“At 19, everyone thought I’d become a doctor, but I decided, ‘No, I’m going to make music.’ And here I am, 12 years later, just making music… living and breathing it,” begins Palestinian singer-songwriter Lina Makoul.
With tracks like Fish Masari, On Mute, and Shway Shway, Lina’s powerful voice and melodies address social and political issues close to her heart.
Whether it’s the paradox between art and capitalism, media censorship against Palestinians for raising awareness about Israel’s ongoing onslaught against them for centuries, or the brainwashing used against Palestinians living under occupation, Lina’s message is clear: Palestinians cannot be erased. They are here to stay in the land that belongs to them.
Born in Ohio and raised in Akka, Lina has been shaking up the music scene since becoming the first Palestinian to win The Voice Israel. But at the core of her existence as an artist is her love and passion for her heritage and individuality, describing herself as “100% independent, 100% Palestinian.”
Lina, whose family hails from Akka, has long advocated for Palestinian rights, highlighting the challenges Palestinian artists face inside Israel, including censorship and political pressure.
Using her music and popularity, she draws attention to the systematic silencing of Palestinian voices.
But while producing music has helped Lina, as she puts it, “heal” amid Israel’s atrocities across Palestine, it has not come without its challenges.
Just last month, Haifa’s mayor, Yona Yahav, announced that Lina would be banned from performing at city-sponsored events after she referred to Haifa as part of Palestine in her concert promotion.
Lina, who frequently performs in Haifa — a historically Palestinian port city — was scheduled to hold a concert at a private club in the city’s downtown area.
In her promotional content, she described Haifa as Palestinian, referencing its origins before the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe), when over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled by Zionist militias to make way for the creation of Israel.
In response to Lina’s statement, the mayor lashed out, insisting that Haifa is a ‘northern Israeli city,’ while many Israeli critics also took to social media to denounce her.
But Lina’s reaction to the backlash was simple: “My response is no response.”
Beyond criticism, Lina also confronts the challenges of Palestinians being dehumanised, noting that for decades, Palestinians, including herself, have been forced to confront the denial of their humanity.
100% independent, 100% Palestinian and creating art under occupation
Speaking more about her music, Lina shares that both the West and the East influence her taste, noting that while her parents gave her the freedom to listen to whatever music she liked, they also ensured a balance between Western and Eastern sounds in her upbringing.
“On the way to and from school, my parents would choose the music. If it was my mum, it was usually Fairuz in the morning and Majida El Roumi or Julia Boutros in the evening. But if it was my dad, it was Um Kulthum or Farid al-Atrash. That was their way of giving us a taste of traditional Arab music.”
When it came to Western influences, Lina says she used to watch MTV and was especially drawn to artists such as Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, the Black Eyed Peas, Beyoncé, Anderson .Paak, Tyler, The Creator, and Kendrick Lamar.
Among them, however, one artist stood out to her the most: Spanish singer Rosalía.
“Rosalía has had a huge impact on my music,” she says. “She was the first artist I ever saw myself in because she’s so natural and doesn’t try too hard — she’s just being herself. Music is sacred to her. Art is sacred to her. She really cares about the details, and it’s as if her music reflects who she is without compromising her natural sound and voice.”
In saying this, Lina shares how producers she has worked with in the past have tried to change her natural sound.
“They kept trying to make me sound like Celine Dion or push me into mainstream UK pop, and I never understood it,” she says. “So I chose to go independent — no label, no management, nothing. I started writing music in my bedroom and going into the studio knowing exactly how I wanted my voice to sound.”
Delving into the music she has gone on to produce under this label, Lina touches on her track Fish Masari, which translates to ‘No Money’ in English.
Fish Masari is about creating art in the face of occupation and capitalism, Lina tells The New Arab.
“We don’t have an industry, we have a music scene. If you want to break out of this place, you have to do everything yourself. There are no labels, no booking agents, no managers, no creative directors — nothing. People are too busy just living.”
Lina adds that although colonialism and imperialism have a lot to do with the way Palestinians live, they also have responsibilities.
