Musicians from Warring Nations Gives Us a Picture of Peace

Last updated on: October 15, 2013 at 1:30 pm by Erin Straza

Musicians from Warring Nations Gives Us a Picture of Peace 2013-10-15T13:30:27-06:00 Erin Straza

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A musician I am not, but if you break out the cello, I can scarcely breathe for the beauty of it. Obviously, cellist Yo-Yo Ma is a favorite. So this NPR article—“A Yo-Yo Ma Project Brings Together Musicians from Warring Nations”—caught my eye. Its author, Elizabeth Segran, details Ma’s vision for music as the basis for intercultural understanding through his Silk Road Ensemble organization:

“Bringing together the Galician bagpipe, the Chinese pipa, the Japanese shakuhachi, the Persian kamancheh, the Indian tabla, and many other global sounds ensures that audiences around the world are exposed to instruments and sounds they haven’t heard before.”

Take a look and listen here as the group performs “Arabian Waltz”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vegwVDG_qZE

Moving is the word that best describes the performance: it’s the spirited music, the ensemble of instruments, and the gathering of musicians from around the world. It must be a shadow of what heaven will be, with every nation, tribe, people, and language (Rev. 7:9).

The best part? Ma’s vision is working:

“The musicians say the project has helped them find similarities between musical cultures. When Das began improvising with Kayhan Kalhor, one of Iran’s best-known players of the kamancheh, a kind of fiddle, he found an unexpected kinship between their instruments. ‘It didn’t matter that he was performing a Persian mode and I an Indian raga,’ Das said. ‘Playing with Kayhan for the first time felt like playing with a long-lost cousin.’ ”

Finding an unlikely kinship via an instrument is truly remarkable. Music is a language all its own, one that taps into the heart first, bypassing the walls of judgment and assumptions that keep people at war with each other.

Ma’s project gives a glimpse of hope, reminding us that one day, peace will come. And there will be beautiful music.

Music

Of the Moment

The Silk Road Ensemble

Yo-Yo Ma

Previous Post

October 15, 2013

Living the Epic Drama In Short Stories

Next Post

October 15, 2013 ELSEWHERE: Diversity's Role in Helping Minorities Flourish

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz