Multicultural "Meraki Concert" brings music from Anatolia and the Balkans to Melbourne

"Meraki Concert" organisers use the Greek word "meraki" on purpose; This is a word that modern Greeks often used to describe doing something with soul, creativity, or love.

Greek dancers will perform at multicultural "Meraki Concert" along with performers from the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean. Source: Supplied

Greeks use the word "meraki" when they put “something of yourself” into what you're doing, whatever it may be. 

"And this is what 'Meraki Concert' is about", Senada Bosnic Ekic told to SBS Greek. Senada, a Bosnian Australian who had the idea of organising the upcoming multicultural and multifaith, as she says, music concert.  

Ms Bosnic is a community worker and works as a volunteer project manager for the "Meraki Concert". 

She arrived in Australia as a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina on "Australia Day" of 1999. She is the "Australian of the Year" for Brimbank City Council, Melbourne's most multicultural council. 

Senada told SBS Greek that her goal with "Meraki Concert" is to get as many different cultures together to celebrate life.

"Meraki Concert" is a journey through traditional Bosnian, Greek, Jewish Sephardic music and dances through to Middle East and beyond. Source: Supplied

The concert is a performance of song and storytelling inspired by the concept of musically translating the untranslatable and, facilitating artistic insights into a new culture and its music.

"Our aim," Senada says, "is to bring different communities together through this culturally diverse show that takes you on a journey through traditional Bosnian, Greek, Jewish Sephardic through to Middle Eastern and beyond. That will be achieved with traditional music instruments, songs that are telling traditional stories and dance". 

She believes that the concert is a celebration of the Balkan and East Mediterranean cultural intersections.

Senada Bosnic Ekic. Source: Supplied

The performers and music groups that will perform at the "Meraki Concert" are Saray Iluminado, a traditional music band from Bosnia and Herzegovina that performs Sephardic Jewish music from the Balkans; Melbourne-based band The haBiBis" which will perform music from Greece, Anatolia and Eastern Mediterranean. 

Also, during the one-day but long-hour concert, the "Brimbank Multicultural Choir", Bosnian folk dancers from "KUD Dukat" and the Greek dancers from "Pegasus Academy Greek Folklore" will take the stage.  

"Meraki Concert" will take place at the Bowery Theatre which is located at Melbourne's western suburb of St. Albans on Saturday the 13th of April 2019. 

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