... a musical Happy Eid

Every so often, an eloquent little piece is found, not in the blogs or front-page posts on this site, but in the comments and reactions to the stories posted here. This is one such example, from user NubianArsalan, in reaction to a blog post by Hakim Baker called Muslim Roots, US Blues.

Here it is…

I love music.

My computer has Cheb i Sabbah’s “Alla Al ‘Hbab” on right now, and every time I hear it, it drives me mad. I can’t listen to it too often. The second part of the track, “Hajti Fi Gurini”, is even more intense.

I know that, in Islam, music is discouraged, at least in association with religion. So I don’t even like to say “Islamic” music when I talk about kinds of music I like.

Here comes “Hajti Fi Gurini”. Those Algerians are channeling spirits, I swear. I love this stuff.

Some say music should be avoided because it’s a stimulus. It could be said I’m addicted to it. I can, however, live without it. Our power was off for a week after Allah sent a violent whirlwind to us in March. I wished I could have played music, loud music to gather energy for the cleanup effort. I wished the dude who had borrowed my djembe had brought it back so I could drum. But I was stuck with downed trees and an astonished “Allahu akbar” repeating in my head, when I wasn’t thinking “Jai Kali Ma” (after Bhagavan Das’s song on Now). The tornado was the climax of the weekend when I became religious. I suppose only God knows if or when I’m closer to It but sometimes I swear music helps. How are Muslims supposed to invite people to Islam through eloquence and beauty, without music?!

On the other hand,

 Get down for a good cause.

CARE FOR CIVILIANS, RELIEF FOR REFUGEES
A Benefit Concert for the Lebanese Red Cross
and an appeal for ceasefire and calm in the region.

SUNDAY AUGUST 6th @ 6pm , 2006
Kresge Auditorium, MIT Campus, 48 Mass Ave. Cambridge MA.
http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=W16

$20 at the door / ALL proceeds go to the Lebanese Red Cross
http://www.dm.net.lb/redcross/

A two hour concert with performances by:

SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble
The ZAITOUN Dabke Troupe
Japanese Taiko Drummer Eaine Fong
Moroccan Gnawa with Boujemaa Razgui
South Indian Dance with Aparna Keshaviah
Members of Boston Camerata Early Music Group

Organized by:
ADC Mass, Arabesque Mondays, MIT LCM, NAAP Boston

Underground Music, son.

Believers.

Recently, several ultra-conservative Egyptian musicians have put out CDs composed only of the human voice accompanied by the hand-drum. This, as we all know, is the only music expressly encouraged by traditional textual sources of Islam. We can get down with this, the musicians were clearly thinking; we can be totally sure of our compliance with the will of God and still boogey. The CD’s are meant for weddings, primarily. ‘We’re having fun without offending God!’ the lyrics say, ‘A happy life for the bride and groom inshalla! We are joyous without offending God!’