Awash in a Living Tradition: Music & Tales of Home
October 22, 2017
...What thrilling music -- a sampler of contemporary Arab music performed by the composers that made me feel like I was awash in a living tradition, continuous, expansive, creative. And I so enjoyed the people around me -- newly-met friends. - concert attendee
Of the many presentations we have held at Trinity Center for Urban Life, there was something extraordinary about this (DIS)PLACED concert, Music & Tales of Home, that took place on a Sunday afternoon. Hearty ushers led our guests -both longtime friends and newcomers to Al-Bustan- who gathered at their seats in preparation for a unique experience. The hall filled with reverent attention as storyteller and musicians took their place onstage, completing the mise-en-scène of performers and audience.Narrator Denise Valentine recounted stories of migration and seeking home to accompany the melodies that audibly illustrated these journeys. Al-Bustan Ensemble members included Kinan Abou-afach on cello and Hafez Kotain on percussion, with guests Kinan Azmeh on clarinet and Issam Rafea on oud -- all Syrian musicians living in the diaspora, three of whom are composers whose works were featured, along with the music of fellow composers Suad Bushnaq and Maias Al Yamani.[ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="103" display_type="photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails" override_thumbnail_settings="0" thumbnail_width="120" thumbnail_height="90" thumbnail_crop="1" images_per_page="8" number_of_columns="0" ajax_pagination="1" show_all_in_lightbox="0" use_imagebrowser_effect="0" show_slideshow_link="0" slideshow_link_text="[Show slideshow]" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"]Their music resonated across the hall, eloquently framing the tale of the great human migration and a litany of drawn from the stories featured in (DIS)PLACED, ending with a plea for humanity to find our deeper, common roots.
Major support for (DIS)PLACED project is provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Additional support by Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and William Penn Foundation.