Kafr Qara Festival Honors Marcel Khalifeh and Shafiq Kabha

The town of Kafr Qara hosted the "Wafaa" (Loyalty) Festival, a significant cultural event that drew over 600 participants. The festival celebrated the memory of the late Palestinian artist Shafiq Kabha and featured a concert titled "Shuddu Al-Himma… Nagham Marcel" (Raise Your Spirits… Melodies of Marcel) led by Maestro Mehran Mar'eb. A notable highlight was a special audio message from the renowned icon Marcel Khalifeh, accompanied by recent photos from his last concert, sent to the festival attendees.

The event, organized by the Kafr Qara Municipality, the Culture Department, and the Qara Cultural Palace, aimed to bridge national memory and collective consciousness through art. It was divided into two main parts: honoring the legacy of Shafiq Kabha, whose popular and heritage work remains deeply embedded in Palestinian memory, and presenting the exclusive concert led by Maestro Mar'eb, showcasing Kafr Qara's capacity to host major musical projects.

Maha Zahalka Masalha, director of the Qara Cultural Palace, managed the festival's proceedings. She emphasized that loyalty is not just about remembering the past but is an active cultural endeavor that preserves heritage for future generations. She also highlighted the unique achievement of securing the audio message from Marcel Khalifeh, describing it as a significant moment that connects the audience with an artist who has long championed freedom and human rights.

Mayor Firas Ahmed Budhi praised the festival's content and the efforts of the cultural institutions, stressing the importance of investing in culture and arts for building collective awareness and strengthening identity. The segment dedicated to Shafiq Kabha included emotional performances of his songs by the audience and family, with the director of the Cultural Palace referring to him as the "eternal Palestinian mawwal" and calling his assassination a "wound in the calendar of popular heritage."

The festival also featured a performance by the Mahlawiya Folk Arts and Dabke Troupe, led by Jamal Habiballah, performing Palestinian dabke to the tunes of Kabha's songs. A particularly poignant moment involved the audience holding olive branches while reciting Samih Al-Qasim's poem "I Walk Tall," symbolizing steadfastness and connection to the land. The concert celebrating Marcel Khalifeh's music, led by Maestro Mar'eb, combined beautiful melodies with powerful lyrics, reflecting Khalifeh's status in Arab and Palestinian culture.

The festival successfully brought together diverse elements of Palestinian artistic experience, from folk songs and dabke to classical music and national poetry, demonstrating Kafr Qara's ability to create impactful cultural events that blend beauty with belonging, and creativity with memory.