Perhaps Munir Bashir always knew that Islamic environment is not good for a musician, so he lived most of his life in (Communist) Budapest. RT
----- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony Hind" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lute Net" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>; "Arto Wikla" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Stewart McCoy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "vance wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Stuart LeBlanc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2007 6:54 AM Subject: [LUTE] Re: VERY OFF TOPIC! (political?) > Dear Vance, Art, Stewart, Stuart and All, > > How nice it would be indeed, Vance, if we could but sleep it off, > wake up to find it has all been a bad dream. It is a bad dream, a > living nightmare for so many people out there, troops and civilians. > > It is not a subject for this list, but I have to admit that I could > not find it in myself to wish people a happy new year, on this list, > or on the French list, and really believe my words. > > I shall not say here, who I think is to blame, but the events since > the invasion have unravelled like a predictable Shakespearian > tragedy. However, we are not a zone of political discussion, and that > question might not, indeed, be relevant to our list. > > What does seem to be relevant, however, is that Baghdad had an > important school of Oudists. Indeed, according to Wikipedia, it was > the place of political asylum chosen by the Turkish Oudist, Chirif > Mohyi Iddin Haydar, when fleeing from political oppression in > Turkey*. There he set up a renowned lute school, in which Mounir > Bachir (1930-1997) was his pupil <http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/ > Mounir_Bachir> . > The situation seems complex, as the great historic centre of the Oud > appears to have been Mossul, and the most famous early musicians seem > to have been Kurds. Indeed, Mounir Bachir, himself came from Mossul, > so that the Baghdad school would perhaps have been a meeting of two > great Oud traditions. > I have no idea how much the Kurdish Oud players suffered under > Baghdad rule. I imagine that in "free" Kurdish areas, perhaps the Oud > is still thriving at the moment. > > Even the Baghdad Oud school seems to have suffered from > dictatorship : Rahim Alhaj, pupil of Mounir Bachir is said to have > fled Iraq for America, Albuquerque, even before the war. 'He was > imprisoned twice by the regime of Saddam Hussein, in part for > refusing to compose musical tributes to that regime's military > adventures during the 1980's." <http://www.rahimalhaj.com/news4.html>. > > I also see that Ahmed Mukhtar, coming from the Baghdad school, was > chosen by the UN with "sixteen other musicians from all over the > world to release a CD for the benefit of the victims of terrorism and > wars. (-- ). He also teaches Arabic music theory and percussion in > London colleges" <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mukhtar>. > Did he flee the dictatorship, or the war? I don't know. Perhaps a new > Oud school will develop out of all this distruction, in London and > even ironically in America. > > Viewed from this narrow angle of lute playing, the situation may > appear complex; but however much music and musicians may suffer under > dictatorship, there is no doubt they certainly don't thrive in the > midst of war and barbary. I think, legitimately, on this list we can > have a thought for our fellow Oudists who still remain in the civil- > war zones of Iraq, and particularly the Baghdad school. > > Let us hope that what a few heads of state began in 2002 will not > result in an end to that wonderful luth school, even if it may > survive in London and in Albuquerque -- > > I will admit that reducing my thoughts to the protection of Oudists > seems very selfish coming from a lute player, but as a member of the > lute list, I do not feel that I can allow myself, here, to extend my > thoughts further. > > Best regards to all lutists, luthists, and oudists > Anthony > > PS *Please, fellow Turkish Oudists do not think I am criticizing your > country. I honestly don't know what the exact circumstances were that > caused Chirif Mohyi Iddin Haydar's departure. > > > > Le 27 janv. 07 =E0 04:19, vance wood a ecrit : > >> Why don't you go sleep it off Arto? >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Arto Wikla" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> >> Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 6:32 PM >> Subject: [LUTE] VERY OFF TOPIC! (political?) >> >> >>> >>> Dear all, >>> >>> it is going bad! Mr. Bush - the winner of the USA elections, the man >>> chosen by (nearly) half of the Amercians, has managed to produce a >>> civilian war in a country, where he sent his military. Tens if not >>> hundreds of people are killed EVERY day! Human beings like you or me. >>> This is one the very rare cases of a superpover sending its >>> military to >>> occupy a state after the second world war... >>> >>> The guy and his country is bound to that mess for a long, LONG >>> time. And >>> the same guy took care of taking the USA out of the so called >>> "western >>> values" by his concentration camps and accepting the torture. Even >>> in the >>> legistlation of the USA there seems to be something like "light >>> torture" nowadays... Horrible! >>> >>> To me the modern USA represents a new historical period of gettig >>> out of >>> the the times of the so called Enlightment, the time where human >>> rights >>> were taken seriously. And now we have come back to the Dark Ages >>> again? >>> Or? >>> >>> Arto >>> >>> >>> >>> To get on or off this list see list information at >>> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.1.410 / Virus Database: 268.17.12/653 - Release Date: >>> 1/26/2007 >>> >>> >> >> > > > -- >
