Il pianista di Yarmouk

by Aeham Ahmad

Un giovane suona il pianoforte in mezzo a una strada bombardata. Suona per i suoi vicini, soprattutto per i bambini, per distrarli dalle atrocità della guerra: un’immagine che ha fatto il giro del mondo diventando un simbolo della catastrofe in Siria, ma anche dell’inestinguibile volontà dell’uomo di opporsi in ogni modo alla distruzione. Il suono di quello strumento ha raggiunto e commosso milioni di persone nel mondo su YouTube. Ora Aeham Ahmad racconta la propria storia: l’infanzia in una Siria ancora in pace, l’inizio delle rivolte preludio di una guerra terribile, la fuga per la stessa via battuta da migliaia di disperati. Un lungo e pericoloso viaggio via terra, la drammatica traversata del Mediterraneo, le insidie della rotta balcanica. Fino alla nuova vita in Germania, dove ha realizzato il suo sogno di artista e si esibisce nelle più importanti sale concerti, ma è costretto a vivere lontano dalla sua famiglia rimasta in Siria. Allora come oggi, è la musica che gli ha salvato la vita a dargli conforto e infondergli coraggio.

La storia vera, raccontata in prima persona, di un pianista che ha sfidato le bombe e i terroristi in nome della sua musica, un caso mondiale, una commovente testimonianza di resistenza e fede nell’arte.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Middle East, Music, War, Biography Memoir

348 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Aeham Ahmad – born in Damascus in the year 1988 – belongs to the Palestinian minority in Syria and lived with his family until 2015 in the refugee camp Yarmouk, to where in 1948 his grandfather fled from Palestine. His musical talent was supported from early years, at the age of five his father taught him to play the piano. At the age of 23 he graduated from the conservatorium in Damascus and Homs. Due to the injury by a piece of shrapnel in his right hand a career as a classical concert pianist will likely remain closed for him.

Meanwhile, the former refugee camp has become a suburb of Damascus, but catastrophic conditions prevail there for years. Again and again the settlement was caught between the fronts of different sides and is now in many parts destroyed. Yarmuk is still besieged and no organization comes in to distribute food. The camp has disappeared from the public consciousness.

Reviews

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's ever been a book that illustrates the immense power of music then this is it. What drew me to it, in particular, was the fact that I can personally attest to the strength and courage it can bring to your life, and I feel as though I may not have got this far through the chronic pain conditions I have without this power. One of my favourite writers and philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche once said: "Without music, life would be a mistake", and I believe that to be absolutely true.

Syrian-Palestinian pianist Aeham Ahmad became known after videos of him playing piano on the bombed out streets of his neighbourhood of Yarmouk near Damascus were posted on Youtube in 2013. Most of us will remember seeing it in the media, and boy was it a beacon of hope and a deeply profound moment when I smiled as people around me realised both the healing power of music and its ability to cross generations, cultures, religions and racial divides. His desire to try to help residents forget the traumatic situation they were in and to see the children smile again led to him pushing his old brown piano through the streets to entertain and give respite to the community, if only for a fleeting few minutes whilst the bombs stopped dropping.

Aeham Ahmad's journey through life has been tough; life in Syria was never easy but it became a whole new ball game when the civil war kicked in. This is the account of one man's quest to find peace in whatever way possible. It's a moving, heartfelt and compelling true tale. There are a number of these type of books that have emerged from Syrian survivors over the past few years, but I must admit this is one of the most affecting.

Desmond Tutu's words are particularly apt here: "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." Mr Ahmad's strength to keep hope alive whilst facing the type of life-altering adversity most of us will never encounter shows his character, and although no-one should ever have to go through the devastating living conditions war brings, as always, the victory will be all the sweeter for Ahmad having had to struggle to achieve safety and success. Make no mistake, though, this is an often emotive, sometimes shocking but always captivating story, and one I'm likely to remember for a long time to come.

Many thanks to Penguin - Michael Joseph for an ARC.

[Andrew H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without a doubt, this is a story of immense courage and great humanity. The conflicts within this autobiography, war versus peace, ignorance against wisdom, tolerance rather than bigotry, ought to have made it into a compelling read. Unfortunately, the writing does not match the themes explored. There are moment when telling friendships emerge and stories leap into life-- such as the visit to Mount Qasioun where Assad had one of his villas and piano tuning session turns into absolute terror-- but much of the work is so matter of fact that it does not engage the imagination. Aeham Ahmad's book is written on the back of a youtube video that encapsulated the war in Syria: a lone figure singing in the street against ISIS and those who do not value the spiritual aspects of music. What the book really needs is visuals of such impact-- telling photographs (there are none beyond a small black and white photo at the end) or prose that depicts events fully. Ultimately, I found myself torn between admiring a human being with a tragic story to tell and a retelling that never did justice to the personal tragedy.

