Abu Kenda
Born in New Jersey and raised in Northern Galilee, Palestinian-American violinist Akram Abdulfattah's youth and musical upbringing was strongly influenced by his immediate surroundings and steeped in tradition. He enrolled at a local conservatory, was trained in performance and composition and later graduated from the Jerusalem Music Academy with honours. Looking to expand his horizon beyond the familiar Arabic/Palestinian repertoire and push the boundaries, he went on to pursue a wide range of collaborations and release a total of four albums independently. "Despite the scarcity of resources for Palestinian artists, [Akram has persevered and meanwhile] established himself as one of the pioneering Arab violinists/instrumentalists," which he impressively showcased on his recent live album documenting his performance at the 2023 Cambridge Folk Festival.
To say that a lot has happened since the release of his last EP "From Here" in 2022 (read more here) is an obvious understatement. War in the already conflict-ridden Middle East is currently raging and has reached a tragic new dimension with the heinous Hamas terrorist attack of October 7th, 2023, and the ensuing brutal response by the IDF. Only a few months before this new dimension of violence erupted, Akram's daughter Kenda was born. Tersely put, the proximity of these radical changes, both internal and external, and the resulting emotional discord no doubt affected Akram and his family and are now manifested in his music. Today, marks the release of his brand-new album "Abu Kenda" ('Father of Kenda'), a highly evocative nine-track opus that reflects this new era and a sonorous dichotomy between the miracle and promise of new life and the harsh reality of war.
This new work, however, is in no way lugubrious or marred by self-pity. Blending "elements of traditional Palestinian and Arab Classical music" with "sonic influences from [...] Jazz, Rock and Funk," Abdulfattah's latest oeuvre takes a more far-reaching approach, "carrying [within] it a message of peace and a call for freedom and justice [...] whilst upholding the highest artistic and humanitarian values." Facilitated by his virtuosic playing, electronic accentuation and an inherently innovative spirit, "Abu Kenda" translates to a plethora of emotions and contrasting colours, at times ominous and disheartening, at times brimming with hope and positivity. Fully instrumental and thus speaking directly to the heart, each composition leaves infinite room for interpretation with only the individual song titles providing a sense of direction and added context, i.e. "The Magic Smile" and "Kenda" as opposed to "Non White", "Stones And Maqams" or "New Day Same Dream". The result is a thrilling fusion of ancient and modern styles, revealing impressive depth, sincerity and love, while maintaining a childlike playfulness, spontaneity and wide-eyed wonder. Did we just hear a 'maqam' rendition of "Baby Shark"?! You tell us. Stream the full album below.
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