“We can’t just spend all our money on living lavish lives or having extravagant weddings — things we love and deserve to celebrate love for one day,” she explains. “But it shouldn’t come at the expense of art and culture. If people don’t invest in art and culture, then there will be nothing left.”
Lina addresses the concept of the ‘pyramid of privileges,’ a powerful symbol in the video that highlights societal layers and inequalities.
“In Palestine ’48, we have slightly more privilege than those in East Jerusalem; those in East Jerusalem have a bit more privilege than those in the West Bank, and those in the West Bank are more privileged than those in Gaza,” the artist explains.
Adding to the symbolic depth, Fish Masari includes imagery of oranges throughout the video, representing Palestine’s main source of income before 1948, when it was the world’s second-largest orange exporter after Spain.
“We used to sell oranges to buy cars,” Lina adds.
As for On Mute, the track tackles the censorship of Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“It’s about how I feel. I can’t express myself. I’m not free to say what I think or feel, but I will never let anyone control me or control my tool, which is my voice,” she tells The New Arab.
“If you want to take words away from me, that’s fine. I have melodies, and they speak volumes, much stronger than words.”
Touching on the visuals, the video is in black and white because, as Lina puts it, “That’s what life feels like. Life has lost its colour.”
She adds, “I wanted to capture the landscapes because every time I drive through here, I miss the magic that once existed, now replaced by such dark energy.”
Lina reflects on the loss of magic in her surroundings, saying, “If I don’t see the magic anymore, I’m not going to show it to anyone. I’m going to show it exactly how it is. It’s colourless, and it’s lost its magic.”
Elaborating further, Lina notes that the video features two characters: “One represents the ancestor, who is free atop the mountain next to the olive tree, in her natural space. Then there’s me, trapped inside a glass box in the middle of the sea, unable to be free in any way, in a place where people should be the freest, because the sea belongs to everyone.
“I’m screaming from inside this glass box, hoping someone will feel what I feel. They can see me, but they can’t feel me. They don’t hear me because I’m trapped inside that box.”
Turning to her latest release, Radiya, Lina explains that the track reflects contentment and gratitude, which she describes as “the silver lining between giving in and not giving up.”
She continues, “It’s a very, very, very challenging task that I’ve been trying to practice ever since October 2023 because I don’t want to give up. That’s what the world wants us to do, but I will not let anyone make me give up.”
As she goes on, Lina speaks about the emotional toll of feeling drained, saying, “You feel like no matter what you do, it’s pointless; all the power we thought we had is just fiction, and it’s so hard to grieve both the reality we once believed in and the lives we’re losing.”
Despite these hardships, Lina finds strength and comfort in the support of the community, a theme prominently featured in the music video.
In it, Lina runs away from a car that symbolises the oppressive system, seeking refuge in the rhythm and unity of the community. As she puts it, “The strongest tool I have is community.”
She adds, “We are so strong when we come together; we cannot eradicate darkness because light doesn’t exist without darkness.
“I remember where I come from, I remember where I’m going, and I have my community by my side — behind me and in front of me,” she stresses.
Confronting challenges
Despite challenges, Lina remains hopeful for a future where Palestinians are recognised for who they truly are.
“I hope that the future holds space for me and for my people,” she says. “I hope that people will care to listen and support out of solidarity rather than charity.”
Building on this notion, Lina believes that true change doesn’t require fame or influence. As she puts it, “We just have to commit to moving differently.”
This philosophy of moving differently lies at the heart of her upcoming EP, Radical, with the title representing Lina’s reclamation of the word often used to describe her negatively.
“Yes, I’m radical,” she says. “And you should be, too.”
Lina will be performing in various cities over the coming weeks. Her upcoming tour dates are: June 4 – Los Angeles, June 8 – Brooklyn, June 13 – Lisboa.
Zainab Mehdi is The New Arab’s Associate Editor and researcher specialising in governance, development, and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region
Follow her on Instagram: @zaiamehdi_/@zainabmehdiwrites_
