Ledha Socratous: Gilad Atzmon: politics and jazz

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/

THE SELF-proclaimed “self-hating Jew”, Gilad Atzmon will be visiting Cyprus this week to present his new book and give a talk at the University of Cyprus tomorrow....

With a strong presence on and off stage, Atzmon has a huge following not only for his music but for being a unique thinker and philosopher. Admired for his fearless stance against oppression, he is also at the forefront of a taboo discourse that many will not venture into out of fear of being branded anti-Semite. He has published quite a few books and articles blasting Israel in the past, but this time it seems his latest offering has opened up Pandora’s Box and ignited a fierce debate from all corners of society.

In The Wandering Who?, he traces his own development from a young, rather typical Israeli, brought up in a conservative, secular Zionist family, to become a staunch opponent of Zionism and of the State of Israel. But his book is far more than a personal story. He challenges the myths and the tribal mindset underpinning the founding of the Zionist state and its racially-driven policies. It is an attempt to understand what motivates secular people of a Jewish background to continue to identify themselves as Jews. It is also an attempt to demonstrate the harmful consequences of Jewish identity, particularly when this is not based on Jewish religion.

Atzmon’s 4pm talk on Thursday is entitled The Primacy of the Ear and offers an alternative take on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and peace activism. The talk will follow Atzmon’s personal story and his struggle with Arabic music leading to a rejection of phenomenology and what he has called the Primacy of the Eye. 

If you don’t want get embroiled in the political verbal joust, jazz fans will be keen to hear that on Friday and Saturday, Atzmon will let the music do all the talking, with two concerts at the JazzyB in Limassol. Accompanying Atzmon’s alto sax on stage at JazzyB will be George Morfitis on piano, Cahit Koutrafali on bass and Stelios Xydias on drums.

Through the years Atzmon has managed to merge the music of the Middle East and Eastern Europe with jazz and contemporary improvised music. Atzmon has virtually created a genre of his own with his maverick borrowings from so many different sources. In addition to being  influenced by Coltrane’s powerful approach on the sax, Atzmon’s live performances can be simply breathtaking and overwhelming. The two shows are likely to be very popular, so make sure to book your spot to avoid dissapointment.

The Primacy of the Ear

Jazz master saxophonist and philosopher Gilad Atzmon presents his new book on Jewish identity and gives a talk. February 2. University of Cyprus. 4pm. 

February 3 &4: Jazz concerts with Atzmon and Co. JazzyB, situated on the corner of Anexartisias and Athinon, Limassol. 10.30pm. €10. Jazz fans should avoid disappointment by booking early. Tel: 99-605502

 

Gilad Atzmon's New Book: The Wandering Who? A Study Of  Zionist's global interests and influence Amazon.com  or Amazon.co.uk.

Made it to the Wall Street Journal

Introduction by Gilad Atzmon: Ethnic cleanser Advocate Alan Dershowitz cannot take a defeat. He simply cannot get over the fact that a concert of my music at Friends School, NYC two weeks ago, was an outstanding success. In spite of his relentless attempts, Zionist mouthpiece Dershowitz didn’t manage to cancel the fundraiser concert. In the last two weeks, he has been mounting pressure on the school and NYC papers. By now I would expect Dershowitz to acknowledge that growing familiarity with my writing doesn’t serve his cause, for my writing is humanist as opposed to his own tribal supremacist materials.

Dershowitz was quoted saying "If that same orchestra invited David Duke to play saxophone, it would never have happened." As usual I have to correct the compulsive liar Dershowitz. At the NYC Friends Meeting House, I wasn’t just playing saxophone. The Meeting House Orchestra was playing my music. They decided to play my music because of its harmonious and peaceful message. They played my music because my art is an attempt to cross the divide created by Zionists like Dershowitz. As far as I am aware, David Duke is not a saxophonist. However, I really do not understand why Alan Dershowitz believes himself to be morally superior to Duke.  Dershowitz is a Zionist Jewish supremacist, he is a world leading advocate of a racist and expansionist ideology, namely Zionism. And yet, I wouldn’t say no to an invitation for a musical gathering along together with Dershowitz on tuba and Duke playing the trumpet, just because I believe that music brings people together.

According to The Wall Street Journal “Dershowitz threatened to stand outside the school this week and distribute copies of an essay he wrote critiquing Mr. Atzmon's work unless the school took action.”  I do believe that such an action on behalf of Dershowitz would make a wonderful youtube clip. It would be hilarious to see the kids drifting away from the scary Zionist elder.

School Hits Sour Note

http://online.wsj.com/

Friends Seminary Grapples With Musician's Political Views

By SOPHIA HOLLANDER

Most parents at Friends Seminary were unaware of the writings of Gilad Atzmon when they first saw the posters promoting his participation in a Martin Luther King Birthday concert on the school's campus last month.

 

But over the past two weeks, administrators and parents at the elite Quaker private school in Lower Manhattan have become quick studies after Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz publicly criticized Friends Seminary for inviting a musician he called a "notorious anti-Semite and Holocaust denier"—accusations that Mr. Atzmon, who was born Jewish, staunchly denies.

The clash sparked days of discussion at a school that prides itself on tolerance and inclusion and launched debates on parenting sites such as UrbanBaby, where some posters vowed to pull their applications in protest.

In a statement provided to The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, school officials expressed "regret" over any offense caused and announced they would be establishing new procedures governing guest speakers and performers.

Although the Jan. 12 concert was on the school campus and directed by a teacher, the Meetinghouse Jazz Orchestra is an independent organization that was using the concert to raise funds for the Friends Shelter, which is also independent and housed on school grounds.

Mr. Atzmon, a saxophonist, played in the concert. But it was his words, not his music, that drew criticism. In his book "The Wandering Who," he labels the recent global credit crisis a "zio-punch" and argues that if Israel starts a nuclear war with Iran, "some may be bold enough to argue that Hitler might have been right after all."

"It is a reasonable thing to say," Mr. Atzmon said when reached by phone. He added that he hoped this scenario would not come to pass.

He said he's not a Holocaust denier. "Members of my family perished in [World War II]," he said, though he added that he was less interested in the number of people killed during the war than in how "five years after the liberations of Auschwitz, Israel, the Jewish state, established the law of return that is racially driven and categorically not different from the Nuremberg law."

Click to read more ...