Arts 2019, 8, 14 9 of 16 It always creates an atmosphere of joy despite the realities that are still there [ . . . ] I witness how music can really heal pain and suffering.44 3. Three Years Later: Same Name, New Shape In two years, the band Refugees for refugees gave about sixty concerts and the album sold more than 2500 copies.48 While some tensions are still present, the musicians became used to each other’s musical languages and are now driven by the desire to progress together. The idea of a new album, presenting the “work of the band,” has gained ground. An important turning point in the band’s life was an artistic residency in the fall of 2017, during which new compositions were thought for the whole group, musical textures were worked on. The band really became a band, and was no longer the addition of individuals. A balance was found between the different repertoires, but the main focus is still on the bridges created between them. “The moments of exchange between the repertoires are what people [from the audience] appreciate most,” says Lynn Dewitte.49 The description of the project now highlights the message of hope and resilience conveyed by the project, as well as the album turns a new page, symbolizing reconstruction.50 The relevance of the designation Refugees for Refugees is questioned: as seen above, the denomination of musicians as “refugees” is sometimes experienced in a negative and stigmatizing way. Hussein Rassim, ‘ūd player who was involved in the early stages of the project, says in this regard: Once the sadness of no longer playing with the band passed, I realized that it opened up other opportunities for me. During a festival in Tournai, I played on the same stage than Refugees for Refugees. But while their names were appearing in small, under the project title, mine was appearing in large. I realized that my career could also take advantage from it.51 This name will finally be maintained so that professionals recognize the continuity of the project. Tammam Ramadan says: “After four years in Belgium, you have to understand that you are a refugee, whether you agree or not.”52 The new CD release, no longer considered as a separate project but as an ordinary production of Muziekpublique, is scheduled for February 2019. Artistically, all the participants are convinced that it will be musically better than the previous one, but doubts are expressed about the same warm welcome as for the first opus, because “[the subject of refugees] is not so fashionable anymore.”53 4. Refugees’ Narratives, Skills, and the Music The Refugees for Refugees project stands out from the other projects supported by Muziepublique. First thought of as a one-shot project, it received particular attention in terms of funding, by the media as well as the audience. Gradually, it has changed and has developed in the long run, responding to a demand from some musicians, Muziekpublique and other organizations. Aiming at promoting and networking high-skilled musicians who arrived in Belgium, Refugees for Refugees differs from other projects born during the “welcome crisis” by its longevity and by the repertoire played by the musicians—a repertoire that comes from “back home” (Emery 2017, p. 57). In the discussion, 44 48 49 50 51 52 53 Interview with Tristan Driessens for “La Musique, moteur d’émancipation” [Music, the engine of emancipation], RTBF 26 December 2017 (9’40). Available online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs8eqTMLsSY&t=36s (accessed on 18 September 2018). Figures provided by Muziekpublique on 31 August 2018. Interview with Lynn Dewitte, Brussels, 30 August 2018 [our translation]. Description on the crowdfunding website Available online: https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/refugees-forrefugees-new-album (accessed on 30 December 2018). Interview with Hussein Rassim, Brussels, 6 September 2018. Interview with Tammam Ramadan, Brussels, 30 August 2018 [our translation]. Interview with Peter Van Rompaey, Brussels, 30 August 2018 [our translation]. The present seems to prove him right: at the time of writing, a crowdfunding launched by the association for the production of the band’s second CD is struggling to achieve its objective.