The Gazawi Suites
Scoring the Map of Memory
Support a three-part orchestral magnum opus designed to preserve the geography, history, and soul of the Gaza Strip through music.
The Vision: A Complete Sonic Map of Gaza
In a reality where physical landscapes are altered and geography is under constant threat of erasure, music remains an unalterable sanctuary.
The Gazawi Suites is an ambitious, large-scale orchestral project composed by Mahmoud Abuwarda, a Palestinian composer from Gaza. Driven by the historical echoes of 1948 and the urgent need to protect the region’s cultural identity, this project transforms musical notation into a living, breathing map of the entire Gaza Strip.
Spanning three complete orchestral suites, the project dedicates each musical movement to a specific city, village, neighborhood, or street. By mapping the North, the Center, and the South of Gaza, the music immortalizes these locations, safeguarding their names and memories against oblivion. It is an autobiographical archive, a geographic record, and a symphonic testament to a place and its people.
The Project Scope: Three Suites, One Legacy
The complete project is designed as a cartographic journey across the Gaza Strip, from its northern borders to its southern edge.
Gazawi Suite No. 1: The North (Currently Composed) The first suite—already fully composed—focuses on the northern Gaza Strip, holding a quarter-century of the composer’s lived memories. It is divided into five movements:
Movement I (Jabalia City): The overture and pulse of the region, capturing its vibrant rhythm.
Movement II (Al-Nazla): The birthplace; melodies rooted in a primordial connection to the land.
Movement III (Masoud Street): An intimate reflection on a childhood haven and family warmth.
Movement IV (Beit Lahia): A nostalgic evocation of the North’s beautiful orchards.
Movement V (Beit Hanoun): The gateway to the North, expressing enduring resilience.
Gazawi Suite No. 2: The Heart and Center (Upcoming Composition) The second suite will map the vibrant core of the Strip. This work will translate the essence of Gaza City and the Middle Area into orchestral form—capturing the ancient streets, historical landmarks, bustling markets, and the deep cultural heartbeat of the city before its devastation.
Gazawi Suite No. 3: The South (Upcoming Composition) The final suite will complete the journey by mapping the southern regions, including Khan Younis and Rafah. This suite will serve as the emotional anchor of the entire project, reflecting the enduring spirit, the complex history, and the profound resilience of the southern borders.
Why Your Support is Crucial
Creating a three-part orchestral epic is a massive undertaking. To bring this complete sonic document to the world, the composer needs support to finish writing the music and to transform the written scores into high-quality studio recordings.
Your contribution directly funds the complex production of all three suites. The funds raised through this page will be dedicated to:
Commissioning & Composition: Providing the necessary living stipend and dedicated time for the composer to write, arrange, and orchestrate Suites No. 2 and No. 3.
The Orchestra & Conductor: Hiring a professional, full-scale studio orchestra (40+ musicians) to bring the complex scores of all three suites to life.
Studio Production: Covering the rental of a world-class recording hall, specialized acoustic equipment, and session engineers for multiple recording days.
Mixing & Mastering: Professional post-production to ensure the entire multi-suite album meets international industry standards for global distribution, streaming, and sync licensing.
Project Budget & Funding Goal
Producing a three-part orchestral epic is a massive undertaking that requires professional musicians, studio time, and dedicated months for composition. To bring the complete Gazawi Suites to the world, our total fundraising goal is £45,000.
Because this is a large-scale project, we have broken our funding goal into transparent, achievable milestones. Every dollar raised goes directly toward the artists, musicians, and audio professionals making this archive a reality.
Milestone 1: Recording Suite No. 1 — £16,000 (The North — Currently Composed) Reaching this first goal allows us to immediately enter the studio to record the completed first suite.
£V8,000: Hiring a professional 40-piece studio orchestra and conductor for the recording sessions.
£4,500: Recording studio rental, acoustic equipment, and session sound engineers.
£3,500: Professional mixing, mastering, and digital distribution of Suite No. 1.
Milestone 2: Composing & Recording Suites No. 2 & No. 3 — £29,000 (The Center and The South) Reaching our ultimate goal allows the composer to dedicate the necessary time to write the final two suites, and covers the production costs to record and release the complete magnum opus.
£8,000: Composer’s commission and living stipend (covering months of dedicated writing, arranging, and score preparation for Suites 2 and 3).
£13,000: Additional orchestra, conductor, and studio recording sessions for the final two suites.
£4,500: Mixing and mastering for Suites 2 and 3 to finalize the complete album.
£3,500: Global PR, album artwork, distribution, and administrative contingency costs.
Whether I raise enough to record a single movement, the first suite, or the entire suites, every contribution guarantees that a piece of Gaza’s geography is forever preserved in music.
How You Can Help
Whether you are a friend, a fellow artist, a cultural association, or an arts funder, your support is what makes this historical project possible.
Make a Donation: Every contribution, no matter the size, goes directly toward the composition and recording budget of the three suites.
Institutional Partnerships: If you represent a cultural fund, arts organization, or humanitarian association interested in commissioning Suite 2 and 3, or co-producing the recording sessions, please reach out directly. mahmoud@mahmoudabuwarda.com
Share the Project: Help us amplify this mission. Share this page with your network to connect us with patrons of orchestral music and cultural preservation.
Maps may be redrawn, and walls may fall, but through this music, the spirit of Gaza will remain forever.