Letter to Azam Ali

I wish I could write a letter to Azam Ali. She has been my favorite singer, though I'm the only one I know who has ever heard of her. But she's an internationally famous world music singer who was born in Iran, grew up in India, moved to the United States, and has dedicated her life to performing music that represents a variety of traditional music of Eastern (and sometimes Western) cultures. She has been performing in bands such as Vas and Niyaz, in projects by other artists, and she also does her own solo work. What she says unites her music is a theme of introspection. Her voice is devastating, haunting, and absolutely beautiful.

Perhaps ironically, I first heard her from the soundtrack of the film 300, which was criticized for its comic book portrayal of the "evil Persians" (arguably, it is a comic book movie, it wasn't intended to be culturally accurate or sensitive anyway). But this is how I first heard my favorite Persian singer, and she has since then given me, an American white girl, a gateway to Eastern cultures and music.

When I first heard her voice in the credits, at  1:32 of this track, I absolutely had to find her.

Since then I bought an album from Niyaz and I listened to it throughout college. At first I appreciated it as an introduction to foreign music, her lovely voice, and the ideas of the culture as expressed through the lyrics taken from old poems of famous poets, like Rumi. I was listening to Urdu before I had any idea what Urdu was! And then I showed off this CD to my first Indian friend (I wanted to surprise him) and he told me he knew the song (he thought the music, however, was simply "ok"). And then I realized how close Hindi and Urdu were - once considered together as the language Hindustani. Over the past two years the song "Allah hi Allah" to me sounded at first as syllables, then as words, and now I have the lyrics practically memorized, and they make sense to me.



Still though, my personal favorite song by her is the moody, introspective ballad "Endless Reverie"



"Would that love were something than a false slavery to a god I don't know, and to all the things that tempt me/Then in the light of reason where truth is empty, the alchemy of sin would be revealed.. Waiting by the wayside of an endless reverie, where all the things I run from are sure enough to find me."

I did actually draft a letter to Azam Ali, but I have no idea how to reach her

I really hope someday I can meet her.

If anyone out there is reading, I at least hope I introduced you to a wonderful singer, or shared an appreciation of her that I haven't been able to express so well yet.

Cross-Race Relationships in Indian Cinema

I was thinking of posting this in a forum, but I realized that it was turning into material more fit for a future essay, maybe.

What do you guys think about the examples of cross-race relationships in Bollywood, or Tollywood, or any other Indian cinema? Do you have couples that you really like, do you think some are disappointing? In any case, it's fun to discuss characters and ideas in movies.

Overall, I'm afraid that I felt a little disappointed. For me, the few cross-race relationships I have seen somehow failed, and I can't help but take it a little personally. I know this is the wrong way to take it, and even an immature way to take it. But that's why I hope to discuss it openly sometime.


These cross-race relationships I've seen so far:

Source

In Lagaan (2001), the British woman Elizabeth (sister of the villain) falls in love with Amir Khan's character Bhuvan, and she sings in English a verse in the love song "O Re Chhori", but her lines are sung while Bhuvan and his destined Indian bride Gauri proclaim their love in the same song. The movie doesn't dwell on Elizabeth's broken heart. The movie ends saying that Elizabeth and Bhuvan may have been like Radha and Krishna, but Elizabeth never married - while Bhuvan has his happily ever after with Gauri.

To be fair, I did expect Bhuvan to choose Gauri - she was with him longer, and I didn't doubt her feelings for him. Gauri's jealousy of Bhuvan's friendship with Elizabeth is a continuing frustration and subject of sympathy. More importantly, the relationship between Bhuvan and Elizabeth represents kinship between East and West, India and Britain. Otherwise, all the white guys would be bad guys, and that's not kosher for 2001. It doesn't bother me that Bhuvan didn't choose Elizabeth, but I seem to think that somewhere there's an apology missing.

Source

In Rang de Basanti (2006), British woman Sue falls in love with Amir Khan's character (haha..) DJ/Daljeet, and she never sings, and there is no love song for their relationship. However there are shots of them together in the love song meant for the DJ's friends Ajay and Sonia. It seems that the audience is simply meant to accept that Sue and DJ are together after becoming close, even possibly living together, and that closeness is plain in the film. But the film ends with DJ's sudden death, and Sue left crying bitterly. I suppose their relationship is particularly subtle and quiet, but positive.

Source

In Aaja Nachle (2007) Dia falls in love with Steve, a white photographer, to the tune of the incredibly romantic song "O Re Piya" - which seems to also be the theme music, and more wholly about Dia's love for the theater and her teacher as a father figure. Steve declares his love for her by quoting marriage vows, and even her beloved teacher urges her to follow her heart even if it means leaving her family, who was devastated by her relationship. It's a very Bollywood-esque sweeping romance until less than 10 minutes later, when Dia tells us that her marriage ended in divorce one year later because, simply, they weren't meant for each other. Dia's ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) daughter Radha is a little bratty, but she's about 10, which is kind of a bratty age anyway.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'll let you (or just myself) know when I've found something more on the subject. Or perhaps I should pursue this idea of star-crossed and cross-race relationships in other films and TV.

If anyone is out there reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Meanwhile, this blog will continue to function as my humble thoughts on interculturalism, globalism, etc.

EDIT:

I spoke with my best Indian friend and partner about this, and his opinion was much more fair.

First of all, I apologize for my own unfairness. I realize I started overanalyzing these stories because I was getting rather frustrated as I realized how difficult it can be for Indians to acknowledge their own cross-race relationships. You see, my partner admitted guilt and shame regarding his own relationship with me.

Anyway, let's take his points about these movies: 

1. Elizabeth IS a sympathetic and tragic character when her heart is broken. My friend recalled feeling great pity for her when she is crying in the movie. She's just as genuine as anyone else. Maybe there is no missing apology.

2. My friend LIKES the fact that DJ and Sue's relationship is quietly accepted. It is actually inspiring and forward-thinking that their relationship isn't addressed as controversial. And perhaps they don't get a romantic song number because their relationship isn't the focus of the movie anyway.

3. As for Aaja Nachle - well, he never saw it.

So there you go. I was being unfair, and I'm sorry. I was just upset when I started, and hopefully I'll be able to achieve better resolutions to my arguments in the light of reason - this time provided by my partner.