Barbara Walters chats with Forward Syria
Swaying between art and seduction
Discussing monetary policy with the man in charge
Where the earth screams in horror
08/03/2010 - Issue 42
The young Syrian music movement
by Moritz Flick
“Everyday is a fight,” which upon looking at the lack of accessible musical infrastructure for budding artists in Syria makes Lena Chamamyan’s words ring true and clear. Though, the Syrian music movement is stepping up its ambitious drive toward a greater voice and resonance.
Yet sitting in the Danish Institute listening to the vociferous Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset and his Sonic Codex Quartet after another night of Jazz festivities in the Old City, it is evident that diversity and enthusiasm is spreading. Aarset also played at the Syrian Jazz Festival two years ago with a Tunisian band and expressed the notable increase in popularity and responsiveness of the country as a whole.
Leading a workshop at the Damascus Fine School for Music Aarset is actively involved in the intercultural exchange pioneered in Syria through the current festival and speaks highly of “the breeding confidence within the community of musicians.” A bright spark has been lit amongst a forward-looking mass of imaginative talent.
Karim Khwanda, one of Syria’s foremost entrepreneurs and responsible for the much anticipated arrival of the Gorillaz at Damascus’ Citadel last month, is quick to respond to Lena’s assessment. Although he would like to see more governmental support for local companies to foster homegrown talent, it is vital that the lure of singers like Lena, who challenge the stagnation, instill a sense of healthy tension between the old and the new.
“Music didn’t end with Um Kalthoum” he says, adding that the intergenerational fan-base of Lena which upholds the traditional flavour of Arabic culture is complimented by up-and-coming oriental rap artists like Wasam Khodur and Eslam Jawad, who have themselves been in dialogue with British underground influences.
The flipside to this move towards openness is inevitably the piercing criticism they have received from within their own countries for bringing to light the experiences of the estranged but determined youth.
However, the blooming movement goes deeper than such ostentatious stunts as the Gorillaz concert. Firstly this becomes clear after the organizers’ open admittance that it will be a non-profit event which materialized due to the fascination towards Syria felt by their lead member, Damon Albarn, when he came here in 2008 to record part of their new album Plastic Beach with the Syrian Symphony Orchestra. This time he descended upon the Citadel with an entourage of 93 musicians including 80 sound technicians and 13 rap vocalists as well as the core members of the band.
Moreover, upon closer examination of the Syrian music scene we see that the likes of Hannibal Saad, a local authority concerning the development of Syrian music, are busy introducing exciting opportunities for musicians and enthusiasts alike. Speaking about the 2010 Syrian Jazz Festival which he organized he stressed that the emphasis was on “diversity and to be bold in selecting the bands and getting the contemporary artists” which was mirrored by the fervent atmosphere and the range of ages and faces at the concerts. Saad’s ambition to build on this year’s success by vowing that “next time its going to be bigger with more Syrian bands and more shows in Syrian cities” reflects Lena’s views that “music shouldnt’ be limited geographically,” which explains her commitment to sharing her music to an ever-expanding group of people seen in her various tours throughout the Arab world. Although she admits that the toughest test for her and other grass-roots musicians lies in gaining respect from the wider musical community in Europe and America, she relates that it is essential to her “to keep the music Arabic.”
This embrace of indigenous culture and pride in a distinct musical heritage, what Karim Khwanda describes as an “emotional decision based on a sense of love towards one’s own identity”, is exactly what has contributed to the blossoming creative atmosphere within Syria. The reaction to the cultural penetration of the West hasn’t gone exclusively one way but has instigated a deep and wealthy reassessment of the musician’s own roots. Only last year Saad staged the 1st International Symposium for Oriental Music in Damascus. By uniting the often forgotten and unheard voices which do so much to reveal the true expression of nations and blending these to form an exchange of ideas, like in the many musical workshops, Saad has helped to sow the seed for a healthy, aware and appreciative new generation of artists.
Doubtlessly the image and complexion of music within Syria has been subject to an ever-opening fusion of styles. Having said that, the all-important “patriotic feel” which Karim Khwanda describes with such enthusiasm is an urge to creative influences throughout all fields to respond to this wave of optimism with even more energy, strength and vitality so that the struggles Lena revealed as having to “fight by herself” continue in their depiction of music as a mirror to life, but find a louder voice among the wider public.