[MaryBeth's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm a pianist, not a political activist. My revolution is music. My language is music. Music was going to be my form of protest, even if no one heard me."

What a stunning memoir. Aeham Ahmad, a second generation refugee whose parents fled from the Israeli-Pakistan conflict, finds himself in the Syrian conflict. With only the power of his music as a weapon for peace, he fearlessly takes to the streets to play his piano as his own form of protest. I found this story to be captivating, painful, and inspiring.

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This autobiography of a brave and courageous young man - a striving musician - a man of tremendous compassion and conviction, is food for the soul. For years, our news sources have affronted us with visions of war-torn Syria to which, for the most part, we've become inured. This amazing and heart-wrenching story is a wake-up call to those of us far from the horror and pain of the Syrian conflict. It gives voice to the trials, struggles, sorrow and fear of the refugee people trapped in the war-zone of Yarmouk. This refugee section of Damascus still represents home to those who settled there and to those born and raised there. it is still home for those forced to flee. Author Aeham Ahmad is that refugee and this is his incredible story, thus far.

The story begins with a rich description of Aeham's youth; of his blind father's hope for his son's future as a concert pianist; of the struggles and sacrifices made in pursuit of that dream; and the dashing of that hope as the mortars and bullets fly and drive their dear Yarmouk to destruction and despair. People are fleeing yet Aeham's family chooses to stay. Life continues to worsen. The conditions Aeham's family and their neighbors endure are horrific and appallingly shocking. Yet through it all, this story carries a light of hope.

I was truly moved by Aeham's story. The videos of him playing piano amidst the rubble can be found on the internet and for me, greatly enriched the story as I read. If you would like to read a story of this ongoing conflict, written from the heart, then this could well be the book for you.

I am grateful to publisher Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for having provided an advance uncorrected reader's proof of this e-book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

[Mireille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een foto vertelt het begin en eind niet

“Dit is mijn verhaal. Het verhaal achter die foto die de wereld over ging. De foto waarop ik midden in de puinhopen achter de piano zit te zingen in een felgroen shirt. En iedereen die hem in de toekomst zal zien, zal weten: een foto vertelt nooit hoe iets is begonnen. En ook niet hoe het verdergaat.”

Prachtig verhaal dat uit nood geboren is. Aeham Ahmad is bekend c.q. beroemd geworden op YouTube en in wereldwijde media in 2014. De wijk Yarmouk in Damascus, ooit ontstaan vanuit de nood om Palestijnse vluchtelingen te huisvesten, is in dat jaar afgegrendeld van de buitenwereld. Aeham richt met een paar vrienden het kinderkoor van Yarmouk op, om op hun manier dagelijks iets positiefs te doen. Via internet bereikt zijn pianospel – én de beroemde foto – de buitenwereld.

Wie denkt een ‘typisch vluchtverhaal’ te lezen, komt echter bedrogen uit. Aehams vlucht naar Europa is verwerkt in het laatste deel van het boek. Zoals hijzelf telkens benadrukt: hij is pianist, heeft daarvoor zijn hele jeugd op de muziekschool en daarna conservatorium gezeten.
Dat is wat wordt benadrukt in dit boek: Aehams levensverhaal is heel anders dan dat van “de grijze gestalten die naar Europa komen om een stukje rijkdom te bemachtigen.”
Zijn verhaal begint eigenlijk bij dat van zijn vader, die jong blind raakt en viool leert spelen. Op zijn beurt wil hij de muziek doorgeven en heeft er alles voor over om Aeham op pianoles te krijgen. Geen sinecure voor een Palestijnse vluchteling die geen recht heeft op een Syrisch paspoort, in een arme wijk leeft en enkele uren per dag reist voor de muziekschool. Het resulteert uiteindelijk in een goed draaiende muziekwinkel waarin Aeham muzieklessen voor de hele buurt verzorgt. Hij trouwt zelfs met een leuke vrouw, ze bouwen een huis en stichten een gezin. Alles loopt op rolletjes totdat de revolutie/Syrische burgeroorlog uitbreekt.

Het verhaal van Aeham is in Duitsland opgetekend door een paar ghostwriters die zijn gedachten en manier van doen fijn op papier hebben gekregen. Na een hoofdstuk heb je door alle beelden die worden gecreëerd het gevoel werkelijk in zijn wereld rond te lopen. Er spreekt enthousiasme uit, maar ook wanhoop en angst voor de toekomst van zijn land.
Van tevoren wist ik niet wat ik hiervan moest verwachten, ik had deze pianist nog nooit in de media gezien. Nu, een enthousiaste ontmoeting later, ben ik erg blij dit boek gelezen te hebben en bovenal deze jongeman met een positieve persoonlijkheid gesproken te hebben. Zoveel energie, met een duidelijke boodschap: laten we d.m.v. muziek met elkaar, als mens, de wereld verbeteren.

