AMMAN — “If
you want to know the culture of a country, listen to its music.”
This piece
of wisdom comes from Dr Rula Jaradat, head of an all-female Jordanian musical
group founded in 2011.
اضافة اعلان
However, for
Jaradat, difficult aspects of Jordan’s culture have posed obstacles to her own
musical aspirations and those of the other 11 female musicians in the Naya
Group — obstacles that they have overcome together.
Jaradat, who
plays the qanun, an Assyrian stringed instrument, explained that Jordanian
women have become famous in art and drama, “but at the musical level, they are
still affected by stereotypes and a culture of shame”.
The founder came up with the idea of establishing an all-women’s band “to confirm the presence and ability of Jordanian women to stand on the stage”
The founder
came up with the idea of establishing an all-women’s band “to confirm the
presence and ability of Jordanian women to stand on the stage”, she said.
Jaradat
recalled a situation that had pushed her towards this dream: “When I was in my
third year at university, I participated in a concert and had to present a
solo. One of the (male) musicians in the band said: ‘Should I do it for you?’”
This, she
reflected, had angered her, because it showed “an underestimation of women’s
ability to perform music”.
Even though
music, and specifically the art of the qanun, is taught as a major in the
Kingdom’s universities, Jaradat was named the first female qanun player in the
Kingdom in 2005.
Finding
an audienceNaya Group
has faced many challenges, most notably gaining the Jordanian public's acceptance
of a women's band, even while enjoying strong international support — a reality
she termed “disappointing”.
In 2011, the
founder reflected, the group performed its first concert in the Kingdom, and
the theater was overflowing — not with supporters, but people who wanted to
watch the "farce".
Other
attendees came out of curiosity, but few actually cared to encourage the female
performers, she said.
However,
today, “we have demonstrated our presence and success on the stage”, she said.
The group
also recently performed at the henna party of Princess Iman, hosted by Her
Majesty Queen Rania. Following this, Jaradat said, there has been greater
interest in the band.
Heritage
songsNaya Group
“focuses on heritage songs of Arab countries in every concert, along with the
idea of presenting a traditional song from every country”, Jaradat explained.
“We sing and
play music of the Arab heritage in general and the Jordanian heritage in
particular,” she added. “This is what has strengthened our presence on the
stage.”
“We sing and play music of the Arab heritage in general and the Jordanian heritage in particular,” she added. “This is what has strengthened our presence on the stage.”
Generally,
Naya draws supporters between 35 and 70 years old — a group the founder said is
“tired of fast rhythms”.
“They follow
us on our (social media) pages and ask about the songs we will sing in upcoming
concerts,” she explained. “We also ask them what they want to hear, because
they are able to connect with childhood memories through our traditional
songs.”
Because the
group’s supporters are interacting with traditional music more than modern
music, Naya does not attempt to compose new songs. “What we do is perform the
traditional song as it is,” Jaradat noted.
Impacting
young musicians
After Naya
Group began to offer an image of a modest Jordanian woman who performs
musically, young women began to apply to study music and appear on the stage.
“We have
been able to encourage these girls and offer the needed boost to spread the
musical culture among Jordanian women,” said Jaradat.
She added: “We
do not forget our beginnings, when we were trying to attract female musicians
and their families would refuse. After they saw the success of our band, some
of these families came around and their daughters were able to join us.”
“Naya band invites every girl to be a leader and influencer.”
“Naya band
invites every girl to be a leader and influencer,” she said.
‘Proud to
set an example’
On a
personal note, the founder said that her family “has always been supportive of
the band since the beginning.”
“I used to
play music at school, and my family was interested in the arts, but my older
relatives were afraid of the idea of me entering this world,” she reflected.
“When I
became a lecturer at Yarmouk University, their point of view changed and they
accepted the idea of me singing and playing music on stage.”
Jaradat is
distressed by the failure of other lecturers in the Yarmouk University Faculty
of Arts to play and sing on stage. “They content themselves with only teaching
music,” she said.
“I am proud
to be a lecturer and a musician, to set an example for my students,” she added.
The musician
called on Jordan’s university music professors to sing and perform on stage to
encourage young students and artists and fight the culture of shame surrounding
female musicianship in the Kingdom.
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