Arts Have a story idea? E-mail us at arts@theotherpress.ca & Finding identity through the arts Nyla Sungas Rhythm Stories’ at Douglas College By Joel MacKenzie, Staff Writer ast Friday, September 21, at Douglas College’s Amelia Douglas Art Gallery, I was lucky enough to view Nyla Sunga’s presentation on her new exhibit, Rhythm Stories, which will run from now until November 2. The exhibit chronicles the influence that various stories have had on Sunga throughout her life, particularly those from her interactions with people from the South African country of Lesotho. Sunga’s love of visual art was evident from a young age, but it wasn’t until she was 20 that she began to realize the importance of different view points. She stated, for instance, that as a child, she always visualized the seasons of the year as being in a triangle shape, with Songs and A performance by three generations of Douglas students By Kayla Steinman, Contributor rom songs about autumn to songs that say goodbye, last Thursday’s Arts at One performance, courtesy of several Douglas alumni, did not disappoint. The show brought together people from three generations of Douglas College, including graduate Christian Bideau and professor Barrie Barrington both on piano, to show us that passion and hard work can get you anywhere. We started off with Linda Szentes, a mezzo- soprano who sang about the joys of autumn. With 8 different points of the year representing literal turns and stretches on a track. It wasn’t until a thought provoking conversation she had with a friend that it occurred to her that others didn’t naturally picture the world in the same way. She began to understand everyone’s unique identity, an important element in Rhythm Stories. The arts seemed to have helped her find her own identity in that time. She grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood in Quebec, with parents of mixed backgrounds: one from a well-off Anglophone family, and one from a less fortunate Francophone family. Her struggle with identifying as one or the other led her to searching for an identity in “a larger context,” a search which led her to many places around the world. One such place was Lesotho, where arts are represented quite differently than they are in North America. For instance, the people in Lesotho don’t have a word for ‘draw,’ and many do not even understand two-dimensional representations, including one man that Sunga painted, who was understandably “suspicious” of her insistence on paying him to simply sit for hours, and then astonished when he saw himself in her painting. Conversely, this is also a place where no one has to be “talented” to give a speech or “sing in four-part harmonies...they just do it.” Sunga went on to live in Lesotho for two years, where she worked as a teacher and helped support the community by creating an art program. The art that Africans freely express may have been what helped them to keep strong in times of crisis, like the AIDS epidemic and apartheid, which made Sunga consider Lesotho, at the time of her visit, a “war zone.” Sunga’s paintings create two-dimensional representations of the told or performed arts that are ingrained in the citizens’ lives. They are vivid and lively, with bright colours, representations of movement, stories written around or in the paintings, and focus on the people’s stories woven together her song, Maurice Ravel’s “Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera,” we heard leaves falling from their trees. As the piano accompanied her in the background, Szentes was able to use her voice to make it sound as if the birds were singing the last song of summer, showing us both with her voice and with her the song “Le papillon et la fleur,” she interpreted the piano as a butterfly and herself as a flower; the butterfly floating around, teasing the flower with its beautiful colors and the flower seeming to call to the butterfly, calling it to come and land. Bideau was able to do notes that I haven’t heard fair adieu as he performed Schubert's “Ganymed;” a song about a man who is looking for someone he worships, and the journey he takes to get to the place where his god resides. Yi was burning with passion; his voice filled the room with beautiful notes that spilt out from him. Bideau was able to do notes that | havent heard since | listened 66 her voice if she so chooses. body motions the passion that she was putting into the song; the passion that the birds have for this season, before flying away. Next was Melissa Bideau, née Purnell, singing a more modern set of songs for us. For her cover of since I listened to my old Queen CD; she may have been the youngest performer and most recent Douglas graduate, but she is going far with her voice if she so chooses. The last performer, Young Yi, sent us off with a to my old Queen CD; she may have been the youngest performer and most recent Douglas graduate, but she is going far with All three of these singers began as Douglas students, and once finished with their studies here, went mostly separate ways. Of particular mention is Szentes, who started at Douglas studying piano, then went to UBC to focus on her vocal abilities passionate artistic and physical expressions. Most importantly, they weren’t created simply “to sell;” Sunga wanted them to represent the “stories of lives.” Art, to her, is about “expressing what it is to be human—to be alive in this moment, this time, this circumstance, completely unique... art is striving to connect with the greater meaning outside of our daily material concerns.” The exhibit represents one’s striving to understand identity of themselves and of others; the individuality that keeps us simultaneously separate and connected. and used her piano skills to accompany other singers. Melissa Bideau came to Douglas and had a love story made in heaven, meeting her pianist husband Christian during their time here. But of course, none of these fantastic performances would have been possible without the amazing music professor Barrie Barrington, who accompanied many of these amazing performers. It was an excellent show had by all, and be sure to check out this week’s performance by the Robin Shier Jazz Quintet, this Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre— free to all who can make it!