Circassian Folklore
Адыгэ уеи уеи!
Track six on this album is a nod to my Circassian roots. For those of you who don't know, Jordan, where I was born, is home to many ethnic minorities. Circassians constitute less than 1% of the population. Though fully assimilated and regarding Jordan as my home country, my heart always longed for more connection to my roots. That usually came through food, dance and music (with many similarities to Georgian culture, acrobatics and all). Contact with fluent speakers of the language outside of a tiny circle in the family was rare. So aside from a few lessons in the summer with my uncle, I had to create my own curriculum from several sources to study the language.
I should say this about the culture as well: before converting to Islam, the Circassians were Christians and also largely Pagans, with their own code of ethics and a pantheon of sub-deities serving a formless omnipotent deity. The code of ethics is still known and the stories are still shared, even though most Circassians identify as Sunni Muslim.
Mezguasche ("Mez" = forest, "Guasche" = lady) is one of the mythological figures of the pantheon that fascinated me.
I first heard a version of her song sung by Zawir Tut and was captivated by the melody. I imagined her as a tree with branches for hair, spreading to the skies and holding all the celestial knowledge. Her roots dug deep into the core of the earth and held all the terrestrial knowledge.
The first time I sung this song live, it was just me and a cellist, taking our listeners into an ancient forest with a drone and a chant. The second time, it was a small chorus of singers harmonising. Now, it's taken form with the orchestra, bursting with colours and pulsating with different rhythms simultaneously.
I can't wait to share the entire piece!
Below is the Soundcloud clip, tell your friends, especially my Adige peeps!
Upso (thank you),
Z
