JERUSALEM, May 23, 2018 (WAFA) - Sabreen Association for Artistic Development just released a song and video titled “Waadtani”, which translates to "You Promised Me", from the heart of East Jerusalem.

Said Murad, the founder of Sabreen Association, wrote and composed the song and video. Murad is considered a pioneer in the Palestinian music scene.

The video includes Palestinian artists and institutions based in East Jerusalem. "The goal of the video is to focus on the Palestinian individual living in the city," Murad says, "and to remind the world that there are human beings living in East Jerusalem who are musicians, writers, artists, normal people who want to make a difference. Away from the big picture of politics and the media, the ones who suffer from the consequences are those people living in Jerusalem."

The chorus of the song is a traditional Arabic expression which translates to, "You promised me an earring, so I pierced my ear. And awaiting your promise the months kept passing." Murad explains his motivation in writing the song this way: "The song is a metaphor for how the world gets riled up about the situation and countries promise to help, but in the end nothing happens. If anything the situation is only becoming worse as the city deteriorates."

Several cultural Palestinian institutions appear in the video including Al-Hakawati Theater, Sanabel Theater, Pyalara, and the Palestinian Art Court - Al Hoash, as well as other prominent Palestinian artists and personalities.

Prior to the formation of Sabreen (Sabreen means steadfast in Arabic, derived from the word Sabr for patience) as a non-profit based in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, it was a musical group founded by Murad in 1980. The musical group Sabreen revolutionized Palestinian contemporary music, combining the music of struggle with a fusion of classical oriental and contemporary western sounds and traditions in making its music applicable to and reflective of, the political and historical realities of the Palestinian people, melding traditional melodies with contemporary rock, jazz, and more, and creating a musical sensation throughout the Arab world.

While the group desired to voice their political and social positions in their songs, their recordings coincided with different episodes of Palestinian history and have, as a result, reflected the larger political, social, and historical realities of their day.

More recently, Sabreen assumed the responsibility of creating and contributing to the nurturing of an enriched musical environment in Palestine, establishing Sabreen Association For Artistic Development, a registered nonprofit organization to support and sponsor musical and cultural activities in coordination with local and international donor organizations.

Sabreen Association for Artistic Development has since developed into a leading music resource organization. It continues to reach out to an underserved community to offer a spirited, innovative approach to enhancing music understanding and creativity.  It develops and conducts educational music workshops for students, music teachers, and the general public in Palestine.

M.K.