Tarwida

​​In this episode of Tarwida, we take you on a virtual tour of SILA, a collaborative exhibition, that brings together artists and artisans to explore how Tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) has evolved from a traditional craft into a powerful language of identity and resistance.Showing at Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah from September 2025 to January 2026, SILA presents contemporary interpretations of Tatreez across a wide range of mediums, including ceramics, pottery, fashion, design, installation, and even sound.The founder of SILA, Rula Alami, joins us to discuss how the Inaash Association has worked for decades in Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon, preserving and evolving the heritage of Tatreez while creating sustainable livelihoods for women artisans.The episode also features a conversation with SILA curators Cima Azzam and Noor Suhail, who share insights into the curatorial process. They reflect on the central role of women artisans in preserving collective memory, how Tatreez has transformed from village craft into a cultural language, and how the exhibition engages with themes of identity, memory, resistance, and continuity.We close with interviews with three of the twenty-five participating artists — Zaid Farouki, Areen Hassan, and Samar Hejazi — who reflect on their individual works and creative approaches to Tatreez.Whether you’re drawn to Palestinian culture, contemporary art, textile practices, or stories of resilience, this episode offers a rare, layered perspective on how creativity becomes a form of endurance. Our guest host is Dana Alhanbali. The episode is produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. These conversations were recorded in November of 2025.Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. Follow us on @tarwidapodcast--Relevant links and Resources: To learn more about SILA, visit their website hereTo learn more about The Inaash Association and their artisans, visit their website hereFollow Rula Alami (@kiyanart) and visit her website hereLearn more about Cima Azzam and the Maraya Art Center hereLearn more about Noor Suhail and the 1971-Design Art Space hereFollow Zaid Farouki (@zaidfarouki) and visit his website hereFollow Samar Hejazi (@samarhejazi) and visit her website hereFollow Areen Hassan (@by_areen) and visit her website hereSee below to learn more about the mentioned artists and their work:Hazem Harb, Visual Artist Ghassan Kanafani, Author Huguette Caland, Artist and Founder of the Inaash Association Liane Al Ghusain, Artist and Writer Naima Almajdobah, Multidisciplinary Designer Wafa Ghnaim, Historian and Author Amer Shomali, Interdisciplinary Visual Artist Participating SILA artists:Amer Shomali – Abdel Rahman Katanani – Areen Hassan – Aya Haidar – Bokja – Cristiana de Marchi – Dahouk Chamsi-Pasha – Farah Behbehani – Hazem Harb – Katya Traboulsi – Joanna Barakat – Leila Jabre Jureidini – Liane Al Ghusain – Maysaloun Faraj – Nada Debs – Naima Almajdobah – Naqsh Collective – Nour Hage – Omarvis – Sama Alshaibi – Samar Hejazi – Samia Halaby – Tala Hammoud Atrouni – Steve Sabella – Zaid Farouki

Nai Barghouti - Palestinian singer, flutist and composer discovered the power of her voice at age four, when the occupation forces moved into her building during the Second Intifada. Since then, Nai uses music as a form of defiance and identity. In this episode, she shares how legendary artists like Umm Kulthum, Fairuz and Ziad Rahbani shaped her sound and how she re-imagines Palestinian folklore through a unique fusion of jazz, blues and tarab styles. She explains her signature vocal technique, “Naistrumentation,” a style where the voice itself becomes an instrument — blending scat-inspired jazz vocalization, Arabic ornamentation, and Palestinian heritage. Expect discussion of her journey, creative collaborations, cultural roots and how music becomes resistance.This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. This conversation was recorded on November 24, 2025. You can watch it on Youtube here. Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. Follow us on @tarwidapodcast--Relevant links and Resources: Follow Nai Barghouti on Instagram (@naibarghoutiofficial)Listen to more of Nai’s music (Spotify, YouTube, Apple)Read more about the connection between Islamic music and the blues hereListen to Nai on Curious EarsLearn more about Ziad Rahbani Buy tickets for Together for Palestine on December 9th, 2025 in ParisMusic included:قَلْبي يُحَدِّثُني - ناي البرغوثي | Qalbi Yuhadithuni Li Fairuz Xena If I Must Die - Poem by Refaat Alareer, music by Nai BarghoutiStepsAthem of the Land Inta Omry, originally by Umm Kulthum, performed by Nai BarghoutiSallimli Aleih, originally sung by Fairuz and composed by Ziad Rahbani, performed by Nai Barghouti“Badri Aleina” - written and composed by Jalal Nader from Palestine. Children choirs from Gaza, directed by Fouad Khader and Jaber Thabet - trained in part at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) by Sheryn Zeidan.

