Manara - Manara (2026) [Hi-Res]

The musical trio Manara, comprising Alya, Khabat, and Pat, formed through a shared passion for poetry, Middle Eastern musical traditions, and the exploration of verse as a form of political resistance. Vocalist Alya, who previously collaborated with Khabat at the Space 21 Festival in Iraqi Kurdistan and maintained a long-term improvisational partnership with Pat, sought to build a platform free from orientalist stereotypes. The project centers on exploring themes of exile, cultural identity, and the lived experience of individuals alienated from their surroundings.

The ensemble's creative methodology builds on classical Middle Eastern traditions, where poetic text serves as the foundation for composition. The album incorporates works by Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour, who served four years in prison for her writing, and Palestinian-Jordanian writer Khadija Muhaisen Dajani, who conceptualized the emotional weight of historical oppression. Working with the official blessing of both writers, the musicians craft spontaneous collective improvisations around these texts. The release is visually anchored by artist Al-Sultani, who created handmade paper embedded with wildflower seeds and inscribed the poetry in red ink to honor the sacrifices of the authors.

Tracklist:
1-1 Manara - Three all in with the silence [10:57]
1-2 Manara - Qahr [4:30]
1-3 Manara - Resist my people, resist [7:42]
1-4 Manara - Sabr [9:35]
1-5 Manara - When is the hour? [6:41]