A trip to Istanbul is incomplete without attending a performance of Turkish dances. As musicians play traditional instruments on stage, lively Turkish dancers wed strangers, throw knives, spears and cart-wheels effortlessly.
The gala performance? A stunning lady in a golden dress, belting out favourite songs of each nation across the globe! The Turkish lady displayed a strong sense of confidence, identifying nationalities of the audience, fluently switching from one lively national favourites to another, without leaving anybody out!
As she sang, scenes of my native home and family rushed back into my memory bank. Her strong voice moved me to tears. I am taken aback. For three months, I have successfully pushed back the dread of destitution in a foreign land. But the moment she sang, all memories resonated within every vein, and every nerve of mine. It reminded me of love that has protectively enveloped me all these years. At that particular moment, I wished my family was with me, enjoying everything for the first time together, just like the old times. Not scattered halfway across the world, not knowing when we'd meet again.
Truly, oldies of the yesteryears will always remain an all time favourite, transcending time, space and generations. The whole room was mesmerized by her strong, melodious voice. As soon as she finished one song, she skated on to another. All of us clapped and danced along. For a while, time stopped ticking. We just couldn't wait to hear which folk song from another country she'd sing next!
As it is, life in the Middle East is filled with strife. News of Syrian revolution, Libya's struggle to liberation, Tunisian uprisings, US occupation in Iraq, Israel fencing lands, Palestine retaliating... fill the pages of local newspapers and TV news slots daily. At the rate this is going, one wonders if 'peace' is a noun or adjective.
Yet, among the audience, we saw Iraqis cheering and singing along; couples in their mid-fifties, waltzing on the dance floor, who probably found the lost spark in their marriage. If only peace processes were this simple.
Peace talks doesn't seem to have much progress when organized across long, rectangular tables. I think United Nations should organize music concerts and performance to unite countries. This 'star' would have been a great peace-maker.
Music, in itself, is a very powerful tool of influence. We don't need negotiators, or peace-makers. We just need music, our lifeline and bloodline.
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