Released hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen performs songs written in captivity at Kibbutz Nir Oz concert

Former hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen performed a concert at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he was abducted on October 7, debuting nine songs written during his 498 days in Gaza. The Israel Festival event, “From Captivity to the Lawn: Stories and Songs,” drew 3,000 attendees, including bereaved families and other former captives. Dekel-Chen, joined by artists like Idan Raichel, explained that music was initially a “sedative” and later “a weapon to maintain sanity” during his captivity. His songs juxtapose trauma with hope, including a piece for his youngest daughter born while he was held. He recounted believing his family had died on October 7 and only learned of their survival upon his release. Artistic director Itay Mautner described the event as a public processing of trauma, not escapism.