Kulna Sawa rocks EMHS

Photo by Jason Hostetter

Band member mans keyboard as Kulna Sawa soothes the crowd.

Kulna Sawa had people dancing in the aisles Nov. 23 when they played in the EMHS auditorium as one of their stops in their Concert for Peace tour.

The 11 member band, comprised of Christian and Muslim musicians from Damascus, Syria, used their unique blend of traditional Arabic music combined with American pop and jazz to bring the crowd to its feet in what turned out to be an encore show the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

The group was formed when the lead singers developed friendships while attending Damascus University together. The name Kulna Sawa means "all of us together" in Arabic.

"We wanted the name Kulna Sawa to reflect the idea of a band," said Ammar al-Ani, co-producer of the group. "Pop bands are not common in Arab music; there are only five or six at present. We wanted to emphasize that everyone was involved."

Since forming in college, the band has enjoyed great success, and not only in the Middle East. Their Concert for Peace tour is taking them all over the world, allowing them to play for various cultures. This particular tour is being sponsored by the Culture for Peace Program, an organization formed in 1996 to create dialogue and understanding between East and West through cultural exchange to build respect for each other's culture. Recently, they have also had the opportunity to perform jointly with an Irish group under the sponsorship of the British Council.

After playing at EMHS, the band was scheduled to play for the United Nations in New York City on Nov. 24.

"We want to use music as a way to build understanding and trust between Americans and the people of the Middle East," said Mel Lehman, coordinator and spokesman for the band. "The basic idea of the concert remains the same: to build bridges of understanding and friendship through music in this time of conflict between East and West."

The band sang a mix of songs at the concert Tuesday night. While they mostly sang traditional Arabic songs, they also sang two songs in English, encouraging the crowd to sing along. Throughout the whole concert they continued to emphasize their goal for peace between the East and West.

Said Mel Lehman, "We're trying to make a point that violence is not the answer; listening, learning, and seeing our neighbors in the global village as human beings just like us is the answer."