Although my own experiments with primal music are drawing to a close, I will not, God willing, lose my awareness of the power of voice and rhythm to unlock the deepest part of person and community.
If you are not yet aware of singer/songwriter MILCK and her deeply primal moment at the Women's March, please watch this:
You can read more about how things came together here.
And you can support her here.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Thursday, February 4, 2016
orchid
I'm struggling with committing the shuddering reality of my present to song.
In the sixteen months since the release of what they took, I lost most everything that I loved. Or tried to love.
I could write to that. I want to, but it's hard. I don't know what to say.
God Most High led me to a poem. It's a simple thing, but that's what distillation ultimately is: a purging of the inessential. And what little remains hints at worlds beyond.
And it was enough to get me behind my microphone, wal-hamdu lillah.
In the sixteen months since the release of what they took, I lost most everything that I loved. Or tried to love.
I could write to that. I want to, but it's hard. I don't know what to say.
God Most High led me to a poem. It's a simple thing, but that's what distillation ultimately is: a purging of the inessential. And what little remains hints at worlds beyond.
And it was enough to get me behind my microphone, wal-hamdu lillah.
From a single point you grow so bright,
my sweetest angel.
You spread your wings and soon take flight,
my sweetest angel.
A beauty to rival the rose in bloom,
my dearest angel.
With Heaven’s scent upon your plume,
my dearest angel.
You cast a coolness upon my eyes,
my brightest angel.
Give birth to hope that never dies,
my brightest angel.
Engulf this soul in the warmth of your wings,
my beloved angel.
Ease the path to what eternity brings,
my beloved angel.
Guide me with scent to the eternal gate,
my forever angel.
A gift of love to close my fate,
my forever angel.
words by Naziyah Mahmood
naziyahmahmood.wordpress.com/
my sweetest angel.
You spread your wings and soon take flight,
my sweetest angel.
A beauty to rival the rose in bloom,
my dearest angel.
With Heaven’s scent upon your plume,
my dearest angel.
You cast a coolness upon my eyes,
my brightest angel.
Give birth to hope that never dies,
my brightest angel.
Engulf this soul in the warmth of your wings,
my beloved angel.
Ease the path to what eternity brings,
my beloved angel.
Guide me with scent to the eternal gate,
my forever angel.
A gift of love to close my fate,
my forever angel.
words by Naziyah Mahmood
naziyahmahmood.wordpress.com/
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Twinning on 12/6
Back in 2008, the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding launched an initiative they call "twinning." It's a beautifully inspired movement bringing Jews and Muslims together into community and conversation.
The drum has opened many, many doors, wal-hamdu lillah. I am invited, along with my dear friends Bassem Rashidi and Moose Simjee to facilitate that intentional community with drum and song. I couldn't be more honored or excited.
The event is being locally coordinated by the Southern California Muslim Jewish Forum:
Be with us, people.
The drum has opened many, many doors, wal-hamdu lillah. I am invited, along with my dear friends Bassem Rashidi and Moose Simjee to facilitate that intentional community with drum and song. I couldn't be more honored or excited.
The event is being locally coordinated by the Southern California Muslim Jewish Forum:
Sunday, December 6th from 1-3 pm
I.M.A.N. Center
3376 Motor Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
The event is free.
The spirit of this impending, historic moment of shared sacred space is captured in a beautiful video shot by the lovely individuals behind Two Faiths One Prayer:
Be with us, people.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
The Lomax Effect
My first exposure to the work of Alan Lomax was a collection of prison songs that I picked up, probably after hearing something on public radio. It was the Big Brazos collection. I remember that much:
The disc was a watershed moment for me, linking the lingering effects of the African Diaspora with my growing awareness of communal music and all that it might hold for us. Sylviane Diouf has suggested that as many as 20% of those enslaved and brought to the Americas were Muslim. It's possible that, in listening to those prisoners singing away the hell of a blazing Texas work-farm, I was listening to the descendants of my brothers in spirit. And their message was clear.
Singing together makes the day go. It revives the spirit and shunts blood through tired muscles and a broken heart.
Those voices would have died out there on the field if it wasn't for the work of Mr. Alan Lomax and those who follow in his footsteps, those who record and archive the living history of common people. And this was not work without significant danger. Alan Lomax was branded a Communist. The FBI, CIA, and the British M15 kept files on him and harassed him mercilessly.
People's music is dangerous. It is the antidote to panem et circenses. Lomax brought attention to the communal traditions of musical expression that brought people together, that afforded people the collective strength to stand up and resist oppression, even if only at the level of spirit. And, like those slave masters who forbade their charges the drum, Lomax would be criminalized for his work.
There are people like Lomax today, people who sit with others to record, to compile, to archive, and to share. They have an open, encouraging presence that allows them access to the masters of a particular tradition. And they are preserving.
