Saint Levant Pays Homage to His Roots in “Deira”

Saint Levant, the moniker of Marwan Abdelhamid, has been a key figure in bringing the music of the Middle East to global ears. I started following his music recently, but at only 23 years-old, he has definitely established himself as an artist to watch. His recent set at Coachella saw him perform at one of the largest festivals today, and what I really admire is Saint Levant’s continuous commitment to highlighting his cultural heritage through his music.

His most recent album Deira, released June 7, is an example of just this. The name of the album was inspired by the Al Deira Hotel in Gaza, a hotel that was designed and built by his father. In an Instagram post announcing the album, Saint Levant wrote, “I was raised in Gaza, Palestine. I spent my childhood years in a hotel called DEIRA, designed and built by my father. It was one of the most beautiful structures in Gaza City. In December of 2023, it was bombed and destroyed by the Israeli Occupation.” Nevertheless, the album’s message is one about hope and resilience, “As we all know, Palestinians only know resilience. We will return, and we will rebuild. This album, which I spent over a year making, imagines a return to DEIRA in a liberated Palestine.”

Saint Levant beautifully blends English, Arabic, and French throughout the album, highlighting the universality of music; I can’t understand all of the lyrics without translation, but I am nevertheless swept up by the compilation of instruments and Levant’s lyrical voice. Born to a Palestinian-Serbian father and French-Algerian mother, Saint Levant’s multilingual songs represent the languages he grew up with and bring with them the inspirations of various cultures.

The album opens with “On This Land,” which starts with a clip of “Mawtini,” (roughly translating to “My Homeland”) an Arabic hymn by Palestinian poet Ibrahim Tuqan and Lebanese composer Mohammed Flyafel. It’s considered Palestine’s unofficial anthem, and sets the tone for the next eight tracks. The clip transitions into Saint Levant speaking about the disconnect he feels daily, before transitioning again into a steady beat on which he raps in Arabic.

The next track, “Forgive Me,” is perhaps my favorite song from the album. It has a swagger about it that contrasts with Saint Levant’s vulnerable lyrics. This song incorporates more French in it, seamlessly transitioning between English, Arabic, and French. It wasn’t until I watched the official visualizer (which has lyrics in English and Arabic) that I fully appreciated Saint Levant’s lyricism. A plea for forgiveness from his Mother, the song revisits the feeling of disconnect introduced in “On This Land,” and introduces further themes of home, memory, and exile which can be heard on the following tracks.

The album is full of collaborations, notably on “Allah Yehmiki” and title track “Deira.” On “Allah Yehmiki,” Saint Levant is joined by Kehlani, an American R&B singer who has shown her support for Palestine through their own music as well. Teenage rapper MC Abdul joins Saint Levant on “Deira.”

“It was such an exciting experience for me to be part of this song. This is for my people, this song is for Palestine. And I’m happy I shot this in Jordan with my brother Saint Levant. I can’t wait for us to perform it together,” shared MC Abdul in a Variety article, “The past few months have been very tough on me, I got out of Gaza a month before the war started so I can wrap up some songs and make new releases for my fans. I never realized things would go completely upside down. Some of my family members, friends, neighbors and relatives have passed away from the war. Music is my therapy and I wanted to express myself through this amazing song. It is my comeback song since a few months ago. I will always speak out and represent the culture.”

“[Deira] is also a celebration of Palestinian daily life,” shared Saint Levant in the same article, “With a sound inspired by Dahmane El Harrachi, considered the great master of Algerian chaâbi, ‘Deira’ is anchored in Algerian culture through its sound (where my mother is from) and in Palestinian culture through its words (the land of my father). ‘Deira’ represents a mix of my parents’ cultures.”

Deira is an album that defies easy categorization. At only 20 minutes long, and all of its tracks under three minutes, it at times feels quick. On my first listen, it felt like the songs ended before I was able to fully immerse myself in them, but I can appreciate the value in creating a concise body of work. There are elements of French house music alongside Algerian and Palestinian culture, presented with a modern flare. It’s an album that I’ve had on repeat, and I highly listening to it.

Saint Levant will be going on tour this winter, check out all his dates here.

The music video for “Deira” ft. MC Abdul. The official visualizers and music videos from the album have English and Arabic subtitles in the video for those who are curious about the lyric’s translations.

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