According to her fans, singer Rim Banna is "a real Palestinian. While her marriage to a Ukrainian, her upbringing inside the 1948 borders of Palestine, her education in Russia and her growing popularity in Europe could belie this statement in theory, the passion she demonstrates for her homeland in person is contagious. Perhaps that's why the 1,300 people gathered to watch Banna sing this week at the American University in Cairo's Ewart Hall were overwhelmed with the feeling that by simply witnessing her performance, one was supporting the Palestinian people and their cause in a powerful way. "She has something to say, said Haifa Sayegh, a Palestinian-Lebanese concertgoer. "She is spreading the message of Palestine around the world. It is Banna's uniquely expressed message that is responsible for the large fan-base she has attracted along the years among Palestinians and her popularity among music lovers in both the Middle East and Europe. Much of her music is based on traditional folk Palestinian songs, which she and her husband, musician Leonid Alexienko have interpreted and arranged together to produce new takes. Other songs tell true stories about Palestinians such as Faris Odeh, the young boy famously photographed facing an Israeli tank with a stone in hand. Banna's performance of these original compositions Saturday evening drew hearty applause, chanting, and endless requests for "just one more encore. The singer's interaction with the audience through dedications and commentary personalized and enriched the performance for concertgoers. "She explained the significance of each song and what it meant for Palestine, and she dedicated each to someone whether it was refugees, her mother or groups sitting in the audience, so I felt like she was really interacting with us and inspiring us to think about the issues raised in her music, said Reem El Maghraby, a Palestinian-Egyptian attendee. The audience members, who included diverse diplomats, Palestinians of all stripes, and Egyptian and American AUC students, were all equally inspired by Banna's singing. "I couldn't understand the words to her songs, but her love for Palestine was the clear message in every song, which gave the performance a dimension beyond her amazing singing talent, said Olivia Quinn, an American AUC student. Despite her custom of sharing the stage only with her husband and a small accompanying band, Banna graciously collaborated with her fellow Palestinians in a soulful performance that included speeches, dabka dancing by the AUC's Al Quds Club, and traditional Palestinian music by Mansour Barghouti and his band. The energy in the room increased steadily during the two and a half hour performance, culminating in audience members forming a long chain and dancing dabka around Ewart Hall. Banna was equally enthused as her spirited audience. "I was overwhelmed when the audience stood up and began clapping, dancing and singing along with me. That tells me that my words reached and inspired them, Banna told Daily News Egypt. For many concert attendees, the program did more than foster their respect for the Palestinian spirit embodied in Banna's music. "Events like this bring different parts of the Palestinian community together along with non-Palestinians who understand and support the Palestinian people, observed El Maghraby. "For me, this shows that cultural resistance is more powerful than politics sometimes, because we can all relate to her message. For the singer herself, the experience of performing in Egypt was unique. "I was here 15 years ago, but coming back now I feel like it's a completely new experience. The spirit of the people I met here is unlike that of other audiences, she said. As the emotional crowd filed out of Ewart Hall, it was clear that no matter how long it takes Banna to return to Egypt for a third time, her words will not be soon forgotten by anyone who had the pleasure of regarding this genuine Palestinian singing her message to the world.
