31 December 2008

DAMASCUS: In a packed concert hall the crowd chants: "With soul, with blood, we will sacrifice for Palestine." You would be forgiven for thinking you were in the throes of a political demonstration. A sea of red, green, black and white flags move with impassioned resistance, flying against an unseen force, waving to the rhythm of the politically revolutionary, and perfectly timed, music of Marcel Khalife and the Mayadine Ensemble.

After a sold-out concert before some 10,000 people in Damascus, the final curtain call drew on what had been a successful four-city tour of Syria, which hit Homs, Lattakia and Aleppo, before finishing in Damascus on Saturday evening.

Master oud player and UNESCO Artist for Peace Khalife led the ensemble on a tour titled "We love life ... Salute to Mahmoud Darwish," paying tribute to the contribution of the celebrated Palestinian poet who often referred to Khalife as "my twin heart" and a kindred spirit.

The concert could not have come at a more relevant time, coinciding with the brutal Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Khalife's revolutionary and politically fervent lyrics inspired the crowd's rage at the injustice. Inevitably, the plight of the Palestinian people was the central theme.

Saturday's concert opened with a lone Khalife, spotlighted and center-stage, cradling his famed oud. He began by singing "Mohammed," a woeful, haunting song about the death of Mohammed al-Durra, a young Palestinian boy who was controversially filmed dying in the arms of his father after being caught in the crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian resistance fighters in the Occupied West Bank several years ago. With candles alight, the crowd sang and swayed in waves of solidarity.

Later, Khalife was joined by the Mayadine Ensemble, featuring Rami Khalife on piano, Oumaima Khalil and Yolla Khalife on vocals, Bachar Khalife and Aleksander Petrov on percussion, Keinan Azneh and Ismael Lumanovski on clarinet, and Mark Helias and Peter Herbert on double bass. Their perfectly tuned harmonies filled the air with melodic richness and warmth, and the carefully crafted compositions lulled the hungry crowd into a state of mesmerization, sensing they were in the midst of what was a resoundingly personal concert, emotionally raw and unapologetically political.

The intimacy reached its peak during a soulful and heart-rending performance of "Mother" by Yolla Khalife, Khalife's wife and the mother of their two sons, Mayadine players Rami and Bachar.

The show reached a dramatic high point during a piece titled "Passport," a song about a displaced people (obviously the Palestinians) who don't have a passport identity. Internationally acclaimed pianist Rami Khalife exploded into an experimental, improvised solo. The crowd was roped into an awe-inspired quiet as he delivered blow after blow of pure, heartfelt innovation. His improvisation moved from moments of shrill scales to a violent jarring of chords and harmonies. He played the piano in its entirety, wringing music from every possible surface area, moving theatrically from the strings to the keys. His brutal physicality was manifest in the blue pads of his palms after the concert, bruised and bloodied after the all-consuming performance.

"I engage in revolutionarily, spirited playing. As fighters, resisting against something that is established. It's anti-establishment. Anti-dominant society. It's the voice of the underground. It's the voice that shouts against the frailty and corruptibility of the human spirit," said Rami.

"Passport" concludes on a bittersweet, lyrical note: "All the peoples' hearts are my nationality so I don't need a passport." 

The concert's hard-hitting political commentary was delicately woven into nostalgic, impactful melodies and vivid lyrics.

"Never to forgive, Never to forget," percussionist Bachar thought aloud, his eyes brimming with steely defiance as he reflected on the rising death toll in Gaza and the continuing occupation of Palestine.

"Palestine. It's so hard for me to see injustice. This concert is life crying for life. Everybody has the right to life and the right to enjoy life. The war is something very terrible. I want to say to the world that we are here and we have something to do and something to say to stop the violent crimes and massacres committed against the Palestinian people. We make art, we make music to elevate people's consciousness and to raise awareness about the issue," Yolla Khalife told The Daily Star.

Syrian clarinet player Kienan Azneh  went even further: "My dream is to see Israeli ambassadors kicked out of Arab countries, but I know this would never happen."

He also asserted that the concert by its very nature and intention was a farce.

"Playing is totally useless. All these cliches about saying you play for a cause, it doesn't make sense. It would make sense if the money goes to the cause it is referring to. Playing [music] just makes the artist feel better. Right now, I'm sitting here after the concert worrying about a flight I have tomorrow to Las Vegas, meanwhile the Palestinians are worrying about where the next onslaught is going to come from. It's just mismatched. In the wake of this recent outbreak in Gaza, we should remember that this has been ongoing. Think of the last six years. Think of Palestine."

Famed vocalist Oumaima Khalil reflected on the impact of the recent events in Gaza on her experience as a performer.

"Remembering them [Palestinians] is the greatest thing I can do right now. I saw footage of the bombardment before the concert and I cried. I couldn't believe it," said Khalil. "I would like them [Israel] to understand that they will not come by a result in this way, with guns and weapons. This [Palestinian] race has a right to exist. They have the right to continue to fight to protect this right. I don't know why there is silence about this issue in the Arab world. There is no stance. How is a race being killed everyday? Houses are being destroyed. Nobody is speaking out. How could they not see?"

Marcel Khalife believes leaders in the Arab world have a responsibility to help.

"The Arab governments need to step in," he said, "and make the necessary change."

Copyright The Daily Star 2008.