Maya Youssef: Finding Home
Maya Youssef is hailed as ‘queen of the qanun’, the
78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither.
Maya’s intense and thoughtful music is rooted in the Arabic
classical tradition but forges pathways into jazz, Western classical, and
flamenco styles. It explores the emotional and healing qualities of music. For
her, the act of playing music is a life and hope affirming act, and an antidote
to what is happening, not only in Syria, but across the world.
Her latest tour Finding Home is a journey through
memories and the essence of home both within and without. The music, deep and
visceral, explores the full sonic textures of the qanun and Maya will be
accompanied by the same musicians who recorded the album.
The music from her latest album of the same name is about
finding that place of peace, that place of softness, comfort, and healing which
manifests in everyone in a unique way from finding home in nature to the people
who make us feel that sense of relief and peace.
Maya wrote this album during a time of spiritual awakening.
Over time she has come to accept the loss of her homeland (Syria) and in the
process of grieving Maya has found a much greater sense of home in the most
spiritual sense.
Maya says: “as any Syrian will tell you, there is
this overwhelming sense of loss and an overwhelming sense of grief… that loss
steered me towards a universal concept of home. By embarking on a spiritual
journey, I started to feel that the world is my home and humanity is my home.
With my latest album, I want to take people through a transformative journey,
where they land in that place of home for them. No matter what that looks like
for each person.”
The album Finding Home is supported by Arts
Council England and PRS Women Make Music Award.
World Music, arabic, syria
Thursday 30th June 2022 - Starts 8pm
