On Saturday evening, a handful of artists took part in Live For Gaza, a livestream fundraising event celebrating the launch of the first Delia Arts Center in Gaza, Palestine. The lineup saw a blend of Palestinian musicians and international icons — including Roger Waters, Tom Morello, Roger and Brian Eno — joining forces to champion equality.
During the livestream, Morello debuted an unreleased song that paid homage to the problems musicians in Gaza currently face. Meanwhile, the Eno brothers performed “Celeste”, a commissioned audiovisual artwork comprised of soundscapes and images from the city. Live For Gaza also included sets by Palestinian superstar Mohammed Assaf, Adnan Joubran from Le Trio Joubran, Rola Azar, Lina Slebi, Wafaa Alnjeili, and Badeel Band.
Currently, only Waters’ performance is available to revisit online. For his set, the former Pink Floyd member drowned out an old speech by Ronald Reagan playing on a nearby TV by launching into “The Bravery of Being Out of Range”, taken from his 1992 album Amused to Death. Waters delivered his piano part with plenty of emotion while Lucius and his other bandmates chimed in from their respective homes around the world, polishing off their live sound ahead of their 2022 tour. Fans will notice that this rendition of the track also featured a new verse, specially written for this occasion. Watch it below.
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Live For Gaza will use 100% of its ticket sales to help musicians in Gaza learn how to rehearse, record, release, and perform music through the Delia Arts Foundation. The organization provides the tools, infrastructure, and resources to make dreams a reality for talented young musicians in Palestine, and this weekend’s livestream event was created in hopes of widening their reach.
The Delia Arts Center recently opened in the heart of the Gaza Strip to uplift the local music community at a time when others are letting the music industry’s infrastructure crumble. To learn more or donate, visit the Delia Arts Foundation’s website.