Gedicht over de noodrantsoenen van de UNRWA uit de tijd van de belegering:

De doos met noodgoederen
Hé, doos, je maakt me gek
Kwel me nu niet langer.
Een hele marathon heb je me laten lopen
Van het Reidshehplein tot hiertoe en terug
Wees toch lief en kom bij me
Met jou kom ik de nacht wel door.
Man, wat heb ik zin in een glaasje
Thee, o ja, met echte suiker.
Zitten we weer aan de klaver
Terwijl we jou zo missen, lekker ding.
Hé, doos, je maakt me gek
Kwel me nu niet langer.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most poignant, painful and necessary reads for everyone who lives in the First World.

Aeham Ahmad starts the book describing his life as a Palestinian refugee in Yarmouk, a suburb of Damascas. Life isn't easy with a scary government, and corruption in every facet of life. Even getting a decent schooling is extremely hard to attain. Even if you are rich and can afford the best schools, many of the teachers there got their positions by means other than ability, so good luck with that.

On top of that, Ahmad, coming from a lower class, is treated with contempt. Nevertheless he and his father, both musicians, are determined to pursue Ahmad's dream of being a concert pianist.

After school, Ahmad, with his father start a musical instrument business where they provide both instruments and lessons. He gets married, has children.

As a Westerner, I found Ahmad's descriptions of his life and culture, how he met and married his wife (very different from here) interesting from a cultural point of view. His family immediate and extended live in the same apartment building. Life without your family members is unthinkable.

Life in Yarmouk is walking on eggshells to make sure you do nothing to tick off the government and end up in one of their torture chambers, conveniently located beneath the government capital. This is normal. His brother disappeared for an unknown reason and has never been seen again.

As difficult maintaining this balance is, it all comes crashing down as war between Isis and the government escalates. By the end of a year, Yarmouk is a pile of rubble. People are eating grass to survive.

Yet, Aeham Ahmad is determined to continue his life as a musician as much as possible. Their store is demolished, but no one can afford lessons or instruments anyway. Aeham salvages one piano, beat up and out of tune, and with his friends, they push it around the city and sing and play. They write songs, other citizens give them poems that they put music to. They start a children's choir.

Then one of their singers, a little girl, is shot down by a sniper. Snipers are everywhere. Some are Isis, some are the government's snipers. Lines a mile long snake around an area where the UN is providing food baskets, but only old people and children may get in line. If a young man gets in line, he is in danger of getting shot down by a sniper.

Does anyone in the West know what this is like? Trying to travel anywhere involves checkpoints and lots and lots of money to grease hands. If a soldier is in a bad mood, he won't let you pass. If you're belligerent, or if the soldier doesn't like your face, you're taken away, sometimes never to return or to return a battered shell of what you once were.

Finally, Aeham was able to leave Syria and move to Germany, but that journey is a harrowing read all by itself. He had to leave his family, some of them permanently, others, his wife and children were able to come a couple of years later.

I am looking at what is going on in my country with looting and rioting, tearing down statues of men long dead. Maybe those disgruntled First Worlders need to go live in a country like Syria for a while and get some perspective. Maybe even some gratitude for living in a country where you're not in fear all the time.

I wish Ahmad all the best and my prayers go out to every person living in such sad situations around the world.

[Inderjit Sanghera · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Pianist of Yarmouk’ follows the story of Ahmad as he orientates both himself and his family in the world of Syria during the Civil War. The story is told with an air of warmth, humanity and most surprisingly of hope, as Ahmad’s life is torn apart just as he begins it with his wife. For Ahmad, music transcends the sense of hopelessness which descends on his life, both on its ability to tell the stories of this who had been impacted by the revolution and, like all great art, in its ability to inspire and crate beauty, a beauty which neither ISIS nor Assad would ever understand.

Ahmad charts his life from childhood and his relationship with his blind father, to adolescence where he begins to develop an affinity (and sense of diffidence) with music, to adulthood where music turns from a vocation to saving him and his family. Ahmad doesn’t choose to espouse any political views or attempt to understand or explain the events which create the war. Instead his just attempts to tell his own story, of a normal man caught up extraordinary circumstances and who finds salvation in his love for music.

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. I can't read about Syria without feeling furious that Assad essentially won the war. 13.2 million displaced, 400,000 dead and the dictator stays, triumphant.

