Ramzi Aburedwan (Arabic:رمزي أبو رضوان, born 1979) is a Palestinian composer, arranger, educator; and viola and buzuq player. He is the founder of Ensemble Dal’Ouna and the Palestine National Ensemble of Arabic Music. He founded the al Kamandjâti music centre and has collaborated with international and renowned musicians.[1][2] He first studied at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music and then in the Regional Conservatory of Angers (France). Documentaries have been made of his life, including Its Not a Gun (2005) and Just Play (2012).[3][4] He is the main subject of the book Children of the Stone: The Power of Music in a Hard Land by Sandy Tolan (2015).[5]
Biography
Aburedwan was born in Bethlehem in 1979 and raised in the Am'ari refugee camp in Ramallah.[1][6] As an eight-year-old he participated in the first intifada and became an inspiration due to a widely circulated photograph showing him poised to throw a stone at a tank.[7] He lost a brother, a cousin, and many of his friends during the intifada.[8]
In October 2002 he founded Al Kamandjâti ("the violinist") Association, which aims to bring classical music to impoverished Palestinian children.[1][9]
In 2010 he founded the Palestine National Ensemble of Arabic Music, a 30-member ensemble which performs classical Arabic music and original compositions.[10] In 2012 he released his solo album, Reflections of Palestine, described by David Maine as folk-inflected instrumental music.[7]
The different projects of Ramzi Aburedwan
The Palestine National Ensemble for Arabic Music (PNEAM)
Created in 2010 by Aburedwan, who also serves as its musical director, The Palestine National Ensemble for Arabic Music (PNEAM) is playing classical Arab musical heritage in Palestine. The 25-30 members of the ensemble, through live performances, renders classical Arabic music traditions accessible to Palestinian audiences of all walks of life.[citation needed]
Dal'Ouna Ensemble
Ramzi founded Dal’Ouna in 2000, while living in Angers, thus laying the base for a Franco-Arab fusion band. Dal’ouna’s core members include Ramzi on bouzouq and viola, Ziad Ben Youssef (Tunisia/France) on oud and percussion, Edwin Buger (ex-Yugoslavia/France) on accordion and keys, and Tareq Rentisi (Palestine) on percussion.[citation needed] The ensemble has released four albums.[citation needed] The new repertoire Dal'Ouna is paying tribute to Ramzi's ancestors, the Natufians.[citation needed]
Al Manara Ensemble
Al Manara (meaning The Beacon) is a Belgian-Palestinian ensemble built between Aburedwan and the Belgian pianist, conductor and composer Éloi Baudimont. The ensemble has toured France, Belgium and Palestine and released one CD.[citation needed]
Jerusalem Sufi Ensemble
The Jerusalem Sufi Ensemble is dedicated to the documentation and revival of Sufi traditions. The voice-centered tradition is here enhanced by an ensemble that includes bouzouq, oud, qanun, nay and percussion.The ensemble’s current performance project, titled “Forgiveness,” explores an international body of Sufi poetry that includes Mansur Al-Hallaj (Persia), Muhammed Ibn-Arabi (Andalusia), Jalal Ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (Persia), Imam Al-Busiri (Morocco & Egypt), Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari (Bukhara) and Ibn Al-Farid (Syria & Egypt).[citation needed]
Arab-Andalusian Orchestra from Anjou
Conducted by Aburedwan, the Arab-Andalusian Orchestra is made up of artists from all over Anjou, of all ages. They have a repertoire ranging from the Levant (Middle East) to Eastern Europe via Africa and Asia. The themes addressed revolve around the Andalusian lyrical imagination, and are conveyed through courtly love, wine, and gardens.[citation needed]
