Shagi Dekel Chen Performs Songs Written in Captivity at Nir Oz Festival

As part of the Israel Festival, Shagi Dekel Chen, a former captive, performed nine songs he wrote and composed during his 498 days in captivity. The special concert took place on Monday at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Dekel Chen grew up and where the events of October 7 unfolded. After his release on February 15, 2025, he began creating and arranging these songs with producers Liad Grushka and Idan Shneor. The performance combined music, stories, and other works, accompanied by a band and special guests, including fellow former captives, bereaved families, and friends.

In a personal letter to attendees, Dekel Chen explained that he never intended to be a singer but a father who sings. He described how music helped him endure the difficult moments in captivity and how he memorized lyrics and melodies in his mind, later recording them quietly in a hospital room shortly after his release. He chose to hold the first performance at Nir Oz, emphasizing its deep personal significance as his childhood home, the place where he raised his daughters, fought, and lost friends.

Dekel Chen stressed that the event was not a celebration or closure but a part of an ongoing story. He expressed hope that Nir Oz would be rebuilt with new life and that this event would be a foundational stone for its future. The kibbutz described itself as a place of memory, resilience, hope, and future, inviting visitors to explore the paths and sites connected to the October 7 events and to face reality through the music and stories Dekel Chen brought from his darkest experience.