A few days ago, German website Qantara.com published the following interview about self censorship and music in Arabia, it starts with...
"Ruba Saqr sings her self-composed folk songs as authentically as her vocal improvisations inspired by Islamic mysticism. She is one of Jordan's most promising musical talents. Martina Sabra met her in Amman..."
I met Martina Sabra, the interviewer, in Amman a few months ago in Jebal Lweibdeh, we had tea together when I invited her to attend my alternative Sufi evening, "3 Women Only," at the Amman Summer Festival of August this year. She said she'll try her best and that she was supposed to be in Palestine around the same time. Well, she ended up attending the concert and giving me some great feedback.
When I read the article, I felt I looked a bit ego-centric in there, I think that's OK for singers and musicians in our part of the world (or anywhere really), but I am starting to hate it. People can continue to do what they like to do without being pompous about it, me included. I don't know if I'm self-whipping right now, but if there is one thing I learnt from Sufism, it is that Al 3izzatu liLLAhi Jamee3an (all Glory is God's).
There are many Sufi parables about how God has two robes: 3izza and Kibriya2 (I don't know what those translate into in English... maybe: Glory &... emmm... Greatness). If a person (al 3abd) attempts to wear one of them, God breaks him/her in half. The ego likes to think it's great, capable and wonderful. Satan was thrown out of Heaven because he thought he was better than Adam, 3alayhi al Salam. He told God: "you created me from fire, and created him from soil, how come you're asking me to bow for him!" What Satan forgot is that God created him in the first place, and that God can chose to turn soil into a "better" matter than fire (figuratively speaking). Ego was born that day with Satan, who was on the verge of being an angle, but not quite an angle due to his composition.
Moral of the story is... this talent is not mine, it's a gift from God, or rather an amaneh one is entrusted with.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Against Self-censorship in Arts and Music...
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3 comments:
I like how you clinch to your doctrines and act accordingly. You know, we need that in the Arab world, we need to act in accord with what we believe in because our culture is rich. But we keep destroying it by importing other believes from other cultures.
I'm glad I found a blog for you. Keep it up.
Hi Ruba!
I hope everything is going well...have missed seeing new notes from you! I don't know if you remember me, but anyway, I was studying in Alexandria last term and am now back at school for my final semester. While I'm here, I have a program on the Middlebury radio station (WRMC 91.1 http://wrmc.middlebury.edu/) where I try to introduce students (and faculty, why not) to all different sides of Arabic music...and it's a morning show, so I also get to wake people up to Fairuz occasionally :D
I'm wondering if there is any way I might be able to play a few songs from you before your album comes out (or has it, finally?!) on our station.
Also, if you'd like to steer me in the direction of any others, that would be great! One of the things I try to demonstrate to friends/family over here is that new (and good!) things *are* happening in the Arab World (actually, I introduced a good number of friends in Egypt to Arabic music they had never heard before, so maybe it doesn't really matter what side of the ocean I'm on...actually I already knew that). Since I'm most interested in music & art, that tends to be where I stick. In any case, I'm always interested in learning about new musicians/artists. The point is, do Middlebury students/faculty, and people all over the state of Vermont/anyone who tunes in online get to hear your music on my radio show?
Let me know, and please don't be annoyed if you get an identical message on Facebook or Myspace...just trying to make sure I reach you!
-Jessamy
your music is amazing , best luck
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