Tarwida Podcast || Celebrating Palestinian Arts and Heritage
Tarwida Podcast is founded by Jiji Azar, Tala Elissa, Afaf Shawa Bibi, and Zina Jardaneh, born from a profound desire to respond in the face of conflict and cultural erasure. “Like everyone else, we watched, horrified and feeling helpless. We wanted to do something!” say the founders, who found purpose in spotlighting Palestinian arts as an act of preservation and resilience. Named after Tarwidas—traditional lullabies that once carried hidden messages during the 1936 Palestinian Revolt—the podcast celebrates voices across literature, music, cuisine, and more. Tarwida aims to strengthen Palestinian identity and inspire solidarity, engaging listeners globally in the beauty and power of Palestinian culture.
What inspired you to create the Tarwida Podcast?
Like everyone else, we watched, horrified and feeling helpless. We wanted to do something!
Was it the right time to talk about Arts and Culture? That was our first thought. We quickly realized that after all, it is also an attack, a genocide on our culture. In fact, it has been taking place for a hundred years and possibly longer.
Can you tell us more about the significance of the name “Tarwida” and how it reflects the themes and essence of your podcast?
Originally, a Tarwida, is a lullaby sung by mothers to soothe children into sleep. These distinctive melodies acquired significance when mothers, sisters and wives, started encrypting them during the 1936 Palestinian Revolt. They would change the lyrics by inserting an extra letter to pass on secret messages, which they sang outside the walls of the prison cells where their men were held captive by the British colonial authorities. Tarwidas’ distinct melodies and unusual lyrics have been adopted in contemporary Palestinian music and song yet another symbol of resilience and resistance.
How do you approach selecting guests and topics for each episode? Are there specific voices or stories you are particularly excited to feature in upcoming episodes?
We are trying to work with artists and cultural practitioners across the fields of visual arts, music, literature, architecture, cuisine, theatre, museums, tatreez, graffiti and more. We aspire to feature the veterans as well as the young, in particular the brilliant and amazing women out there. We also try to cover Palestinian voices from inside and outside Palestine.
In your opinion, how do Palestinian arts and culture play a role in maintaining a strong sense of identity, particularly for Palestinians living abroad?
Our music, our literature, our food and our dance, all define who we are. It is an identity we need to preserve and keep alive. To support our fight for freedom and justice. Besides, it is a beautiful culture. Deeply rooted. Loved and revered by all.
With modern influences on Palestinian heritage, how do you balance the preservation of tradition while embracing contemporary elements in the podcast?
Culture adapts, changes and evolves. It is always a reflection of the times. This is all very welcome. We at Tarwida embrace all this wholeheartedly. We preserve and celebrate the old but also embrace the new.
What challenges did you encounter in producing the podcast?
The enthusiasm from our community has made all challenges seem trivial. The enormity of the pain that everyone is feeling just prompted all to rally around the project. The team is working 24/7 and the support from the artistic community and our audience has been heartwarming. Like any other new project, there are teething pains. The main challenge for us, i would say, has been getting the social media right and the many times we had to adjust and postpone our launch because of the many tragic events that seem to have no end, in Gaza and in Lebanon.
What impact do you hope Tarwida Podcast will have in shaping the global conversation around Palestinian arts and culture?
We work knowing well that this is a drop in the ocean. But also, that every little bit counts. That if everyone does what they know how to do best, all of us together, we can make a difference. We need to take things into our hands and own our narrative. We need to engage the youth and people of the global south, who are the future and who will be our backbone in our continued struggle for justice.
How can listeners continue to support and engage with Tarwida Podcast as the series progresses beyond the first episode?
We ask our community to listen, engage, give us feedback and share. Most importantly for everyone to dive and discover the beautiful world of Palestinian Arts and Culture. We are working on keeping the content fresh and engaging. All feedback from our audience would be very valuable.
