DECEMBER 21, 2021 – I wish that I’d been more attentive, more “in tune,” as it were, with the humanitarian genius with whom I was breaking bread and sharing stories. I’m not much sure of the details, except that Yo-Yo Ma was in town performing with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and given my sister/brother-in-law’s membership in that esteemed ensemble, my wife and I (thanks to my sister/bro-in-law), had been invited to a small dinner party at the home of another SPCO member, with the visiting musician being the guest of honor. I’d learned that The Master and I were close to the same age, and that fact resonated with me: I shared something in common with the remarkable genius seated next to me.
I remember from the encounter that Yo-Yo Ma was smart, engaging, quick to laugh and very down to earth. Not the least bit full of himself, he led and followed the conversation graciously and in perfect harmony with everyone present. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, though I couldn’t tell you anything about the meal itself—except that the homemade bread and soup were delicious.
I’ve heard Yo-Yo Ma perform live, listened to his recordings, and seen him on TV and in several videos. His virtuosic technique and deep musicality are well renowned—as is his broader talent for connecting with audiences and humanity in general.
His work with the Silk Road Ensemble, which he founded in 1998, came as no surprise when I explored it recently via the 2016 documentary, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. I’d heard of the venture but knew nothing about it until watching the riveting film that I stumbled across on YouTube.
Yo-Yo Ma is far more than a master of Western Classical music. He’s what I’d call, a “global gazer,” meaning, he sees the world neither as East nor West, North nor South, but a place where everything connects with everything else. Where others see separation and difference, he seeks unity and similitude.
The “Silk Road” refers to the historical, Eurasian trade route that connected cultures stretching from Asia to Europe. Yo-Yo Ma’s musical, cultural venture follows this route, incorporating musical traditions along the way.
The “Silk Road Ensemble” isn’t a fixed group of musicians but rather, a revolving collective of artists from various cultural traditions. The documentary features four musicians (besides Yo-Yo Ma): Wu Man (virtuoso pipa (ancient Chinese lute) player); Kinan Azmeh, a clarinetist/flutist from Syria; Iranian Kayhan Kalhor, master of the classical Persian kamancheh (bowed string instrument), and Cristina Pato, who sings and plays the bagpipes of her native Galicia (northwestern Spain). Their personal stories, microcosms of larger cultural narratives, are especially poignant.
Purists of all the featured traditions—including Western—might disapprove of the mission of the Silk Road initiative. Some critics would denigrate it as “cultural tourism.”
I’m skeptical of the skeptics. I think Yo-Yo Ma and company are on to something. Together, they—like all of humanity—are more than the sum of the parts.
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© 2021 by Eric Nilsson
