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Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and other international artists of The Silk Road Project discuss their philosophies on music and culture.
I am quite proud of the fact that I learned to read when I was merely 3 years old, and never fail to bring it up when it comes to “tooting your own horn” at social gatherings. Reading quickly led to writing, and consequently developed into a (so far) moderately successful career in film criticism and screenwriting. I don’t envision myself doing anything else, and naively hope that one day my passion and “talents” will be recognized on a global scale…and perhaps even change the world a little bit. That said (false modesty aside), I would never refer to myself as a “prodigy,” and envy those born with the inherent ability to create works of art effortlessly, provoke change and retrospection, evoke awe and reverence with a few brush strokes – or, in the case of world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, several plucks of a $2.5 million 18th-Century Montagnana cello. At the age of 7, I was reading “Goosebumps” and emulating R.L. Stine’s gripping-but-simplistic writing with my own series entitled “Bedtime Stories.” At the age of 7, Yo-Yo Ma performed in front of packed audiences for presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. Bastard.
Yo-Yo went on to make over 90 albums (you’re almost there, Rihanna!), and win 18 Grammys (you’re almost there, Kanye!). “It’s all statistics, you know,” the genius humbly states at one point in director Morgan Neville’s “The Music of Strangers,” whose previous fim, the “back-up singers doc” “20 Feet From Stardom,” won an Academy Award in 2013. The director now focuses his lens on Yo-Yo Ma’s “Silk Road Project,” a collection of “musicians from across the globe” that the talented cellist brought together in 2000. “Since that time,” the opening titles reveal, “the Silk Road Ensemble has recorded 6 albums and performed for nearly 2 million people on 33 countries.”
“Being good at something can carry you really far for a long period of time and not require a lot of introspection,” says Nicholas Ma, Yo-Yo’s son, “because you’re good at it – and everyone tells you that.” From early on, Yo-Yo never had a choice, “never committed to being a musician, fell into it.” He went on to accept and explore his talents and attempt to use them to “find himself at home again.” This project embodies Yo-Yo’s struggles and goals: to achieve a certain cohesiveness, connect with other cultures through music on a borderline-spiritual level – and as a result, find his own identity.
Neville’s film focuses on each member of the diverse troupe individually: their backgrounds, how they miss home, the definition of home, what their ambitions are…The Syrian musician expresses his sadness through music, unable to write songs during tumultuous times (“Can a peace of music stop a bullet? Can it feed someone who’s hungry?”); the Chinese performer leaves her conservatory in search of individuality; the Iranian musician muses about his fascination with the West, and tells a gripping story of how he ran from his own country’s revolution with nothing but a backpack and a musical instrument; the Spanish musician from Galicia, a “culturally rich but economically poor” part of Spain, recollects how she was the rock star of bagpipes…“Finding [their] voice” in the most culturally diverse group imaginable, each of those musicians brings a fascinating tale and tells it through his or her instrument.
There are quite a few standout moments in “The Music of Strangers”: Yo-Yo Ma going through a trance ritual; how 9/11 pushed the musicians to keep going, gave them a reason; Keyhan and Yo-Yo performing a piercing tune on stage by themselves to a montage of a violent revolution; a hip-hop/ballet medley; or – my favorite – when Yo-Yo refers to a certain sound as a “giant horse fart.” Neville’s doc travels from Lincoln, Nebraska to San Diego, to the National Conservatory in Beijing, to Iran, to Spain, to New York, to Tehran, to Boston, to Istanbul, to Lebanon, to Jordan, and to the Tanglewood Workshops in the Berkishers, MA, where the musicians first met and practiced. The film’s structure and geographical reach reflects its themes, and at its center is a true melting pot of musicians, exorcizing their demons through music. “We are not our political identities,” one musician states – but the thrilling music speaks louder than any words could.
The music itself is electrifying, a sweltering amalgamation of diverse sounds that combine to form an ethereal and joyful stream, something you would send to space for aliens to discover and learn about us. It’s music as a representation of “the power of the human spirit,” demonstrating how it unites us in tumultuous times. The doc truly hits its high notes (pun intended) when we are watching the musicians fuse their diverse styles into one otherworldly orchestra.
Neville keeps the pace going with fast editing, fascinating archival footage and great cinematography that complements the energetic music. Contributions from the likes of legendary composer John Williams spice things up even further. The running thread is the charming Yo-Yo himself, speaking candidly to a crowd about his life and career – and the theme of music transcending background, nationality, gender, cultural and religious differences. “The Music of Strangers” may not say anything new, it may run 10-15 minutes too long, and it may a bit repetitive, but it reiterates important points and reminds us what truly good music is, and why it matters. I’ll be grateful to achieve even a fraction of what Yo-Yo Ma’s terrific ensemble – or Morgan Neville for that matter – managed to do with their careers, especially considering the turmoils the former had to endure. Kudos to them all (with a dash of resentment).
Opens at the Angelika Film Centers in Plano and Dallas June 24th
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