Reem Kelani is a British musician of Palestinian ancestry, born in Manchester, England and brought up in Kuwait. Initially influenced by the jazz music her father played on his record player, a family wedding Reem attended in her maternal home in Galilee in the seventies sparked her interest in Palestinian music.

Reem released her debut solo CD "Sprinting Gazelle - Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora" to critical acclaim in February 2006. Reem’s next CD project will be a tribute to the Egyptian composer Sayid Darwish (1892–1923).

In addition to music performances, Reem conducts workshops on Arabic and Palestinian music in schools, colleges and at festivals. Reem is also a regular broadcaster; she wrote and presented ‘Distant Chords’ for BBC Radio Four between 2001 and 2003, featuring the music of migrant communities in the UK.

[edit] External links

• Reem Kelani's home page
• BBC article
• 'My narrative is that I exist', interview with Natalie Hanman, The Guardian 19 September 2008
• Sprinting Gazelle reviews
• full biography

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