In that preserving there is also a perpetuating, and that's the dangerous stuff. They bring us glorious noise to challenge the contemporary entertainment paradigm, and these are the sounds that mainstream media wants so desperately to drown out.
Lomax set a wonderful precedent, and there are others who continue this work, many outside of the American folk milieu. The people at Ihsan Press are doing this work. The nascent effort that is Nashid Lyrics is another example of quiet revolution.
There are those who sing the songs. There are those who beat the drums. There are others who capture the experience and tell the story to the masses.
It is this triad that will deliver the bullet, guns down and voices up in the primal circle.
The disc was a watershed moment for me, linking the lingering effects of the African Diaspora with my growing awareness of communal music and all that it might hold for us. Sylviane Diouf has suggested that as many as 20% of those enslaved and brought to the Americas were Muslim. It's possible that, in listening to those prisoners singing away the hell of a blazing Texas work-farm, I was listening to the descendants of my brothers in spirit. And their message was clear.
Singing together makes the day go. It revives the spirit and shunts blood through tired muscles and a broken heart.
Those voices would have died out there on the field if it wasn't for the work of Mr. Alan Lomax and those who follow in his footsteps, those who record and archive the living history of common people. And this was not work without significant danger. Alan Lomax was branded a Communist. The FBI, CIA, and the British M15 kept files on him and harassed him mercilessly.
People's music is dangerous. It is the antidote to panem et circenses. Lomax brought attention to the communal traditions of musical expression that brought people together, that afforded people the collective strength to stand up and resist oppression, even if only at the level of spirit. And, like those slave masters who forbade their charges the drum, Lomax would be criminalized for his work.
There are people like Lomax today, people who sit with others to record, to compile, to archive, and to share. They have an open, encouraging presence that allows them access to the masters of a particular tradition. And they are preserving.
In that preserving there is also a perpetuating, and that's the dangerous stuff. They bring us glorious noise to challenge the contemporary entertainment paradigm, and these are the sounds that mainstream media wants so desperately to drown out.
Lomax set a wonderful precedent, and there are others who continue this work, many outside of the American folk milieu. The people at Ihsan Press are doing this work. The nascent effort that is Nashid Lyrics is another example of quiet revolution.
There are those who sing the songs. There are those who beat the drums. There are others who capture the experience and tell the story to the masses.
It is this triad that will deliver the bullet, guns down and voices up in the primal circle.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Weddings
This could be the summer of the drum.
Primal Music Monday (PMM) was abandoned months ago. There were lots of reasons for that. Multiple obligations, dwindling participation, stagnant momentum.
It was time to move on, and that was a good choice, wal-hamdu lillah.
But seeds were planted. And we're seeing a little fruit.
I got a call recently from a brother who used to come out for the drumming. He's getting married. He wants a drum circle facilitated at his wedding feast.
And then another of the guys from PMM sent me a note. He's a professional musician and he's put together a drum ensemble. They've been asked to drum in the groom at another wedding. Would I like to help out?
Of course! To see my community embracing their celebratory heritage by pulling together the irresistible energies of drum and voice to commemorate holy matrimony- that's exactly what I'm about.
That's how you do it.
Primal Music Monday (PMM) was abandoned months ago. There were lots of reasons for that. Multiple obligations, dwindling participation, stagnant momentum.
It was time to move on, and that was a good choice, wal-hamdu lillah.
But seeds were planted. And we're seeing a little fruit.
I got a call recently from a brother who used to come out for the drumming. He's getting married. He wants a drum circle facilitated at his wedding feast.
And then another of the guys from PMM sent me a note. He's a professional musician and he's put together a drum ensemble. They've been asked to drum in the groom at another wedding. Would I like to help out?
Of course! To see my community embracing their celebratory heritage by pulling together the irresistible energies of drum and voice to commemorate holy matrimony- that's exactly what I'm about.
That's how you do it.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
FOLI (there is no movement without rhythm)
Life is rhythm.
If you have external speakers, do yourself the tremendous favor of hooking them up before you watch this.
And see if you can spot the dancing sheikh.
We'll be organizing a field trip to Motherland Music for a West African drum circle real soon, insha Allah.
Be ready for that.
If you have external speakers, do yourself the tremendous favor of hooking them up before you watch this.
And see if you can spot the dancing sheikh.
We'll be organizing a field trip to Motherland Music for a West African drum circle real soon, insha Allah.
Be ready for that.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Interview: Soul of Islam Radio
I had a wonderful evening connecting with my dear brothers Ahmad Sakaamini and Emil Ihsan-Alexander Torabi on their podcast, Soul of Islam Radio.
You can check out our discussion here.
You can check out our discussion here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)