We talk to composer Luke Styles and Kurdish-Iranian journalist, writer and film-maker Behrouz Boochani about the new symphonic song-cycle based on his book, to be premiered by the Zelman Symphony Orchestra.
by Angus McPherson on December 14, 2020
No Friend but the Mountains, the award-winning book by Kurdish-Iranian journalist, writer and film-maker Behrouz Boochani chronicling his perilous journey as a refugee and his incarceration on Manus Island, is the inspiration for a new symphonic song cycle to be premiered by the Zelman Symphony Orchestra.
Behrouz Boochani. Photo © Hoda Afshar
Australian composer Luke Styles will set text from Boochani’s poetic and harrowing memoir, which was written under extraordinary circumstances – typed as hundreds of text messages on a smuggled mobile phone and translated from Farsi by Omid Tofighian. It went on to become an international best-seller and to win a swathe of prizes including the Victorian Prize for Literature and the Prize for Non-Fiction at the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, the 2019 NSW Premier’s Award, the 2019 National Biography and more.
Boochani, who was incarcerated on Manus Island from 2013 to 2019, is now living free in New Zealand where his refugee status was formally recognised and he has been granted a visa to live.
The new song cycle, which was intended to premiere in November this year before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its postponement, will be performed next March at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, as part of Arts Centre Melbourne’s Live at the Bowl Summer Festival. Bass-baritone Adrian Tamburini will sing the work with the Zelman Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Bach Choir, conducted by Rick Prakhoff.
“Behrouz’s story is the most recent iteration of an important part of Australia’s story,” said Styles. “He was imprisoned on Manus Island, a place of incredible beauty and intense isolation. Australia is itself a beautiful and remote island that was a multifaceted prison that has incarcerated its own people, convicts, migrants, first peoples and refugees alike, throughout its modern history.”
“The idea to look at Boochani’s book as a possible source for a new work came from the singer Adrian Tamburini (who the work is being composed for),” Styles tells Limelight. “I read the book and in it saw a contemporary iteration of Australia’s ongoing history of incarceration and isolation. I was midway through rehearsals of my opera Ned Kelly so themes of Australian identity were very much on my mind. From here I delved deeper and found a very lyrical tone in Boochani’s text and the potential to create a new song cycle, which would raise a myriad of themes for the listener, but most importantly that would evoke a new music.”
Boochani tells Limelight that music is a part of his life and background as a Kurdish person. “Music is a strong element in the Kurdish culture and it exists in many parts of our lives,” he says. “We believe that Kurdish culture survives because of music.”
“I sing too and I listen to music too, so when I was on Manus Island, sometimes I felt that I survived because of music,” he explains. “When I was writing the book, I was listening to classical music. Definitely music impacts my work. I am aware that there is a strong musical element in my work and it’s important to take that element and produce an independent work.”
“This project is very special. I am completely aware that my book has some strong musical elements. In my movie, Chauka Please Tell Us the Time, the music is one of the strongest elements. In all my work, music is important.”
Boochani listened to Styles’ music and spoke with the composer as part of the process. “We had a long conversation,” he says. “We talked about music on Manus and how living in a prison like Manus, life is very silent.”
For Boochani, the story deserves to be set to music. “It is a huge story and very important in the history of Australia. I look at it in a historical way. I’m very disappointed with the current generation because it doesn’t want to know about this tragedy,” he says. “I’m working and sharing this story in different languages and music is a very powerful language. We are able to share the story of the Manus Prison system with people.”
The historical element is important, he explains. “We are recording this part of Australian history for the young generation or next generation. We should understand that the Australian government has done this and it still continues and nothing happens. The government is able to justify the violation of human rights. It is a reality.”
“I am telling the story and making sure the history is not lost,” Boochani says. “It is a reality and sadly we accept it. I am very disappointed with the community’s response. This is how I look at it.”