34) Sensibilty In Intercultural Work
I found an interesting sentence in the little documentary about the new opened Goethe Institut in Yangon.
Klaus-Dieter Lehmann is quoting it.
Burmese saying:
"Culture is a golden bowl, that one cannot steal."
A bowl is indeed a nice picture. You can fill in things. Or if it is full you can also taste some of the things in it. In it you can keep the good things that are worth keeping.
You don't want to steel it or break it, so it is also a sensible topic how to handle that bowl.
Interhuman sensibility is a very delicate talent. It goes beyond words and beyond action sometimes.
A certain intuition, respect, open-mindedness and generosity indeed help.
For me intercultural work is one way to understand that there are so many possible ways to lead a life. It is about understanding that we are here together. It is about learning from and with the other. By exchanging thoughts and visions each of the partners should benefit and grow the most.
Matthias Mainz put down some sincere thoughts about the how, why and what about cultural exchange in the context of his "Plattform für Transkulturelle Neue Musik". If you are interested you can check that in the post "22) Collaboration With Plattform Für Neue Transkulturelle Musik In Autumn 2017"
I want to present a part of the passage about the collaboration between "Myanmar meets Europe" here.
It is interesting to know that during the time of the military regime, that lasted for about 50 years, besides all other western influences also the western music was prohibited. The traditional Burmese music, presented by the majority of the population, was fostered. Together with the political opening of the country started the cultural opening. In this period around 2010 the musician and curator Tim Isfort started a row of concerts and workshops in collaboration with the Goethe Institut Yangon. The cultural exchange between Myanmar and Germany was named "Myanmar Meets Europe".
One aspect of the difficulties you encounter in the collaboration between European and Burmese musicians is of course the language. A translator is extremely helpful, otherwise the boarders are reached too soon. But then there is also the fundamentally difference of the organization of the music itself. It needs a way closer investigation for a trained jazz musician to understand the conception of the phrasing, the timing, the melodic understanding and many more aspects of the Burmese musicians. And the other way round for the Burmese to understand the ideas, concepts and perceptions a jazz musician has. Understanding the musical elements then is one thing, but playing it together in between European and Burmese musicians is still another thing.
And then there are the general cultural identities and differences on top.
Imagine a jazz musician, who associates him and herself and the personal work with individual freedom, self-fulfillment and breaking the rules. And on the other side the buddhistic shaped Burmese, which are living a culture of modest acceptance of life.
There is one common thing, that you need to know about the burmese manners. It is very trivial, but can hinder a communication enormously.
You must not say "no". It is totally impolite.
So if you need to know something, whatever it is, concerning a time, an appointment or an honest opinion, if something is possible or doable. You might never get an honest answer out of politness.
For example you ask: "Can everybody be here tomorrow for the rehearsal?"
Nobody will deny, but some people will be missing. And you wonder. Until you realize that problem. In the beginning of collaborations it is very complicated to get honest answers.
I felt sort of a great honor when Thaung Htike at a certain point finally replied to me a "no" on an artistic question. I was repeatingly asking for something, if he could imagine a certain arrangement of a tune. And he said yes several times. I could feel, that he did´nt like to play a certain thing. At a certain point he finally said: "No, I don't like that!" Huge!
Klaus-Dieter Lehmann is quoting it.
Burmese saying:
"Culture is a golden bowl, that one cannot steal."
A bowl is indeed a nice picture. You can fill in things. Or if it is full you can also taste some of the things in it. In it you can keep the good things that are worth keeping.
You don't want to steel it or break it, so it is also a sensible topic how to handle that bowl.
Interhuman sensibility is a very delicate talent. It goes beyond words and beyond action sometimes.
A certain intuition, respect, open-mindedness and generosity indeed help.
For me intercultural work is one way to understand that there are so many possible ways to lead a life. It is about understanding that we are here together. It is about learning from and with the other. By exchanging thoughts and visions each of the partners should benefit and grow the most.
Matthias Mainz put down some sincere thoughts about the how, why and what about cultural exchange in the context of his "Plattform für Transkulturelle Neue Musik". If you are interested you can check that in the post "22) Collaboration With Plattform Für Neue Transkulturelle Musik In Autumn 2017"
I want to present a part of the passage about the collaboration between "Myanmar meets Europe" here.
It is interesting to know that during the time of the military regime, that lasted for about 50 years, besides all other western influences also the western music was prohibited. The traditional Burmese music, presented by the majority of the population, was fostered. Together with the political opening of the country started the cultural opening. In this period around 2010 the musician and curator Tim Isfort started a row of concerts and workshops in collaboration with the Goethe Institut Yangon. The cultural exchange between Myanmar and Germany was named "Myanmar Meets Europe".
One aspect of the difficulties you encounter in the collaboration between European and Burmese musicians is of course the language. A translator is extremely helpful, otherwise the boarders are reached too soon. But then there is also the fundamentally difference of the organization of the music itself. It needs a way closer investigation for a trained jazz musician to understand the conception of the phrasing, the timing, the melodic understanding and many more aspects of the Burmese musicians. And the other way round for the Burmese to understand the ideas, concepts and perceptions a jazz musician has. Understanding the musical elements then is one thing, but playing it together in between European and Burmese musicians is still another thing.
And then there are the general cultural identities and differences on top.
