After The Tumultuous Times, Palestine Has Chosen Music To Share Its Pain.
Music is the most preferred way to breathe life in situations and emotions, ever since the beginning of human life. Humans have been using it as a medium to vent out, to share their side of the story, or to share the message to the world. History can vouch for the fact that music has always been the recourse over unbearable misery. The melodies and the harmonies can shake people awake, and can also ignite revolt in them.
Osprey V, the first-ever Palestinian band is ready to harness the power of music and share its story with the world. Formed by an accountant, two lawyers, an agronomist, and a Swiss aid worker, the band is ready to come into the limelight now. Their only aim is to “scream out the pain” of the innocent souls exposed to the violence of war.
Formation Of This Unlikely Band
These enthusiastic and passionate youngsters came together, more than a couple of years ago and created a band, streaming their performances online on youtube. Initially, they maintained a lot of secrecy by keeping their identities in complete disguise. The band has recently decided to reveal their identities to the outside world.
Vocalist Raji El-Jaru, an accountant by profession and cousin of the band’s composer, Moamin El-Jaru, was the driving force behind the inception of the band. The band is the manifestation of his childhood dream.
“I try to talk about situations or problems that everyone in the world faces, but as I come from a place that has been cursed by so many wars and conflicts, I try to say it from my perspective, from my place in Gaza,” said El-Jaru, who is a lawyer by profession.
In April, a month before the 11 days of clashes between Israel and Palestine, the group performed at the online concert “Live for Gaza”, with the sole aim of raising funds for musicians from the Palestinian territories. Roger Waters, one of the founders of the band Pink Floyd and a well-known activist for the liberation of Palestine, was also present at this concert as a guest.
The swiss drummer Thomas Kocherhans, while talking about his association with the band said, “When I first heard them, I was really shocked but in a good way. I never thought there was music of this quality in Gaza”. Unfortunately, Thomas had to leave Palestine, due to the end of his humanitarian mission.
Aspirations Of Osprey V
Formed at a place where happiness is long-forgotten, interests in western music are all-time low, Osprey V aspires to become the Metallica of Palestine. “I would love to become the Palestinian version of Metallica or Pink Floyd”, said Raji El-Jaru.
With a strong message, Gaza’s first rock band Osprey V is all set to captivate the world with its sensational music. “We’ll scream our pain – can you hear the call?” entreats one of the band’s songs, “Home”. Have you listened to it yet?
