Band of Brothers was just that – two pairs of brothers and each one an internationally acclaimed musician – who came together as Band of Brothers. Seated on the stage from left to right we had Leonard and Slava Grigoryan, two of Australia’s finest classical guitarists, alongside Joseph Tawadros, an acclaimed master of the oud, and his percussionist brother James, who specialises in the Egyptian tambourine called a riq. And on this night, Slava’s wife Sharon Grigoryan was next door playing principal cello in The Nightingale and Other Fables at the Festival Theatre.
The show began with the Tawadros brothers on stage; Joseph opened on the distinctive pear-shaped oud. James is a master of Arabic hand percussion and joined in on the riq as they played the first number, a composition by Joseph rather romantically titled ‘The Dreaming Hermit’. They were then joined on stage by the Grigoryans and the music kicked up a gear or two.Â
Joseph Tawadros was the host and MC throughout and has clearly missed his calling as a stand-up comedian. The patter came thick and fast between songs, covering race, ethnicity, politics and more. Pauline Hanson, refugees and political correctness were all fair game for Joseph. They met all the diversity quotas he said, because ‘we’re 50% white and 50% brown’ adding that they shouldn’t really be playing with the Grigoryans because they’re Russian. The Tawadros brothers are of Egyptian heritage; even so, Joseph made the most of his very Aussie accent. And the audience, he said, should all buy their CD and leave it on the coffee table ‘to prove you’re not racist’.
But the concert was really all about the music and that was superb. They played many of their own compositions, separately and together. The Grigoryans played ‘Love Token’, an absolutely beautiful piece that came out of a commission from the Museum of Australia in Canberra, in recognition of its collection of 314 convict love tokens. ‘When this you see, remember me when I am far away,’ – so beautiful and so touching.
The Grigoryans and the Tawadros brothers were so clearly at ease on stage and being together that the performance had a real sense of intimacy. It felt like we were just sharing an evening of eclectic music with friends and really celebrating that close bond.
There is something very special about these four musicians, all masters of their instruments, whose training and backgrounds span Egyptian and Russian heritages, rigorous training in Eastern and Western music traditions, a sophisticated fluency in jazz, classical, world music, traditional improvisational styles and a love of performance.
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There was even a touch of John Lennon and a hint of bluegrass in there too. This was music that crossed cultural and stylistic boundaries and each piece sounded at once both fresh and familiar, taking melodies and instruments we know and giving them a new life of their own. Band of Brothers was all about exploring a range of musical possibilities and creating a rich and satisfying experience for the audience.
Band of Brothers
Playhouse
Slava Grigoryan, guitar
Leonard Grigoryan, guitar
Joseph Tawadros, oud
James Tawadros, percussion
Band of Brothers performed on 4-5 March 2024 as part of Adelaide Festival.
