Here is a short clip of Nigel Kennedy on stage at the Royal Albert Hall with members of the Palestine Strings, and his Orchestra of Life. Check out the young Palestinian violinist featured in this segment of the performance and the moving interplay between him and Kennedy.
For a brief period the BBC radio is offering the soundtrack for this full 1:40:00 performance from its Proms festival series. Kennedy makes his Apartheid statement at 1:20:00 here.
(Hat tip Mondoweiss commenter bintbiba)
I couldn’t access the video here or on YouTube.
Wonderful stuff. No doubt Bibi and his cohorts would describe such eloquent and moving performances as ‘incitement’, lol. Kudos to Kennedy, who I heard in a radio interview describing how his first visit to Israel shocked and disgusted him so much that he has boycotted it ever since – long before BDS. I can’t help feeling that the appalling injustice that Palestinians have suffered only deepens the poignancy and power of their artistry and culture. It is a powerful testimony to them and their resilience, which audiences clearly respond to, most of them aware that it is a small miracle that they are even here, allowed out of their Israeli prison.
This is a really wonderful performance — Nigel Kennedy and his friends all make beautiful music, the whole 1+ hrs, merging classical, new jazz, and Arab. This music the existential threat to apartheid Israel.
2 comments: 1. Didn`t you notice that by generals standards the Israeli Arabs and now also Palestinians (from the West-Bank mainly) are probably in the most advanced position (in terms of objective achievement criteria and on average) in the Arab world. If you did not guess why then here is a hint: All 7 West-Bank high-learning (academic) institutions were established after the Israeli takeover.
2. An Israeli musician would not have a chance there. He/she would be interrupted. For instance, the Israeli Philharmonic orchestra could not finish its concert in the Edinburgh festival.
All of them are stunning!
That young man– a truly gifted genius with incredible soul and talent– and Nigel are complete magic, full of passion and hope for the near future. I felt the same stirrings when I first heard Itzhak Perlman.
This new association and simply celestial interpretation gives me goosebumps!
Thank you Bintbiba and Annie and MW.