Success stories of Palestinian achievers from all over the world

Rima Tarazi

Personal Info

  • Country of residence: Palestine
  • Gender: Female
  • Born in: 1930
  • Age: 82
  • Curriculum vitae :

Information

Rima Tarazi was born on 22 March, 1932 in Jaffa, Palestine of a family originally from Birzeit, a small town north of Jerusalem, where her family established a school which later developed into what is now Birzeit University. After receiving her degree in 1949, she went to Paris and studied music (piano, with Madame Lucette Descaves and Mlle Leduc and composition at L‟Ecole Cesar Franck). Upon her return home in 1951, Tarazi taught music and other courses at Birzeit College and, in 1952went on to pursue her academic studies at the American University of Beirut, graduating in Psychology and Arabic in 1954. During her College and University years, Tarazi was very active in the student and cultural life of her university.


She is not only one of the most influential political forces in Palestine, but one of its most prolific composers. Actively opposed to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Tarazi has used music as an outlet for his views. In a late-'90s interview, she explained, "my songs document the violence against the Palestinian people and express their deepest longings and determination for justice and peace." A classically trained pianist, Tarazi accompanied mezzo-soprano Tania Nasir during a 1997 performance of songs by Palestinian poets at the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Nakba, Palestine. In January 2001, Jordanian soprano Dima Bawab performed five of Tarazi's compositions during a concert at the Union Bank for Savings and Investment in Jordan. Much of Tarazi's energies have been devoted to political activity. A former president of the YWCA in Palestine, she serves as president of the General Union of Palestinian Women and is a member of the board of directors of English-language Bit Zeit University. Her reputation as a musician has resulted in her becoming a spokesperson in the Arab-Israeli struggle. Interviewed during a March 2001 protest against a trench built across the main access road to Ramallah by the Israeli army, she railed, "They must want us to confront them. Either they want to break our spirits or make people so angry that they will rise in protest, and this will give the Israelis most justification for their oppression."

Achievements and Awards

  • Marital status :
  • City :
  • Status :
  • Years in active : From To