ILLUSIONS
"My desire to explore the theme of illusion sprang from my earliest disillusionment.
As a child, I dreamed of a world where people could talk without shouting, debate without hurting each other, and build together without seeking to destroy what they considered to be inappropriate in the other. I soon realized that the world does not spin in the same direction for everyone.
Growing up, I realised that we were able to talk about the same topics, and to be in agreement with each other in many areas, without necessarily perceiving things in the same way. And sometimes, on the contrary, we could have profound disagreements even though we shared most of our ideas.
Magicians, for example, are extremely good at getting us to accept the suspension of disbelief. We know they 'cheat' and yet we continue to believe and ignore their subterfuge because we enjoy the performance.
In my little inner world this magic takes the form of music.
How can I share my vision of the world with the people around me?
I feel that music can answer this question. And I wanted this album to be festive and full of positive energy so that between the subject matter - which in this case is quite serious - and the music we are listening to, there is a palpable difference, which can help us to understand this paradox of perception and thus reduce the distortion between the different ways we have of looking at the world.
In my case, for example, when I am experiencing a moment of happiness, it is often just at that instant that my thoughts are at their most nostalgic; and conversely, when I experience complex and sad events, my soul, to protect itself and survive, instinctively drives me to dance and party, so as not to flounder.
This album starts with the most tragic view of the world: cynicism. It then gradually evolves towards light and hope."
Songbook available here:
http://www.quickpartitions.com/songbook/ibrahim-maalouf-illusions