Scholars and musicians from around the globe visited the University of Alberta this weekend to attend a conference celebrating the culture of the Muslim world.
I am a Bird from Heaven’s Garden: Music, Sound and Architecture of the Muslim World, was co-chaired by the U of A’s Michael Frishkopf and was the fruit of his Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded research project.
“In 2007 I had this idea to do music and architecture,” Frishkopf said. “We started to work out how we could put together a proposal to get funding to do studies on music and architecture in the Muslim world.
“Part of that proposal was to have a conference, or not even a conference, something more like a colloquium where we’d invite scholars and we’d come together to discuss issues, collect papers, publish a book out of it, that sort of thing. And then this partnership emerged with Aga Khan University.”
The relationship with Aga Khan University is one of the U of A’s current international and transnational priorities. Aga Khan University is an organization that attempts to provide education, health and growth to developing communities and individuals regardless of faith or gender. Regula Qureshi, who also co-chaired the conference, praised Aga Khan University’s work and the positives that come from its partnership with the U of A.
“The thing about the Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan Development Network is that they have an amazing model system of doing development in different countries that need it,” she said. “We’re in a situation where we are privileged here in the West. We have resources and other societies don’t. Working for their benefit is working toward an equitable relationship.”
via Muslim music and architecture intertwine at U of A | The Gateway.
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I am a Bird from Heaven’s Garden – Music, Sound, and Architecture in the Muslim World conference
Ismailimail 
Professor Regula Burchardt Qureshi is a living legend. I am happy to see that she co-chaired this conference.
When my family first moved to Edmonton in the 70′s, we had the pleasure of going to a concert at the University of Alberta where Professor Qureshi played the sarangi. That memorable experience has always remained with me over the years.
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