10 Facts About Rim Banna

Rim Banna was a Palestinian singer and composer who was most known for her modern interpretations of traditional Palestinian songs and poetry.

Rim Banna met her husband, Ukrainian guitarist Leonid Alexeyenko, while studying music together at the Higher Music Conservatory in Moscow and they married in 1991, and got divorced in 2010.

Rim Banna first achieved popularity in the early 1990s, after recording her own versions of traditional Palestinian children's songs that were on the verge of being forgotten.

Rim Banna composed her own songs and adds melody to Palestinian poetry.

Rim Banna's message was often focused on the suffering of Palestinians, particularly those of the West Bank.

Rim Banna performed live in the West Bank and reached audiences in Gaza through live webcasts.

Rim Banna performed her first concert in Syria on 8 January 2009 and performed in Tunisia on 25 July 2011.

Banna's popularity in Europe began after Norwegian music producer Erik Hillestad invited her to participate on the CD Lullabies from the Axis of Evil and Norwegian singer Kari Bremnes, who took part on this production in a duet with Rim Banna, invited her to Oslo.

Rim Banna accepted the invitation, and the two artists did a show together.

Rim Banna died in her hometown of Nazareth on 24 March 2018 following a nine-year struggle with breast cancer at age 51.