So much has happened over the past month it's hard to know where to start describing life here. One evening last week we climbed a hill behind our apartment to watch the sun set across the city, hearing the call to prayer bouncing across the valley in which the city is set. Looking down you can see the vast array of white apartment blocks, into the beautiful old town and also to a refugee camp in the centre of the city. So many contrasts in such a small place.
Music Harvest is a recently established NGO which provides music lessons to children across the city. It runs out of a centre called Nablus the Culture and is housed in a large and beautiful building of tiled floors and thick stone walls so it stays nice and cool in this intense summer heat. We're so privileged to have this haven to work in - I can't help but imagine the comparison with living and working conditions in August, during Ramadan, in other parts of this city. Aside from the international volunteers (there have been between 5-8 of us since I arrived), the centre is run and maintained by a Nabulsi who has thrown all his time, energy and finances into creating this space; the only Palestinian piano tuner in the West Bank; and several young Nabulsi musicians who spend time here playing, and helping us translate lessons and workshops with some of the children who struggle with English.
The last few months has seen a solid flow of volunteers to the project, teaching Piano, Violin, Whistle, Guitar and Drums. Since I arrived i've been trying to start a small choir a singing lessons. It's taken much longer than expected, but there are now two students coming to lessons, a children's choir that is a part of a morning music workshop that we set up a week ago, and an older choir of about 10 singers. We are yet to have a rehearsal with everyone together, but fingers crossed for this Thursday! The last violin teacher here also set up a Violin club which i've continued, doing some basic folky stuff with an aim of the kids playing in a celidh in a month or so. A friend here has another project in Nablus, Celidh's beyond borders, which started introducing folk music to some of the kids who come to the centre for lessons a year ago - and they LOVE it! Much more fun than the classical stuff they say.
So aside from increasing amounts of violin and singing teaching in the afternoons, and a two hour rhythm/singing/instrumental workshop with other, much younger children every morning, days here are filled with arabic lessons, oud lessons, general jamming and lots of talking over the best coffee in the world. I can't express how inspiring it is to be here, surrounded by like minded musicians who are all aware that teaching violin and piano to a few kids isn't going to change the world, but might hopefully them with some sense of solidarity, and in a fun and exciting way.
Tuesday 9 August 2011
Saturday 28 August 2010
Music and dancing in Fort Cochin, Kerala
Dixie joined Holly and I at the end of last week, and the three of us have had a wonderful time here in Fort Cochin, exploring music and dancing in this gorgeous town.
We found out about the Kathakali Arts Centre on our first day - an organisation which promotes traditional arts from all around the state. Each night they host a Kathakali theatrical performance, followed by different classial ensembles. So far the concerts i've seen here have included a Sitar and Tabla duo, a Tabla, Gingira and Violin trio and a Tabla, Gingira and Bamboo Flute trio. In each case, none of the musicians had met before, and all the concerts were totally improvised. It was so interesting to hear such a variety of sounds: The Tabla/Sitar combination creating really transporting, mystial pieces, the violin trio producing a much livlier, almost jazzy sound, and the bamboo adding a more lamenting quality. The Gingira is an amazing instrument - it basically looks like a small tambourine, but has the most incredible array of different sounds!
Through the centre, I was also able to organise a lesson in Indian Violin. I spent 2 hours with my teacher (who later performed in the concert) learning 3 differet Raga ad the beginning some basic improvisation around them. Really amazing! Sadly he was only in town for one day so I couldn't have any more lessons - although he definitely stressed that, until all the scales were under the fingers, it was fairly impossible to progress...sound familiar?!
Again through contacts at the centre, we were able to arrange a lesson in Indian Classical Dance. We learnt a Salutatio, and a series of different steps that really force you to hold your body in quite contorted positions! Lots of fun, some amusing videos to follow!
In other news, this week proved just how tiny the world is, as I bumped into a really old friend from London Childrens Choir days! We spent some really lovely days and evenings with Anna and her man, cooking, eating, drinking and dancing kerala style.
Yesterday, Dixie and I finally did that thing everyone says you MUST DO in here - a day in a boat on the Keralan backwaters. It was indeed amazing - we had the whole boat to ourseles and spent the day drifting between different island villages, attempting to row the boat ourselves and passing through the most lush scenary imagiable. Quite a week!