Review to come! Time to be a functional adult and remember that a bad day doesn't mean life is forever ruined.

[Deepika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aeham Ahmad is in 2014 beroemd geworden dankzij foto’s en YouTube-filmpjes die de wereld rond gingen: met hemzelf aan een piano al spelend en zingend met zijn vrienden of een kinderkoor, op de totaal verwoeste straten van Yarmouk. Yarmouk is een buitenwijk van Damascus en een thuis voor Palestijnse vluchtelingen en kinderen van Palestijnse vluchtelingen zoals hemzelf in Syrië. Zo bracht hij wat afwisseling en een hoopvolle noot in het eentonige leven waarin de door het Syrische leger afgesloten wijk zich bevond, en waar mensen amper iets te eten hadden om hun honger mee te stillen. Zijn voorbeeld van levenslust en doorzettingsvermogen verdient alle lof.

In het begin vertelt hij over zijn kinderjaren. Zijn vader is een blinde meubelmaker, zijn moeder lerares. Vooral die eerste combinatie doet wat vreemd aan, toch wordt dit zeer plausibel uitgelegd. Aeham begeleidt bijna altijd zijn vader door de nauwe steegjes van hun wijk als klein jongetje. Hij leert piano spelen aan het conservatorium als enig kind uit een arme wijk. Tussen de vele kinderen uit rijke gezinnen moet hij hier extra zijn best voor doen. Dankzij zijn talent en hard werken gaat hij echter vooruit en wordt zijn passie verder aangewakkerd. Als hij ouder wordt, gaat zijn vader instrumenten maken en doen ze samen een instrumentenwinkel open. Aeham geeft in de winkel muziekles aan de kinderen uit de wijk.

Aeham’s leven verandert ook door zijn huwelijk met de Palestijnse Tahani en de geboorte van zijn eerste zoontje. Ze hebben een vrij gelukkig leven, totdat in 2011 de Arabische lente uitbreekt en verschillende Arabische regimes de wacht worden aangezegd. Eerst kijken de Palestijnse vluchtelingen in Yarmouk de kat uit de boom maar als ze als pasmunt worden gebruikt door het Syrische regime dat de aandacht wil vestigen op hun vijand Israël, keren zij zich ook tegen de Syrische autoriteiten als reactie. De burgers van Yarmouk worden eerst afgesloten door het Syrische leger, daarna krijgen zij zowel verschillende rebellengroepen als IS op hun dak. Ze hebben geen stroom meer, geen brood, geen rijst en amper water. Door veel creativiteit en handelsgeest proberen de achtergebleven burgers, waaronder Aeham, er nog het beste van te maken.

Als de piano van Aeham uiteindelijk wordt verbrand door IS, moet hij vluchten om zichzelf in veiligheid te brengen, cynisch genoeg deels omdat hij al zo bekend geworden was in het buitenland: via Turkije wordt hij overgezet naar Europa en dan gaat het via de Balkan-route en Oostenrijk naar Duitsland. De reis is te gevaarlijk om met zijn gezin te doen. Eenmaal aangekomen in Duitsland, mist hij zijn familie en vooral zijn vrouw en kinderen echter verschrikkelijk, en wil hij deze maar al te graag laten overkomen. In Duitsland kan hij wel terug voor zijn gezin zorgen als professioneel muzikant wat hem toch voldoening schenkt. De schaduwen van zijn opgelopen trauma’s zullen hem echter blijvend achtervolgen en zal hij nooit van zich af kunnen werpen. De roep om dit verhaal te vertellen, wordt daardoor duidelijk.

Hoe beoordeel je een boek dat zulke emoties losweekt? Dat de tragiek van een wereldconflict van vandaag zo goed weergeeft? Uiteraard is het boek ook schatplichtig aan de Duitse auteurs Sandra Hetzl en Ariel Hauptmeier die Aeham Ahmad’s persoonlijke en uiterst emotioneel verhaal tot een persoonlijk en levendig boek kneedden. In dit geval waren zij een onmisbare schakel tussen de pianist en de lezer van dit boek. De vertalers naar het Nederlands, Ralph Aarnout en Jantsje Post hebben zeker ook hun bijdrage daaraan geleverd. Ahmad’s verhaal gaat over welke rol zijn muziek had tijdens de oorlog, de hoop en de levenskracht die hier uit voortvloeiden en hoe hij er is weggeraakt, maar ook over de heimwee naar zijn land en familie, en de ontelbaren die daar zijn achtergebleven.

Deze bespreking verscheen als Hebban-recensie op www.hebban.nl.

