Tumbe
Saturday 19 October, 9:00 pm
Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine
TUMBE (Armân)
Tumbe are the spearhead of an important cultural awakening that is taking place around the Armân language and culture, which spread throughout the Balkans and stubbornly survived through the centuries. The mix of electro-acoustic instruments of this sextet produces a fresh and innovative sound that straddles jazz fusion and word music, where virtuoso Balkan melodies are combined with the ancestral sound of this neo-Latin language.
INTERVIEW WITH TUMBE
What is an untranslatable phrase, an expression or a word in your language that you love? And why?
“Tumbe” is an untranslatable word that we chose as the name of our band, inspired by the title of a traditional song. It is used as an onomatopoeic vocal accompaniment in a polyphonic manner, but this word can also mean, depending on the context, a lot or something big, piles, mounds, bundles and even tumbles.
What are 3 adjectives you would use to describe your language? Why did you choose them?
I would describe my language as being velvety, melodious and mystical.
These words best express the emotion or sensation I have when speaking or singing in Armân language.
Some people think that making music/art in a minoritized language closes many doors – what are instead the doors that it has opened to you?
During our concerts, even if the audience doesn’t understand the language, we always feel that people in the crowd remain attentive and captivated by the musicality of the language beyond the rational filter, which opens up a greater and more mysterious emotional connection with our music, Therefore, we could say that we managed to subtly open the inner doors of the audience during our live performances.
From the perspective of the relationship with the authorities, organizers and producers of shows or events, in the current context of increased attention to the promotion of cultural diversity, we hope that more doors will open to support a project like ours that aims to preserve the specificity of an ancient or endangered culture.
And of course, right from the beginning, our ethnic community appreciated the value and contribution brought by our music to the cultural evolution and opened all its doors to us.
If you could make an appeal to anyone to keep their language alive, what would you recommend? What do you see as the biggest challenges or difficulties to maintain your language ?
We believe that the rediscovery of one’s roots, identity and cultural heritage occurs naturally as a stage of personal evolution, for anyone interested in self-knowledge.
And when we are exposed to our ethnic culture in various artistic forms, I have every confidence that by virtue of an affective memory most people become aware of their origins and of the need for expression in their native language.
Our language crossed several empires and survived for millennia throughout the Balkans, only within the Armân family and community. Even if over time our ethnic culture managed to express itself only through the contribution and support of the community members, at present, for a true cultural preservation and development, the personal contribution of the Armâns is no longer sufficient, but more institutional support and financial aid from the state is needed. For a living language within the community, we need schools, churches and cultural events in our language, supported by the states in which Armâns live.
How would you respond to someone who considers your language old and obsolete?
In a world where globalization and technological innovation seem to bring some confusion in the choice of some cardinal landmarks for a quality life, the return to ancestral archetypes and values can bring a necessary anchor and discernment.
In any old thing, even more so in an old language, a truth or a testimony about a culture is preserved. And when such an old language still lives, this in itself is proof of the vitality and resilience of its people. Thus, speaking this ancient language in modern times becomes a matter of pride, and as long as it is still in use by a fairly large community and because there is a vast literature published by Armâns writers in their own language, it could not be said that it is obsolete or outdated, but on the contrary, that it is still evolving.
A short sentence to describe your music
TUMBE is deeply rooted in Armân folklore and culture, but offers a fresh, contemporary musical outlook, bringing back to life old songs and traditional musical themes through an innovative style of jazz fusion. Our intention is to preserve the essence and beauty of traditional music and to showcase its full potential in modernity through elevated forms of musical production and live performance.