Support the first album of Maimas, a Gaza City band singing Palestinian resistance songs and breaking the cultural blockade

This is an Australasian-based fundraising page for the Palestinian band, Maimas, which is based in Gaza. The band needs funds to record their first album in a recording studio in Gaza.

Gaza baed palestinian activist and singer Haidar Eid says "songs are an organising tool in the arduous work of overthrowing occupation and apartheid. They are permanently etched in the collective memory of the people of Palestine. We hope that our songs will document Palestinian desire to be free from the ravages of colonialism, occupation and apartheid".

Haidar and the rest of the band members say art in Gaza is itself under a horrific, medieval siege, a siege that is the literal antithesis of freedom.

"By singing, getting our voices heard, we are, in fact, using music as a tool of resistance" says Haidar.

The band is named Maimas (reportedly an ancient name of the port of Gaza City.) It consists of five musicians playing various instruments: Oud, Tabla (drums,) Keyboard, Naii, Guitar. The band members are: Mohammed Akila on Oud; Eyad Ablial on Tabla (drums); Fahmy Saqqa on keyboard, Ismail Harazeen on Naii; Ahmed Haddad on Guitar and Dr Haidar Eid and Mohammed Akila on vocals.

The band is working on more than one project. The first project is giving free concerts in various parts of the Gaza strip, focusing on marginalized areas that have been destroyed by Israeli bombings.

The second project is a joint musical collaboration with the South African band, The Mavrix, made up of Jeremy Karodia and Ayub Mayet called The New Black [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4rLfja8488]

The collaboration between Maimas in Gaza and The Mavrix in Johannesburg will culminate in the production of a video clip highlighting the similarities between the suffering of the two peoples.

The third project is the one that we are calling for your support to make happen. Maimas has already started collecting material for its potential album (depending on funding) that will consist of a revival of the songs of the first Intifada, and banned Palestinian songs of the 70’s and 80’s.

Whatever you can give will help this band a great deal! All funds raised will be sent directly to the band.

If you donate you will also receive the first song from the album emailed to you.

Thank you for your support of Palestinian art!