We found out about the Kathakali Arts Centre on our first day - an organisation which promotes traditional arts from all around the state. Each night they host a Kathakali theatrical performance, followed by different classial ensembles. So far the concerts i've seen here have included a Sitar and Tabla duo, a Tabla, Gingira and Violin trio and a Tabla, Gingira and Bamboo Flute trio. In each case, none of the musicians had met before, and all the concerts were totally improvised. It was so interesting to hear such a variety of sounds: The Tabla/Sitar combination creating really transporting, mystial pieces, the violin trio producing a much livlier, almost jazzy sound, and the bamboo adding a more lamenting quality. The Gingira is an amazing instrument - it basically looks like a small tambourine, but has the most incredible array of different sounds!
Through the centre, I was also able to organise a lesson in Indian Violin. I spent 2 hours with my teacher (who later performed in the concert) learning 3 differet Raga ad the beginning some basic improvisation around them. Really amazing! Sadly he was only in town for one day so I couldn't have any more lessons - although he definitely stressed that, until all the scales were under the fingers, it was fairly impossible to progress...sound familiar?!
Again through contacts at the centre, we were able to arrange a lesson in Indian Classical Dance. We learnt a Salutatio, and a series of different steps that really force you to hold your body in quite contorted positions! Lots of fun, some amusing videos to follow!
In other news, this week proved just how tiny the world is, as I bumped into a really old friend from London Childrens Choir days! We spent some really lovely days and evenings with Anna and her man, cooking, eating, drinking and dancing kerala style.
Yesterday, Dixie and I finally did that thing everyone says you MUST DO in here - a day in a boat on the Keralan backwaters. It was indeed amazing - we had the whole boat to ourseles and spent the day drifting between different island villages, attempting to row the boat ourselves and passing through the most lush scenary imagiable. Quite a week!
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Indian festivities: Independence Day in Pondicherry and a Hindu Wedding in Tiruvannamali
Throughout the afternoon of the 15th August, swarms of people gathered along the beach of the Bay of Bengal (Pondi's sea front) for what promised to be an exciting celebration! Events kicked off in the early evenign, as a govenment minister was driven down thgough the city, past many a building covered from top to toe in beautiful lights for the occasion. He gave a few waves to the crowds and signalled the start of the longest fireworks display i've ever seen!
As this ended, everyone flocked to a stage area which had been put up along the beach strip to watch a most beautiful performance. I really dno't know enough about the musical traditions of Tamil Nadu to know what exactly the perfromance was of, but it was like a piece of theatre expressed through dance. The three (really beautiful) dancers were performing alongside a violinist, singer and Tabla player. They were all very heavily made up, which meant their facial expressions were completely set throughout the piece. AS they danced, one foot always marked the beat of the music, even as they sprang about all over the stage! Their lower arms seemed to move in a totally detached way from the rest of their bodies, while their heads and necks were always at impossible angles - such exact movements presenting the complete opposite to the incredible Indian head wobble!
It felt like the whole city was out to enjoy the celebrations, and i've never seen such an incrediblt array of beautiful saris all in one place.
This explosion of incredible fabrics were seen again at Saravanan and Pradeepa's wedding (friends of Xavier and Anto at the PCTC), which took place on Friday. THe previous day, holly and I were taken sari, bangle and shoe shopping by Ronney, a friend from the village. She helped us to find quite simple but gorgeous saris (red for hol and turquoise for me...or teal perhaps,lorna?!), and she stiched the blouses for us herself. The edges of the saris, and all the measurements were done at the vocational training centre in the pctc, which was very special for us both.
The mornign of the wedding, Ronney had us up at 5am to get ready! WE arrived at the wedding in time for the breakfast, which took place in a huge hall filled with 300+ people, all eating from huge banana leaves. Anto was very mocking of how few people get invited to weddings in England! S we found seats and were given our leaf, a long 'production line' appeared, of men with various plates of amazing food - huge amounts of curry so early in the morning!
After being fed and watered we went up to the ceremony - again hundreds of people packed into a hall, with the couple now seated on a stage. They were surrounded bt a kind of trellice, covered in lights and flowers, and sat in front of a small fire. Another man sat with them, chanting and making offerings of oils into the flames. Throughout the ceremony, a group of 4 musicians (2 drummers and 2 imstruments that looked similar to a very long oboe) played, with increasing volume. This reached its peak, as handfuls of what looked like rice were dispersed among the crowds, and everyone stood up to throw it over the couple!
Sadly we were unable to stay for the post wedding party, which I imagine would have been amazing with so many people there. But we both felt so incredibly privilidged to share in this beautiful ceremony - definitely an unexpected bonus to our travels!
