IN STEREO

We come back from the separation wall when the Patriarch comes from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, on the old road to the Nativity Church. The old road, it’s an amazing road. Firstly because it is from 2000 years ago. It hasn’t changed from reign to reign to reign: wars, [people] coming and occupying… It hasn’t changed. So most people who live in this street are Syrian. And we also have some Muslim families from Palestine. Here in Bethlehem, it’s Muslims and Christians preparing for this day. Muslims and Syrians who are celebrating with lights and with flags. So this is also very beautiful, that all the homes in this street are celebrating and preparing their homes for this day. These are the people who appreciate the scouts when we’re moving down the street and we have some music – some celebrating, some dancing. This is beautiful, that the people are happy for these days. We use many marches, many types of music.

We have the Palestinian or Arabic traditional music; we also have some world music. But when we start to get to the Nativity, we have Christmas-style music. We change it along the road. We start with one [style] and go to another, as the road goes down. Also depending on who the people on the side are, because they go: “Do this! Can you please do this?” We know [what’s popular], because it’s yearly. So we change: “OK!” And when we start to get to the Nativity square, we only use the Christmas music. Because this is the end of the Syrian area, and also there’s a lot of people, because it’s opening – not like Star Street. In Star Street, there are people here [to one side], here [to the other side], and we are here [in the middle]. So when we start [towards the Nativity], we have the whole space; we can breathe! – Fadi