The Immortal Olive Tree

Web design and coding

This was a concept album that I created inspired by the poem I Belong There by Mahmoud Darwish,
a well-known Palestinian poet. One section in the poem reads:

“I have a saturated meadow. In the deep horizon of my word, I have a moon, a bird's sustenance, and an immortal olive tree.”

The olive tree is hugely symbolic to the Palestinian people as it represents their strength and perseverance through trying times. The olive tree can live for thousands of years and provides sustenance for many Palestinian families. This is a homage to my heritage.

The recurring spiral that appears in many of these tracks is representative of immortality. The second track features a pattern found on the blinds in my home in Bahrain. The poem on this track is another by Mahmoud Darwish titled The Second Olive Tree. Each track highlights the beauty of the olive tree in a unique way, focusing on the individual elements that make it so impressive, such as the leaves, the olives, and the bark.

“We walk at a steady decline and reach a terrace shaded by the leaves of more olive trees. We sit at a bench. The six of us squeeze onto one. It’s quieter here. Everyone is hushed by the vastness of the city in front of us. The city and its massive golden dome. They all speak in a whisper that blends with the sound of the breeze. Oh, there’s a breeze. The leaves rustle and then fall to the ground in a dance that they will only ever do once. The air is dry now, I can feel dust. I can smell it. The heat doesn’t reach us here. It’s cool. We are tempted to stay, maybe forever.”

An excerpt from a creative writing piece about my first time visiting Jerusalem. Read the full piece here.