[Photos by Lily Stockton]
Unsure of whether we routed our Uber to the correct location, Lily and I anxiously searched for signs of The Fonda Theatre. The flashing lights, bustling sidewalks, and street carts of Hollywood Boulevard washed by, disorienting our Texan selves. But in the corner of our eyes, we saw a river of keffiyehs pouring out of a brilliantly illuminated marquee. The DEIRA Tour had arrived in Los Angeles.
Marwan Abdelhamid, better known as Saint Levant, named his latest album DEIRA in honor of the hotel designed and built by his father in Gaza City. The title track of the album was released shortly after the hotel was bombed by Israeli forces in December 2023, in collaboration with 16-year-old MC Abdul. While the album DEIRA was born as witness to the past year’s unspeakable destruction in Gaza, it exists as a celebration of Palestinian culture and Palestinian life. And so the audience excitedly flocked to the stage, anticipating a show that would perfectly encapsulate the album it draws upon and the people it uplifts.
From the moment the lights dimmed and the night’s opener Lina Makoul emerged onto the stage, it was clear that the show wouldn’t disappoint. Makoul, the first (and so far only) Palestinian winner of The Voice Israel, kicked off the night with a forceful, haunting serenade that soon gave way to infectious melodies layered over a pumping bass. As the crowd danced and waved their keffiyehs in the air, Makoul proudly drew on her cultural roots in a deeply empowering set. She summarized the mood of the night perfectly, as she shouted “Are we having fun? [Yes!] Do we feel represented? [Yes!] Do we feel alone?” The audience’s immediate answer to her last question, called from all corners of the Fonda Theatre, was a resounding NO!
Thank you for being here with us. For proving we’re not standing alone.
Lina Makoul
As Makoul left the stage, fist raised high, the crowd buzzed with excitement over her captivating performance and in anticipation of Saint Levant’s approaching set. Red, green and white lights soon beamed from the stage, illuminating the room in the colors of the Palestinian flag. As the band filed onstage, the vocals of Gaza’s Sol Band boomed from the speakers, singing the Libyan protest song Sawfa Nabqa Huna (We Will Stay Here) as featured in DEIRA’s first track On This Land. Saint Levant soon followed, rapping in honor of his “nation of displaced dreamers” and reflecting on life in the diaspora.
In a tribute to his diverse ancestry, Saint Levant continued the show with his signature fusions of musical influences across the globe, from a saxophone solo in Comme C’est Beau to his effortless interchanging between Arabic, French and English lyrics in 5am in Paris (a trilingualism characteristic of much of Saint Levant’s music). Before launching into his song Nails, his unforgettable rebuke to the haters, he reminds the audience to pursue their dreams, saying “If I did this… You can do it ten times bigger, I promise.”
A few songs later, Saint Levant brought out his first guest of the night: Henry Morris (formerly known as Playyard), to perform their 2022 single I Guess. As the two sang the provocative track reflecting on a relationship’s uncertainties (“I don’t think you really want me, baby. But if you do…”), the crowd shouted out in response (“Okay”).
After Morris left the stage, Saint Levant kept the mood with Very Few Friends, his breakthrough song whose lyric video debuting his “Lover Boy Levant” persona went viral. Dedicating the performance to the “independent ladies who don’t need anyone,” he moved through the trilingual verses with ease before introducing his girlfriend Naika to the stage to perform a song. In an intimate and pure expression of love, the two joyfully danced together onstage, even catching a playful kiss as Naika descended backstage.
Saint Levant and Naika’s performance together rooted the night in love, reminding us of what Deira truly is: a celebration of Palestinian life. But as the lights dimmed and music dwindled after an energetic performance of Galbi, the crowd took a somber moment to recognize the continuing hardships faced by the people of the Levant region. Saint Levant highlighted how the bombs that destroyed the Deira Hotel still continue to drop across not only Gaza, but now Lebanon, the West Bank, Syria, and Yemen at great civilian cost. He followed this emotional speech, wracked with pain yet determination, with an unreleased song in a powerful tribute to Palestinian folklore and music.
This is not a conflict. This is our land… we will return to our land.
Saint Levant
The audience still hanging onto every word, Saint Levant teased a special surprise as he ominously disappeared backstage. Half the crowd silent in anticipation, the other half feverishly speculating what he could mean, the atmosphere was tight with suspense. But the audience’s whispers soon gave way to shouts of excitement when the unmistakable silhouette of Elyanna ran onstage. The Palestinian-Chilean singer, known for her experimental fusion of Arabic and Latin musical styles, made history in 2023 when she performed Coachella’s first ever set fully in Arabic. As she sang Ganeni, with the audience screaming the lyrics and dancing along, the room was electrified. The energy remained high as Saint Levant moved on to perform Allah Yihmeeki with Elyanna, the entire crowd jumping to the infectious post-chorus.
And seemingly minutes after the show started, it was drawing to a close. The unmistakable musical motif of Deira played over the speakers, cueing in the final song of the album and igniting an evocative ode to the people of Gaza and Arab culture. Saint Levant quickly had the audience singing along to the violins in a cathartic blend of joy and grief, in response to MC Abdul’s verse detailing the heavy nights in Gaza. With yet another saxophone solo, and a passionate call to his homeland, Saint Levant concluded the show with a bittersweet celebration picturing a return to Palestine.
But the audience wasn’t done, and neither was he. As we chanted “One more song,” the stage again glowed with the hues of the Palestinian flag. As Sol Band’s rendition of Sawfa Nabqa Huna filled the room once more, Lina Makoul re-entered the stage, reprising her beautiful vocals that had opened the night. Saint Levant followed close behind, the crowd jumping as we heard the unmistakable introduction to his 2023 EP’s titular track From Gaza, With Love. Keffiyehs twirled in the air while Saint Levant rapped “All I know, all I know, all I know is to be Filastiniun is to always rep where you come from,” the crowd screaming in response: “Except when you’re in line at the customs!” The energy, already high, exploded when a group of people ran onstage, proudly waving the Palestinian and Lebanese flags behind the dancing Saint Levant and Lina Makoul.
With Saint Levant rapping “Continuez à parler, on vous entends pas” (Keep talking, we can’t hear you), the encore ended with a powerful call to uplift Palestinian voices. Under the same red, green and white that illuminated the Fonda at the beginning of his set, Saint Levant descended from the stage, the flags of Palestine and Lebanon still flying behind him.
