Piano works in Jenin

Yesterday, I went to Jenin with Ramzi, music teachers and Kamal (one of my students who is living in Ramallah). Al Kamandjâti created a music school which is a success there. The travel was nice! I tuned tree pianos.






The travel


Al Kamandjâti in Jenin


Ramzi is teaching solfege


Piano fixing... by Kamal


And before leaving Jenin, I also tuned a piano in The Freedom Theatre (more informations here: http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org).

Piano works in Ramallah

Today, I came back to Ramallah to tune pianos. The travel was something for me... I don’t want to take any kind of political position but I realize the disarray of Palestinian people when they are travelling from one city to another. For example in Nablus, after to be checked like terrorists at the border of the city, they have to go through so many beautiful areas which were theirs...

After two piano tunes in Al Kamandjâti, I went to the Al Amari refugee camp.

Entrance of Al Amari


The “Child Club”


The piano room where I worked


The School yard


A street of Al Amari

After that, I tuned one more piano in Al Kamandjâti before to have a rest.


View from the flat - a nice area of Ramallah

Nablus the Culture

What you will see before enter in Nablus the Culture when you will come to see me!


Today are the last workshop finishes


Isn’t it a beautiful place?



Searching for paint in Nablus



Look at the garden again...


Thanks to these two hard-workers!

Piano works in Ramallah

Today, I went to Ramallah. I took a taxi at 8.00 am from my flat to Awara, a Nablus checkpoint.

Nabus checkpoint


Then, a taxi-service deposed me near Ramallah’s center from where i walked as far as Al Kamandjati.


Ramallah – The wall


Walk in Ramallah


Al Kamandjati


After a piano tuning, I met Kamal again (first time was in December). Kamal had already been initiated by Sauli Terava, a famous Finnish piano tuner who stayed a few weeks in Ramallah before December. He looked very motivated about my profession and he is probably going to learn in Nablus with the others students.


Piano tuning

Later, we went to Deir Ghassana Village near Ramallah where a charming little music school was waiting my services.


Deir Ghassana Village (Kamal is playing guitar)


The ball is neglected... This little boy prefers play with the broom

After that, before to come back to Nablus, I tuned another piano in Al Kamandjati and gave advice to Kamal about this work.

Concert in Ramallah

Yesterday, i was in Ramallah for a special concert-movie: Al Kamandjati Show. The subject was the story of Ramzi’s childhood, which was rocked by the first Intifada. Lots of people were there, it was great because it was really representative of all Palestinian's childhood. Ramzi Aburedwan is the director of Al Kamandjati (www.alkamandjati.com), a famous music school of Ramallah.

Al Kamandjati show – Music-theatrical performance-movie. You can see Ramzi on the screen.

Workshop will be ready soon

Work is progressing! All could be done on next Sunday...





A big and hard work…
(This hard-worker is bachelor of economic sciences but can't find job...)



Work is also progressing in the garden…

M.A.P. Concert

Today in Nablus University, there was a rap concert at the end of the afternoon. It was a real success! Lots of people were present. And the stage was fantastic... With music, you could have the impression to fly above mountains.

Concert of MAP, French rap group from Lille

Nablus prayer call

I’m mad about prayer call. As you know, in Muslim countries you can hear it several times in each day. You forget it very quickly. But sometimes, I don’t know why, it is creating intense emotion in me and I have the impression to be in a magical place. I’m all forgetting and I am having the feeling that inspiration has no limits.

Nablus by night, during the prayer call

The workshop place

Some pictures of my future workshop... Huge works have been started since my arrival.

Entrance


First room


2nd room
Sami is watching the work progress...


3rd room


4th room



The workshop garden! Good work conditions, isn’t it?

Saint-Jacob's well

Today, between two tool shops (a piano workshop needs a lot of them). Sami brings me at St Jacob’s well. I enjoyed it!
More information here...
http://orthodox-okie.blogspot.com/2006/09/jacobs-well.html

First day, reunion with Sami Hammad

Sami is the director of Nablus the Culture ( www.nablusculture.ps) . I met him for the first time on July, 2007. I was staying a few days in Nablus to make a piano workshop initiation. Organized by Lukas Pairon, director of Music Fund (www.musicfund.be), this stay was a real revelation for me... The project A tuner for Palestine was born!

In front of Nablus the Culture

Entrance hall of Nablus the Culture near 8.00 pm

Nablus the Culture is a converted old house. For the moment, it’s reserved for some musical instrument students but other disciplines will soon appear. The house is magnificent and I am sure it will become the most important cultural place of Nablus. All of this is the work of Sami who is permanently searching about improvements. All is perfectly organized and with his presence, you cannot imagine limits of cultural development.



Views of Nablus, from my flat