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SUMMARY:The Power of Music: A Journey Back to Home - Maya Youssef
DTSTART:20250131T173000Z
DTEND:20250131T183000Z
UID:TALK213616@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Janet Gibson
DESCRIPTION:Abstract\n\nIn this talk\, I will explore how music holds a un
 ique power to connect us to an essence of "home"—not just as a place\, b
 ut as a feeling\, a memory\, or even a piece of ourselves we may have lost
  along the way. I’ll share my personal creative process\, illustrating h
 ow I found music to be a profound tool for healing\, for self-expression\,
  and as a bridge to the deeper layers of my identity.\n\nThrough my experi
 ences as a musician and Arabic music mentor\, I’ve seen how melodies can
  unlock emotions that words cannot\, serving as a lifeline to the stories 
 and places we carry within us. Whether it's through the rich heritage of m
 aqam or the delicate strings of the qanun\, music has been my way of traci
 ng the lines back to home—both literally and spiritually.\n\nThis talk i
 sn’t just about my story\; it's an invitation to reflect on how we all s
 eek and find our own sense of belonging through art\, culture\, and creati
 vity. In a world that’s often in flux\, music provides an anchor—a way
  to reclaim a sense of home\, no matter where we find ourselves.\n\nTo fur
 ther illustrate these ideas\, I will be performing live on my qanun\, shar
 ing pieces that embody this deep connection to home and the essence of sel
 f.\n\nBiography\n\nHailed as ‘queen of the qanun’\, Maya Youssef is a 
 globally renowned\, and award-winning qanun player and composer from Syria
 . Born in Damascus\, as a result of the war in her home country Maya arriv
 ed in the UK in 2012\, under the UK Government’s Tier 1 visa scheme\, en
 dorsed by Arts Council England as an Exceptional Talent. Since then\, Maya
  has pushed the boundaries of the qanun (a 78 stringed plucked zither trad
 itionally played by men) and has performed at the South Bank\, BBC Proms\,
  Royal Albert Hall\, The Barbican\, Shakespeare’s Globe and WOMAD Festiv
 al.\n\nMaya has collaborated with Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz) and recorde
 d for ‘The Beatles & India' documentary in Abbey Road Studios. Her debut
  album\, Syrian Dreams (a prayer for peace)\, was produced by the esteemed
  Joe Boyd (Nick Drake et al) and released by Harmonia Mundi. The album rec
 eived critical acclaim from the media. “Exquisite...a powerful homage\, 
 twists Arabic music cliches''\, The Guardian. “An album of skill and pow
 er...a dizzying sweep of genres from flamenco to jazz. A transportive cine
 matic listen” The Musician Magazine. Syrian Dreams won the German Record
  Critics' Award and Songlines Music Award. This led to many UK and interna
 tional sold-out concerts.\n\nMaya was awarded a PRS Women Make Music Grant
  and an Arts Council England Project Grant towards recording her second al
 bum\, Finding Home\, which was released March 25th\, 2022. The album recei
 ved 5-star reviews from international and UK press and was nominated for t
 he prestigious German Record Critics’ Award. In September 2022 Finding H
 ome was no.1 in the Transglobal World Music Chart\; In December it was nam
 ed as one of Songlines’ 10 Best Albums of 2022.\n\nAlongside the composi
 tion and performance aspects of her career\, Maya is also a consummate and
  skilled educator\, leading her own online qanun academy with students all
  over the world\, contributing to a wide variety of learning and participa
 tion opportunities through talks\, lectures workshops and broadcasts.\n\nM
 aya’s compositions\, recordings\, performances\, and her life story have
  been the subject of extensive reviews\, and she is a frequent broadcaster
 . \n
LOCATION:Lady Mitchell Hall\, Sidgwick Avenue
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