The Insurrections ensemble is in the process of creating a musical-poetic performance around the idea of the lament, as shaped by voices and instruments in different times and places. The lament will be the musical form that will trace centuries-old connections between different segments of Afro-Asia. The three kinds of laments that will be worked with are that of the lover, the slave and the exile. We find that these are useful ways of organizing the rich historical and creative material that is available that reveal connections from the 6th century onwards. We will focus on musical performance that brings into focus Kerala, Gujarat, Ethiopia, Zanzibar, Southern Africa, Al-andalus, Persia and Arabia.