THE MIDDLE EASTERN MUSIC OVER THE CENTURIES AND THEIR APPARENT ORIGINS IN SOUND

My Mizrachi (Iraqi mother, Egyptian father, brought up in Kobe) brother and I used to travel and we had, among many other things, the love for the  music of the middle eastern lands in common..another inherited heritage.

This morning I came across a video of jewish religious music over the centuries. The fact that we can identify the songs of hundreds of years is a testament to our unity as a people.

Official Song List 0:04 Barchu (for the High Holidays) - Traditional 0:17 Cuando el Rey Nimrod - Traditional 0:25 Maoz Tzur - Traditional 0:35 Oyfn Pripetshik - M.M. Warshawsky 0:42 Hatikvah - Naftali Herz Imber 0:54 Shalom Aleichem - Israel Goldfarb 1:01 Hava Nagila - Abraham Zevi Idelsohn 1:08 Bei Mir Bistu Shein - The Andrews Sisters 1:20 Ani Ma'amin - Reb Azriel Dovid Fastag 1:31 Sharm El Sheikh - Ram Eliran 1:45 Am Yisrael Chai - Shlomo Carlebach 1:47 Oseh Shalom - Nurit Hirsch 2:02 Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold) - Naomi Shemer 2:20 If I Were A Rich Man - Fiddler on the Roof (Sheldon Harnick & Jerry Bock) 2:26 Hafachta - The Diaspora Yeshiva Band 2:32 Kol Ha'Olam Kulo - Rabbi Baruch Chait 2:40 Adon Olam - Uzi Hitman 2:46 Baruch HaGever - Lev Tahor 2:50 Shehecheyanu - Debbie Friedman 2:59 Minyan Man - Shlock Rock 3:07 Mashiach - Mordechai Ben David 3:10 Havdalah - Debbie Friedman 3:18 The Hanukkah Song - Adam Sandler 3:24 Salaam (Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu) - Moshe Ben-Ari (Sheva) 3:32 Acheinu - Abie Rotenberg 3:39 Shir La'Ahava (Yachad) - Gaya 3:48 Anachnu Ma'aminim - Mordechai Ben David 3:54 Hafinali - Subliminal 4:09 Balbeli Oto - Kobi Peretz 4:16 Shabechi Yerushalayim - Glykeria 4:25 V'ohavta - Yeshiva Boys Choir 4:34 Boee - Idan Reichel 4:41 One Day - Matisyahu 4:41 Niggun Nevo - Shlomo Katz 4:47 Vehi Sheamda - Yaakov Shwekey, Yonantan Razel 4:51 Yesh Tikvah - Benny Friedman 4:53 Yalili - 8th Day 4:55 Et Rekod - Yaakov Shwekey 4:57 Mahapecha Shel Simcha - Lior Nakis & Omer Adam 5:01 Hashem Melech - Gad Elbaz

My brother and I used to listen to listen to music from Arabic speaking middle eastern lands (I am very fond of Persian speaking middle eastern lands whereas my brother was not, so the distinction) and he fondly used to remember his father, olav ha shalom, who had instilled the love of Arabic music into him, and listened to Farid el atrache for example. I liked Egyptian (Hisham Abbas, also songs like Nour al ayn.by Amr Diab) and Lebanese singers (Syrian singer George Wassouf, dont like his politics but who am i to judge?)..and arabic influenced music such as Zanzibari Tarab..

Since they both originated in the same region, centuries apart, their mutual influences are indubitable. Jewish music has also had influences upon the music of the slavic countries. Klezmer music comes to mind.

0:06 Lama bada yatathana - classical andalusian 0:28 Zourouni - Sayed Darwish 0:40 على بلد المحبوب وديني - Oum Kalthoum 0:50 امتى حتعرف - Ismahan 1:03 أنا قلبي دليلي - Leila Mourad 1:10 Ahwak - Abdel Halim Hafez 1:20 محمد عبد الوهاب - لأ مش أنا اللي ابكي 1:30 Farid El Atrash albi w moftaho 1:40 El toba Abdel Halim 1:46 magadir talal madah 1:47 Fairuz - Aatini al Nay wa ghanni 1:59 يا عنيد يا يابا - عبده موسى 2:07 ساعات ساعات صباح 2:18 majda al roumi ana 3am bahlam 2:21 Ali Hamida - Loulaky 2:29 Mohammed Abdo - Hala Bi Tayyibil Ghali 2:36 Nour El Ein - Amr Diab 2:46 Khaled - Didi 2:50 Ya Magnon - Asala 2:55 Elissa - Baddy Doub 3:03 Miami Band - Al Hamdellah Wa Shefnakom 3:07 cheb khaled avec faudel & rachid taha abdel kader 3:17 3abd el majid 3abdallah - Rahib 3:28 Saber El Rebai - Sidi Mansour 3:40 Youm Wara Youm - Samira Said 3:49 Hakim - AH YA ALBI 3:54 Sidi Wesalak - Angham 4:06 Nancy Ajram - Akhasmak Ah 4:13 Haifa Wehbe Boos El Wawa 4:19 Mohammed Abdou, al- Amaken 4:22 Sherine - Ah Ya Leil 4:30 Hussein El Jasmi - Habibi Barchaloni 4:42 جميلة طيني ورور 4:50 Humood - Kun Anta 4:54 Hala AL Turk - Zahgana 4:59 الأنين- هلا بريحة هلي 5:01 Waleed Al Shami ... Ahebah Kolesh 5:09 بلقيس - يا هوى (فيديو كليب) | Balqees 5:19 DOUNIA BATMA MAZYAN WA3AR 5:22 Rabeh Saqer … Khamees 5:28 Asma Lmnawar - Safi 5:32 Saad Lamjarred - M3ALLEM

