Dalal Abu Amneh is a renowned neuroscientist, singer, healer and activist. Her work explores the powerful intersections between music, neuroscience, spirituality, social identity, and well-being. Dalal delves into how melodies and rhythms can profoundly influence emotions, cognition, and behavior on both individual and collective levels. She investigates the transformative potential of community music therapy and collective singing in reducing stress and fostering social cohesion. Through her music, Dalal aims not only to foster intellectual dialogue but also to break cultural barriers, using the universal language of music to inspire and motivate change.

With a strong background in neuroscience, including extensive research on neural systems in both health and disease, Dalal brings a unique and interdisciplinary perspective to her work. Internationally acclaimed as a Palestinian singer, she has spent over two decades preserving and performing Palestinian, Arabic, and Sufi musical traditions while also creating her own distinct style of spiritual and healing music. One of her most notable projects includes incorporating the voices of Palestinian and Arab grandmothers into her music, preserving cultural memory and elevating the wisdom of the divine feminine.

Dalal’s holistic approach to healing and human flourishing integrates her expertise in neuroscience, music, psychology and energy healing. This transformative method offers new pathways for mental and emotional well-being, extending far beyond academic spaces to touch the lives of individuals and communities in profound and lasting ways. Through her artistry and activism, Dalal continues to inspire change and unite people through the timeless power of music.

Scientific career  

Simultaneously, Dalal has a deep passion to scientific exploration and craves for uncovering the secrets of the brain and solving its puzzling nature, both in health and disease.  She earned her B.A. in cognitive sciences and psychology at the Hebrew university in Jerusalem, and her M.Sc and PhD in neuroscience from the faculty of medicine at Technion in Haifa. Her research interests have been on utilizing multi-scale and multi-modal novel methodologies to characterize neural systems in health and disease. Since 2021, She holds a position as an adjunct professor at Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron, and she is also an honorary research assistant professor at the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative (PNI) at Al-Quds University. Recently, Dalal works on integrating different therapeutic methods, that combine biological, emotional, mental and spiritual elements, with neuroscientific approaches in order to try prove their efficacy using scientific tools. 

Besides music and science, Dalal is also a social activist and has been volunteering in several foundations and charity organizations. She is a board member in Mahmoud Darwish foundation in Ramallah, a professional member of Taawon foundation and has been cooperating with Palestine Foundation (USA) and The Palestine Students Scholarship Fund PSSF (USA) to promote their projects for the sake of Palestinians worldwide.  

Being both an active neuroscientist and famous singer didn’t prevent her from building a successful family, being a mother for Loor (13 years) and Hisham (11 years), and a wife for ophthalmologist, poet and producer, Dr. Anan Al-Abbasi.

 

 

List of important honors and awards

  1. Awarded for her song “Bokra Jdeed” (a New Tomorrow) as one of the best three songs in Euro-med Café competition “Other Song”, European Union (2006)
  2. Honored for her contribution to the preservation of women musical heritage in the Arab world, at the festival of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), Tunisia, 2015.
  3. Selected as an honorary artist representing the Arab States Broadcasting Union in Asia Broadcasting Union Song festival, Myanmar, 2015.
  4. Honored as a typical Palestinian woman at the Palestinian Festival in Houston, USA, 2015.
  5. Selected as the best artist in Palestine by “Lady of the Earth” Foundation, Palestine, 2016.
  6. Selected as one of the best female figures in Palestine by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, Palestine, 2017.
  7. Received the Cultural Legacy Award for by the California legislature office California state assembly, for her contributions to Palestinian classical and folk music and artistic expression.  USA, 2022.

 

 

List of important concerts and events: 

- Festival of “Fraternity of Peoples”, Greece (2000)

- Festival of “Fraternity of Peoples”, Spain (2002)

- Kurdish Unity Festival, Germany (2001, 2002)

- Al-Madina Festival, Tunisia (2000, 2001)

- The Doha Festival, Qatar (2003)

-The "Other song" competition for Cultural Dialogue - European Union (2006)

- Concerts with MESTO orchestra in the Cairo Opera House Egypt (2007, 2001)

- Concert with MESTO orchestra Jerash Festival in Jordan (2007)

- Concert “Cairo in Hollywood”, California, USA (2008).

- Concert "For the Children of Gaza" – Casablanca, Morocco (2009)

- Layali Al Tarab Festival in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Nablus, Palestine (2009)

- Cannes Film Festival - Launch of Doha Film Foundation - France (2010)

- 15th Arab Song Festival- Union of Arab States Broadcasting, Egypt (2010)

- Concert in Casablanca - Morocco (2011)

- Concert with MESTO orchestra at the Royal Opera House in Muscat - Oman (2012)

- Concert in the Palestinian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE (2012)

- Cultural Evening at Sheikh Ibrahim Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center, Bahrain (2012)

 - Earth Day Festival in Abu Dhabi, UAE (2013)

- "Life of Bethlehem" festival, Palestine (2013)

- Palestinian Shopping Festival at An-Najah University, Palestine (2014)

- "Supporting Gaza" Festival in Cultural District, Katara, Qatar (2014)

- Festival commemorating Mahmoud Darwish, Amman, Jordan (2014)

- Al-Hanouneh Festival- Amman, Jordan (2014)

 - Jerusalem Festival for Palestinian Heritage, Jerusalem, Palestine (2015)

- Palestinian Festival in Houston, Texas, United States (2015)

- Arab Radio Union Festival, Tunisia (2015)

- Jerusalem Festival for Palestinian Heritage, Jerusalem (2015)

-World Solidarity Day “Les Solidarites”, Namur, Belgium (2015)

- Concert with The Crossing Choir and Al Bustan Foundation, PA, USA (2015).

- Concert for Sufi music with Al Bustan Foundation, PA, USA (2016).

- Launch of the album "Ya Siti" ,Nazareth (2016).

- "Win a Ramallah" Festival, Palestine (2016)

- The Palestinian Houston Festival, Texas, USA (2017)

- "Ya Siti" concert with Palestine Foundation, California, USA (2017)

- “Timgad” Festival in Timgad, Constantine, Oran, Algiers, Algeria (2017)

- The Palestinian week in Salmiya, Kuwait (2017).

- Earth Day commemoration - Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt (2018).

- The international musical show "Silk Road" in Bethlehem, Palestine (2018).

- Eastern Mediterranean University - Cyprus, Greece (2018).

- Hommage Aux Grandes Dives commemorating Arab women singers in Paris, France (2018).

-“Al Qalaa” festival by Cairo opera house, Cairo, Egypt (2018)

-Concerts in FAMA festival with the Canadian Arabic Orchestra, Toronto, Canada (2018)

- Fundraising event with “Eibal foundation”, Amman, Jordan (2019).

- Talk and Concert at TEDx, Alquds University, Palestine (2019)

- World Arabic Language Day at UNESCO, Paris, France (2019)

- Jerash international Festival, Amman, Jordan (2022)

- Hammamat International Festival, Hammamat, Tunis (2022)

- Doga international Festival, Doga, Tunis, (2022)

- Fuhais International Festival, Fuhais, Jordan (2022)

- USA benefit musical concerts, in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and New Jersey, USA, (2022)

-The world we make conference - Center for Healthy Mind, Madison, Wisconson, USA, 2024

-Chicago, USA, 2024