You could call the Polish composer and court musician Wojciech Bobowski (alias Ali Ufki, 1610-c. 1675) the first multicultural ambassador between East and West. Born the son of a Protestant church musician, he was kidnapped by predatory Turkish soldiers at the age of eighteen and ended up at the court of Constantinople. At this crossroads of cultures, he converted to Islam and became an expert of
… both Eastern and Western music. Of inestimable value are Bobowski's transcriptions of the then Ottoman court music; the only written sources of this oral music tradition so far. This also includes a small collection of fourteen psalms that Bobowski made based on the Genevan rhyming psalter (1562). He translated the text into Turkish and conformed the original melodies to current music practice using Turkish modes and traditional instruments. Seven psalms can be heard on this beautifully designed album, which are alternated with psalm settings by Goudimel, Schütz and Vallet. The whole is completed with Jewish and Islamic music from Constantinople. A deserved monument to this versatile bridge builder between East and West, who was born exactly four hundred years ago. (JWvR) A deserved monument to this versatile bridge builder between East and West, who was born exactly four hundred years ago. (JWvR) A deserved monument to this versatile bridge builder between East and West, who was born exactly four hundred years ago. (JWvR)more
