"What comes first? The chicken or the egg?"Many wise men and women throughout the ages have asked this very question repeatedly. In the last Heartbeat rehearsal before performing in the concert "Simply Sing פשוט שרים ببساطة التغنية" focusing on Jewish and Arab music in Jerusalem, a similar question arose, ignited by the song Freedom by Richie Havens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA51wyl-9IE).
Is singing about freedom enough to give breath to the ideals of equality and justice? Or is singing about freedom not enough without discussing what freedom in a society truly constitutes.
This discussion transformed our rehearsal. I listened as the various high school students, Israelis and Palestinians, gave their input. One said that he was not comfortable singing about freedom without a joint understanding of what the word freedom really meant. Two others were mostly quiet, choosing their words carefully. Finally the main guitarist expressed that singing about freedom meant the freedom of self in thought and action. At the end of their 10 minute discussion, freedom ruled. The band agreed to perform the song Freedom upon the condition of taking the discussion further as a group to fully explore the meaning of freedom.
At the concert "Simply Sing פשוט שרים ببساطة التغنية" the next day, Heartbeat performed a rendition of Enta Omri by the famous Egyptian artist, Umm Kalthoum who initiated the Golden Age of Arab music, and a cover of Freedom by Richie Havens in front of a 70 person clapping and singing audience. The performance was a success and at least for that evening, Jerusalem tasted a state of peace under the stars.
