Amal Murkus

Amal Murkus (Arabic: أمل مرقس, Hebrew: אמל מורקוס, born 11 July 1968) is a Palestinian singer. Her post-modern music style has a variety of Mediterranean influences. Her first album, Amal, was released in 1998, and her second, Shauq, in 2004. Her songs take inspiration by Palestinian folklore, traditional Arabic heritage, and pop music elements, and express the struggle against the marginalization and exclusion that Arab Palestinian culture feels. Amal Murkus was born and raised in Kafr Yasif, an Arab town in the Galilee to a Palestinian Christian family. She was the fifth of six daughters. Murkus has been performing since she was five years old. In 1979, she won first prize in the Arab children's song festival. She graduated from the Institute for Stage Art "Beit Tsvi" in 1990.Murkus is married to Nizar Zreik, an architect, poet and musician, with whom she has two children; Yara Zreik - an actress, vocalist and pianist; and Firas Zreik - a Kanun player, composer and arranger.