MJ the most popular man on the earth passed away recently leaving a void which will not be filled for a long time to come.Artist like him are once in a life time phenomenon and I consider myself lucky to have witnessed this great star.Surrounded as he may be with contoroversies alligations and media distortion, nothing can rob him of the great impact that he has left on the music world of Pop.
But there is one aspect of MJ that is really of my concern.He defied the racial norms.In 80's when the blacks were forcibly sterilaised in the UK, ie the 80's, MJ rose to the hights of sucess which very few could reach,Like the dalits in India, blacks were labled incompetant, good for nothing and a burden on civilized society.But in a typical African-American style "MJ proved all of 'em wrong man!!!U cant say Blacks are no god no more."
He was using his star status to voice the black rights.His songs like "Black or White" or "Heal the World" have been instrumental in creating social awareness through out the world.In a society dominated by the Whites to rise to an unimaginable level is by no mean a small feat.
Often the struggle of Black is equated with the struggle of dalits in india.The similarities are truly astounding.The other day I was listening to one of his Song and suddenly it dwaned to me that this is not a song confined only to the blacks.It is a song tailor made to the indian continant only.Just change of two words and the song completely brings out the dalit woes.Just have a look :
They Dont Really Care About Us:
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Bang bang, shot dead
Everybody's gone mad
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
Beat me, hate me
You can never break me
Will me, thrill me
You can never kill me
Jew me, sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don't you black or white me
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
Tell me what has become of my life
I have a wife and two children who love me
I am the victim of police brutality, now
I'm tired of bein' the victim of hate
You're rapin' me of my pride
Oh, for God's sake
I look to heaven to fulfill its prophecy...
Set me free
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
trepidation, speculation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
black man, black male
Throw your brother in jail
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I'm tired of bein' the victim of shame
They're throwing me in a class with a bad name
I can't believe this is the land from which I came
You know I do really hate to say it
The government don't wanna see
But if Mahatma was livin' *
He wouldn't let this be, no, no
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, speculation
Everybody litigation
Beat me, bash me
You can never trash me
Hit me, kick me
You can never get me
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
Some things in life they just don't wanna see
But if Dr. Ambedkar was livin' *
He wouldn't let this be
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, segregation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Kick me, strike me
Don't you wrong or right me
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
The original names used were Roosvelt and Martin Luther.But just change those to Mahatma Phule and Dr.Ambedkar and u will see that the entire song describes the condition of dalits in india.
Tribute to this great artist.The world of Pop will surely miss him.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tribute to Michael Jackson
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