Gabala Dance band contributes to enriching the cultural life in Syria

DAMASCUS, (ST)- Established in 2014, Gabala Dance Band has been one of the Syrian dance groups that has contribute to enriching the cultural life in Syria.

Gabala has worked during the war in Syria. It obtained the themes of its performances from the steadfastness of the Syrian people during the ongoing war and from their deep-rooted history.

Gabala is an ancient name for the city of Jableh that goes back to the Hellenistic age, said Founder of the band Afaf Abdallah.

 Abdallah left Damascus to Jableh in Lattakia in 2013 because of the terrorist war and joined the cultural center in the city where she was introduced to many artistic talents that helped her found Gabala dance band.

 She affirmed that the band was established to send a message to the world saying that life continues despite the war and that the martyrs sacrifices for the homeland were not in vain and for Syria’s cultural and intellectual development to boost.

Theater is very important and culture loses its position and vanishes if theater is absent, because it is the core of culture.

Before, Gabala, Abdallah worked with Palestinian folklore bands as well as with Syrian dance bands band like Zenoubia and Umayya.

Gabala’s first performance was titled “Souria Ya Habibati” (Syria my Beloved). The hour and a half performance contained music playing, acting, singing and dancing, in addition to a sketch about the martyrs of al-Kindi Hospital showing their heroism and steadfastness in the confrontation of terrorist takfiri groups.

The band’s second work was “”The Wedding…Sons of Life” through which Abdullah wanted to say that the Syrians are the sons of civilization and life.

Through her work: “Yusuf Brothers”, inspired by the story of prophet Yusuf and his brothers, Abdallah wanted to shed light on the treason and conspiracy hatched against Syria by some Arab regimes.

According to Abdalla, creative arts always meet, so artistic works can bring together theatrical, musical and poetry performances at the same time to convey an integrated message.

About her new work, “The Spirit of the Orient”, Abdallah said that it deals with the birth of a new Syria that rises from the ashes.

Hamda Mustafa