Exodus Live Special with Reem Kelani and the Beating Wing Orchestra
Sunday 8 July 2007
Manchester Academy 2, Oxford Road, Manchester
For more information about Exodus Live Special visit the Exodus Events page
This project, which is being produced in association
with the Manchester International Festival, is the initial phase
of a planned 3-year collaboration which will give opportunities
to learn & perform, and exposure to musicians resident in the region
and to develop the vibrant musical cultures which exist already within
the organic fibres of the many communities in question.
The Beating Wing Orchestra consists of a group of 12 musicians already
of a good standard or better, of which approximately half will be
recruited from new migrant communities and all will come from a range
of different cultures from across the world. Musicians have been
auditioned to become members of the Orchestra and the project is
targeted at musicians with a sound level of experience.
Musicians met weekly to collaborate, develop a piece of music,
rehearse and work with the composer on a regular basis until the
final performance.
The project premiered a specially-commissioned piece for the orchestra
by the acclaimed Palestinian singer and musician Reem Kelani. This
was performed at the Exodus Live Special in July 2007 as part of
Manchester International Festival.
Paradise in Strangers - a composition by Reem Kelani for the Beating Wing Orchestra
This composition encompasses melodic modes and rhythmic patterns from the wide
diversity of origins of the orchestra members. Very much like the motions of a
dhow boat, this work will take you on a journey across oceans and between
continents, in which migration, suffering, parting, reunion and celebration are
recurrent as well as universal themes. The work also features poetry and prose
written by Reem Kelani and members of the orchestra. Together with poetic texts by
Robert Burns (A Slave's Lament) and Salma Khadra Jayyusi (Rootless), the group has
created a textual template for a narrative structured around the historic pain of
slavery and the collective yearning of rootlessness.
The composition follows five movements as follows: 1. Mountain Chants, 2.
Parting, 3. Question-and-Answer on Love, 4. Dhow Boat Speaks, 5. A Manchester
Ballad.
 Reem Kelani
Palestinian singer, musician and broadcaster. Reem is the commissioned composer for
the piece to be presented tonight and also the central force in having developed the
orchestra from its inception. Her acclaimed recent album,'Sprinting Gazelle:
Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora', has a host of accolades
including Time Out's 'Number One Critic's Choice' and both the FT's and New
Internationalist's 'Pick Of The Year'.
 Arash Fayyazi
Origin: Iran
Instrument: Tar and Vocal
Genre: Semi-Classical Middle-Eastern
 Lugemba 'Pat' Makela
Origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
Instrument: Drums
Genre: African/popular
 Haili Heaton
Origin: China
Instrument: Vocal
Genre: Chinese Opera
 Omar Sattaur
Origin: Guyana/India & UK
Instrument: Clarinet
Genre: Western Classical
 Nicki Dupuy
Origin: Wales
Instrument: Double Bass
Genre: Jazz and Latin
 Eraldo de sa Marques
Origin: Brazil
Instrument: Percussion
Genre: Brazilian and South American
 Emmanuela Macholi Yogolelo
Origin: D. R. Congo
Instrument: Vocal
Genre: Gospel, Popular
 Alan Mardan
Origin: Kurdistan
Instrument: Vocal
Genre: Middle-Eastern and Turkish
 Azhar Nasir
Origin: Pakistan
Instrument: Tabla and Vocal
Genre: North Indian Classical and Popular
 Serafim Bernado
Origin: Angola
Instrument: Guitar
Genre: Angolan Afro-Latin
 Serge Tebu
Origin: Cameroon
Instrument: Piano
Genre: Jazz/Afro-Blues
 Aishá Lourenço
Origin: Brazil
Instrument: Percussion
Genre: Brazilian & Afro-Latin
In addition to providing a platform for musicians and musical forms that have been
under-represented due in part to a historical bias, this will be an initiative
which will be able to provide a progression route for such musicians in terms of
training, networking, collaboration, professional development, employment,
creative production and performance. The creation of a breeding ground for
cultural and artistic innovation of a very high calibre, yet within accessible
genres and frames of reference, is fundamental to the heart of this process.
Beating Wing's success will also be linked with the successful continuation of the
Exodus Live programme, which has been instrumental in bringing hidden, local musical
cultures to the fore and allowing them to be part of an informal network, to gain
value and visibility as well as be enjoyed by a wide audience. Many of the musicians
have got to hear about the Beating Wing development via the Exodus Live route, and
sustaining and developing this initiative is essential.
Towards creating continuity and stability for Beating Wing and Exodus Live discussions
have begun with the forthcoming Band On The Wall development to be able to support such
initiatives in partnership with CAN.
For more information or enquiries about the Beating Wing Orchestra and Exodus Live,
contact CAN on 0161 234 2975, info@can.uk.com
Exodus Artistic Manager: Leon Patel
Creative Producer: Kooj Chuhan |
