Music and Coexistence

Music and Coexistence: A Journey across the World in Search of Musicians Making a Difference is both study and travelogue, as author Osseily Hanna personally sets off across the world to explore the courageous work of musicians who compose and perform with their ostensible enemies or in extraordinary social situations. Throughout he documents the political and economic constraints faced by musicians, from the wall that encloses a refugee camp in Jerusalem to the tensions among KFOR and Carabinieri peacekeepers who keep Serbs and Kosovar Albanians apart to the cultural and linguistic suppression that afflicts minority communities in Turkey. A multilingual musician himself, Hanna explores the lives of the individuals and groups at the forefront of the effort to bridge ethnic, cultural, and religious divisions. Featuring musicians from 12 different countries and territories across five continents, Hanna's story includes a remarkable cadre of performers, such as the musicians who comprise Heartbeat, a group of Israeli and Palestinian youth, who compose, record and perform music together; the Albino musicians of Tanzania, who regularly combat persecution by local shamans; the multiracial and thriving samba scene in Sao Paolo; and a former child soldier from Cambodia who seeks to revive traditional music following the genocide in the 1970s. With photos from the author himself during his travels, this work is a unique contribution to those interested in world music and peace studies. This unique and remarkable work will open the eyes and the hearts of every musician and music lover who recognizes how universal a language music is.