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Virtuoso's Flutes Allegedly Destroyed By JFK Airport Customs Officials
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 2, 2014
Modified Jan 2, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 2, 2014
Modified Jan 2, 2014
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A New York-based musician was recently horrified to discover that many his handmade flutes were destroyed by U.S. Customs officials at JFK Airport late last month. However, Customs claims they didn't destroy any instrument, just "fresh green bamboo canes."
Boujemaa Razgui, who performs with numerous groups including the Boston Camerata, was traveling from Madrid back to NYC on December 22 when his prized possessions were "smashed." He told Norman Lebrecht of the Arts Journal, "I told them I had these instruments for many years and flew with them in and out… They told me they were agricultural products and they had to be destroyed. There was nothing I could do. The ney flute can be made with bamboo. Is that agricultural?" (Lebrecht adds that Razgui's English "is not fluent or precise; it may, perhaps, have perplexed Customs agents.")
According to the Boston Globe, Razgui had 11 nays and two kawalas, which he crafted over the years "using hard-to-find reeds." Additionally, he also had "material to make new nays in the case." He lamented that Customs "told me they were destroyed. Nobody talked to me. They said I have to write a letter to the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. This is horrible. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never written letters to people."
When asked about this specific incident, a U. S. Customs & Border Protection spokesperson explained to us, "CBP is responsible for detecting and preventing the entry into the country of plant pests and exotic foreign animal diseases that could harm America's agricultural resources. CBP Agriculture Specialists at John F. Kennedy International Airport discovered fresh green bamboo canes approximately three to four feet long inside of unclaimed baggage arriving on a flight from Madrid, Spain on Sunday, December 22, 2013. Fresh bamboo is prohibited from entering the United States to prevent the introduction of exotic plant pathogens. The fresh bamboo canes were seized and destroyed in accordance with established protocols to prevent the introduction of plant pathogens into the United States."
The CBP spokesperson added, "There were no instruments destroyed according to our people."
Tagged
bamboo
Boujemaa Razgui
customs
exotic plant pathogens
flute
jfk airport
original
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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