The History and Sound of Palestine

Created and researched by DJ and musician Hiba Salameh

A Listening Journey is an immersive lecture-performance that traces the evolution of Palestinian music, from the folk songs of the 1920s to the sounds of modern resistance and diaspora. Drawing on extensive original research and archival recordings, DJ and musician Hiba Salameh explores how music has carried the collective memory and cultural identity of a people through displacement, struggle, and resilience. Through songs, the stories of the artists, and the history of the land, Salameh guides audiences on a musical journey across generations.

Born and raised in Haifa, Salameh created this project after years of performing internationally as a DJ. What began as a decision to replace a club set with a lecture became a profound act of storytelling and an invitation to listen differently. For the first time, she stepped out from behind the decks, stepping into her voice to tell a history often silenced, blending historical sound, personal reflection, and narrative to bring to life the sonic history of Palestine.

From the rural wedding chants and coded women’s songs of the pre-Nakba era, to the revolutionary anthems of exile, and finally to the contemporary hip-hop, electronic, and club sounds that echo today’s global dance floors, A Listening Journey connects forgotten voices of the past with the creative pulse of the present.

Presented to sold-out audiences in Glasgow, London, and Hamburg, A Listening Journey has received glowing reviews for its emotional depth, research, and musical insight, offering both an education in history and an experience of remembrance through sound.