The Siwan Project
Emily Naylor
This series is all about the work of Siwan, an orchestra formed by Norwegian keyboardist and composer Jon Balke. It accompanies the release of their third studio album, Hafla.
Siwan celebrates coexistence and cooperation. It is inspired by the culture and poetry of al-Andalus, the Muslim-ruled area that spanned what is now modern Spain and parts of Portugal. The orchestra looks back into history as well as forwards towards new models for shared endeavour. Though ostensibly contemporary, its musical roots are deep as well as diverse, and are shaped by players with strikingly different backgrounds and experiences..
The Siwan Project unpacks the work of the orchestra and examines its influences in more detail. It looks at the history which helped inspire Siwan's inception and the poetry of al-Andalus that forms the basis of its lyrics. It explores how the orchestra operates, reveals its creative process, and introduces u