 |  | | Celebrating A Killing |  MAN is shot in the head, and
joyous celebrations break
out 7,000 miles A away.
Although Americans are in
full agreement that the
demise of Osama bin Laden is a good
thing, many are disturbed by the revelry.
We should seek justice, not
vengeance, they urge. Doesn´t this lower
us to "their" level? Didn´t the Rev Dr
Martin Luther King Jr say, "I will
mourn the loss of thousands of precious
lives, but I will not rejoice in the death
of one, not even an enemy"? (No, he did
not, but the Twitter users who popularised
that misattributed quotation last
week found it inspiring nonetheless.)
Why are so many Americans... |
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| |  | | THE FORCE OF
THE DEED | | WATCHING the talk
shows, thinking about
the tumultuous last
American decade,
reflecting on the death
of Osama bin Laden, I feel grateful
for many things but not least this:
the invisibility of the heroes.
For once it is the deed itself that
speaks. The deed, so often lost in
this age of celebrities and reality
shows and Donald Trump´s monumental
ego, stands unadorned. In
its daring, its professionalism and
its effectiveness, the deed is there,
making words look cheap.
The deed was that of the 79 US
commandos, who have met with
their commander-in-chief,
President Obama, and who are
known to one another, but are
unknown to us. For secrecy is their
covenant.
Dispatched from Jalalabad,
Afghanistan... |
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Barenboim shares musical experience with fans
AILYN AGONIA
DOHA
MAESTRO Daniel Barenboim, cofounder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (WEDO), talked about the journey of the noted orchestra and shared his long experience in the industry at a special lecture session held at the Katara on Wednesday.
The event also featured five members of the WEDO who rendered a heartfelt performance of a Wolfgang Mozart-piece.
The evening officially commenced the four-day ‘Doha Festival for Music and Dialogue’ being organised by Katara in partnership with WEDO.
The Argentinian-Israeli globally renowned pianist and conductor casually talked about his personal journey into the world of music.
Barenboim rendered his first public performance at an early age of seven.
“I never see performance as a job for me.
Music made my life very easy,” he said.
Barenboim also shared the story behind the formation of WEDO which he co-founded with the late Palestinian literary scholar Edward WSaid.
Founded in 1999, the group today is renowned worldwide and regularly plays at the world’s prestigious venues and festivals.
“Contrary to the legend which is not true, Edward and I never imagine we will form an orchestra for the sake of doing it to send the message of peace in the Middle East.
Personally, I just want to do a project that is based on equality of people.
When we started this, we received over 200 applications from across the region.
We shortlisted the number and chose the best among them,” Barenboim said.
“The greatest joy I experienced in this project is forming this large family who have different opinions and who come to the orchestra not to arrive at a consensus with the other members but to stand for their own views.
When they are on stage they breathe the same music.
The WEDO is not an orchestra of peace.
It is a group that thinks differently but thinks similarly when it comes to music,” he added.
Commenting on a question related to the Arab awakening, Barenboim said, “It has to be credited as one of the most significant events in the history of mankind.” Barenboim further discussed the intricacies of music, particularly its power, to make people feel and relive certain emotions.
During the programme, five members of the WEDO representing Israel, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria performed in front of the audience.
The WEDO will be rendering special performances on Friday at 7pm and on May 14 at 8pm at Katara Opera House Building 16 as part of the music festival.
Movie screenings are also scheduled to be held at the Qatar University Administration Building at 1pm on Thursday and screening of the Emmy Award winning documentary ‘Knowledge is Beginning’ at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium (free entrance) on Friday at 4pm and on Saturday at noon.
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