Doc Jazz in the Netherlands: performance and interviews (video and written)

As was announced earlier on this website, Doc Jazz recently concluded a trip to the Netherlands, where he gave a lecture at Erasmus University in Rotterdam about emigration (May 27), performed at the manifestation ‘NAKBA 65’ in Rotterdam (June 1), and was featured as the main guest in the NTR program OBA Live on June 4.

In this same period, he also gave an interview to Al Arte Magazine, which appeared both in Dutch and in English.

His performance at NAKBA 65 featured a variety of songs in Arabic, English and even one in Dutch. In his show, Doc Jazz played on guitar, piano, shibbabeh (Palestinian flute) and oud (Arabic lute). He also sang a few of his popular songs accompanied by his own backing tracks. At the beginning of the event, a pre-recorded clip by Doc Jazz featured him voice-acting a self-written monologue impersonating legendary hunger striker Samer Issawi. This audio-clip can be downloaded here, and is in the Dutch language.

For visitors in the Netherlands, this was the last chance to see Doc Jazz performing live, since NAKBA 65 was the last in a series of three yearly Palestine-events in the Netherlands initiated by the Musical Intifada. For more details on NAKBA 65, please check out the poster for the event which can be found in this article. All in all, it was quite a successful event.

The OBA Live interview was meant to be an up-close personal encounter with Doc Jazz focusing on his emigration from the Netherlands to the United Arab Emirates, but turned out as an in-depth interview about the Nakba, the Right of Return and other issues connected to the Palestinian cause.

Those who understand Dutch can see the entire interview here, but for English speakers the interview has been limited to the conversation about the Palestinian cause, and provided with subtitles. Watch the embedded video here below.

The interview with Al Arte Magazine (al.arte.magazine), conducted by Aya Johanna Danielle Durst Britt, was titled: ‘From front door key to a free Palestine: the musical intifada of Doc Jazz’ and touched upon his self-taught musicianship, his motives behind mobilizing his music for the Palestinian cause, the symbolism in his work and his political positioning in the struggle.

An excerpt:

“I oppose the Zionist invasion of Palestine and the related dispossession of land and property, ethnic cleansing and racial segregation. Not surprisingly, I am strongly against normalization as well, since showing sympathy for the Palestinian cause while acknowledging the state of Israel simply cannot be. This militant and racist state is far from ‘normal’ and should not be treated as such. If it is treated that way, any sign of solidarity with Palestinians becomes implausible and meaningless.”

Read the entire interview here, and it also contains a link at the top for the Dutch version of it, which shows some minor differences with the English version.