Quick Q and A with Susan Robbins of Libana
 by Kathy S-B  ·  3 December 2006

Here’s a Quick Q and A with Libana founding member, Susan Robbins:

Q: Your choice of music is so eclectic, how do you go about choosing new pieces to perform?

A: First of all, we really need to love the music we do—it might be its rhythm that draws us (like the uneven dance rhythms of the Balkans) or the scales used (like the quarter-tone modes in Middle Eastern music) or just a specific beautiful melody. But we also really need to be able to endorse the lyrics! For the most part, the songs and lyrics we choose reflect women’s cultural experience around the world, and we do our best to seek out the songs that give voice either to challenges that women have (and often) continue to face, or to positive themes that reflect the commonality of women’s personal, communal, and spiritual reality cross-culturally. So, often it is the theme of the song, or the ritual/ tradition of the cultural context that intrigues us.

Q: You’ve performed all over the place. What’s your most memorable show ever?

A: Well, standing singing on a stage in an extraordinarily beautiful outdoor amphitheater in Varna, Bulgaria (on the Black Sea) comes to mind! Or a house concert we gave on the veranda at the home of the best singer on the island of Skyros (Greece), overlooking the Aegean Sea… And our 25th anniversary concert at the Somerville Theater (MA) was a highlight—we all felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment at reaching such a milestone in our community!

Q: You offer workshops to professionals and amateurs alike. What can an inexperienced vocalist or musician take away with them after experiencing a Libana workshop?

A: Our workshops are really designed to help EVERYONE who comes (experienced and inexperienced alike) immerse in the joyful, delightful, depthful process of making music in community. Singing with others is a birthright in most cultures around the world, but it has increasingly become a western cultural reality that there are “the musicians” and “the audience”. We truly believe that everyone can sing and make music, and that to experience the power of your voice raised in spirited expression with others is a energy that has the power to heal, open, enliven, and transform. I even think it can change the world!!!

As a little plug, Marytha Paffrath and I (Susan Robbins) will be co-facilitating a weekend singing workshop for women at Rowe Camp and Conference Center (Rowe, MA) on Feb. 9-11, 2007. Call the Rowe Center at (413) 339-4954 for more information!

Q: An interesting comparison to your act is that of “Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares,” but Libana is so much more than that vocal group. What are other comparisons that you’ve received? How do you describe your unique sound?

A: A Libana performance includes everything from A Capella Balkan vocal music, to an all percussion-accompanied healing dance from Egypt, to a traditional hula from Hawaii, to a clear, beautiful autumnal round in English!!

The music of the Balkans have been a cornerstone of Libana’s repertoire for 28 years, but
I think what makes Libana unique is that we present traditional and contemporary music music from MANY cultures all over the world, through the lens of women’s experience. AND we do our best to immerse ourselves in learning about the music and dance specifics of each culture, so that we present this music in a way that honors the culture—and SOUNDS like the culture—from which it comes. So, we have worked with many musicians and dancers from cultures other than our own (e.g. Tatiana Sarbinska from Bulgaria, Amel Tafsout from Algeria, etc…) who have generously shared their traditions and cultural stories with us and helped us learn their vocal production, instruments, ornaments, language detail, dance movements, etc….all the specifics that make a song sound Bulgarian, or Algerian, or Malaysian, or a dance look Hawaiian or Egyptian. This is really important to us in our work.

In addition we have been singing together for 28 years (4 of the six of us have been in Libana since its inception in 1979, another member joined in 1981, and our “newest” member has been with us for 16 years now)—so the unison quality and vocal blend that people consider “Libana’s sound” really has come out of the years of work that we have invested in making music together, and the spiritual, emotional and artistic care we take with our communinty.

Q: What’s in store for Libana? Any big plans for 2007?

A: Throughout this past year, the members of Libana have undergone a deep reflection about Libana’s identity, goals, challenges and purpose. We have clarified the vision for our creative future, deepened our dedication to our artistic mission, and constructed a strategic five-year plan! One outcome of our collective contemplation is the creation of a several year artistic project we are calling “Many Paths to the Spirit”. We recognize that the world in which we live is being torn apart by the tension between various fundamentalist voices. Unable to endorse this furor that deeply divides people and cultures from one another, Libana is committed to helping support an alternative vision that draws connection among spiritual traditions and respects the wisdom of women’s creative and spiritual voice.

The initial phase of this project will include the exploration of new repertoire that celebrates the myriad ways women around the world experience spirit and spirituality as a life nourishing force. We also plan to expand outreach to diverse spiritual communities and peace-oriented organizations, as a way to actively build connection and foster possible collaborations. We envision “Many Paths to the Spirit” as an ongoing artistic journey, celebrating through music and dance the unique spiritual expressions found within diverse cultures, and the commonality that honors our human relationship with each other, to peace and to planetary wholeness and well-being.

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