If you follow my blog, you’ll notice that lately my posted items are taking a different curve. Recently, I tend to write mostly in English, share more songs and quote a line or two – that may or may not relate to me in person. Most likely, some of you find them as meaningless posts; and frankly, if you ask me why I do so, I may tell you “I do not know” (Arabic: لستُ أدري).

Sometimes a song or a piece of music struck me by the beauty of the words, or the magic of the melody or the gracefulness of the voice. And in the three cases, I like to highlight the gems in my oriental culture to either westerns who may not be aware of it, or people living in the east and are blinded by the western culture or globalization.

I find majesty in original artistic creations, specifically from my region. And just now as the idea crystallizes in my mind, for the first time, I would like to take my blog one more extra step. Therefore, I will introduce pieces I feature in a different way and try to make you (whoever you are, my dear visitor) understand my culture a little bit more. So feel free to pop up any time, and leave your comments or questions. As usual, I will not promise to have the answers you need, but will promise to search for one.

~*~*~

Today’s song is for Lena Chamamyan (Arabic: لينا شماميان). As per Wikipedia, a Syrian singer of Armenian descent. I like to describe her as one of the new wave of intellectual singers in the Arab world, who likes to mix oriental folk music with elements of jazz.

In her 2006 album, Hal Asmar Ellon, one of the songs she sung was from the Andalusian folk (Arabic: موشحات أندلسية) called “Lamma bada” (Arabic: لما بدا). While this song is widely remembered for a version sung by the famous Lebanese diva Fairuz, many other Arab singers did the same over time; and yet the original composer stays anonymous.

It is a fine melody..
Yalla, enjoy!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

When I saw my love sway, his beauty amazed me.
Something about the moment captivated me.
Like a branch bending gracefully.
Oh my fate, and reason for my perplexity .

Who could be the one to alleviate my sufferings in love and torment,
except the king of all beauty.
Oh mercy, oh mercy, oh mercy.

~*~*~

PS: I managed to do the above rough translation, by the help of my friend Huda Gado [Ar], so that you can catch the meaning while you listen.

- “But you said you deleted my emails”. (He said with a laugh)
- “That was a mistake wallahi!”.. (A moment of silence) “mm.. I was spring cleaning messages that I didn’t want to see again.. and yours -among others- were deleted accidentally. After I noticed, undo didn’t work.”
- “You deleted them?! not even archive?!” (astonished)
- “Yes, not even archive. I deleted them..” (she confirmed.)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces. ”

~Bridget Jones’s Diary

“Hope we get a chance to cross paths again some day too.”.. That’s how the email ended, and that’s how I started wondering again about the strangers I meet and the paths I walk by everyday..

To where the roads will lead me, whom will I meet again, and whom not?.. and who will remember me when I am gone?..

Nostalgic?.. True, a little bit..

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

بلا و لا شي بحبك بلا و لا شي
و لا في بها الحب مصاري و لا ممكن في ليرات
و لا ممكن في أراضي و لا في مجوهرات
تعي نقعد بالفى مش لحدا هالفي
حبيني و فكري شوى
بلا و لا شي وحدك بلا و لا شي
بلا كل انواع تيابك بلا كل شي فيه تزين
بلا كل أصحابي اصحابك الثؤلى و المهضومين
تعي…
بلا جوئة امك بيك و رموش و مسكرا
بلا مالنسوان تحيك بلا كل هالمسخرة
تعي…
بلا و لا شي

While the piano man was playing “Kalemat” today, I remembered the first time I heard this song. I was a kid watching Magda El Rumi’s live concert on TV – with my parents at night. My father is the one who taught me poetry. He taught me to love good words, and to seek the hidden meaning behind any song. Both of us share the love of almost the same singers and poems, and share many memories singing together Farid El Atrash songs in a duet..

My mother taught me how to taste music. She taught me to appreciate fine arts, all forms of arts. Good novels, architecture, nature and Om kalthoum. She says I remind her with her father – my grandfather. He was a painter. He was a very good painter actually, who used to listen to radio every day at night while painting. She told me that she knew Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Korsakov through listening to my grandfather’s radio playing in the other room. I used to draw too – before I stopped. I drink coffee like him while working, I listen to radio everyday at night, I wish to tour the globe one day like him, and I dream to have a library, as big as his library.. before they sold the old house..

I am still living with my parents, but my grandfather died long time ago. I barely remember his face, though I can still feel his hands tapping on my shoulders, when I used to call him “Dodo” with 3-year-old-voice…
These memories seem so far away now..
And although they may be no one, no one at all to you.. I am proud to be a fresh copy for the three of them.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

~ Daily News Egypt
Published on 3rd of March 2010

By the end of his live interview with “Al-Ashera Masa’an” talk show host Mona El-Shazli a little over a week ago, the official Facebook group supporting Dr Mohamed ElBaradei for presidency in 2011 had shot up from around 40,000 to 71,000 members. Less than a day later, it went up to 86,000.

