Tonight was definitely one of the best experiences I have had in Sarajevo. I sat in on the rehearsal of a choir group called Pontanima, which loosely translates to "bridge of souls." Pontanima is an interfaith choir that was started in 1996, while the war was still going on, as an attempt to "sing louder than the bombs." During the war, Pontanima was a safe place for people of all ethno-religious affiliations to come together as one, to sing out as one voice, to show that a united Bosnia was possible, and that hate was not the answer.
My new friend Amy who introduced me to the choir spoke with me about the power of singing your enemy's songs. She says that when the group tours the country some people are still not quite sure what to do with it. They are shocked to see nuns in habits, muslims in hijabs, singing Ave Maria, Jewish prayers, and Islamic melodies. But Amy, who has been with the choir for a decade and considers them her family, sees this as proof that a united Bosnia, with a united voice, is a legitimate future for the country.
"Pontanima sings a symphony of religions that does not exist in the world in which Pontanima lives. That symphony is the hope, vision, foresight and longing of humanity that the strongest spiritual energies of humankind not be used up in quarrels and conflicts, but turned towards shared goals...In the highest achievements of creativity, differences fade away, enmity finds reconciliation, and space for enculturation is created - space in which we experience as our own everything that is good and beautiful."
-- Ivo Markovic
part of Pontanima warming up
my classmates and me with Amy who sings in the choir
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