When filmmaker Annemarie Jacir began searching for her next film, she found herself returning to a moment many prefer to forget, the 1936 revolt, when Palestinians rose together against the British colonial rule, long before today's occupation took shape. This film, Palestine36, eventually became a 9-year journey into archives, historic villages, and the ways history leaves its mark. In this episode, she reflects on how the film came to life, and we also dive into her three other feature films, all of which were submitted to the Oscars. Raised between Saudi Arabia and Bethlehem, and now living in Haifa, Annemarie has always existed between worlds. We delve deeper into how this has shaped her and how she and other Palestinian filmmakers manage to make creation possible under impossible conditions.This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. This conversation was recorded on November 5, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast--Relevant links and Resources: Follow Annemarie Jacir on Instagram (@annamariajacir)Find where to watch her newest film Palestine36, hereLearn more about Farkha Village, hereYou can read Rashid Khalidi’s book, Palestinian Identity (1997), here, and The Hundred Years War on Palestine (2020), hereWatch Annemarie’s films below:Salt of this Sea (2008)When I Saw You (2012)Wajib (2017)Mentioned Tarwida Episodes:Saleem Al Beik

When Suad Amiry’s father tried to return to his home in Jaffa after 1948, he found that an Israeli family had moved in. They refused to let him enter. And when he returned to their home in Amman, it was the first time Suad had ever seen him cry. Years later, Suad would build a career on remembering what others tried to erase. Palestinian architect and writer, Suad Amiry, shares how her parents’ strength, wit, and belief in her became the foundation of her own confidence and sense of humor. She reflects on a life lived as both an architect and storyteller, exploring the absurdities of daily life under occupation, the coexistence of heartbreak and humor, and the defiant power of laughter. From founding the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation in 1991 to writing her book Sharon and My Mother-in-Law in 2003, and many since, Suad Amiry has dedicated her life to preserving Palestine, its culture, and its stories. This episode is hosted by Afaf Shawwa Bibi. Tarwida’s lead producer is Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. This conversation was recorded on September 10, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast--Relevant links and Resources: Follow Suad Amiry on Instagram (@suad.amiry)Learn more about the Riwaq Centre for Architectural ConservationSee below to learn more about the books mentioned:Mother of StrangersGolda Slept HereMurad MuradSharon and My Mother-in-LawMy Damascus

In this episode, we sit with Palestinian musician Samir Joubran, one of the three brothers behind Le Trio Joubran - a family of oud players and master luthiers who have carried the craft and soul of the instrument across generations.We explore with him what it means to revive the oud today and how to make music that speaks without words. We also trace the deep intersection between music and poetry, guided by the legacy of renowned poet Mahmoud Darwish, whose words have long influenced Joubrans’ music.Through reflecting on craft, heritage, and the spaces between sound and silence, this conversation is an invitation to listen differently. --This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. This conversation was conducted in Arabic and recorded on October 11, 2025. You can watch it with English subtitles on YouTube through this link. Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners, and more, about their very own Palestine.  In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast--Relevant links and Resources: Follow Samir Joubran on Instagram (@samir_joubran)Follow Le Trio Joubran on Instagram (@triojoubran)Book your tickets to attend Le Trio Joubrans’ upcoming concertsListen to Le Trio Joubran’s latest albumMentioned Tarwida Episodes: Listen to our episode with Joudie Kalla Listen to our episode with Rola Azar