Voices for peace rise in the midst of turmoil
Upholding tradition: The Muslim Choral Ensemble with Prof. Andre de Quadro (right)
While the country shudders in the grip of political and social uncertainty, founders of the Muslim Choral Ensemble, Haadia Galely and Professor Andre de Quadro, stand poised to take their creation to the next level, with the launch of the World Muslim Choral Ensemble (WMCE) Ambassadors for Peace this July in Colombo.
Ten international choristers and instrumentalists, from India, Iran, Pakistan, the USA and Sri Lanka, will participate in an inaugural residency in Colombo from July 18 to 24, leading up to a performance and closing ceremony at the Lionel Wendt Theatre on Sunday, July 24 at 7 pm. An intimate gathering at Ishq Colombo will mark the opening of this milestone event.
The WMCE is unique with an international membership that hopes to continue enlisting musical Ambassadors for Peace to collaborate and celebrate Islamic choral music traditions from around the world. In so doing, not only does WMCE breathe new life into and interest in the genre, but also encourages and nurtures budding choral talent with a passion for Islamic choral traditions. Consisting of both female and male artistes, the Peace Ambassadors transcend borders, and encourage cross-cultural collaboration worldwide to reach their goals, with participation open to not only Muslims but also non-Muslims with a passion for Islamic devotional music.
The MCE, under which the WMCE falls, was co-founded by Mrs. Galely (Executive Director) and ethnomusicologist Professor de Quadros (Creative Director), in August 2017 as a platform for Muslims in Sri Lanka who have a passion for Islamic choral singing. Behind MCE has been their vocal coach Manoj Sanjeewa who has dedicated himself to training members from its inception.
The inaugural WMCE will focus largely on Islamic devotional music traditions of South Asia, including Nasheeds, Qasidas and Naats. It is planned as an annual event, to grow globally in order to link more Islamic devotional music traditions from diverse regions across the world.
When asked how she will persevere with her plans in the face of the current crisis, Haadia said, postponing the programme was out of the question. She is already laying the groundwork to present WMCE at an international choral festival overseas next year. “If we postpone, how am I going to continue my work in 2023 when we will take WMCE to an international platform. I don’t want to postpone because when we do this, we are also sending out the wrong messages to the rest of the world that we are not ready to bring in tourists or ready to do festival tourism.”
“The WMCE forges a path to peace by gathering choristers and instrumentalists from across the world to participate in this celebration of Islamic selection. These Ambassadors for Peace of the World Muslim Choral Ensemble are committed to performing devotional repertoire found within the Islamic faith, which spans more than a millennium and is found amidst the rich cultural heritage of Muslim communities across the world. With this performance, WMCE will take off from Sri Lanka and move across the world. It is an endeavour not for profit but for peace.”
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