[wvns] Palestinian Youth Orchestra in Germany:
"I use the international language to speak to the whole world and tell
my homeland's story"
Palestinian Youth Orchestra in Germany
By Juhaina Khalidiah
Translated by Adib S. Kawar
Hanin Al-Umary was born 18 years ago, she shall be a different child,
with a special perception with the manner of her touching an
instrument that produces a musical resonance. When others feel this
difference, she will be twelve years old. Her mother shall see that
her daughter is searching for the source of any note "sneaking" from
here or there. Actually, Hanin shall not tire much to find what she is
looking for, she lives in Palestine, it is not easy for notes to fly
around in that sad land. The dream shall materialize and she shall
play the piano in school, and later for three years in the institute,
and later to be one of the younger students in the Edward Said
National Institute of Music. Later on she shall be a member of The
Palestinian Youth Orchestra, and shall take part in three successful
performances in Germany that took place late August.
Hanin Knows how to explain her dream, loves and plans for it. And she
knows well how to choose her words to say: "I use the international
language to speak to the whole world and tell my homeland's story".
This language could take different forms, but playing classical music
with a Palestinian orchestra means for her: "Is to use music in the
right way to give the right picture".
Hanin is one of forty young Palestinian men and women living in
Palestine and the diaspora whose ages vary between 14 and 27 years
old, they play under the middle aged German musician, Walter Mick,
with the University of Bonn Orchestra, thus the total number of
players is seventy men and women that performed a trial recital in the
German city of Vikersheim near Frankfort, another official fully
booked recital took place in Berlin and a third solely performed by
Palestinian youth in Goterslo city.
The Here and There
A lot is to be said about the "here" and about Palestine the "there".
Before any of the performances is presented Assafir interviewed some
of the Palestinian players and organizers, "Here", they meet a
cultured diplomatic audience and a number of the members of the Arab
community there. "There" the homeland can hardly breath, and thus it
doesn't breath music. And they are here where they find themselves
between their instruments that help them to convey there message.
Those say that they have no other way for that.
"This is what is in my hand now… and this is what I master", Ibrahim
Najem (24) studied development and economics. But in spite of that the
future for him is still unclear, but now he doesn't think of
emigrating from Palestine. As he says he is one of three "counter
bass" players there. His music is not his source of income: "But it is
a mean to prove my existence as a human being… I chose to speak music".
Palestinians got marginalized in every field. Today, Khalil hopes,
that he will be heard by somebody, Ad he hopes the name of Edward
Said, after whom the institute was named two years ago, shall be of
help for him.
Ibrahim's music means for him an un-marginalized idea and expresses
his patriotic feelings: "Palestine is not present on the map, neither
does the West Bank, and the wall eats our homeland… But music is a
small window that tells me as a Palestinian musician holding a
musical instrument is existing".
Ideas do not come in this assortment in Ibrahim's head, but you find
him repeating them then every time reshaping them in a different
manner. You ask him about his feeling while playing, and at the same
time sounds of bulldozers come from the background demolishing our
neighbor's house, or a mother wailing for a martyred son, Ibrahim
thinks in a loud voice: "I ask myself: 'Is it too much for as a
Palestinian to play music after all of that? No. Music is not a
luxury, neither it is entertainment and not even a source of income.
This is my right, or it is imposed on me to keep my head bowed?"
Ibrahim never forgets his friend crossing an Israeli barricade with a
smashed instrument. But he simply continues playing to dream. There,
music taught them how to dream. As he expressed it: "The matter is
simple I am a Palestinian from 'Beit Sahour' I love music and love to
play it, I don't forget others sufferings, and I have my own
sufferings too… Even this they consider to be too exorbitant for us to
'enjoy'?"
He speaks with enthusiasm, as if he is afraid that time shall end
before he finishes expressing himself in full. He adds: "No body has
the right to judge and convict others. Some play for pleasure, and
others play for a professional aim, to prove himself then to
emigrate... Some to relay a message... All of this is true". Those
know and do not claim that they are all resisting, they also do not
claim that they are lecturing every foreigner who play with them about
Palestine, and they do not claim that they are able to solve the
social, artistic and political problems of the Arab homeland: "We
don't claim that we can for example correct the trajectory course of
Arab singing, we are an orchestra that has a garden, that is open for
any body that can plant rose in it to plant it... We don't do
miracles... Music is simpler than that".
The Palestinian youth orchestra accepted Mick's invitation to come to
Germany, and they reciprocated by inviting the University of Bonn to
participate in a festival to be held next year in Al-Quds (Jerusalem),
in the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the
Palestinian Youth Orchestra, as said by the general manager of the
institute and its patron, who looks forward for similar arrangements
with France, Belgium and Venezuela.
It is the first time that the orchestra plays in the presence of
Suheil Khoury as he was denied entry to Amman for years. The orchestra
this year is privileged with a new dimension, it is playing with the
University of Bonn Orchestra, and outside the Arab homeland.
Previously (since 2004) all its performances were made in Jordan.
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