DUBAI: Rapper Saint Levant delivered an emotional tribute to Palestine during his debut performance in Sydney as he used the stage to reflect on identity, displacement and cultural pride.
The artist, widely known for blending Arabic, French and English influences, spoke about the importance of representing Palestinian voices on a global platform. Saint Levant, whose real name is Marwan Abdelhamid, was born in Jerusalem to a French-Algerian mother and a Palestinian-Serbian father before relocating to Jordan in 2007.
According to Grazia, he told the crowd in Sydney: “Art has played a very important role in portraying Palestine, the Arab world and the Global South as subhuman. Today, I am here as representation of the Global South.”
The performance drew strong support, with many of those present waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs, the traditional scarf long associated with Palestinian heritage and resistance.
Saint Levant also reflected on the legacy of displacement that has shaped his family history. His stage name was inspired by his paternal grandfather, who was displaced from Palestine in 1948.
“I was eight years old when I left Gaza,” he said. “The stories that you hear, I’ve heard them all my life.”
Despite the weight of that history, the artist emphasized warmth, resilience and hospitality as defining elements of Arab culture: “To anyone who thinks that Arabs are not human, you clearly have not been to an Arab household,” he said. “I invite you to come one day and experience our hospitality.”
Saint Levant also called for greater understanding and recognition of shared humanity, saying: “To anyone who says that we are not human, we are much more. We are lovers, we are fathers, we are mothers, we are teachers, and we are caregivers.”
