Kosovo
In early 2006 I participated in a six-week tour of the Balkans with my co-led Brazilian Jazz group Agora Quartet. This was part of the Rhythm Road, a US State Department program run by Jazz at Lincoln Center and one of my first extensive tours abroad. We traveled to multiple cities in Greece, Turkey, and Macedonia including Istanbul, Athens, and Skopje. We also spent time in the autonomous province of Kosovo, one of the most intensely disputed territories in the region.
Kosovo made a huge impression on me with its passionate people and history of war. With bombed out buildings and memorials at every turn the streets carry the sting of a slow healing wound. I found people guarded, but willing to share heart wrenching stories of injustice, betrayal, murder, and recycled grudges held over generations.
An Albanian driver confessed that he felt Serbian people are animals, nothing more than wretched street dogs. His conviction left me convinced of the depths of his anger. This was a difficult sentiment for me to understand. It made me wonder, How can I help this man?
Luckily, I met others with more humanitarian attitudes. In the conservatories, young musicians filled me with hope. In spite of their hardships they gravitated towards free thought, optimism, and art. Like flowers in a dried up desert, they were thirsty for fresh ideas, new energy, and growth. In our exchange we shared a connection, oneness, and purpose through music.
We can help others confront death with life. Help them to see that we need each other and the world needs us all. We make music to heal the mother earth!
- Clay Ross, Los Angeles CA, 3/5/10
Kosovo is dedicated to the students of Prenk Jakova in Prishtina, Kosovo.
youtube.com/watch?v=PZdNeXEeROs
credits
released 10 March 2010
Kosovo (John Clayton Ross/ ASCAP)
Clay Ross - Guitar
Itai Kriss - Flute
Edward Perez - Bass
Tim Keiper - Drums
Cyro Baptista - Percussion
Mixed by Alejandro Venguer
Mastered by Oscar Zambrano