Unmuted Echoes: Live Music, Poetry, and Storytelling from Gaza

To many in our world, each moment is so much more precious, delicate and crucial.

Join us for a rare afternoon of solidarity and sharing, as we hear live by videochat from youth who are surviving the brutal genocide in Gaza. Learn more about how we can further support our siblings in Falasteen, how we can fight to end this horrific genocide committed in our name, and how we can come together to fight for the world that our next generation deserves.

Join us for a live videochat with our siblings from Gaza: Renad, Maran, Sara and Maryam. In the meantime, please check out their GoFundMe pages, read their stories, and donate what you can comfortably give. Thank you in advance for doing so.

Renad Abudiah | https://gofund.me/129f06fc

Maran | https://gofund.me/ade3353c

Sara & Haneen Afana | https://gofund.me/7495c452

Maryam | https://gofund.me/3041fbe2

Please also check out our calls to action to learn about several ways you can support our siblings in Falasteen. Go to the bottom of this page in the section “Brick by brick! Wall by wall!”

www.jxtheo.net/fightforfalasteen

Hear the deeply moving, candid and vivid poetry of sixteen year-old Sara Afana, infused with the soulful music of Jibril’s Cool Jazz Combo: Jibril’s virtuosity on the keys, the lush vocals of Marielle Aguilar, the lyricism of jxtheo, and the smooth grooves of Daniel Woo on the drums. Let us gather as tagoliloooooong calls us to be present with the moment, and Calmada warms the space with songs of strength & solidarity.

Please tell all your folks to join us. Together, we can fight for liberation. We can end genocide. There is no greater time to come together. Each person counts 🍉🍊

This event is by suggested donation of $1–$20, No one turned away at the door.

As a volunteer-run event, this program is made possible by the generous support of our community. All proceeds will go to our production costs. Thank you for continuing to support and uplift our community's voices and creative expressions.

The International Hotel Manilatown Center is fully ADA-compliant. If you require anything specific, kindly let us know upon RSVP and we will do our best to accommodate.

flyer design by jxtheo, art by Malaya Tuyay

About Sara Afana:

Sara Afana is a 16 year-old girl from Gaza, who in the midst of genocide, finds solace in her diary. Each day, she pens poems that capture the raw emotions, fears, and hopes that color her reality. Sara’s words not only chronicles her experiences; they are also a voice for millions of children enduring the horrors of genocide. Despite the relentless chaos around her, Sara’s poems are a testament to the undying dreams of children everywhere.

Separated from her family due to the genocide, Sara clings to the hope of reuniting with them and completing her education. Her writing reflects the resilience of a child who, despite everything, still dreams of a brighter future.

In “Unmuted Echoes of Peace,” Sara’s poems speak not about pain, but about her rights as a child, her dreams, her faith in humanity, and a peace that she believes will come true.

Support Sara Afana’s family in Gaza now at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disabled-palestinian-afana-family-and-give-them-hope

About jxtheo:

jxtheo (j-thee-o), also known as Jean (JT) Teodoro, is an environmentalist, internationalist, poet and educator. They create art to inspire proficiency in the language of revolutionary action. They were born in QC, Philippines, and raised in both QC & Unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Land (San Francisco, CA). They are a vocalist of the hip-hop and rock band Boondock Squad. They began Bayanihan Boxing – a sports and martial arts program with a holistic approach to the sweet science. They also began Versus Odds – a multi-medium production company that aims to democratize art, culture and media by featuring critical voices from communities that deserve more visibility. They have worked as an instructor in Filipino language, social sciences and creative writing.

Their debut publication, a graphic poetry book titled “Paper Trail of FREEDOM”, is scheduled for official release in the Fall of 2024. Orders are available now at www.jxtheo.net/papertrailof! 🏮🌌

About Jibril's Cool Jazz Combo:

Jibril’s Cool Jazz Combo is a San Francisco-based live jazz ensemble led by Jibril Alvarez, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer. From the roots of the Blues through Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Global Music, the combo’s fresh interpretations of celebrated jazz standards and modern classics weave a collage of colorful flavors characterized by groove-oriented rhythms, layers of jazzy melodies & harmonies, with soulful instrumentalists & vocalists alike.

For this special performance and collaboration with the poems of Sara Afana, Jibril Alvarez (piano, vocals) @jibrilsfc, will be joined by Marielle Aguilar (vocals) @marielleaguilarr_ , jxtheo (vocals) @jxtheo, and Daniel Woo (drums) @djdubsf.

About tagoliloooooong:

*tagoliloooooong is a collective entity that forms based on the needs of a collective moment - tagoliloooooong is ceremony. tagoliloooooong is the eye opening itself. tagoliloooooong is the most minor of all hopes coming to extinguish our silences. tagoliloooooong is antibodies for the plague that is colonialism. tagolilooooooong is us.

For more information, visit: https://www.champchampchampoy.com/performance

Host or Publisher Versus Odds