to make music and make people laugh. But most of all wanted to know love and be an artist and not just "a case". This is a story about finding yourself again when everyone around you has an opinion about who you are.
Cast: Mustafa Hasan
Director: Hedda Sandvig

Members of Oslo Ballroom Scene will offer a powerful and feminine show in the style of vouge femme, one of the performance categories from the underground Ballroom culture. Stay tuned to the dance floor throughout the evening for a pop-up!
Cast: Gigi Sunshine Angels, Fizzy Angels, Manila 007, Edona 007, Salima 007

Aya Abu Nahel has a passion for dabke dance and she and her students will share it with others on Palestine Day through a dabke workshop and performance! She has lived her entire childhood in Gaza and started dabke when she was 7 years old. She has held several and now holds dabke courses in Oslo every Sunday. She is educated in business administration and spends all her free time doing dabke.

Anas Salameh is a Palestinian visual artist, illustrator, and animation and caricature artist. His work focuses on documenting daily life in war situations and through various techniques, such as drawing with coffee and other everyday products, and media, he explores the political, critical, and conceptual dimensions of art.

Salameh's work reflects a profound artistic vision that combines social and political observation with visual experimentation, emphasizing the human aspects of life in contexts marked by war and displacement, and represents a contemporary artistic practice that unites visual reflection with social engagement.

Ibrahim Nasser is a poet, activist and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Nasser Palestine, a family business based in Ramallah and Oslo that works to share and preserve the Palestinian culture and food heritage. Ibrahim Nasser tells the authentic Palestinian story through poetry, stories, spices and food.

DJ Refel will have us moving to Arabic rhythms by the end of the night! Since 2019, she has been playing at the biggest clubs in Oslo, where she has had a burning passion for playing experimental sounds and music styles from south of the equator, or from the diaspora that comes from that territory. By mixing genres such as Middle Eastern Deep-House, Hiphop from Palestine, Acid-Techno from France, Egyptian Street Music, Brazilian Funk, Afro-house from SA, Syrian Dabke fusion and house music from Lebanon, she has introduced new sounds to club venues such as Kulturhuset, Youngs, Internasjonalen, Blitz, Jakob Kirke, Revolver and Café Sør, just to name a few. And this evening she is guaranteed to have us moving boundlessly to Arabic rhythms.