As this ended, everyone flocked to a stage area which had been put up along the beach strip to watch a most beautiful performance. I really dno't know enough about the musical traditions of Tamil Nadu to know what exactly the perfromance was of, but it was like a piece of theatre expressed through dance. The three (really beautiful) dancers were performing alongside a violinist, singer and Tabla player. They were all very heavily made up, which meant their facial expressions were completely set throughout the piece. AS they danced, one foot always marked the beat of the music, even as they sprang about all over the stage! Their lower arms seemed to move in a totally detached way from the rest of their bodies, while their heads and necks were always at impossible angles - such exact movements presenting the complete opposite to the incredible Indian head wobble!
It felt like the whole city was out to enjoy the celebrations, and i've never seen such an incrediblt array of beautiful saris all in one place.
This explosion of incredible fabrics were seen again at Saravanan and Pradeepa's wedding (friends of Xavier and Anto at the PCTC), which took place on Friday. THe previous day, holly and I were taken sari, bangle and shoe shopping by Ronney, a friend from the village. She helped us to find quite simple but gorgeous saris (red for hol and turquoise for me...or teal perhaps,lorna?!), and she stiched the blouses for us herself. The edges of the saris, and all the measurements were done at the vocational training centre in the pctc, which was very special for us both.
The mornign of the wedding, Ronney had us up at 5am to get ready! WE arrived at the wedding in time for the breakfast, which took place in a huge hall filled with 300+ people, all eating from huge banana leaves. Anto was very mocking of how few people get invited to weddings in England! S we found seats and were given our leaf, a long 'production line' appeared, of men with various plates of amazing food - huge amounts of curry so early in the morning!
After being fed and watered we went up to the ceremony - again hundreds of people packed into a hall, with the couple now seated on a stage. They were surrounded bt a kind of trellice, covered in lights and flowers, and sat in front of a small fire. Another man sat with them, chanting and making offerings of oils into the flames. Throughout the ceremony, a group of 4 musicians (2 drummers and 2 imstruments that looked similar to a very long oboe) played, with increasing volume. This reached its peak, as handfuls of what looked like rice were dispersed among the crowds, and everyone stood up to throw it over the couple!
Sadly we were unable to stay for the post wedding party, which I imagine would have been amazing with so many people there. But we both felt so incredibly privilidged to share in this beautiful ceremony - definitely an unexpected bonus to our travels!
Monday 23 August 2010
People's Craft Training Centre, Kondam, Tiruvannamali, Tamil Nadu, India
Holly and I spent the first ten days of our trip at this truely inspiring project, which was set up by Xavier Mariadoss in his home village of Kondam (some 20km outside Tiruvannamali) 20 years ago. With a background of working with children with disabilities, he has established an organisation that erally bridges the gap between these children, and the communities they live in. The moto of the Pctc, 'Collective Self-Reliance' really encompasses everything the project strives to achieve, but also dictates the way it is run. It really is the most self sufficient organisation immaginable!
Starting out as a centre for children with disabilities in the community, enough staff were trained to alow the opening of a second centre further away. Since young people can only remain in the centre until the age of 18, a vocational training programme was then established on the same campus, teaching tailoring and other trade skills. Xavier has also been able to purchase land with the help of donations and fundraising, and start a farm - this is a longer term project which he hopes to develop into another branch of vocational training.
A further role of the staff is to go out on field visits to families in incredibly remote communities around the area, and do check ups on new borns who could be prone to developing a disability from birth ( the most common cause of this, we were told, is due to members of the same family reproducing). The staff are also trained to run sessions for parents of very young children, in basic physio and speech therapy, in their early years intervention centre. Mothers and other women are also invited to join one of the many female empowerment groups set up by the pctc.
The most recent project development is that of the Thuli Student Movement - afterschool clubs which currently run in 8 of the planned for 47 communities. This programme provides children with two hours an evening (6 days a week!) of alternative moduels in health, hygine, education about children with disabilities, politics, english laguage, as well as providing an oppertunity for help with homework etc. The real motivation behind this stems from the idea that, unless the community is catered for and supported, selecting individuals for help in the centre is meaningless - the whole community needs support to then be able to support and care for young people with disabilities.
As we were only able to spend 10 days at this amazing place, we spent our time visiting all of the different parts of the project: which involved chasing cows and picking guavas at the farm, riding all over the countryside on teh back of staff motorbikes to do home visits,singing and (for holly) some communication and speech therapy in both centres and at teh Thuli programme, and hours of fascinating conversation with many people involved with the project.
