Concert helps celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Aga Khan
Chery Chan, The Province
Sunday, October 14, 2007
They came together amid the sound of the bombs and gunfire of the Bosnian war.
Within the protective walls of a mosque in Sarajevo, a handful of boys found refuge in song — and formed what is to become Choir Hazreti Hamza.
“It was a salvation for us from the terrible horrors outside,” says Keenan Hadzifezovic, whose 13-member choir is one of the nine musical acts and 60 musicians performing today at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts.
A Mystical Journey offers a taste of the musical diversity in the Muslim world and features bands like the Dalahoo Sufi ensemble from Iran, a Syrian Sufi dance troupe and Algerian vocalist Houria Aichi singing songs rooted in Berber traditions.
The sold-out concert is one of the many international events celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims. It premieres in Vancouver, with subsequent performances in Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
Organizers say it is a good coincidence that the concert is scheduled a day after Eid, a festive Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan.
Most Muslims celebrate Eid, which literally means “celebration,” by waking up early, saying a prayer and eating a small meal together. Many visit their mosques and gather in prayer.
There are different Eid traditions practised by Muslims the world over.
Hadzifezovic observed Eid, celebrated a day earlier by Bosnian Muslims, with an early-morning prayer in his hotel room with eight other choir members.
The quiet celebration is a far cry from what it would have been in Sarajevo, he says. “It’s the biggest holiday for them. Whole cities, people cheering, smiling, out in the streets.”
In B.C., where the Muslim community numbers more than 56,200, Eid is also a time of prayer and great celebration, says Malik Talib, president of the Ismaili Muslim community in B.C.
“Families use this time to get together just like other holidays,” he says. “It is a time of great food, prayer, music and sometimes the giving of gifts.”
Meals play an important part in Eid celebrations. “It’s significant in community engagement because,
of course, sociologically meals keep communities together.”
Talib says he’ll be celebrating with his family for most of the day before going to a jamatkhana, or place of worship, to gather and pray with other members of the community.
As a bonus, he’ll also be at the concert today with his family. “It’s all going to be spectacular and probably very diverse, as is reflected across the Muslim world.”
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