Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Arabic and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Thai and Spanish.

Greetings gracious viewers, and welcome to Enlightening Entertainment. In today’s program, we would like to introduce to you one of the best music ensembles in Palestine, Yalalan Group for Music & Singing. This group has endeavored to preserve Palestinian traditional music and has taken on the mission of spreading peace and harmony to the world. Yalalan Group was formed by a number of talented Palestinian young people in 2005. They chose Yalalan as the name of the group because of its significance in Arab music.

Derived from the Moroccan tradition, Yalalan means “to keep the beat.” It also carries the same meaning as the words “Aman” (trust), and “Ya lallali” (Oh my night) in classical Arab song. Yalalan made its debut at the Ramallah Cultural Palace and gained success right away. Their repertoire covers a wide range of choices, from traditional to contemporary, which include Palestinian folk songs, Arab traditional music, and songs from modern artists of Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria.

Here is my voice, from the brown land, it's coming… coming… coming My voice from the mountain of spirits is coming… from my field… from my sun, from my field… from my sun from my people’s pain it's coming… My voice is no groan anymore… my heart has only longing… My voice is no groan anymore… my heart has only longing…

Over the past years, Yalalan has established a reputation for its excellent performances. In July 2009, they were invited to perform in the Palestine International Festival, the largest and most prominent cultural event in Palestine. During this festival, both local and international acclaimed artists gave performances to foster unity among Palestinians. The show was staged in different cities, including Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nablus. Now, let’s join the audience at Dar Annadwa, the International Center of Bethlehem, and enjoy Yalalan’s beautiful concert.

We welcome you again to the Al-Dar theater and conference hall, in the international Dar Annadwa, good evening everyone. By the activities of the International Palestine Festival, the First Palestinian festival, which has been organized this year, under the title of Al-Quds (Jerusalem), capital of the Arab culture. A great musical artistic event including Yalalan Group, they will enlighten us with their performance tonight. A group of men and women have taken seriously the responsibility of circulating the Palestinian and Arab musical heritage. Their troupe was founded in 2005, and tonight they will enlighten us.

Let us welcome Yalalan Group.

Egypt, the wondrous land, your people are good Egypt, the wondrous land, your people are good Take care of the lovely people… take care of the lovely people… and of everyone. This is what has happened, it really has happened, so you don't have the right… you don't have the right to blame me. This is what has happened, it really has happened, so you don't have the right… you don't have the right to blame me. Instead of looking at me, give me your hand and let us make every effort Instead of looking at me, give me your hand and let us make every effort And let us serve everyone… and let us serve everyone and make peace, mine and yours. This is what has happened, it really has happened, so you don't have the right… you don't have the right to blame me. This is what has happened, it really has happened, so you don't have the right… you don't have the right to blame me.

After the concert held at the Palestine International Festival, we had the honor to interview Ms. Sabreen Daibis, who is one of the singers in Yalalan Group. She kindly introduced her group to us.

My name is Sabreen Daibes, and I am from a village near Jenin called, Al-Zababdeh. But I’m living in Ramallah [since] 10 years ago. I’m here today because we are participating in the Palestinian International Festival this year in Bethlehem today. My group is called Yalalan. It’s a music band. We are twelve in the group. And we all present Palestinian music and singing.

I’m a singer inside this band. And we have been working on our participations since five years. We are all from Palestine from different areas and villages from Palestine. And today we are here in Bethlehem to present our show. And it was a very nice experience today.

We’ll enjoy more music from Yalalan Group when we return. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

Welcome back to Enlightening Entertainment on Supreme Master Television. Yalalan Group consists of twelve members, including singers and instrumental musicians. They use Western instruments such as the violin and double bass, as well as Palestinian traditional instruments such as the oud. The oud, which is a pear-shaped string instrument, is considered the ancient predecessor of the lute. Ms. Daibis told us more about their music.

The most important characteristics of our music is that we combine the music with the singing in a very dependable way. You depend on the music to sing. We combine them together, we don’t have a single music on its own. We have the music, and we have also the singing inside the same music. We usually start with the music and then the singing comes after this. And this is like the traditional technique or the traditional way you might recognize when you listen to our music.

The music that we sing in the band is a traditional music and it is from our culture.

The talented young people in Yalalan Group play music with their enthusiasm, and are widely embraced by the audience.

Actually every time we have a different reason of why we do our exhibitions or our shows. This year we were coming to the Palestinian International Festival. Next month we can go to Gaza for example, to present for people there to entertain them sometimes to make them feel the music, and we also go for other reasons like the Palestinian festivals.

With noble and high ideals, Yalalan Group also uses music as a tool to spread the message of peace to the whole world.

Music is really a very powerful technique. They say music is the language of the world. We are exposing more internationally through music, in a positive way, that we talk about peace. So we use music as a very powerful method, to talk to the world. We use ourselves as musicians to sing and to play music to tell the world that we are Palestinians who are asking for our freedom and our democracy.

Ms. Daibis tells us how to find out more about Yalalan Group.

We have a group on Facebook which is called the Yalalan Group, Y-a-l-a-l-a-n Group. You can go join and see our shows there. And you can also join, if you like the music and you can sing here, anytime you join this group.

The music of Yalalan Group delivers a sense of humankind’s most timeless dreams and deepest longings. Now, let’s listen to another song performed by Yalalan Group in the Palestine International Festival. This song reflects a lover’s yearning heart.

Do you think I will stop loving you? Do you think I will be happy without you? Do you think I will stop loving you? Do you think I will be happy without you? I beseech you… may God bless you… you make me worry about you I beseech you… may God bless you… you make me worry about you If you come to ask about me, I'm as I used to be. I can't forget you… and can't afford losing you and will never stop loving you As you like, as you wish… I'm awake with you, as you like, as you wish. I'm awake with you. I'm not afraid of sinking in your love, and my heart never enjoys happiness except when I’m with you.

I'm not afraid of sinking in your love, and my heart never enjoys happiness except when I’m with you. If all lovers hope to be closer to each other, my hope is what you wish for. If all lovers hope to be closer to each other, my hope is what you wish for. If you come to ask about me, I'm as I used to be. I can't forget you… and can't afford losing you and will never stop loving you! I became a hopeful one and said, Oh I hope this and that. And you being away from me has made me look for you. I became a hopeful one and said, Oh I hope this and that. And you being away from me has made me look for you. All that I want is to get enlightened, and not to go alone.

All that I want is to get enlightened, and not to go alone. If all lovers hope to be closer to each other, my hope is what you wish for. If all lovers hope to be closer to each other, my hope is what you wish for. If you come to ask about me, I'm as I used to be. I can't forget you… and can't afford losing you and will never stop loving you!

Yalalan Group of Palestine, we thank you for sending the message of peace and unity through your talents and creativity in music. May the Palestinian music legacy be preserved forever as a peace-building bridge reaching all humanity.

Gracious viewers, it was a pleasure having you with us on Enlightening Entertainment. Now, stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Words of Wisdom, next after Noteworthy News. May you and your loved ones be blessed and happy.