Anagenesis: Becoming Cypriot
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Abstract
Anagenesis: Becoming Cypriot is a five-movement music suite that represents my artistic and personal journey of reconstructing identity through music. Drawing from Cypriot traditional melodies and rhythms, global jazz vocabulary, and storytelling, the project explores themes of cultural memory, trauma, and transformation. Each movement reflects a pivotal stage of my life: from childhood innocence to national division, military service, intercultural discovery, and ultimately, reconciliation with my heritage. The compositions incorporate unconventional instrumentation, Northwest African rhythmic influences, and traditional Cypriot elements within a global jazz framework. Through this project, I seek to challenge static notions of identity and instead present it as something fluid, layered, and evolving. This work aims not only to reconnect me with my own roots, but also to create a space for healing and the reconstruction of identity, especially within the context of divided and complex societies like Cyprus. Anagenesis is an artistic proposal for how music can serve as both personal therapy and a bridge toward social cohesion. Ultimately, I hope to inspire and encourage others to accept and recompose their identity, just as I reconstructed who I am through music.
Publication Date
7-1-2025
Campus
Boston Campus
Keywords
identity reconstruction; Cyprus; global jazz; cultural memory; transformation
Recommended Citation
Terpizis, Dimitris. “Anagenesis: Becoming Cypriot.” Master's thesis, Berklee College of Music, 2025. https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-jazz/194.