Starting a new life in a new country can be difficult. One Bowling Green woman used music to forge connections between the city and its immigrant community.
Listen to this story here.
The latest census showed about 14-percent of the Bowling Green population is foreign-born. That's part of the reason why Israeli musicologist Anat Rubinstein wanted to focus on world music when she started her group at the Bowling Green-based International Center of Kentucky.
“I really think music can cure people and give them some power,” she said. “Some of them hardly spoke a word of English, but I believe in music you don’t have to understand a spoken language, because music is such a universal art.”
In October, Rubinstein began weekly meetings where anyone could share music from their native countries, as well as perform American songs, all in an effort to connect people.
“Especially the refugees," Rubinstein said. " I can’t even imagine what they’ve been through.”
Faustine Kaganda was one of the group's earliest supporters. He performed an original song called "Amani" or "peace" in Swahili.
Kaganda spent six years in a Tanzanian refugee camp, where he first wrote "Amani."
"Music is forever in my life," he said. "It was music that was basically helping me to have a good life."
At first, attendance in Rubinstein's group was high, but after a Thanksgiving break some regular attendees stopped showing up.
“I knew from my experience, it’s going to take a few weeks for a group to crystallize," Rubinstein said. "People need time to trust each other, trust me.”
At the group's last official meeting, attendees discussed the future. Rubinstein said she still believes a multicultural music group can help people from all backgrounds in Bowling Green.
“I’m hoping to start again fresh. I know things now that I wasn’t aware of before,” she said. “I’m still grateful to be given the chance to meet those people."
This story originally aired on WKU Public Radio. In April, Natalie Turner received the Kentucky Associated Press Award for "Best College Radio News Story" for this audio piece.
