I love it when there is a cultural event scheduled in my week that I can look forward to! It is as if each day is filled with extra happiness towards the event. And this week I have not one, but two musical events I am looking forward to, the first in Jerusalem the second in Tel Aviv.
Both events are musical and share a common theme: they connect people of different cultures and faiths, through music.
“Music is a distinct language, opening hearts,” Bracha Cohen, who is behind the production of the Tel Aviv performance of Pandelis Thalassinos tells me.
Bracha’s vision is to bridge between the Greek and Israeli cultures through music. An Israeli who spent her summers in Greece as a kid Bracha feels at home in both the Greek and Israeli cultures. Through her work, Bracha Cohen Greek Music productions in Israel, Bracha brings her two loves closer to each other. “I love making my two cultures meet, breaking the ice and the stereotypes that one may hold for the other.” “The minute I discovered Greek music,” she tells me, I knew that this was a music that my fellow Israelis would love and enjoy.” I decided I would be the one bringing it to them.”
Pandelis Thalassinos is the latest in a a series of great, renown Greek musicians Bracha has introduced to the Israeli audiences.
“This Wednesday Israelis will have the chance to experience authentic Greek music, played by Greek musicians Panos Dimitrakopoulos on the qanun, Thomas Constantinou on the oud, Yorgos Marinakis on the violin, Alexandros Arkadopoulos on the clarinet, Yannis Playanakos on the contrabass, Kostas Martakis on the drums, along with the Rebetiko singer Ifigeneia Ioannou.” “Together they will take us on a journey to sounds from Greek islands, as well as from Ioannina, the Balkans, Istanbul and Smyrna,” Bracha recounts and continues. “There are still a few tickets left that one can purchase online at: https://kupatbravo.co.il/announce/65315”
Indeed, music is one of the most beautiful and natural alleys of cultural diplomacy. You meet and discover the other through their sounds, songs and musical culture, and feel closer to your neighbor.
In Jerusalem, we are honored to have a performance of the unique Jerusalem Youth Chorus scheduled on our calendar this week. The chorus established and directed by Micah Hendler in 2012 sings in Hebrew, Arabic and English. It consists of teenagers from east and west Jerusalem who not just sing together but also dialogue with each other. Together, this community of Jerusalem teens co-creates music by weaving their respective cultures, identities and voices.
This Monday “the parents are invited to a rehearsal of the chorus which over the last two months has had the amazing opportunity to work with the incredible Craig Jessop!” Micah Hendler writes on the Jerusalem Youth Chorus website. A graduate of the Seeds for Peace program and a Yale graduate in music and international relations, Micah has done tremendous work over these last eight years in empowering local youth to find their voice, and bring it out, and weave it with fellow singers from the city for all to enjoy!
“Dr. Jessop conducted the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for many years and now is doing a residency here with us in Jerusalem!” Micah Hendler tells me and continues “Together with our talented chorus’ conductor Hani Kreitem the high schoolers will present the fruit of their work this Wednesday at a concert in Jerusalem’s Beit Shmuel.”
Two of our daughters will be singing there as part of the Chorus and my husband and I along with our second daughter will take the time off our other endeavors to be there and enjoy this co-created musical harmony and peace among Israeli and Palestinian schoolkids showing us adults the way forward.
From Jerusalem with love,
Yvette Nahmia-Messinas