MEME: Talking with Oya and Gilda

     The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago has become a part of my life. The next concert is the Persian Concert February 24 at 7 pm and February 25 at 4 pm at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E 60th St, Chicago, Illinois 60637. It is the first time MEME is doing two shows of any concert. The Persian Concert is that popular. You can find more information at MEME on Facebook.
      As mentioned in a previous blog, MEME and Me, the Ensemble does three concerts a year: The Turkish concert in November, The Persian Concert in February, and the Arabic Concert in May. Of the three genres, I am most familiar with the Turkish and then the Arabic. I am least familiar with the Persian music.
     I recently spoke with Oya Dubay, a percussionist in the Ensemble about MEME and the Persian Concert. Oya is originally from Turkey and moved to the

Oya

US with her husband Marc. Like me, she is most familiar with the Turkish repertoire and least with the Persian. Oya said that she “discovered MEME accidentally. A fellow MEME percussionist Kathie Cantone knew I played a Turkish drum that would fit in with the group. She invited me to try out.” Regarding the Persian Music we play in the Ensemble, Oya said it, “All three streams of music have borrowed from each other but melodically I think Persian music is the most different.” She eloquently added, “Performing Persian Music for me is like exporting a strange, exotic land.”
     Gilda Amini, originally from Iran, is a talented interpreter of Persian songs. She has been the premiere female vocalist in the Persian Concert for five years. When I asked what this music meant to her, Gilda said, “The music that MEME performs in the Persian Concert represents all that is beautiful about my Persian culture, history and heritage. Every song I sing is a story with a message for its listeners and I try my best to tell that story and convey that message to the kind listeners. Beyond that, singing this music is my way of communicating my love for my culture.” When I hear Gilda sing, I definitely feel the love and devotion she has for her culture and heritage.
     I was curious as to how Gilda got into singing this lovely music. She told me that “I have been singing since I could talk and although I’ve never had any formal training, I thoroughly enjoy communicating my love for my culture with my voice. I was asked 5 years ago to join MEME but I had never sang classical Persian music before. I had always sung Persian, English and Spanish pop music. But, I was encouraged by my daughters to ‘step outside my comfort zone’ and try singing this beautiful but unfamiliar music. Needless to say, I’ve

Gilda

been hooked on singing with MEME ever since my very first concert 5 years ago!” Thanks to her lovely daughters Kiana, a sophomore at the University of Chicago, and Ariana, a senior at St. Ignatius for encouraging her to step outside that comfort zone.
     For each concert we practice ten times. Each practice is two to three hours, so, the ensemble spends quite a bit of time. We spend all of that time preparing and rehearsing for the concert. We don’t get enough time to socialize. It was a real pleasure chatting with Oya and Gilda in writing this blog post.
     Lastly, I think Oya captured the spirit of Middle Eastern Music Ensemble best when she stated that, “MEME has been an incredible opportunity to play completely different kinds of music as well as beloved pieces I grew up with. I learn something new about musicianship at every concert from my peers and our beloved maestro, Wanees Zarour.” So, if you are in Chicago this Saturday and Sunday, venture down to the Logan Center at the University of Chicago and check out the Persian Concert and here Gilda, Oya, myself, and 30+ other members of our Ensemble.