Popular Israeli singers are popular in Arabic speaking countries as well, as well as in Iran.

It was easier in the centuries past to control the information that flows into the minds of the populace, and thus the rulers and mullahs could create their own stories and peddle them as THE truth, education and sophistication and technology has brought all together.

If only PEOPLE can choose and rule their RULERS ?

ALTA GRACIA. THANKS FOR THE FEELINGS OF LOVE

Every Monday morning, the music streaming service, selects algorithmically based on my past listening habits, songs which are new to me and it is a pleasure to discover International Singers old and new and today this song just hit me at the right spot in my heart.

Remember the days we used to share

Remember the time when I was there I believed every single word you said Just like a child I lost my head I didn't care if it was day or night I just wanted to have you by my side The moon went up, the sun went down But you were still around Alta gracia, my love Alta gracia, my love Alta gracia, my love Alta gracia, my love Remember how we spent the night How we kissed and held each other tight Everything was like a beautiful dream You were the sweetest woman I've ever seen How could I know our love wouldn't stand a chance? I had to go and end this wonderful romance Now I'm so sad and blue, here without you, what can I do? I used to love her from the bottom of my heart Didn't realize that time was slippin' by Now we're living oh so far apart I give grace for the days that I held her by my side By my side

The name of the singer 

Oscar Harris 

Never heard this name before

he had a slight accent in his songs

Imagine my surprise when I found out that 

he is SURINAMESE who was popular in Holland in 1970s and 1980s.

The mind begins to racy and scans the emotional landscape, where was that? when was that? who was that? and the song Willie Nelson sang when we were junior doctors in Melbourne? I wonder who is kissing her now ..

It is not nostalgia but a wonderful feeling rising up in your heart. 

saudade? No i have not lost anything. In fact I have so much to look forward to in the coming months when my wanderers heart meu coracao vagabundo would be on the road again ..

and?

QUEEN ESTHER OF IRAN AND OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE

https://www.nli.org.il/en/manuscripts/NNL_ALEPH002593515/NLI?_gl=1*e980uo*_ga*MTkxMTgzODc3LjE2MTM5ODY2NDM.*_ga_8P5PPG5E6Z*MTYxMzk4NjY0MS4xLjEuMTYxMzk4NzU5OC40OA..&_ga=2.221434904.1839173943.1613986646-191183877.1613986643#$FL160821220

The remembrance, the festival of PURIM is upon us.

to me, the age old connection between Israel and the people of Israel and the Jews and IRAN

to be remembered

Queen Esther

A tomb of Esther and Mordechai is at Hamadan, within a mausoleum believed to have been built in the 1600s and is first attested in the 11th century. Benjamin of Tudela visited the city, in which he reckoned there were 50,000 Jewish inhabitants, and described the tomb as in front of the synagogue. Shahin Shirazi, in his 14th century Ardashir-nāmah, was the first known Persian Jew to write of the dreams of Esther and Mordechai and of a journey they made to Hamadan, stating they died in the synagogue and within an hour of each other. The narrative of Shirazi may derive from earlier Judaeo-Persian sources, now vanished

So it was good to hear that a New York Philanthropist had donated a Megillat Ester.. scroll of Esther written in Iberian peninsula in 1465 CE ie 550 years ago.. it has already been made available on line.

so for me personally it is good to remember what people in Iran are going through, with its long history of wicked kings ..

May they see yet another Queen Esther of their own to bring them liberty. 

I think each and every one of my Iranian friends, past and present and wish them all well.

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: COVID 19 INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE FALLING ALL OVER THE DEMOCRATIC WORLD IN THE AMERICAS

 

TODAY IS FEBRUARY 21, 2021

There has been a Dramatic drop in the number of cases of Covid 19 infections being diagnosed in the USA.

