A Magical Substance Flows into Me

The Musical Diversity of Historical Palestine

Robert Lachmann was a German-Jewish ethnomusicologist. In the 1930s, his radio show "Oriental Music" explored the musical traditions of Palestine and included regular live performances by musicians from different ethnic and religious groups.

Inspired by Lachmann's musicological studies, Palestinian artist Jumana Manna travels through Israel and the Palestinian territories of today with recordings from the program. What do these songs sound like now when performed by Moroccan, Kurdish, or Yemenite Jews, by Samaritans, members of the urban and rural Palestinian communities, Bedouins and Coptic Christians?

When a true fascination for history meets the sounds of the rababa, the saz, the oud and tin cans, a cultural diversity emerges that subverts the distinction between "Arab" and "Jewish". There are no national borders here, only different kitchens where people make music together - with their guests, while cooking, while someone makes the coffee. Until the music becomes so infectious you can't help but dance along.