3ala bali (On My Mind) is a song about memories; nostalgia for homelands that have been transformed and, at times, rendered unrecognizable by the ravages of war. These traumatic images of destruction are often the only ones shown in the media. This song manifests a deep longing for that remembered place and time from which culture springs; it shows how memories can be carried in bodies and culture spread throughout the diaspora.

 Inspired by discussions about how they both longed to see loving, joyous representations of their rich cultural heritage, Dana El Masri wrote the Arabic lyrics for 3alabali (On My Mind), which she also sings. Nadine plays electric guitar while  Ali El Farouk, is featured on the oud. Nadine composed 3alabali (On My Mind) that she then co-arranged with Mark Alan Haynes.

Inspired by discussions about how they both longed to see loving, joyous representations of their rich cultural heritage, Dana El Masri wrote the Arabic lyrics for 3alabali (On My Mind), which she also sings. Nadine plays electric guitar while  Ali El Farouk, is featured on the oud. Nadine composed 3alabali (On My Mind) that she then co-arranged with Mark Alan Haynes.

 Filmmaker, Victorine Sentilhes, created the stunning visual imagery for the video, a love song to the region that illustrates how culture, place and people, can live within us waiting to rise up.

Sentilhes uses images of Aleppo and Damascus taken by photographer, director and musician Jason Hammacher of Lost Origin Productions. Hammacher first came to Nadine’s attention when she heard the ancient Christian chants he had recorded in Aleppo (a place where her father’s family has deep roots).

Nadine’s varied family photos also give the video its depth and feeling. Other collaborators including Dana El Masri, Adel Bashalani, Sharif Mirshak, Christelle Franca, Anita Altounji, Michel Altounji and Mouna Maarawi offered personal photos from their families and travels.

Sentilhes projects images from Syria, as well as from Egypt and Lebanon, onto the two women’s bodies where they flicker like dreams, with memories of the beloveds no longer with us.