Medical Scientists would give one explanation and the Anthropologists, add to the explanation adding the societal element.

Medical: Both New York Times and Wall Street Journal had good articles about the fall in Corona Virus incidence. 

They credit Herd Immunity from undetected infections (a little stretched as it is not possible that up to 50% of the population has been infected with the Virus without knowing about it ?), improved compliance with the Chief Doctor's recommendations. 

But the high positivity rate of tests, in Miami , one in ten tests are positive, which shows that far fewer people are being tested. Oye, this is not Cuba where there is an excellent Public Health Service in place, I think Americans have an inherent dislike to the word Public, I feel which they associate with Socialism: like Public Health in Miami is non existent in its presence (in poor Cuba , made poorer by the last four years of suffocation by the Giant of the North, a visitor is checked three times in the first five days of his stay and there is constant vigilance by brigades of students and nurses and doctors, with door to door checking). As we now see in Texas, one of the more conservative states, Public Infrastructure also in shambles. In general, in places where you have a government which truly CARES for the public wherever they belong in the rainbow spectrum, you get better results.

Those interested in this matter, please read how ISRAEL is dealing with the virus despite reluctance from a minority of dissidents and has already vaccinated about 60 per cent of its populace (USA before January 20th was negligible but now stands at 13%)

If you are interested in looking at our friends Japan or South Korea or Taiwan or New Zealand or Australia, you can see what went wrong in the USA with regard to the care of the population.

But look at the graph again. Trump lost his election on November 4th and finally and reluctantly gave up his seat on January 20th, during which time he instigated very nearly a civil insurrection and the rate of Covid virus infections jumped. Jut watch the graph.

November 4th to January 20th, USA had the highest rate of infections in a while.

and if you look at the rate after January 20th, it started plummeting.

When you have a president who reconciles than divides, when you have a leader who is level headed rather than fiery, when you have a leader who puts out a fire rather than start one, one who wears a mask, in fact two masks which makes over 90 percent secure that Virus does not enter, then the general population, whether descendants of the pilgrims in Massachusetts or the nabobs of negativity of banana republic of Miami or the millions of Mexicans, Hondurans, Guatemalans will feel a sense of relief..

to any one it is obvious that the general ambiance of the country and the anxiety level at individual levels all have improved dramatically.. The virus survived in a caustic atmosphere whereas a sensible population, calm and obedient to the scientists rather than hypocritical, false messiahs of chloroquine and other purveyors of snake oil remedies.

At this rate, with 1.7 million vaccines being given per day and pharmacies (but avoid Publix Pharmacies for their owners contributions to NRA and Jan 6 insurgency) and Walmarts now joining in can easily vaccinate the entire nation and by the end of April, we can sigh collectively....

Now, is the time for the people of Nuestra America as Marti said to see this gentle example of the Giant of the North: kick out oligarchs and fascists and welcome caring people to lead you with a little bit of financial and vaccine help from the North.

Just today, scientists have realized that for those people who had Covid infections symptoms or no, need only one shot to boost their antibody production by a thousand fold and thus saving millions of doses which can be donated to the brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and also Central and South America.

Soon, you will see me heading to Miami International Airport heading to places where I can look after the PUBLIC ..May Madre Selva bless me ..!

I HAVE RECEIVED MY VACCINE.. SO THAT MY PATIENTS ARE SAFE..

 

I work for a special community and they were prioritized to receive vaccines for all the Health Care workers as well as all the members of the community. The Health Care providers were jabbed first.

Four weeks later I got my second jab and that was more than one month ago. Still protecting our patients, we are obliged to do Covid 19 tests every two weeks and my test number 28 from this week came back negative.

I urge all people who do not have serious allergies to take the vaccine. Studies from Israel show that Vaccine protects you from infection, hospitalization and death from this virus close to 100 per cent. No vaccine guarantees 100 per cent and the Covid vaccine is one the highest in the upper 90 percentile that I have ever seen..

I tell my colleagues, based again on other Israeli studies, my chance of infecting another person is very small, and if that person is vaccinated the chance of infecting that person is close to zero.

Please get your vaccine.. 

This means that my long isolation from TRAVEL is coming to an end. I would book tickets using my usual tricks and get upgraded to seats which are more spacious and not many people around, wear masks and face shields and carry oodles of hand sanitizers and not go to places where there are lots of people. I would miss going to restos but I am sure there are enough outdoor restos.. in this world ..

Today marks the first anniversary when my world of travel fell apart..

I began year 2020 in Cochin, Kerala, spent a few days in Muscat and had at least 3 visits to Cuba..

In 2021, the emphasis is on Brasil. Cuba. France. Qatar. Israel. India. Malaysia. Cambodia ..Omaha and Kickapoo tribes..

Oh Lets see..