Over the last 20 years, many new operas have reflected on contemporary events with engaging music, drama, and observations that have resonated strongly with audiences. One such opera is “Thumbprint,” which Portland Opera will present at the Newmark Theatre (March 18-26).
“Thumbprint” is based on the story of a real-life hero Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani woman who survived gang rape sanctioned by local leaders as retribution for an alleged ‘honor’ crime committed by her little brother. But instead of committing suicide as is customary in her culture, Mai took her rapists to court and won. After receiving money from the Pakistani government, she opened a school in her village to teach girls how to read and write and thereby no longer need to sign documents with their thumbs.
“This opera highlights a person who becomes an unsuspecting hero,” said soprano Samina Aslam, who will sing the role of Mai. “She comes from humble means. She doesn’t know how to read or write. She doesn’t know her rights. But she innately knows her worth. She knows that what happened to her and to other women is wrong. For me her actions are rooted in truth and in Islam.”
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A Pakistani-American born in Anchorage, Alaska, Aslam has made her career like most opera professionals singing European operas like “Don Giovanni” and “Pagliacci.” So “Thumbprint, which she performed at Chautauqua Opera last July, was a truly unique experience.
“The sound-world in this opera is definitely different than your standard Puccini,” remarked Aslam. “The rhythms are unusual for most operagoers because they are Middle Eastern. It is very cool to hear how the composer blended classical ragas and European music.”
“Thumbprint” was written by Kamala Sankaram, who has a musical imagination that spans continents.
“My dad is from Southern India and my mom is American,” said Sankaram from her home in New York City. “As I grew up, I was surrounded by the music that my dad listened to, but I didn’t know that much about it. I took piano lessons in European classical music. When I was a teenager, I visited my grandpa in India, and he really wanted me to learn about Indian music. He bought me a sitar and sent me home with it. I spent several years studying sitar. I figured out that if I were to become a professional sitar player, I would have to drop everything else.”
For “Thumbprint,” Sankaram blended Hindustani and European classical styles.
“I tried to pick ragas that matched the mood of the scene,” said Sankaram. “There’s an ostinato from a raga that starts the piece. It’s one that I made up for Mukhtar based on another raga call ‘Chandrandan’ for the moon. I made the style bittersweet and melancholy. That is where Mukhtar is at the beginning. There is a moment where the government minister offers her settlement money, and she decides to start a school. That’s where we hear the raga called ‘Saraswati’ for the first time. It’s one of my favorite ragas. ‘Saraswati’ is the goddess of wisdom and music. In the opera, the quest for knowledge takes over the darkness of what happened. The mode of the music colors the scene.”
Before writing libretto for “Thumbprint,” Susan Yankowitz, wrote a play about Mai.
“About 12 years ago a group of seven women got together to write a play called ‘Seven,’ about seven women who were doing significant work in their countries,” recalled Yankowitz. “I worked on Mukhtar Mai, the heroine of this story. Beth Morrison, the premiere producer of new operas in New York and country in general, had worked with Kamala Sankaram on a song cycle about Mukhtar. Beth came to ‘Seven,’ and when she saw it had a eureka moment and commissioned the opera, which became ‘Thumbprint.’”
Yankowitz interviewed Mukhtar, who came to New York, because she was being honored by organizations like Vital Voices.
“I had the opportunity to meet with her twice and her translator,” said Yankowitz.
“The hard part about writing the libretto was not at all getting into her head and the heads of the villains,” said Yankowitz. “The hard part was getting a structure that wasn’t too literal but to not make it so abstract so that people would think that the story has nothing to do with them.”
Israeli director Omer Ben Seadia noted that “Thumbprint” goes beyond the singular story.
“There’s a book and a documentary about Mai’s story, but the opera provides a different perspective on the events,” said Ben Seadia. “Our job tells not only the story but even a bigger story, one that surpasses just these events and talks about greater themes that goes past this place and time.”
“Violence against women happens all over the world,” remarked Ben Seadia. “It is not a new story. This opera gives us a better understanding of how we can stride forward, help others, and improve ourselves as human beings.”
7:30 p.m. Saturday March 18, Wednesday, March 22, and Friday, March 24, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26, Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway; $35-$271, portlandopera.org.
