Big Gig For Palestine: Feat' Gazelle Band and Mo’min Swaitat

Join us for an evening of music, spoken word and speakers as we welcome in 250 cyclists on the penultimate day of their fundraising cycle ride from Derby to Manchester.

The night will be a celebration of Palestinian artists in support of the Middle East Children's Alliance and The Gaza Sunbirds.

Over several years, Mo’min Swaitat has amassed an archive of rare tapes and vinyl from Palestine and beyond, spanning field recordings of weddings to revolutionary tracks and synth-heavy 80s funk; many acquired from a former record label in Jenin in the north of the West Bank.

The Majazz Project is a research project born out of the archive, focused around sampling, remixing and reissuing vintage Palestinian and Arabic cassettes. It is a collaboration between Arab and non-Arab DJs, producers and artists interested in shedding new light on the richness and diversity of Arabic musical heritage.

Mo'min will be bringing his mix of synthy arabic pop, funk and revolutionary music to the Big Gig to get us up and dancing.

To find out more about Mo'min and The Majazz project:

Read about the project in The Guardian here.

Listen on NTS here.

Socials: Instagram

Gazelleband is the pairing of Palestinian oud player Reem Anbar, with writer and musician Dr Louis Brehony, bringing a radical take on instrumental music, from Palestine and beyond.

Raised in Gaza, occupied Palestine, Reem rose to prominence as a young musician in the early 2000s, and was quickly heralded as the city's first female oud player. With an affinity for tarab - the ecstatic traditions of Arab regional music - and the Palestinian heritage of song, Reem absorbed the lessons of older generations of oud players and forged her own path as a self-taught player

Following journeys through Britain's alternative, folk and jazz scenes, Louis has spent the last decade researching the music of Palestinian displacement, taking up the buzuq (long-necked string instrument) along the way; building a body of written work that crosses continents.

Following a European tour and the duo's release of the Rihla #1 EP, Reem also features in the upcoming film Gazelle, by leading North West directors Arif Laljee and Mike Morris.

Read, listen and find out more here.

The Big Ride was initiated in 2015 by activists in Britain, Ireland and beyond who wanted to combine our love of cycling with support for the Palestinian people.

We staged a marathon ride from Edinburgh to London over nine days on the first anniversary of the bombardment of Gaza, raising over £65,000 for projects helping children recover from the loss and trauma they suffered.

Each year we run a Big Ride and our Spring Challenge with the aim to advocate for, raise funds and bring together community in support of Palestine and a shared love of cycling.

This year we are riding Derby to Manchester over 3 Days, raising money for our chosen charities Middle East Children's Alliance and The Gaza Sunbirds.

The Big Gig for Palestine features at the end of our penultimate day of our 2022 cycle, welcoming 250 riders into Manchester.

To find out more about the ride and how to cycle with us, here.

The Big Gig is open to non-riders and riders alike.

Follow Us @bigride4palestine

Amos Trust believes that another world is possible, a world where justice flows, the silenced are heard and no one is forgotten. We work to challenge injustice, restore rights and create hope.

We work with vibrant grass-roots partners around the world who have unique local experience, expertise and connections — developing local solutions to global issues. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do.

www.amostrust.org

The Big Ride for Palestine proudly works alongside it's partners War On Want, Football Against Apartheid, MECA, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Interpal.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Klondyke, 1 Burnage Range, Manchester, United Kingdom