Wednesday 10 April 2013

Iron Lady

 
 Photo: AP

A rather eccentric teacher once posed the question that lives on in my mind: "What is it be to be young, from an ethnic minority and growing up in Thatcher's Britain?" I can't quite remember the answer, but what I do recall is that it was a gritty, rather detached and pessimistic time if you belonged to the demographic in the question. Margaret Thatcher is dead; governments and prime ministers have come and gone, but the social changes she started, live on. We live in an altogether more individualistic, ego-centric, and less compassionate world as a result of Thatcherism. Iron Lady she may have been styled, but cold and driven by hubris is how she appeared. There is nothing wrong in reaching out to those less fortunate than you and not everything is about making money and she sorely missed these points. I have to say, she will not be missed by me and quite clearly according to some, I am breaking a general taboo: never speak ill of the departed. The social media is abuzz with negative opinions; there is much more I could say, but for now I will leave that to others:

Thursday 4 April 2013

Pakhwa پخوا

Periodically we need to take a look back and so we do with the lyrics and title پخوا for this song by Ismail and Junaid. They combine rock guitars with the rubâb and blend tradition with a contemporary sound. The appeal factor, for me, however, are the words written by Hamza Shinwari Baba. An excellent ode to the Pashto language.

This video begins with a title slide that is a reminder that many have lost their lives in the turmoil in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  We should not let ourselves forget.


Find Ismail and Junaid on Facebook.

Video Credits:

Pakhwa by Ismail and Junaid
Tune Composition: Ismail Khan / Rafiq Shinwari
Poetry: Hamza Shinwari
D.O.P: Bilal Farooq & Haseeb Shah
Directed by: Shoaib Anwar / Jawad Zeb
Edited by: Shoaib Anwar
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