If anyone is planing a trip to India, and looking for a long term volunteer oppertunity, this one is really worth checking out!
www.pctcability.org/
Starting out as a centre for children with disabilities in the community, enough staff were trained to alow the opening of a second centre further away. Since young people can only remain in the centre until the age of 18, a vocational training programme was then established on the same campus, teaching tailoring and other trade skills. Xavier has also been able to purchase land with the help of donations and fundraising, and start a farm - this is a longer term project which he hopes to develop into another branch of vocational training.
A further role of the staff is to go out on field visits to families in incredibly remote communities around the area, and do check ups on new borns who could be prone to developing a disability from birth ( the most common cause of this, we were told, is due to members of the same family reproducing). The staff are also trained to run sessions for parents of very young children, in basic physio and speech therapy, in their early years intervention centre. Mothers and other women are also invited to join one of the many female empowerment groups set up by the pctc.
The most recent project development is that of the Thuli Student Movement - afterschool clubs which currently run in 8 of the planned for 47 communities. This programme provides children with two hours an evening (6 days a week!) of alternative moduels in health, hygine, education about children with disabilities, politics, english laguage, as well as providing an oppertunity for help with homework etc. The real motivation behind this stems from the idea that, unless the community is catered for and supported, selecting individuals for help in the centre is meaningless - the whole community needs support to then be able to support and care for young people with disabilities.
As we were only able to spend 10 days at this amazing place, we spent our time visiting all of the different parts of the project: which involved chasing cows and picking guavas at the farm, riding all over the countryside on teh back of staff motorbikes to do home visits,singing and (for holly) some communication and speech therapy in both centres and at teh Thuli programme, and hours of fascinating conversation with many people involved with the project.
If anyone is planing a trip to India, and looking for a long term volunteer oppertunity, this one is really worth checking out!
www.pctcability.org/
Sunday 8 August 2010
En route to Santiago de Cuba
JULY 2009:
About to embark on an epic road trip to Cuba's biggest carnival! But first...after some brilliant diving last week, we headed to the Che capital of the world - Santa Clara. A rather quiet town, considering it's history, and aside from the impressive guevara monument and mainly photographic museum, a surprising lack of memorabilia. Another lovely casa here, with wonerful hosts who cooked up a real feast for us every night. The reaction last night at dinner when the subject of politics was breached was entirely classic, i'm beginning to think - that when confronted ont he subject, many (particularly older) cubans are very reluctent to answer questions directly. But then proceed with ' but in my opinion..........................' and so follows hours of fascinating thoughts and feelings. On sunday we stumbled across a beautiful hidden courtyard, filled with trees and wall paintings, and lots of oldies gentle moving their hips to some beautiful son! Which then developed into a very public salsa lesson for me and jessie, as a beautiful man guided us through some dances with a cigar in one hand. Brilliant.
Then made tracks for Trinidad - a truely beautiful town with small painted houses lining the hill down to a white sand beach. Again a very friendly casa - but sadly no home cooked meals available here, so surviving off the typical fried egg sandwich diet. More dancing here, this time on a rooftop over looking the town and sea with a rather handsome young man. Great scene at the Casa de la musica with different live bands all night every night, and a crazy club set deep inside a cave in the mountainside.
So now to Santiago. Everyone i've spoken to about the city says it is too hot, too busy and the most crime in Cuba. Bring it on.
About to embark on an epic road trip to Cuba's biggest carnival! But first...after some brilliant diving last week, we headed to the Che capital of the world - Santa Clara. A rather quiet town, considering it's history, and aside from the impressive guevara monument and mainly photographic museum, a surprising lack of memorabilia. Another lovely casa here, with wonerful hosts who cooked up a real feast for us every night. The reaction last night at dinner when the subject of politics was breached was entirely classic, i'm beginning to think - that when confronted ont he subject, many (particularly older) cubans are very reluctent to answer questions directly. But then proceed with ' but in my opinion..........................' and so follows hours of fascinating thoughts and feelings. On sunday we stumbled across a beautiful hidden courtyard, filled with trees and wall paintings, and lots of oldies gentle moving their hips to some beautiful son! Which then developed into a very public salsa lesson for me and jessie, as a beautiful man guided us through some dances with a cigar in one hand. Brilliant.
Then made tracks for Trinidad - a truely beautiful town with small painted houses lining the hill down to a white sand beach. Again a very friendly casa - but sadly no home cooked meals available here, so surviving off the typical fried egg sandwich diet. More dancing here, this time on a rooftop over looking the town and sea with a rather handsome young man. Great scene at the Casa de la musica with different live bands all night every night, and a crazy club set deep inside a cave in the mountainside.
So now to Santiago. Everyone i've spoken to about the city says it is too hot, too busy and the most crime in Cuba. Bring it on.
