LAST week, Palestinian singer Rim Al-Banna appeared at the American University in Cairo's Ewart Hall for a night of Palestinian patriotic and folk songs, Sayed Mahmoud was there. This was Al-Banna's second performance in Cairo following her first concert in Al-Azhar Park. Al-Banna clearly wallowed in the enthusiastic response from the audience. "The Egyptian audience surprised me with their reaction, cheering and encouragement," the singer said later. Al-Banna, who lives in Nazareth, performed songs from her two top albums, Mawasem Al-Banafsej (Seasons of Violets) and Maraya Al-Ruh (Mirrors of the Soul). Some of these are tahalil, folk songs that usually express a theme of longing and loss. The lyrics of one song went, "Cousin Jamal, send my love to father and mother, from the depth of my heart, from the tips of my mouth, I send love to faraway and tender mom." Unlike other Palestinian artists, including Omayma Al-Khalil, Julia Boutros, and Camillia Jubran -- who experiment with lyrics and musical form -- Al-Banna, who sticks to wearing traditional Palestinian costume, adheres strictly to form. She has taken part in several Arab and international festivals, winning the Palestine Award in 2000 for her "outstanding style". However, her contribution into developing Palestinian folk singing could be described as slight since her repertoire consists mainly of traditional Palestinian songs. Yet her reception proved her popularity. Yasmine El-Khodari, chairperson of the Quds Club, which organised the concert, said Al-Banna's songs "took us to the heavens of Palestine and back to the world; songs that express the suffering of Palestinian people as well as their small joys and pains away from the ideological differences of Palestinian sects."
