'Music is a powerful form of resistance': The story of Fares Anbar and Gaza’s Sol Band

Sol Band was founded in 2012 in Gaza. Photo: Qasura Al Khawaja

In Gaza, even music carries a weight greater than it appears. Under constant blockade and the looming threat of bombing, daily life becomes a struggle for survival, leaving little space for dreams or creativity.

But that hasn’t stopped Sol Band, a group of Palestinian musicians formed in 2012 in the Gaza Strip. Born from a friendship spanning more than two decades, the group refused to let their circumstances silence their ambitions.

One of the band's founding members is Fares Anbar – a percussionist, teacher and now songwriter – who continues to use music as a form of expression against all odds.

“Music is a powerful form of resistance in Palestine,” he tells The National. “Through it, we convey the words, images, sounds and messages of an entire people. It reaches hearts and minds, both inside and outside Palestine, in a faster, deeper way.”

Anbar continued to mentor children in Gaza through Israeli attacks in 2023. Photo: Qasura Al Khawaja

The band’s name carries a dual meaning, Anbar explains. “The first is the musical key of G – sol – and the second comes from the Arabic word joul, which means to roam or travel.”

For Anbar and his five bandmates Rahaf Shamaly, Hamada Nasrallah, Said Fadel, Abood Abuqassim and Ahmed Haddad, music is more than an art form – it’s a lifeline, a voice and a mission. Amid walls and borders, their hope is that their sound can transcend boundaries and resonate with listeners around the world.

Over the years, Anbar has taught and mentored countless children in percussion, singing and music more broadly., even discovering and nurturing nascent talents.

“Some of my percussion students have gone on to become internationally competitive artists,” he says, citing Ramy Al Sheikh and Ezz Al-Sawda. “One of my most notable discoveries is Muhannad Al-Ashram.”

With a legacy of musical accomplishments within the Gaza Strip, Anbar felt it was time to share the region’s talent on the world stage.

“As a band from Gaza, we missed out on many opportunities because of the lack of freedom of movement and travel,” he says.

Anbar uses his lyrics as therapy and resistance. Photo: Sol Band

So, in 2018, the band made the difficult decision to relocate to Turkey – a move that was far from simple. In Gaza, you can’t just book a flight. But their dreams were big, and they decided to take the risk.

The relocation allowed Sol Band to perform at numerous festivals, both local and international, including the Arabesque Festival in France, the Copacabana Festival in Belgium and the Palestine Music Expo (PMX).

In 2022, they returned to Gaza to focus on producing new albums and music videos. But their plans were thrown into disarray following the events of October 2023. Restrictions intensified and all movement came to a halt.

But for Anbar, music, too is a form of resistance – and his dreams could not be restricted. Instead, he turned to his music for therapy and psychological relief. From tents in Gaza, he continued to sing, write songs and teach – helping himself and those around him cope with unimaginable trauma.

“It’s also an artist’s duty to convey the voice of the people and their cause to the outside world,” he says.

Even as the Israeli bombardment of Gaza escalated, Anbar remained committed to discovering new talent. He recalls Youssef – a young boy with a powerful voice in religious praise, who lost his entire family – and Sewar Al Ajla, who inherited extraordinary musical talent and sings across multiple styles. Sewar's father was killed in the “genocide”, he says, yet she continues to sing.

Now, having made it out of the Gaza Strip alive, the members of Sol Band are scattered across different countries. Collaboration is more difficult – but their mission endures.

“One of my most recent works with Sol was writing a song called Displaced,” Anbar says.

Band members are now dispersed across the world. Photo: Qasura Al Khawaja

“In it, I tried to express the suffering of every young person separated from their family – and of every expatriate who left the country without even getting the chance to say goodbye.”

The lyrics to the song are as follows: “Exiled from my family and loved ones/And in my homeland, I become displaced/Rebelling against all my sorrows/Hiding my tears, lost in thought.

“Whispering my pain to myself/For the ache has become my secret/Struggling through all my days/Refusing to surrender to humiliation.”

It’s one of many recent works. Anbar also contributed to the piece We Are the Free Ones in the Open-Air Prison.

Despite losing his home in a bombing and being forcibly displaced, Anbar wakes up each day committed to teaching others what it means to hold on to your dreams – no matter the devastation around you.

He continues to spread this message from wherever he is now based, through the language he knows best: music. Through Fares Anbar Music House, a physical and online platform dedicated to teaching percussion, music theory and songwriting, Anbar mentors aspiring musicians around the world – some displaced, others just beginning to find their voice – all connected through rhythm.

He believes deeply in the power of music as a form of healing, resistance and storytelling. And he’s determined to pass that belief on. Even when everything else was taken from him, music remained. Through it, he teaches not just how to play – but also how to keep going.