“Journey was an attempt to allow the music to lead me subconsciously through several emotional expressions, using tools from what I consider to be my musical heritage. Building on the concept of “musical dialect,” I apply the musical epistemologies of our region, which I acquired over the years, to produce contemporary music.” (Yacoub Abu Ghosh)
For the artist, the sounds capture emotions that are hard to express in words, speaking to a setting where the oral traditions of the maqam musical practice are often passed from teacher to student through live interaction, as opposed to written notation.
"Journey” takes the listeners on a two-part journey, first with the artist’s faithful companion, the bass guitar, and then with the keyboard; an instrument that opens new musical sentences within the emotional horizon that Yacoub Abu Ghosh has been paving.
Although he uses modern instruments like the bass guitar and keyboard, Abu Ghosh works with ancient maqams whose geographic and temporal origins run deep within the modal classical system. Staying true to his argument of developing a personal musical “dialect” rooted in time, memory and practice, Abu Ghosh adds his personal touch to these melodic modes, updating them for a modern listening experience.
Starting from the minor scales (loosely translated as maqam Nahawand), the track creates a premeditated sense of tension that is intertwined with repeated musical passages. The Ajam maqam within the piece adds an air of joy to the journey, and then swiftly shifts into maqam Hijaz to shake the listener’s emotional state. The aural “Journey” then transitions into maqam Bayati creating an expression of longing, only to take yet another turn, this time to maqam Kurd for more melancholy.
The musical wandering between melodic modes and different emotional states demonstrates music’s ability to shift and influence listeners’ moods. It aligns contemporary instrumentation with time-transcending maqams inviting listeners to re-define and question heritage, creating what can be perceived as a time capsule of potential future heritage.
Composer: Yacoub Abu Ghosh
Arrangement: Yacoub Abu Ghosh
Instruments: bass guitar, synthesizers
Recorded: August 2021
Lyrics: n/a
The Why Behind the Music
I have been working as a musician for nearly 25 years. Throughout this time, I worked in many roles, from bass guitar player, to composer and arranger, both independently and in collaboration. This made me hone my own voice, which became easily identifiable and detectable.
To me music is a tool of expression similar to language; it allows me to communicate my emotions and reflect on the evolution of my identity. As living organisms, music and language constantly adapt to eras and events. Growing up in Amman, I absorbed influences that resonate with this place, but I have also been part of a wider musical movement that has been in the making for the past two decades, which demonstrates that we as individuals and communities shape our ever-changing heritage.
This heritage is linked to something that goes beyond musical or aural documents and sources—it connects to our subconscious. That is where I shape my own dialect/idiolect within my natural environment as it transcends geographic borders and institutionalisation. The musical diversity in Amman, from Bedouin music to jazz or rock, all evolved differently but are still part of the same place.
Throughout my work-process for Mirath:Music, I tried to show the vast array of musical dialects that have shaped me and our region, without drawing borders or spelling out definitions. The music shows a sense of belonging to the surrounding environment that forms us. I believe that in the future the whole world will experience belonging to a universal place without prejudice or discrimination. Working on this project enabled me to further develop a wider understanding of my own heritage, while relating to the experiences of other musicians.
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November 2021