Gaza band plays music to uplift spirits, bring hope
The Street Band plays music for free in Gaza's public places, in a attempt to help Gazans forget their daily sufferings.
In an attempt to spread positive energy among the local residents, three young Palestinian men from the impoverished and blockaded Gaza Strip, home to 2 million people, play music in outdoor public places for free.
The three musicians, who performed at weddings before the coronavirus outbreak, believe that they can help people relieve psychological stress resulting from the complicated political and economic situation in Gaza.
The band members play well-known songs on the flute, the organ, the clarinet and the guitar. "We choose beaches, parks and streets to spread our music and positive energy among the people," Amir Kamal, a clarinet player, told Al-Monitor. "We call ourselves the Street Band. We are here to help people get rid of negative energy caused by the difficult conditions they have been suffering from since 2007."
The 27-year-old musician said that the current situation is "similar to what followed the latest and largest Israeli war in 2014." Then, people stayed home for an extended period of time as well, without jobs, hope and peace, which adversely affected their psychological well-being.
