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One of the greatest Goddesses of Mesopotamian mythology, Inanna’s descent to the underworld, her death and miraculous revival with the help of the Gods, share commonalities with the ongoing tragedy in Aleppo and Syria. When passing the seven gates of the underworld, Inanna was stripped of her clothes, which symbolized her power. Similarly, Aleppo and Syria have been stripped of their economic, political and human power during the past five years. While Inanna made it back to the heavens and was revived with the aid of the Gods, Aleppo and Syria still wait for the resolution of this devastating conflict.

In this context, Ilaria Tuccia and the Blue Ice Orchestra, a multicultural jazz-pop-rock band based in Finland, dedicated a song to Aleppo. Director, actress and singer Ilaria Tucci said the song speaks of “loss, memory, pride, and dreams for a better future” for Syria and Aleppo. The song’s “intention is to evoke the glorious past of Aleppo, the atrocities of the civil war, and to let the audience feel hope for a brighter future.” The song reminds one of the musicality of the Middle East fused with an experimental Nordic taste.

“The dream of Inanna” is the second musical initiative launched by the Aleppo Project with the help of the School of Public Policy at Central European University. In October 2015, Gábor Berkó wrote “For Aleppo,” a classical piece performed by Hungary-based musicians.

About the Band

Ilaria Tucci and the Blue Ice Orchestra was founded in Tampere, Finland in 2014. Its repertoire includes original songs written by Ilaria Tucci, an Italian director, actress and singer. Ilaria, the group’s lead singer, has combined theatre with peace and conflict studies in experimental projects for the past ten years. The songs, written in Italian and English, belong to different musical genres and traditions: jazz, pop, rock. Sami Sippola (saxophone) and Ville Rauhala (double bass) are well-known jazz players on the Finnish music scene. Tuomas Lukkonen (guitar) is a talented tango and rock guitarist. Sebastian Krühn (drums), the youngest member of the band, already participates in important national music projects.