‘The carols recorded by Barbara Kinga Majewska and Marcin Masecki are precisely the songs we need for the time of contempt in which we live today,’ writes Paweł Mościcki in the introduction to the album Taratil 'id al-milad. What do Polish Christmas carols sound like in Arabic, at a different pace and key than the ones which we have known for years? We can find this out at 7 p.m., when the premiere concert of this album will begin at the Jesuit Fathers’ Church.
The project, initiated by singer Barbara Kinga Majewska, consists of traditional Polish carols sung in Arabic, or more precisely in a dialect from the Aleppo area. The carols include Ibn Mariam dż-a [Gdy się Chrystus rodzi] and Fi saknat al-layli [Wśród nocnej ciszy].
The artists interpreted the carols both linguistically and musically, thus changing not only the language, but also the key of the pieces: from the familiar major to minor, which can be associated with sounds from the Middle East. The tempo and general mood of the carols may also come as a surprise. Instead of lively and joyful pieces, we will hear songs full of melancholy, sadness and nostalgia.
The album Taratil 'id al-milad is a coproduction of Bołt Records and the Malta Foundation. It is available at a promotional price of 25 zlotys before and after tonight’s concert at the Jesuit Fathers’ Church.