NO WALL MUSIC
​Mikelis & Najem project

The NO WALL MUSIC Mikelis & Najem project is a musical collaboration which arose out of the shared field of action of two artists: Dimitris Mikelis, who has lived and worked in Ramallah, Palestine, for the past seven years, and Mohamed Najem, who was born and bred in Jerusalem.

Dimitris Mikelis attended Berkeley (Boston) and William Paterson (New Jersey). He studied the Arab oud under Simon Shaheen and now teaches piano and oud at the Al Kamandjati Association music school, through which he is taking part in a project in association with the European Union and the United Nations (UNRWA), and at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, Palestine (ESNCM). He has made a number of recordings which showcase his work as a composer, arranger and performer.

Mohamed Najem studied at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music and at the Angers Conservatory in France. He is a founder member of the Palestine National Orchestra, his country’s first professional musical ensemble (2011). His use of the classical clarinet technique in performances of Arab music result in a unique sound and timbre. His compositions showcase eclectic affinities between rhythms and melodies. Taking the Arab musical tradition as their starting point, the two musicians combine their experience as composers and performers to conjure up a musical atmosphere in which the Arab element dominates but is clearly influenced by other genres including Western classical music and jazz. Musicians of various nationalities will be joining them on stage (Nai Barghouti, Khalil Khoury, Hanin Rjoub, Daniele Spada and Maen Ghoul from Palestine; Victoria Fifield from Scotland; Thomas Julienne from Tunisia and France) to produce music which is as fascinating as it is familiar to Greek audiences.