Ubo-aka and Viola plays a Marian Tune in Celebration of The Assumption of

Celebrating The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary in a meeting of Integrated Cultures
I am currently in the USA for @art_omi music residency where I have met inspiring musicians who bring beautiful sparks of life from their unique cultures into mine, in my experience, and where we all help each other to attain excellence and good well being through music collaborations and experimentations.
And so After dinner yesterday, I lowered my face towards my #Uboaka and buried my being in the instrument, resonating with every sound, playing this lovely Marian tune I grew up with “Ave Ave Ave Maria”. Little did I know that everyone stopped talking and focused on me. When I stopped there was applause and warm cheers. Oh my God. My heart melted.
I then pleaded with Claire Merlet a seasoned concert violist and educator who was singing the melody over and over to join me with the violin. In that instance, the meeting of the African and European cultures happened. But beyond this seeming limitation, this meeting of ubo and viola (African and European instruments, respectively) bursted into boundlessness for all peoples of the earth and even nature joined in our song.
Listen keenly to the insects in the environment who joined in the chorus and the heart beats of the beautiful people who constitute the ambience of the music and who enjoyed the sweet melody with ease and smiles, bursting out into a heartfelt applause in the end.
In all my African consciousness, I am not threatened by my Catholic faith as I believe that “resentments of all types is a form of powerlessness”. We should seek what unites us more than we find reasons to stay divided and fighting all through life. I enjoy my world in bliss, flowing with the waves of this sweet melody so dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, and the really heavenly company of my earthly friends at Art Omi.
Later on after this music, I shared some Igbo folk music to the delight of bright minds that see only beauty in each other and not limitations or divisions.
Expect more stories from my time here at Art Omi. 😊
#GEM
(Researcher, Educator, Folk music arranger and performer)
#catholicchurch #catholicfaith #uboaka #igbo #folkmusic #classicalmusic #Igbomusic