Havana and beyond...
JULY 2009:
After an eventful week of salsa, rumba and lots of sweat, we've moved on from Habana to the northern province of Pinar del Rio and the Vinales valley. Feels like an entirely different country! Habana is a total one off- the revolutionary slogans EVERYWHERE, the music, the rum, the music, the cigars, the music, the cars the music...all juxtaposed against very colonial architecture. We stayed with a wonderful couple, Hector and Ery in Habana vieja, which is a truely beautiful area of the city, inspite of the tourista onslaught. The two currencies make it really difficult to escap the well thought through tourista bubble, but staying in a Casa definitely helped. Through a variety of contacts, holly managed to organise rumba dance and percussion lessons which gave an enormous insight into the habana music scene - aside from the salsa groups all over town. Last Sunday, Chiquito, the percussion teacher took us to what can only be described as the worlds most beautiful street party in Cajejon de hammel ( a backstreet of centro habana) to see an array of brilliant musicians doing their thing -including a womens rumba group, which is the first all female group i've seen. Wonderful artwork and powerful slogans fill every available wall space, and the atmosphere just incredible.
Vinales couldn't be more different - calm, peaceful aside from the pigs and goats which fairly roam freely, and lush greenery as far as the eye can see. More wonderful dancing lessons here, with a man who must be well into his 80s but is seriously hot on the dancefloor! Tomorrow we're riding to explore artwork in nearby caves, and then off to the coast for what promises to be world class scuba diving...more soon!
After an eventful week of salsa, rumba and lots of sweat, we've moved on from Habana to the northern province of Pinar del Rio and the Vinales valley. Feels like an entirely different country! Habana is a total one off- the revolutionary slogans EVERYWHERE, the music, the rum, the music, the cigars, the music, the cars the music...all juxtaposed against very colonial architecture. We stayed with a wonderful couple, Hector and Ery in Habana vieja, which is a truely beautiful area of the city, inspite of the tourista onslaught. The two currencies make it really difficult to escap the well thought through tourista bubble, but staying in a Casa definitely helped. Through a variety of contacts, holly managed to organise rumba dance and percussion lessons which gave an enormous insight into the habana music scene - aside from the salsa groups all over town. Last Sunday, Chiquito, the percussion teacher took us to what can only be described as the worlds most beautiful street party in Cajejon de hammel ( a backstreet of centro habana) to see an array of brilliant musicians doing their thing -including a womens rumba group, which is the first all female group i've seen. Wonderful artwork and powerful slogans fill every available wall space, and the atmosphere just incredible.
Vinales couldn't be more different - calm, peaceful aside from the pigs and goats which fairly roam freely, and lush greenery as far as the eye can see. More wonderful dancing lessons here, with a man who must be well into his 80s but is seriously hot on the dancefloor! Tomorrow we're riding to explore artwork in nearby caves, and then off to the coast for what promises to be world class scuba diving...more soon!
Monday 20 August 2007
The time of my life
Almost last thing I do before heading to airport! Was going to try some kind of clever summing up of the whole trip with my thoughts on Africa etc but am short of time and am yet to cultivate such thoughts so just news from the last stint of travels...last stop in Uganda was a trip up to Murchison Falls on Lake Albert in the North west - breathtakingly stunning views, an amazing safari game drive (during which a leopard RAN BESIDE OUR CAR!!! - esp exciting as they say there are incredibly few leopards at Murch now), boat trip up the Nile to the falls and a hike around them - apparently some jokers like to raft down them but I think more than a torn ligament would come from that! Then met up with a Tz friend and took the most hard-to-the-core bus journey from Kampala to Nakuru in Kenya - 17 hours over arguably the worst road in Africa. Lacking Valium, a copy of Harry Potter that they found was the only thing that got me through. A bit of a mission through the Rift Valley and we got to Lake Naivasha, with incredible views across and a beautiful campsite right on the shores. We'd planned a mountain biking day in Hells Gate NP but my knee was feeling a little dodgy, so instead took a boat out on the lake for the day and thoroughly chilled in the sunshine and peaceful scenery. Amazing meal last night (crayfish in garlic and white wine sauce followed by Amarula cheescake!! Tz people will know how good that is) and now in Nairobi, about to catch our shuttle bus to airport that we've winged for free through the Hilton hotel...out to partaaay tonight in Dubai during our 10 hour stopover and then I guess I'll be seeing you all soon! To finish, this trip has without a doubt been the best thing I've ever done, and the experiences and friends made along the way will last forever - or at least until I get round to the next african adventure!
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