Music Is Food For The Soul

We had a lovely day on Saturday - Jess and Rosie were with us all day, and as the rain poured down outside they played inside. Rosie wrote a playlist for Alexa, and then as each track played, she joined in singing, or danced along to the beat. Later that evening, when they'd gone, and Cornerstones was quiet again, I read Kezzie's latest blogpost.

Kezzie [and many members of her family] are accomplished musicians - and her post explained beautifully why music is so important to her, part of who she is - and expression of her faith and her joie de vivre. She spoke, with deep sadness, of the fact that the Taliban has banned all music in Afghanistan, declaring it to be a sin. 

Afghanistan has a rich musical heritage, with instruments like the rubāb, tablā, sitār and dutār.  You can read more about all on Kezzie's post, and here, and here.

The International Campaign for Afghan's Musicians, along with Sheffield University are doing all they can - to help those whose livelihood has been taken away, and who are at risk of punishment - and also to protect the cultural heritage, ensuring the Afghan music is not lost. The motto of ICFAM is 'music is food for the soul'

I am reminded of the story of King Saul in the Bible, prone to terrible depression where it says "Whenever the bad depression tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted"

I decided late on Saturday night that I would share Kezzie's post.

Then on Sunday morning, I listened to Radio 4's "Morning Worship" It was introduced by Anna Magnusson [daughter of the late great Mastermind Magnus] and came from the Edinburgh festival. Among the contributors were a Serbian man and a Ukrainian woman. Both spoke of how the music and art at the Festival helped soothe their souls, when they were caught up in grief and despair about their homelands. Then I found this piece by Meena Karimi, a young Afghan cellist. 

Thank you Kezzie, for sharing this story with us. May we all learn to be grateful for the gift of music which we share so freely. And may beautiful music resound in the hearts and lives of the Afghan people again - soon.