[Lalagè · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aeham Ahmad werd beroemd door Youtube-filmpjes waarop hij piano speelt en zingt temidden van verwoeste gebouwen in Syrië. Hij is nog geen dertig, maar heeft al genoeg meegemaakt om een boek vol verhalen te vertellen over zijn jeugd, de bezetting van de Palestijnse wijk en zijn vlucht naar Duitsland. Twee nieuwe landgenoten Sandra Hetzl en Ariel Hauptmeier tekenden zijn verhaal op in een heldere stijl. Doordat ze met een Duitse bril vertellen, worden cultuurverschillen goed uitgelegd, bijvoorbeeld wat ze daar eten en hoe belangrijk familie is.

Dit is een prachtig en zeer indrukwekkend boek over het leven van gewone mensen in een kapotgemaakt land.

https://lalageleest.wordpress.com/201...

[Marit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een vluchteling is niet enkel dat: ze hebben allen hun eigen verhaal, leven en wereld die ze achter zich laten. De schrijver van deze autobiografie geeft ontzettend scherp weer hoe snel alles in kan storten en je nergens meer zeker van bent. Knap geschreven! De rol van muziek is ook prachtig weergegeven. Had wel graag nog inzicht gehad hoe het af is gelopen met zijn eigen ouders.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

[Mohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of this book is moving and charged up. First half is a build up and thus slow. But irrespective, it being a true account renders it space to be both since Truth hits harder than fiction.

This is the story about Aeham Ahmad, the pianist who played on the streets of Yarmouk and whose story was covered all over the western media back in 2014-2015. This is about his flight from his home to safety and the ordeals of becoming a refugee in one’s own country. It is an uplifting story of tenacity and love and that’s what makes it worth reading.

Recommended.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4: Book of the week:
Ammar Haj Ahmad reads Aeham Ahmad’s dramatic account of how he risked his life under siege in Damascus by defying the Syrian regime with his music.

Newly married with a young baby, living in a comfortable Damascus suburb and working as a music teacher, Aeham’s life is turned upside down by the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2012.

When they are bombed out of their apartment, Aeham and his family take refuge in their music shop in the ramshackle district of Yarmouk. But soon the rebel Free Syrian Army takes control of Yarmouk and President Assad’s forces are determined to bomb, shoot and starve them out, regardless of the plight of the ordinary residents.

"Overnight, the checkpoints were closed. No one got out. Nothing got in. No rice, no oil, no milk powder, no sugar. The siege began. The electricity was turned off. Food prices exploded. Soon, people started dying of hunger. Every day, we could hear artillery fire and rifle salvos. Yarmouk was descending into darkness and silence.

"Without electricity, we had to improvise. I put baby Ahmad’s dirty nappies in a large metal tub, put on some rubber boots and waded around in the water. When we ran out of washing up liquid, we began cleaning our plates with ash. We had hardly any soap, so we washed our hands only once a day. We almost never had milk, so we gave the baby water with sugar. There was no more tobacco, so I used dried mint to make cigarettes for my father."

Over five episodes, Aeham tells how he fought to keep his family alive and how, in his anger and frustration, he eventually pushed his piano onto the streets and brought music to the desperate people of Yarmouk.

But when ISIS take over he has to make the agonising choice between staying in Syria and waiting to be killed or making the perilous journey to Europe alone and abandoning his family.

The Pianist of Yarmouk is read by Ammar Haj Ahmad, who trained as an actor before fleeing the conflict in Syria. He recently starred in the critically acclaimed play The Jungle, set in the notorious Calais refugee camp, in London and New York.

Written by Aeham Ahmad
Read by Ammar Haj Ahmad
Abridged and produced by Jane Greenwood
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

[Emma Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest and shocking story of living in a war zone. Very apt right now to help you empathise with those in Ukraine and still those suffering in Syria.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yarmouk è un “lager di morte”, iniziarono a scrivere i giornali europei. Tra le macerie vivono 18.000 persone... delle 650.000 di un tempo.

Un memoir toccante del giovane palestinese diventato un simbolo della resistenza del popolo siriano all'occupazione da parte dell'ISIS, lui che trascina il pianoforte per le strade ormai sventrate del quartiere di Damasco dove vive con il padre cieco - anche lui musicista - la madre e in seguito la moglie e i figli; e suona, compie, cioè, un'azione intollerabile per l'ISIS, che detesta qualsiasi forma di espressione artistica.
Una sfida che serve a dichiarare al mondo che, malgrado gli aiuti umanitari dell'ONU - che spesso devono essere conquistati con più di tre severissimi controlli (Se si fosse girato, avrebbe visto tre checkpoint: il primo gestito dal Comando generale; il secondo dalle milizie sciite, che non ho idea di cosa ci facessero lì; il terzo dell’Esercito governativo. Il punto di distribuzione dell’Onu era oltre questi tre blocchi.) - gli abitanti di Yarmouk stanno letteralmente morendo di fame e sono costretti a mangiare proprio di tutto.



