Reem's Blog

Interview on Press TV

add your comments here

COMMENTS

Kurdish Womens Festival, Nusaybin, south east Turkey: 25 October 2009

An account of my concert and my visit.

We didnt know it was going to happen until it happened. We had been sending all our communications to Xezal Arslan, a friend of the organiser, because she spoke English. We never did meet her, though. Our ticket confirmations arrived less than 12 hours before our departure for the airport, and we were never quite sure what the organisers understood of Reems technical requirements.

From our meeting at Diyarbakir airport with the principal organiser, Berfin Emektar, Ruges Kirici and the ever present and helpful liaison contact Sirin Gencer, we knew that our hosts would do everything they could to ensure the success of Reems concert. Our sense of being welcome and in safe hands rose further when a knock on our door the next morning revealed a surprise visit from our friend Osman Kavala of the Anatolian Cultural Foundation.

Later, we drove south east for two hours, past the historical town of Mardin. On arriving in Nusaybin, we were greeted at the town hall by a sea of colour, as hundreds of women, young and old, mostly wearing traditional dress, clapped and shrieked with delight. Formally welcomed by the mayor, also a woman, we then joined a procession through the town centre to the border crossing with Syria. Drums sounded the beat, and I could hear chants about democracy. As we came alongside the wire-fencing of the international border, there were cries for it to be opened up, many families having suffered from the partitioning which had taken place early in the 20th century. Some had lost relatives who had attempted to smuggle themselves secretly across the border to see their families.

The procession ended at the town arts centre, in front of which a magnificent stage had been erected, which was the equal of any western festival platform. This was the concert venue.

Early the next morning, I stood staring across the Syrian-Turkish border crossing as a truck neared, carrying our 4 Syrian musicians: Simon Mreach (drums), Basel Rajoub (saxophones), Amir Qara Jouli (violin), and Khaled Omran (bass). Together with Reems pianist, David Beebee, they would form her Anglo-Syrian band.

Whilst Khaled Omran was a new addition to the line-up, the other 3 were old friends with whom Reem had worked several times before, most recently at Jableh Festival in Syria in July 2009. The very recent dropping of the visa requirement by the Turkish and Syrian authorities had made possible what a few years ago would have seemed most impractical, if not impossible. For Amir, a Syrian Kurd, it was to be his first experience of performing in a Kurdish festival.

The band eventually convened later that day for a rehearsal, with an electric synthetic drum machine and a keyboard fit for a toy. Despite concerns about the backline, it was evident from the "off" what an excellent spirit existed between all in the band.

Slowly, but surely, we explained our needs to Sirin, and she in turn conveyed and represented our requirements to Berfin and her colleagues. We were shown understanding and were given promises that it would all come together on the night.

It was all a bit chaotic, but we never felt alone, and nothing seemed too much for our organisers.

A rehearsal the next morning, on the day of the concert, got squeezed by Reems participation in a panel discussion about women and the arts in the Middle East. Indeed, the rehearsal got kaleidoscoped into a quick chat, whilst they were waiting for the bus to take them from the hotel to the concert.

To add to the pressure, one of the bandmembers received traumatic personal news, just before going on stage. Despite that, he played his heart out, literally. Indeed, the bandmembers showed, individually and collectively, what fine professionals and true friends they are.

The band barely had time to plug in their instruments, before Reem launched them and the crowd into the most rousing version of "Hawwilouna" (the Clapping Song) I have ever experienced. In front of the stage, a sea of people, several thousand strong, erupted into rhythmic motion, clapping madly. Some older women began a traditional Kurdish dabke dance. All vantage points around the large courtyard and in the neighbouring streets teamed with people. It was as if the town of Nusaybin was all watching the same thing.

Reems set went by so quickly, it seemed strange. What had taken weeks of planning and a 6-day excursion, passed almost with the blink of an eye.

The reception which Reem and the band got that night was so incredibly warm, not to say ecstatic. As she left the stage at the end of her set, Reem had to be helped by security officers through the tumult, as scores of people swarmed around her to shake her hand and to take their pictures with her.

Driving back to Diyarbakir the day after, we stopped to walk through the historical city of Mardin and were amazed to hear that the Arabic spoken was little different to the northern Palestinian dialect. Moreover, the rich combination of ethnic and religious communities living together in apparent harmony served as a reminder of what Palestine was all about.

Back home, London seems so drab and dull……..though we are so glad of a chance to recharge our batteries and to digest the many wonderful experiences which we have had.

We are grateful to Ulker Uncu and our friends at Kardes Turkuler for their help in facilitating this trip. Suffice it to say, we can not wait to return to this fascinating and welcoming region."

25/02/2010

add your comments here

COMMENTS