Rising Arab American composer seeks more poetic era

posted on: Feb 18, 2015

In an era where conflict between cultures has become alarmingly frequent, the composer Mohammed Fairouz has crafted his music into a plea for understanding and the transformative power of poetry.

The prolific 29-year-old, whose work brings elements from the Islamic world to Western classical music, bases much of his new album, “Follow, Poet,” around verses by 20th-century literary giants W.H. Auden and Seamus Heaney.

The belief, Fairouz says, is that both music and poetry have a power to bring greater understanding, if only people take the time to listen and reflect.

“In order to make war, you have to dehumanize somebody — this is a very well-known fact. It’s much more difficult to dehumanize a group if you love their music and their poetry,” Fairouz told AFP over a mug of tea at a New York recording studio.

Source: www.aquila-style.com