Il periodo dei Ragazzi di Yarmouk fu bellissimo. Quanto ci divertivamo! Non facevamo altro che litigare su dove esibirci. Davanti a casa mia! diceva uno ridendo. No, venite da me! replicava un altro. L’ultima decisione toccava sempre a me. Mentre spingevamo il piano tra le rovine dimenticavamo gli stomaci vuoti e ci sentivamo forti. Non eravamo più soli. Era la nostra rivoluzione, la nostra missione: mostrare al mondo cosa stava succedendo nel nostro paese. Quanto ci stesse torturando Assad. E che noi ci stavamo ribellando.

Qui a Yarmouk non abbiamo molta scelta: o ci uniamo a uno dei gruppi di guerriglieri, o aspettiamo la morte. Ecco, secondo me la morte è meglio aspettarla cantando.

[Karyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

We keep hearing about Syria on the news. Yet another bombing, yet more destruction, yet more refugees. I fear that Americans have become a bit too inured to the devastation of this once-vibrant country. The Pianist from Syria brings to vivid life the terror and hardship of living in a war zone, and it’s even more devastating when you realize that Ahmad’s parents fled Palestine as refugees and settled in Syria to give their sons a better life.

This is truly a book of music triumphing over all. It’s what brought Ahmad’s story to the world, and what helped him to escape to Germany and make a life there. It was what gave him life and breath when he was still stuck in the rubble of his hometown of Yarmouk. It kept him going and gave him hope. To be present with words as he finally sat down at a piano in Germany, even with his damaged right hand, and to finally have this thirst of music slaked for the first time in so very long just shows how necessary the arts are to humanity.

It’s important for those of us in the West to read books like these. Too often we feel as though these people are too different from us, or that there isn’t a reason to help them. Ahmad shows us that the people of Syria are just like us, except they speak a different language, and hopefully this helps us to acknowledge our shared humanity. Refugees deserve a safe place to live, just like the rest of us.

Read this book. Have compassion for the refugees. Help where you can.

[Nora W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon finishing this book, I burst into tears. Aeham's autobiographical story is a story loaded with loss: from friends and family to the encapsulating loss of one's country as a Palestinian/Syrian refugee. His anecdotes throughout strike a chord and release emotional turbulence.
I think that it is impossible to genuinely understand the totality of someone's mental state, especially from a "Western privileged " point of view on the horrific situation that so many refugees confront. However, Aeham Ahmad's story brings us closer to the truth of the matter, more so than the tales told by the media on the refugee "crisis".

It is an important read and I hope it will soon be translated into English, so that Aeham's story can be shared with people around the world.

(I read it in Dutch)

[Kyriakos Sorokkou]

Η ανάγνωση αυτού του βιβλίου αμέσως μετά από εκείνο απ' την Γκάνα ήταν μια εμπειρία βάλσαμο, διότι διάβαζα επιτέλους ένα βιβλίο με πραγματική πλοκή και χωρίς άπειρες πλοκές και χαρακτήρες.

Μια πολύ ωραία εμπειρία κυρίως για δύο λόγους:
1) Συνήθιζα να παίζω πιάνο για δέκα χρόνια και μετά σταμάτησα απότομα. 
Ταυτίστηκα κάπως με το συγγραφέα ειδικά στη φάση που είχε ανάγκη να παίξει πιάνο και για μήνες δεν μπορούσε να το κάνει λόγω του πολέμου. Ήταν κάτι που το ένιωσα, αν όχι στο πετσί μου, τότε σε ένα μεγάλο βαθμό.

2) Ο ίδιος ο συγγραφέας ήρθε σε επαφή μαζί μου στο Instagram και είχαμε μια σύντομη συνομιλία.
Τελειώνοντας αυτό το βιβλίο ένιωσα ότι διάβαζα ένα βιβλίο γραμμένο από έναν φίλο.

Ήμουν της ιδέας ότι ήξερα κάποια πράγματα για τη Συρία, αλλά σε αυτό το βιβλίο μαθαίνουμε πολύ περισσότερα πράγματα για τη ζωή πριν και κατά τη διάρκεια του πολέμου, από την οπτική γωνία ενός απλού κάτοικου της Δαμασκού, όπως επίσης και πώς είναι να είσαι πρόσφυγας στην Ευρώπη και να προσπαθείς να ξαναχτίσεις τη ζωή σου, σε μια Ευρώπη που ανθεί ο ρατσισμός και η ξενοφοβία.

