Not many cities in the world are built quite like
Morocco’s Fes. As the country’s cultural center and one
of its most ancient cities, Fes has been able to preserve a unique
coexistence of traditions that spans faiths ““ and musical
styles.
For centuries, Sephardic Jews, Sufi Mystics and African
Christians have performed alongside each other. Now, Fes’ own
Festival of World Sacred Music is coming to Royce Hall tonight,
bringing performers of sacred music traditions from around the
globe.
The festival showcases musicians from the tour that the U.N.
honored as a rare cultural event capable of creating dialogue
between civilizations. This year’s performance features Susan
Hellauer singing ancient Christian and Hindu music, South Indian
vocalist Aruna Sairam, Lebanese-American percussionist Jamey
Haddad, Palestinian-American oud player Safir Tawil, Sephardic
Moroccan-American vocalist Gerard Edery and the Moroccan-Sufi group
Daqqa Roudania Ensemble of Taroudant.
FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC Today, 8
p.m. Royce Hall
“The goal of the festival is to bring the Moroccan message
to America,” said Nico Daswani, the festival’s
assistant director. “We want to bridge cultural gaps in a
meaningful way.”
And according to Daswani, no music is better at building these
bridges than sacred music.
“Sacred music goes to the very core of who people are. It
doesn’t catch on or become a trendy thing, and it’s
been passed on from ancestors,” Daswani said, “so
it’s a very pure and beautiful expression.”
RELATED LINKS Click
here for video of Daqqa Roundania
In a world where more often than not an interpreter of Sephardic
Jewish songs and a Palestinian oud player could never ““ or
would never ““ collaborate, the festival aims to promote
dialogue between civilizations. Edery said that once this dialogue
happens, what emerges from each group is surprisingly familiar.
“Without this kind of communication, you see labels and
not people. Music is a beginning of acceptance and tolerance. With
music what you have in common emerges, and all the messages are
very similar,” he said.
Crediting the commonalities of the human spirit, Edery said that
reaching across boundaries to introduce one’s music to a
different culture is not as difficult a task as it may seem.
“We are instinctively moved by this music,” Edery
said. “I’m pulled in by Sairam whether or not I
understand her singing. Listening can give you a kaleidoscope view
of the culture.”
When small cultural barriers obstruct understanding, however,
Edery does not mind adapting. With modern instruments and new ideas
for arrangements, Edery bridges the gap between ancient tradition
and modern, American ears.
“We present this music with elements people are familiar
with so they can lock onto a rhythm. This stimulates the audience
and draws people in, showing that this music is not so esoteric
after all,” Edery said.
Living together for a month-long U.S. tour, the musicians work
to relate on a personal level as well.
This, Daswani said, is what makes their onstage collaborations
so compelling and what truly makes them agents of change.
“They develop a broader image of the people they’re
making music with. It goes beyond just playing together and
sounding cool ““ it’s a deep collaboration based on
knowing and trying to know. All these famous musicians come to the
plate as equals, and through humility create a sum greater than the
parts,” Daswani said.
Daswani feels passionate about his work because, among other
things, he presents music that might not otherwise be heard.
Sensing the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and at the same
time a lack of opportunity or venues for it, Daswani is excited to
present this sacred music to an audience on this large a scale.
“There really are limited opportunities for performers of
traditional music. … It’s also logistically difficult to
get nine Sufi-Moroccans to play here enough to open people’s
ears,” Daswani said.
He said this concert presents audiences with an opportunity to
think about their modern, complex lives in light of feelings that
people of all cultures have experienced as long as they could make
music.
“(This music) transcends time and fashion, keeping
traditions alive. It gives the audience time to think about how to
navigate their complex worlds and wonder why this music is still
meaningful,” Daswani said. “It creates a time of
questioning for audiences to pause and think.”