Next week (1 June) the Bosnian sevdah singer Amira is playing the Barbican, part of a celebration of Gypsy (and Gypsy-influenced) music and film. She's also at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester the next day. Good piece about her in today's Guardian:
All who survive a war remain scarred, each in their own way. For Amira, who was studying economics when Yugoslavia brutally disintegrated, war pushed her into song. And not just any song, but sevdah, the ancient lyric ballad of Bosnia. Sevdah - the word is Turkish and suggests desire, yearning, thwarted love - has existed for hundreds of years in this region, often composed of just a voice and a saz (a Turkish lute). Yet it took Bosnia's suffering to focus the world's attention on this small nation's music. Sevdah bears comparison to Portuguese fado and Spanish flamenco; all three are vocal arts rooted in Arabic courtly love songs from a millennium ago. Amira, who comes to the UK for the first time this week and whose debut album, Rosa, is a recording of startling beauty, looks set to do for sevdah what rising Portuguese star Mariza has done for fado.
I am going to Bosnia on 7 June and will hopefully be learning much more about sevdah, the war and musical healing.
8 comments:
Please, please bear in mind that people in Bosnia are reported to be sick and tired and sick and tired again talking to foreigners about the war; or so my social worker colleagues who worked there are telling me. Might be better to watch some films, such as those by Kustarica (sp?) on the topic, or read some books. Or you might find some 'professional' tellers of this story. But those might provide rather embroidered versions.
With all due respect, Beate, that is not what my contacts have told me, and they spend a great deal of time there. I know you go to difficult areas of the world a lot, but I really can't believe that it's better to watch films than to go places and see for oneself. And anyway, the thing I'm reporting on is a world premiere of a new opera, so no films about it exist yet.
I was more than a little taken aback by the presumptuousness of violainvilnius' comment and I think your response could not be bettered. When I read your entry, I assumed that your core mission would be musical, and I did not assume that you would get off the plane and start interrogating everyone in sight about the war. You will, I am sure, find some who would willingly speak of the war and others who would rather not. My own experience of such situations suggests there may be more of the former. VV may have been misled by the fact that 'social worker colleagues' are the source of her opinion. It is a phenomenon of the past twenty years or so (and I write this as someone who has done a great deal of counselling) that victims of traumata are instantly descended upon by counsellors intent upon dragooning them into the first stage of grief even before the disaster has fully registered, and social workers who presume to know their needs. It may be that these very people, vv's colleagues, are the foreigners the people of Bosnia would rather not have to talk to. I do not, of course, say that good work is not done -- my cousin has done some in that very place. But the traumatised would often rather be left to work things through for themselves, yet be able to talk to a sympathetic ear when they need release and comfort. Almost all do eventually and at times, and such an ear, I have no doubt, will be yours, Jessica. Blessings upon your journey. Philip
Thanks for your sensitive response, Philip. Like most writers, I'm addicted to observation. I'm not going anywhere to interrogate, stick an oar in or judge anybody. I'm taking with me just three things: the passionate belief, which I share with the people involved in this project, that music can heal and unite; a commission for an article; and the hope that I may be able to write something that brings readers insight, empathy and enhanced understanding.
I am not sure that 'fervent' is an adequate adjective to describe my belief in the redemptive power of music, hence my delight in your addition of 'Music Inspirations' the other day. Given the state of affairs globally, and also the difficulties in keeping classical music enterprises afloat, I can think of no other area in which it is so vital that those who share this belief come together. And so I would say add here in that vein, for I am not given to idle flattery, that I am hard put to think that anyone who has followed your blog and read your novels would not realize that you are the very person to write on this subject. I look forward to some mighty fine writing ahead. Philip
That's very kind - thank you! I'll do my best.
Hello,
I just wrote a long review of Amira's concert which I went to last night.
http://londonsevdah.blogspot.com/2007/06/amazing-concert-of-amira-medunjanin.html
Regards.
Thanks for the link, Mirza! I read your review and found it very interesting. I'm fascinated to see that such similar issues apply as in many kinds of classical concerts - how 'authentic' is it, for example?! - and how far does one accept modern adaptations and additions...? I'm new to sevdah, but was also a little mystified as to why it should be part of a festival of Gypsy music - still, it was a great evening!
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