Αυτά είχα να πω για σήμερα. Εγώ το διάβασα στα Αγγλικά. Δεν ξέρω πότε και εάν εκδοθεί στα Ελληνικά. Αν σας είναι εύκολο να διαβάζετε Αγγλικά σας το συστήνω.

[Katie Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We began by pushing the piano out into a world of ruins, into the rubble of Yarmouk...Music was going to be my form of protest, even if no one heard me.”

Aeham Ahmad grew up around music in Syria. His blind father pushed him to become a great piano player and they eventually opened a music store together in Yarmouk and also taught music lessons. Aeham and his family lived a fairly happy life and Aeham was clearly going to have a great career in music.

Then the Syrian conflict broke out. Aeham, his parents and brother, and his wife and young son experienced the siege by the Syrian military and faced starvation. However, in the midst of destruction, Aeham and some friends began to play music in the rubble to bring people hope.

Eventually, Aeham makes the difficult journey to Germany. Once again, he’s able to play the piano and he later is able to bring his family to Germany.

I loved reading Aeham’s story and any review I write will not be able to capture the emotion or beauty of the story. Aeham and others managed to find hope through music in a horrible environment. This book is so moving and powerful. Aeham’s story is another about Syria that I will urge people to read as it provides another glimpse of humanity that is often glossed over in media coverage. Go read this book or at least listen to Aeham’s beautiful piano music.

I received an advance reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pianist of Yarmouk
by Aeham Ahmad

A man, a piano, a Syrian city under siege . . .

For four years, Aeham Ahmad played his music while around him, there was gunfire and famine. In the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, he wheeled out his piano to perform in the streets, often surrounded by children or neighbours looking for an escape from the constant barrage that they lived through daily.

Videos of Ahmad were broadcast on Utube, which gained world wide attention and brought humanitarian aid. As Syria’s initially peaceful revolution turned into a protracted and bloody conflict, his videos were held up as proof of resilience, strength and the power of music in times of turmoil.

This was such an extraordinary book about a very humble man and his resistance to the hardship he and his community faced on a daily basis..

[Susan Lindemulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...a gripping portrait of one man's search for a peaceful life and of a country being torn apart as the world watches in horror." Aeham Ahmad, a second generation refugee, details the horrors of living in a country being torn apart by war and terrorism. You read things such as this about WWII and think it can't happen again, but it is happening. This was a very moving story since it was told by someone who lived in the "thick of things", yet was determined to provide hope for those around him. I've watched some of the videos of him playing his piano in the middle of a street ravaged by bombs and looters and am amazed at his ability to bring some joy to the people around him. The book was very moving.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give The Pianist From Syria by Aeham Ahmad 5 stars. This book really challenged me and rocked me to my core. I’ve been mostly ignorant of things going on in Syria, and this really opened my eyes. This story of his childhood and family and war is really important and relevant to gain more understanding of what people go through. This was a hard story to read, but it will be sticking with me for a long time.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book, you will learn two things. You will gain an understanding of the terrible civil war that has plagued Syria for 8 years. It is the backdrop of an amazing life story of this musician and his family. You will read of struggles and an amazing drive to live and keep a family together. It is a story of how music keeps people alive. It is an amazing book.

[Kathrin Passig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meine Mutter hat das Buch von einer Veranstaltung mitgebracht, ich habe mir nichts davon erwartet und nur halbherzig irgendwo mittendrin angefangen zu lesen. Es war dann aber doch alles sehr interessant und hat mich auch in der Nichtlesezeit beschäftigt.

[Faidz Zainal Abidin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pianist from Syria is a true account of pianist Aeham Ahmad, a second generation refugee. His grandparents and father fled their homeland Palestine and settled in Yarmouk, a temporary settlement to more than 160,000 refugees in Damascus, Syria. Aeham became famous after a photo of him in green T-shirt, playing his piano in the middle of the street surrounded by bombed buildings went viral. His friend who shot this photo was later killed and tortured by the Assad regime. Do you remember the said photo? Aeham brought joy and hope in those dark days.

