Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Husn-i-Haqiqi: Real Love or Love of The Real, a Sufi Piece from Pakistan

This turned up in the feed. It's from a little while ago, but deserves mention. Kudos are due to Rohail Hyatt and the team at Coke Studio, Pakistan for the production/mixing/arrangement. And of course Arieb Azhar for the incomparable performance. 

This is the one piece that has most touched me amongst Pakistani and Sufi music so far in the 21st Century. And to those open to it, the language can be understood across several traditions; Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic... This is Pakistan at its most culturally solid and its most creative:

 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Malala: The Next Phase of the Story


Folks are expressing surprise and disgust and even despondency about a thought represented by this New York Times article:
‘Malala Moment’ May Have Passed in Pakistan, as Rage Over a Shooting Ebbs
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/world/asia/pakistan-rage-at-girl-shooting-gives-way-to-skepticism.html
But this was never a straight "Oh, they shot a girl." story to begin with. It's a philosophical, social, political fight for the heart and soul of Pakistan and the Ummah in general. Now the "other side" is pushing back.