Back to Home Page

Music Links


CADFA music links began in June 2006 when a group of Abu Dis schoolchildren and their teachers visited Camden Saturday Music and really enjoyed a group music session – and said they wished they had the opportunity to do such things at home. There is lots of music in Palestine of course, but no opportunity for group music teaching in any of the schools. Camden Education Links began to ask people for standing orders to contribute to the cost of a music teacher in Abu Dis, and Ahmed Eriqat began to teach one group a week, then two groups a week, and is currently teaching three groups a week after school in the Dar Assadaqa.

Music links broadened when musicians we had asked to perform in benefit for CADFA got interested in our work, and local groups of musicians worked to help us. In early 08, CADFA music links was officially launched with a pair of concerts and a music tour. In Camden, John Williams, Roger Vignoles, Mark Padmore, Attab Haddad and quartet, a trio of musicians who became known as the Saddaqa (Friendship) Trio, and Dr Abdullah from Abu Dis played a wonderful concert in January. In February, the Saddaqa Trio played a whole series of concerts in the schools and refugee camps in the West Bank, which were followed by another big and special concert in Abu Dis with the Camden band (who are from Abu Dis and include Ahmed Eriqat) and the Al-Quds University Group. More information on the music visit.

During their tour, the Saddaqa trio helped to make links with music establishments in the West Bank, and now it is hoped to dedicate one of the rooms in the new Dar Assadaqa to musical activity, with the help of Ahmed Eriqat and peripatetic teachers from these other organisations.

And while they were away, the Camden side of the music links developed still further, with mixed concerts by Camden bands and Abu Dis musicians in Camden venues.

We are very excited about these developments which are enormously welcome to the young people and teachers in Abu Dis and which are a typical CADFA project – incorporating positive things from both east and west and recognising our common humanity. We are looking forward to raising more money to extend the hours of music tuition in Abu Dis and to developing further musical projects at both ends.

Click here for a standing order form to help us with the costs of a music teacher.

Contact Camden Abu Dis Music Links here.