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Paddy Leonard, 24 Aug
Musician and political activist Ed Emery has revealed how fond memories
of the late Joe Mulheron have drawn him back to Derry after 30 years.
Together with musicians from the SOAS Ceilidh Band - which he helped to
form at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London - Ed will
be teaming up with local Irish musicians to stage a âFriendship Gigâ in
CultĂșrlann UĂ ChanĂĄin on August 31.
The SOAS Ceilidh Band plays tunes traditional to the British Isles,
Scotland and Ireland. But they have also gained a significant
reputation internationally with tours of Calais, Venice, Paris,
Istanbul, Lebanon and Iraqi Kurdistan.
With a strong commitment to social justice, the band has a particular
interest in performing with refugees, migrants and people seeking
asylum.
âThere are two reasons why Iâm keen to return to Derry,â said Ed.
âThe first is that earlier this year we travelled to Northern France
and did a âCeilidh in Calaisâ. There we met some lovely young people
from Derry who were working as volunteers for the refugee agencies in
the town.
âBut I also have very fond memories of coming here 30-odd years ago to
visit Joe Mulheron of Sandinos Bar when we were hatching a plan to make
a songbook of the rebel songs of The People of No Property.
âIn those days Joe had managed to wangle a bit of Arts Council money
and he set up a Singersâ Weekend that started in Derry and then moved
over the border for the Sunday session. There were so many great songs
and unforgettable singers.â
On August 31, in conjunction with the North West Migrants Forum, the
SOAS Ceilidh Band will bring their unique sound to CultĂșrlann for an
evening that will combine Irish, Syrian and Kurdish music and dancing.
Ed Emery said, âAt SOAS we are committed to learning about music and
cultures from other parts of the world.
âOver the years we have toured refugee camps in Lebanon, Turkey and
Iraqi Kurdistan and our band makes regular trips to Calais and
Dunkerque where we play for, and with, refugees and migrants there.
âOn our travels we have met Kurdish and Syrian refugees and we have
shared music and song with them. As a result of those contacts we have
also travelled to Kurdistan to play ceilidh music there.
âWe make music with and for migrants and refugees, that is what we do.
We play our music, they play theirs and we share each otherâs dances.â
[IDNT_15-8-24_Dancing_at_an_SOAS_gig_29201549-1724236610030.jpg]
The joyous scene that erupted during a previous SOAS gig. The band is
hoping for a repeat of the singing and dancing in Derry on August 31.
Five years ago Ed organised a conference in Venice regarding the
question of âMusical Free Spaceâ where he and his colleagues proposed
that it should be regarded as a fundamental human right for migrants
and refugees to have a safe, dedicated musical space where they can
make the music of their own people.
âThat is part of the mission of our band â to create those kinds of
musical spaces, especially at this time when so many musical spaces are
being taken away from us all,â he added.
Ahead of the gig in CultĂșrlann Ed Emery will give a lunchtime talk at
the Museum of Free Derry on Friday, August 30.
âThe title of my talk is âThe Songs and Singers of the Kurdish People:
A Fight for Freedom and Self Determinationâ. I will be talking about
the historic struggles of the Kurdish people under the regimes of
colonialism established since the First World War. And particularly the
songs of resistance among Kurds from all the different parts of
Kurdistan.
âI am hoping as well that we might be able to make a little twinning
between the Free Derry Museum and another âmuseum of the troublesâ
which is the Red House Museum in Suleimanyah in Iraqi Kurdistan which
was once the torture centre used by Saddam Hussein in putting down the
Kurdish people.â
Admission to the talk is free and open to everyone. It starts at
1.30pm.
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Looking ahead to the evening of music, food and dance on August 31, Ed
revealed that it will be a two-in-one concert with an open invitation
to Kurdish musicians to join in.
âWhile we were planning this trip it occurred to me that there must be
refugee communities in Northern Ireland and maybe even be Kurdish and
Syrian people in those communities.
âI made contact with the North West Migrants Forum and they confirmed
that this was the case.
âI immediately resolved that our gig on August 31 would be two things
rolled into one - On the one hand a traditional ceilidh and we have
also invited Kurdish musicians and singers from the Derry community to
make their own music and dance as part of the evening.
âThe caller for the trad dances will be myself, but folks from the
Kurdish community will also demonstrate Kurdish dancing. Itâs easy to
learn and I would encourage everyone to come along and give it a go.
âAs it says on the poster this is going to be a Friendship Gig, hugely
appropriate at a time when the hostility and violence against migrants
and refugees is spreading its poison in our communities.
âAs well as my talk on August 30 and the Friendship Gig on August 31,
we are really looking forward to meeting some of Derryâs trad musicians
at the Sunday session in Sandinos where we can swap a few tunes and
maybe a song or two.â
GaĂ«lle Gormley is the North West Migrant Forumâs Integration and
Welfare Officer.
She said the Friendship Gig is going to be truly intercultural affair
and that everyone is welcome.
âIt is going to be a great evening for everyone, but particularly our
members. They are looking forward to a celebration of cultures and they
will be more than happy to share their experiences.
âWe are also looking for Syrian and Kurdish musicians, singers and
dancers to join our friends from SOAS Ceilidh Band and perform with
them.
If you want to be part of what is going to be a very special event, you
can contact myself at g.gormley@nwmf.org.uk.â
The Friendship Gig is from 6pm to 8pm, it is free of charge and
pre-registration is not required.
âAll you have to do is come along and enjoy yourself,â GaĂ«lle added.