Sagi Dekel Chen reveals songs he wrote in captivity: 'Singing songs of freedom is terribly hard'

Sagi Dekel Chen, a Hamas hostage survivor, revealed nine songs he wrote and composed during his 498 days in captivity at a performance in Nir Oz. The event, part of the Israel Festival, was held before about 3,000 people and featured Idan Raichel, Marina Maximilian, and Hatikva 6. Sagi spoke about the role of music in captivity, the dreams he had, and the fear of returning to an empty home.

Sagi Dekel Chen, who was abducted from Nir Oz on October 7 and held in Gaza for 498 days, revealed nine songs he wrote, composed, and memorized in captivity at the performance 'From Captivity to the Grass: Stories and Songs.' The event took place on the lawn of Kibbutz Nir Oz before about 3,000 people as part of the Israel Festival. Sagi, who was shot and abducted, said that music was his tranquilizer and later a weapon to maintain his sanity. He described goodnight rituals for his daughters and imaginary dates with his wife. The performance featured Idan Raichel, Marina Maximilian, Hatikva 6, Eitan Horan, and Shira Ben Shimhon, and a recording of Rita was played. His songs deal with love, longing, and fear, including the fear of returning to an empty home. His father Yonatan said that Sagi did not know if he had any family left, and his aunt said he learned Arabic and chess. The performance was seen as a moment of collective release, as defined by director Itai Maunter.