Rasha Nahas on the fundamental need for expression and the power of broad influences

Could you start by giving a little history of your route into music, your earliest inspirations? When did music first attract you, and how did it go from interest, to passion, to a career as a performer and artist?

When I was a child I was listening to different kinds of music, from ’70s rock and punk to Arabic songbook classics, to Led Zeppelin John Lennon, Fairuz, Asmahan and Ziad Rahbani, as well as the alternative Arabic music scene that was growing then.

I started studying classical guitar when I was a child, and from then I just started writing my songs out of the need for expression. At some point, I just began playing these songs more and more live for audiences. I guess there wasn't a moment where I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna do music full-time." There wasn't that kind of moment, but I guess it's a decision I'm making every day, to choose this path.

How was that journey shaped by Haifa, and specifically its Palestinian underground scene? What is that scene like, musically and culturally?

The Palestinian underground scene was really the first time that I heard songs that represented my reality and my community's reality. And as an emerging songwriter then, it deeply affected me and the way I write. And regardless of art and all of that, as a human being I felt a sense of belonging through this movement.

The scene in the early 2010's-2019 (ish) was very vibrant. Of course, it was small if you compare it to the current capital-driven industry, but it was very rooted in the community. Everyone knew everyone, and it was a very supportive space as well. There were a couple of trusted venues and cafés, and people would really show up to listen to new music and discover new music. And it was a pretty amazing space to be experimenting with your first songs.It felt a virginal moment in a way, because I feel like there was no industry, it really was just a movement.

How do you think your sound has grown and changed over time?

A lot has changed since then, obviously. Berlin definitely influenced my craft. With the urban nature of the city, it became a bit more defined, more punk, rock, and genre defying. As a band leader and guitarist, I feel like together with my band, we pushed further into different musical territories and deeper into the territory of Arabic rock.

Also, spending more and more time in New York has brought me closer to the contemporary jazz scene. I have a deep appreciation for the genre and its tradition, and while jazz isn't what I play, being around it has definitely influenced me, both as a musician and in the way I listen to music.

When did you move to Berlin, and what was that transition like?

I moved to Berlin nine years ago, and that transition was not easy to understand at the time because [I was] in it. But as time passes, I realize how big, formative, and significant a step it was.

What barriers and challenges did you experience as an artist in the earlier days of your career, and how did those shift on arrival in Germany? Did starting to work as an artist in Berlin present new challenges? And what rewards?

Berlin, it felt like starting from scratch. Because back home I was already active and I had a following. I was only 21 then, and navigating a new country, language, system, and bureaucracy while rebuilding my career from scratch. I was working on my debut record then, and I really managed to achieve a lot. What seems to me now to have been a vulnerable space was also a time of immense growth.

I also began developing more of an interdisciplinary practice, as I started working more and more with theaters, choreographers, and in dance. I composed music for theater, film, and dance, and it expanded my artistic world.

What role does memory, your own or collective cultural memories play in your music and your work? And how do you draw upon memories other than your own, do you work directly with others, communities?

My story and my family's story aren't written in the history books. I think it's the same for every Palestinian, and as a '48 Palestinian (a term for Palestinian citizens of Israel), it's especially nuanced and layered.

I feel like, as an artist, it's important for me to document what is around me as well as my emotional landscape, maybe for art to become an archive of preserving our stories. To preserve memory, space, and culture.

You have collaborated with other musicians also, can you speak about the power of collaboration, from your perspective?

I have collaborated with many different musicians over the years, and I have learned a lot from each person I worked with. Collaboration is very precious to me because each person brings their whole experience and knowledge. People have very rich, lifelong-developed approaches in their experiences and their practice, and it's always taking me to unexpected places.

What are you working on now, or planning for the near future, and how do you hope that this grant might support you in pursuing those plans?

I have just finished working on my upcoming record, LIME TREE شجر الليمون, which will be out in March 2027. The first single from the record, and the accompanying video, TOKSIK توكسيك , just came out. We recorded the album in Brooklyn, New York. It’s produced by Meshell Ndegeocello and me, and it features musicians Chris Bruce, Sarah Galdes as well as Chris Connors as recording and mixing engineer.

This project marks a new exciting chapter in my journey and I’m grateful for TSAF support over the last year.