Haya Zaatry (هيا زعاترة) is a talented Palestinian singer-songwriter, who’s been charming us with her soft vocals and her mostly acoustic, light arrangements.

On her latest album “Rahawan” – the title is borrowed from the surname of Haya’s great-great-grandmother, who “was the last person within Haya’s family who lived and roamed the land freely, before the forceful imposition of man made borders” – her sound grows.

In the studio, Haya was accompanied by about ten musicians and some moments, when multiple voices are joined by guitars, keys, drums, percussions, and trumpets, they embrace you like a small orchestra, especially on the beautiful song “Alouli”.

“The album is conceptually designed to reclaim a sense of freedom and belonging,” we read in the press release, and at the same it’s a story about “all the sorrows, losses, love and oppression surrounding Haya’s everyday life.” (Sara Wadi)

Stream “Rahawan” LP on Bandcamp.