The were many moving parts. He talks about the challenges he endured in his earlier age to seek education and how later with his father ran a successful music business to finally own a beautiful home, only to find yourself stuck in the middle of a civil war. He later has to resort to selling falafel, almost lost his fingers from a stray bullet, saw a girl died in front of his eyes from sniper shot while singing next to his piano and eventually saw his beloved instrument burned down by the ISIS, because music is haram. That was Aeham's last straw. He knew then he had to leave Yarmouk. This memoir tells you a story about family love and sacrifices, the tragic life and fate of the thousands of innocent refugees in the hands of a terrible regime, the courage he found dragging his piano every evening just to continue playing the music and his eventual escape to Germany.
.
A remarkable story of hope and faith. Suffering and courage. It is not particularly a sad book but the rawness will move you. You will look for his videos and articles after reading the book. You will understand why people risk their lives crossing deadly seas and borders. You will emphatize. I hope I will be able to watch this talented man play one day.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t stop thinking about this book, about Aeham, his family, and Syria in general. I have made it my goal to read as many personal narratives from different voices in Syria, so when I read about Aeham Ahmad’s upcoming memoir The Pianist From Syria, I jumped on it. It’s beautifully written, so vivid and clear, and you fall in love with Aeham and his family, and also in love with Yarmouk, their home.

The first half of the book describes Aeham’s youth, growing up in the area of Yarmouk in Damascus. He grows up with his father, a blind violinist, carpenter, and craftsman of musical instruments, his mother, and his younger brother, in an apartment within the family building. Aeham’s life revolves mainly around music and his father’s dreams for him: that he become a great classical pianist. Despite coming from a poor, refugee background, Aeham and his family work hard to make his father’s dream come true, getting Aeham the piano and the lessons that he needs. Aeham is also a typical teen, rebelling when he feels like he isn’t treated correctly, skipping school to find solace in the music he wants to play, but his rebellion is different from other kids his age, he seems to rebel against a system rather than against himself or his family.

If you have been following the war in Syria at all you have probably heard of Yarmouk, and the utter destruction of the area. Yarmouk began as a refugee camp for Palestinians after 1948, where they were welcomed and provided with the means to build homes, schools, a hospital etc. Over the years Yarmouk became a real home to many people, where the generation of refugees gave birth to another generation who then gave birth to another. Aeham’s narrative really gives the reader an insight into Yarmouk, the bustling community, the people, the lives, the homes, and the culture. Even though the word “camp” still seems to be attached to Yarmouk it had long become a part of Damascus, a place where people had settled for good as they had nowhere else to go, even though they still were not granted Syrian citizenship. Yarmouk was home to so many.

In the second half of the book Aeham tells us of the siege of Yarmouk, of how his family bunkered down and lived off of cinnamon water, clover, and red lentil falafels. How they had to line up when aid packages were finally allowed through, under the constant danger of snipers and checkpoints where young men could be picked out and arrested at any time. The situation between Yarmouk and the Syrian government and other rebel armies is complicated. Aeham has a way with words that helps the reader understand just how complicated it was/is. Obviously the whole war is complicated, and has been going on for so many years now, different countries fighting their own wars on Syrian ground, amidst the brutality of the Assad regime and the plight of the everyday Syrian just trying to survive being bombed, shot, and starvation. But Yarmouk was always a neutral refugee camp, which then found itself under siege, and then overrun by Al-Nusra and then ISIS, and then the Syrian army again. If you do a quick search on the internet you will see what happened to Yarmouk and wonder how on earth people were able to survive. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.

Aeham tells us of how amidst all of the hunger, despair, death, and destruction, music became a solace, and with the help of friends, and singers from the camp, he would wheel his piano around the streets of Yarmouk, and sing. They would sing songs written by the people of Yarmouk, singing of their plight, of their despair, and their hope. His YouTube videos made the rounds around the world, and then one photo of him playing the piano amidst the rubble was taken and made headlines.

Amongst Aeham’s story lies the story of lives destroyed by war, of survivor guilt and anger, but it also is a story of courage, strength, and humanity. I also found that Aeham did a wonderful job showing how fast life can go from normal to a warzone, however rich or poor you are, wherever you may live. Before 2011 Yarmouk was a thriving community, today it is rubble, all the while other areas of Damascus continue on as if the country were not in turmoil. You can’t help imagining yourself in Aeham’s situation and wondering how you would fare. The Pianist From Syria is a sobering read, obviously because of the sheer sadness of the narrative, and the despair of so many people, but also because of the ease of how it happened.

Aeham’s honesty and voice are so strong and important: one I feel we should all read and listen to. I worry that people have become so numb to the suffering of others, but hopefully voices like Aeham’s will provide a greater view of what it means to be Syrian, and what it means to be a refugee. I also hope it will help people to understand how dangerous the country is for young Syrian men, and why so many flee. Often it is because the only other prospect is dying in a prison somewhere and never being found again.

Thank you Aeham for your beautiful words, and for sharing your story. Also thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

[Deirdre Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling listen.

[Wanda]

22 MAR 2019 - a recommendation through Dear Laura. Many Thanks!

Listen here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...