You stand around. You wait. You gaze and you start to listen. The lights are dim, except that on the stage . Musicians stand in a curve-like line. The Orchestra strolls on the stage, and start doing magic with their musical instruments. The auditorium is packed with audience facing the stage, anticipating fun and musical escape. The Orchestra sings and plays music and all the audience has to do is to pick the message of the night and enjoy it. “If music be the food of love; play on,” William Shakespeare once said. And so the West Philadelphia Orchestra did last night.
It was a concert my friend Ali and I were invited to by our American friend Gabe. The music was not American though; it was Balkan. At the North Star Bar, the Orchestra played music from the Balkan region. This music of southeastern Europe is influenced by various ethnic groups from the former Ottoman Empire.
I was lucky that the concert started late at night, after I had dinner with some close friends here in Philly. I talked to Ali and convinced him to go even though it was late at night. It’s been always interesting to attend such events where one might enrich his/her knowledge about other cultures to learn and enjoy life the way it should be.
