Marking the resistance to the military coup in Chile, a visit from one of Africa's great literary voices and concerts, film screenings, talks, art and election events characterize the autumn program at Melahuset.
History has shown how art and culture can play an important role in society; it can act as a rebellion and, not least, as a unifying movement. This became clear during the brutal military coup in Chile on September 11, 1973. On September 9, Melahuset marks the resistance to this coup with a panel discussion, a photo exhibition about the Mapuche struggle in Osorno and concerts with Moddi, the duo Cuculikochi and the Brazilian group Choro Livre. On October 12, the Chilean band Illapu will play a concert at Melahuset. This band also played a major role in the Chileans' years-long struggle against the military dictatorship.
- Resistance through culture is non-violent and is not based on theological grounds. " For Melahuset , it is important to focus on how culture can act as a compass for us humans, and how it helps to define us and the society we live in," says Melahuset's director Khalid Salimi.
Author meeting with Nuruddin Farah
Literature also has an important role to play in communicating, telling and collecting. On September 28 and 29, Melahuset invites you to two conversations with Nuruddin Farah, one of Africa's foremost literary voices and often mentioned in connection with the Nobel Prize for Literature. One conversation will be in English, while the other will be in Somali. In his books, Farrah writes a lot about how authoritarian structures are formed, especially how these structures increase in traditional society, and links themes such as political oppression and corruption to psychological and educational aspects. At Melahuset he will talk about his writing, his dream for Somalia and the situation in Africa today.
Encounters between different rhythms and traditions
At Oslo Culture Night, two different musical traditions - Indian and Balkan - meet and unite when Rohini Sahajpal, Stian Carstensen, Jai Shankar and Jarle Vespestad perform. In connection with the Masahat festival for Arabic art and culture, Tarabband Melahuset will take the audience on a journey from Baghdad via Cairo to Paris and Malmö. In October, Argentinian folk music meets Nordic jazz when José Saluzzi, Juan Fracchi, Ulrik Bisgaard and Jacob Young perform at Melahuset and a few days later Peace out to Revolution performs in connection with the opening of Black History Month. There will also be concerts with bansuri player Patrick Vedlog and his guru, tabla master Nabankur Bhattacharya, and in November Adama Barry will release his new album "Nomad Blues" at Melahuset.
Film, art, slam and community
In connection with International Alzheimer's Day, Melahuset invites you to the exhibition Through Their Eyeswithphotographs by Andy Malhan, a poetry performance by Astri Ghosh and Carlton Braganza and a panel discussion on how dementia and Alzheimer's disease affect the immigrant community in Norway. Prior to the municipal elections, two election debates will also be held, The importance of cultural life for multicultural Oslo and Oslo of the Future, with representatives from eight political parties. The pop-up exhibitions KOBE show art from both established and non-established artists, there will be a screening of the documentary film Mama: Norway's Afghan Sons , and Oslo Culture Night will end the evening with slam poetry from up-and-coming slam poets. Several different art and cultural activists from Palestine, Iran, India and Pakistan have also established a permanent home at Melahuset and organize regular activities and events.
Melahuset also has weekly events for kindergartens and this fall will be showing the show The World's Richest Man and the Cocoa Tree, written and performed by Raymond Sereba on behalf of Melahuset.