In Arabic, Koowu means strength. As a child, Maryam Sameer Faheem Khoury's father told her stories about the difficulties he experienced growing up in Palestine. Koowu is about how different her life would be if her father had not moved to the United States. The text of Koowu is symbolically about a caged bird who longs to fly away and find freedom. The modality of the melody hints at the composer's roots; the addition of a dumbek (drum) adds its own authenticity to the ethnic leanings of the piece. A colorful, unique addition to women's repertoire. Dumbek part available as a free download.

Composer: Maryam Khoury