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Golden Jubilee marks the formation of the Canadian Jamat’s national youth choir

The Canadian Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir performs in Montreal. Photo: Mahebub Ladhani

After a long flight from Calgary, Shazya Ladak finally arrived in Montreal and joined her fellow choristers from across the country. They made their way out of Pierre Eliot Trudeau International Airport, and headed straight to the heart of Old Montreal.

Pausing for a moment along Rue Notre-Dame, the sixteen singers quietly took in the stained glass windows and heritage architecture that surrounded them. Then, one of them suggested shyly, “do you think we can sing here?”

As they began their impromptu rendition, their voices magically fused and resonated among the historic buildings. “I don’t think anything will ever match what I felt that day in Vieux-Montréal,” said Ladak.

During a rehearsal, members of the Choir raise their heartbeats as they internalise the emotion of their pieces. Photo: Almin Surani

Comprised of members hailing from Vancouver to Montreal, the Canadian Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir (CIMYC) was formed in September 2007 under the Arts and Culture Portfolio of the Ismaili Council for Canada, in commemoration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee. The group is led by professional music director Hussein Janmohamed, and has four singers for each of the soprano, alto, tenor and bass parts.

The choristers come from every walk of life. Some are in high school, while others are studying business or medicine at university. A few are music majors. As individual singers, they bring a range of specialties in jazz, chamber music, ginan recitation and rhythm & blues. Together, they apply their collective voice to sacred, secular and folk music from around the world, including Ismaili devotional arrangements.

Members of the Choir sit in a circle and rehearse a ginan. Photo: Almin Surani

Through their singing, the Choir seeks to express and better understand what they call the Canadian Ismaili experience. “CIMYC is an opportunity for a melding of [different] cultural identities into something unique and encompassing,” says Choir member, Sadiq Abdulla.

They explore different genres of music and seek inspiration from a range of traditions. When their voices are joined in harmony, they are able to reflect on what it means to be a youth in the Canadian Ismaili tradition. “Music does not judge, or evaluate,” notes chorister, Zulfikar Nathoo. “It simply exists and creates bonds that words could never make.”

In the short months since its founding, the Canadian Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir has already criss-crossed the country. In October 2007, soon after their debut before the Edmonton Jamat, they performed in the presence of Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya at the opening of A Mystical Journey. Later in the year, the group reconvened in Vancouver for a performance at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Burnaby; their visits to Jamats in cities across the country continued into 2008. Recently, they recorded their first CD in Calgary, which will be released soon.

Performing at the opening of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building in Ottawa was the highlight of the Golden Jubilee for the Choir. The event, which took place in December 2008,  was part of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee visit to Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson were among the distinguished guests who attended the ceremony.

During the Golden Jubilee, the Choir sought to broaden the Jamat’s exposure to choral music as another way through which to express gratitude to Mawlana Hazar Imam, and to share in his vision of hope. Their repertoire explores new forms of expression, pushing the boundaries of tradition. Tamizan Kherani, another member of the Choir, comments that “through CIMYC, I have uncovered the beauty that lies in blending the choral sound with our own traditional forms of devotion.”

For some, the Choir’s work evokes a part of Ismaili tradition that resides deep in the heart of the Jamat. An Edmonton audience member commented: “Different voices coming together in unison, remind me of the unity in working towards the same goal.”

Andaleeb Shariff, an alto, echoes this sentiment: “Music is instrumental in uniting all people, for rhythm is one thing that all individuals share — it is in the constant pulse of our hearts.”

The Canadian Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir pose for a photograph following their Ottawa performance in August 2008. Photo: Almin Surani