Learning to play the world

When you look at Boris Sichon’s collection of rare and unique musical instruments from around the world, you wonder what most will sound like.

There’s a Peruvian Vagra Puku that’s curled like a snake, conch shell trumpets, strange rattles and weirdly-shaped drums.

“When you see a beautiful instrument for the first time, you are not rational. You are only emotional,” says Sichon, explaining how he first amassed his almost 250 piece collection.

“You want to play all of them, you want to take 100 lessons, you want to stay in that country forever. It’s like a special moment.”

Born in the Ukraine, Sichon studied music in high school specializing in percussion instruments.

He left his home town for St. Petersburg to continue his musical education in the Academy of Music.

During his studies he started working with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra with well known Russian conductors such as Yevgeny Mravinsky, Shostakovich, Badchan, Karapetian and many others.

After graduation form the academy, Sichon was invited to join the Jewish chamber musical theatre in Moscow as a stage musician and actor.

After a six years with the theatre, he went on to work as a stage musician, dancer and singer in the Russian National Folkloric Band.

It was during his stint with the band, Sichon had an opportunity to visit and perform in 25 different countries, on five different continents, where he started to collect traditional instruments and learned how to play them from well-known native musicians.

“I started not as a collector but as a musician. I played all these instruments,” Sichon explains.

“Music is music. It is fun. It is one of the best things what we have.

It is kind of cliche to say it’s an international language but the most important thing is your feelings. when you play you are talking on a different level.”

Sichon now showcases his collection and his love for world music all over Canada.

Most of all he loves playing for children, who are thrilled to see him use over 25 different instruments in one performance.

“I love to see their reactions because many instruments are very exotic,” Sichon adds.

“You always amaze them.”

• Boris Sichon brings his collection to the ACT on Sunday for the Diverse Collaborations Project. The free exhibit will be on display from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Genstar Studio Theatre. You can also catch an impromptu performance by Boris during that time.

More than world music at Diverse project event

Maple Ridge’s Art Centre Theatre will let in the world on Sunday.

Besides an exhibition and world music performance by musician Boris Sichon, the audience can travel the globe via a celebration of dance.

Presented in partnership by the Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Arts Council, Unity & Diversity Multicultural Association and the Canadian –C.I.S. Friendship Exchange Society, the evening includes performances by the Kauhane School of Polynesian Dance, Shannon Irish Dance Academy, Stave Falls Scottish Dancers, Mabuhay Phillipine Dancers of St. Luke’s Catholic Church.

The highlight of the evening will be the performance of the popular Russian fairy tale The Turnip by students aged 13 – 16 from the Russian school that performed in Maple Ridge in 1989.

The dance celebration will honour of 20 years of student exchanges between Canadian and Russian schools.

• Tickets to the dance celebration are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Proceeds from the concert will go towards hosting the 2009 exchange program.

Other activities at the event will include:

• 2010 Spirit of Wood Community Carving Activity

• A welcome by the Katzie First Nation

• Celtic music jam hosted by Nigel Tucker

• Cultural Displays by the Fraser Valley Métis Association, Afghani Community, Mexican community, German community and the Canadian C.I.S Friendship Exchange Society.

For tickets, call 604-476-2787 or visit www.theactmapleridge.org.

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