Roughly 40 million Egyptians watched this interview, and the massive effect it had on youth is undeniable. After almost three decades under the same president, Egyptians are in dire need of change. ElBaradei embodies that change. Through him, change can happen if (and only if) everybody works with him. Suddenly it feels that Egypt is no longer owned by a single ruling party and its governing elites.

Most of comments on ElBaradei’s Facebook group are by Egyptians both inside and outside Egypt, expressing support for ElBaradei or trying to find creative ways to spread his vision to the off-line community. The rapid increase in the number of comments is incredible, and can only be compared to the April 6 Facebook group that called for a day of civil disobedience in 2008.

What’s different this time is that the campaign is more mature, with important variables in the equation. Here we have a highly respected symbol to rally around, supported by intellectuals mobilizing a serious campaign despite the stagnant political climate. For the first time in many decades, Egyptians of various orientations are gathering around one person.

ElBaradei’s focus on youth was shrewd because it’s their support he needs the most. In the interview he scored points when he mentioned that he follows their work on YouTube and Facebook, and that he sympathized with the two young men who were temporarily detained while preparing for his welcome. He also apologized for not being able to give a speech immediately after his return as planned, all of which deepened the feeling of respect towards him.

While some compared ElBaradei to US President Barack Obama, others compared him to Mahatma Gandhi or Egyptian nationalist leader Saad Zaghloul. However, some are skeptical, especially that he declared that he is not after the presidency and that he will not set up a new political party. Many of the criticism directed towards him revolved around these points, as well as the fact that he has lived almost half of his life abroad, raising questions over his familiarity with the current situation in Egypt.

ElBaradei is only calling for constitutional reform to guarantee that any capable Egyptian would have an equal opportunity to run in the elections, isn’t this what everybody else is calling for?

But despite the fact that free and fair elections are the pillars of a true democracy, calling for them remains risky.

One can never measure the success of a campaign by the number of members joining a Facebook group. Egyptians are known for being an emotional nation, yet there have been no popular uprisings in Egypt since 1977 against raised bread prices.

ElBaradei highlighted this apathy in the TV interview, when he said that after years of living under a dictatorship, Egyptians can no longer make the connection between their deteriorating social conditions and the need for real political reform, which is the real challenge.

His words have set the wheels of change in motion with loud and determined voices appearing in the independent media, and Egyptians everywhere, on the streets, in offices and buses discussing the possibilities of change.

To keep the momentum of what ElBaradei has started, the following points need to be addressed: First there is a need for proper organization for those who want to help but have no idea how to do so. Joining a Facebook group is only the first step, it can’t be the last; otherwise they will continue to remain as scattered and random as previous groups.

Second, ElBaradei must start presenting a specific vision. Naturally it’s too soon to ask him for an electoral program, but he still needs to make his vision clear in people’s minds. He needs to answer the urgent question: “What are the steps he will take to change the constitution?”

Third, the most trusted intellectuals have to show their full support for ElBaradei and through their networks, they will help him spread his message to a wider base of Egyptians.

I will conclude with the words of political scientist Hassan Nafa’a in an article commenting on the popular reception of ElBaradei at the airport two weeks ago.

“Yesterday at Cairo Airport I saw Egypt voting for a new third way … aiming for complete democratization based on citizenship and separation of powers, transparency and the rule of law… a democratic system which allows anybody, whatever their status, to practice their rights. Basically the freedom to vote for whoever they want under judicial supervision.

“And because those movements found in Dr ElBaradei the right person to lead the much needed transition period to make this system reachable, they decided to receive him at the airport, hoping that he will march them towards democracy.

“Does Dr ElBaradei understand the difficulty of the mission which fate set out for him? And the other question is: Is he capable to handle this mission? This is what time will answer, but I think that we should all give him a hand. Are we ready?”

Today I asked the piano man to play me this musical piece by Omar Khairat. When I heard him playing it the other day, I suddenly found tears coming to my eyes. It is so special. It brings back nostalgia for memories I have not lived yet. It makes me miss my home, my room, my lamb light, my books, my daily arguments with my mother and brother, my father’s smile, 10 PM program, my radio, Om Kalthoum’s daily slot, my pen and notebook.. It makes me miss life. Life at large – future, past and present..

The music is cheerfully sad, and it tells a whole lot of stuff and things enclosed inside each and everyone of us.. When a piano man plays..

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Omar Khairat
~ Don’t lose your mind