Imagine a jazz musician, who associates him and herself and the personal work with individual freedom, self-fulfillment and breaking the rules. And on the other side the buddhistic shaped Burmese, which are living a culture of modest acceptance of life.
There is one common thing, that you need to know about the burmese manners. It is very trivial, but can hinder a communication enormously.
You must not say "no". It is totally impolite.
So if you need to know something, whatever it is, concerning a time, an appointment or an honest opinion, if something is possible or doable. You might never get an honest answer out of politness.
For example you ask: "Can everybody be here tomorrow for the rehearsal?"
Nobody will deny, but some people will be missing. And you wonder. Until you realize that problem. In the beginning of collaborations it is very complicated to get honest answers.
I felt sort of a great honor when Thaung Htike at a certain point finally replied to me a "no" on an artistic question. I was repeatingly asking for something, if he could imagine a certain arrangement of a tune. And he said yes several times. I could feel, that he did´nt like to play a certain thing. At a certain point he finally said: "No, I don't like that!" Huge!
Excerption from Matthias Mainz´s texts:
Während der Zeit der Abschottung Myanmars durch die Militärregierung wurde westliche Musik unterbunden und die traditionelle Musik der burmesischen Bevölkerungsmehrheit als nationale Musikkultur gefördert. Mit der politischen Öffnung Myanmars begann auch die kulturelle Öffnung des Landes von außen. Mit Unterstützung des Goethe Institutes und des Landes NRW entwickelte der Musiker/Kurator Tim Isfort ab 2010 eine Reihe von Konzerten und Workshops in Myanmar und in Deutschland unter dem Titel „Myanmar meets Europe“ mit einem ersten Höhepunkt auf dem Moers Festival 2012. Ein gängiges Narrativ im interkulturellen Austausch lautet, Sprache und Politik trenne, Kultur und insbesondere Musik jedoch verbänden. Die Herausforderung in der Zusammenarbeit zwischen den europäischen und den burmesischen MusikerInnen bestanden jedoch nicht nur in der sprachlichen Übersetzung. Die JazzmusikerInnen machten die verwirrende Erfahrung, dass sie die Töne, Melodien und Metren identifizieren konnten, sich deren Zusam- menspiel aber trotzdem ihrem Verständnis entzog, weil musikalische Formen und Kommunikation im traditionellen Hsaing Waing Ensemble fundamental anders organisiert sind als in der von Harmonik und konstanten Metren geprägten westlichen Musik. Tiefer als die Unterschiede im musikalischen Material reichen aber die kulturellen Differenzen, die sich im scheinbar Selbstverständlichen verbergen: was passiert in der Kommunikation zwischen europäischen JazzmusikerInnen, deren Musik assoziiert wird mit individueller Freiheit und ritualisiertem Regelbruch und den buddhistischen Burmesen, deren Kultur eine Haltung bescheidenen Erduldens vorschreibt? Welcher gemeinsame Grund kann hier gefunden werden und wie? Welche unterschiedlichen Bedeutungen haben die Musiken und musikalischen Spielhaltungen? Können die Bedeutungen übertragen werden, werden sie geschwächt oder gehen gar ganz verloren - oder entsteht ein dritter Raum, in dem wirklich Neues entsteht, in dem beide sich wiederfinden können?
Während der Zeit der Abschottung Myanmars durch die Militärregierung wurde westliche Musik unterbunden und die traditionelle Musik der burmesischen Bevölkerungsmehrheit als nationale Musikkultur gefördert. Mit der politischen Öffnung Myanmars begann auch die kulturelle Öffnung des Landes von außen. Mit Unterstützung des Goethe Institutes und des Landes NRW entwickelte der Musiker/Kurator Tim Isfort ab 2010 eine Reihe von Konzerten und Workshops in Myanmar und in Deutschland unter dem Titel „Myanmar meets Europe“ mit einem ersten Höhepunkt auf dem Moers Festival 2012. Ein gängiges Narrativ im interkulturellen Austausch lautet, Sprache und Politik trenne, Kultur und insbesondere Musik jedoch verbänden. Die Herausforderung in der Zusammenarbeit zwischen den europäischen und den burmesischen MusikerInnen bestanden jedoch nicht nur in der sprachlichen Übersetzung. Die JazzmusikerInnen machten die verwirrende Erfahrung, dass sie die Töne, Melodien und Metren identifizieren konnten, sich deren Zusam- menspiel aber trotzdem ihrem Verständnis entzog, weil musikalische Formen und Kommunikation im traditionellen Hsaing Waing Ensemble fundamental anders organisiert sind als in der von Harmonik und konstanten Metren geprägten westlichen Musik. Tiefer als die Unterschiede im musikalischen Material reichen aber die kulturellen Differenzen, die sich im scheinbar Selbstverständlichen verbergen: was passiert in der Kommunikation zwischen europäischen JazzmusikerInnen, deren Musik assoziiert wird mit individueller Freiheit und ritualisiertem Regelbruch und den buddhistischen Burmesen, deren Kultur eine Haltung bescheidenen Erduldens vorschreibt? Welcher gemeinsame Grund kann hier gefunden werden und wie? Welche unterschiedlichen Bedeutungen haben die Musiken und musikalischen Spielhaltungen? Können die Bedeutungen übertragen werden, werden sie geschwächt oder gehen gar ganz verloren - oder entsteht ein dritter Raum, in dem wirklich Neues entsteht, in dem beide sich wiederfinden können?
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