1. “While the Earth Sleeps…” | Arabic Poetry and Moorish Lute
About the programme:
“Even while the earth sleeps we travel”
These words from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet are among the inspirations for this evening with Kobza Vajk and Mátyás Sirokai. What melodies might guide us on our journey, and what texts might stir us to wakefulness, if we ourselves are dreams of the earth? To what landscapes can music and poetry lead us, where the desert’s nocturnal surf can still be heard? Through compositions and texts that echo the spiritual poetry of the Arab world, Kobza Vajk and Mátyás Sirokai bring fresh colour to this shared dreaming.
2. The Well of Visions | Hebrew Poetry and Moorish Lute
This evening with Kobza Vajk and Mátyás Sirokai brings together melodies reaching back to the Middle Ages, mostly from the Middle East, and works from the mystical strand of 20th-century Hebrew poetry. The selection draws chiefly on the works of outstanding Jewish poets in 20th-century world literature. With their elemental power and evocation of traditional motifs, these poems open up the mystical dimensions of universal human experience. A Middle Eastern frame drum accompanies the lute.
Mátyás Sirokai (born 1982) is a poet and musician. He graduated in percussion from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, has written six volumes, and edits more than ten literary blogs and the FISZ Books series.
Kobza Vajk (born 1984) is a musician. Drawing on his mastery of the musical aesthetics of earlier ages, he is one of Hungary’s leading exponents of oriental fusion music. He mainly plays medieval and Eastern plucked instruments that are little known in Hungary.
Recommended for: sacred spaces, literary events, early- and world-music programmes, wine festivals, and festive or cultural occasions.
Note: The programme lasts 45–60 minutes and may be adjusted upon request. Recommended soundcheck time: 10 minutes.
For further details regarding the technical rider, performance fee, travel expenses or other arrangements, please contact us. Thank you!
