The band, Beyghairat Brigade is featured in the New York Times - which is huge in itself. The article entitled: 'A You Tube Hit Challanges Extremism in Pakistan' can be read here. Their song title is catchy, particularly if you are from South Asia: Aalu Anday (referring to Potatoes and Egg Curry).
This is NOT the first song ever of this kind, Shahzad Roy, Najam Shiraz, Strings and a couple of other singers have some interesting songs to their credit with tough messages in their lyrics - but almost always in a satirical way.
Beghairat (Shameless) Brigade has highlighted all the defining moments in the past few years in Pakistan for its race to the bottom. The lyrics of the song talks about us that we as nation chose our heroes from amongst killers (Qadri), terrorists (Kasab) and mullahs in burqa (Lal Masjid Imam) but not people like Professor Abdus Salam, a Nobel Laureate in Physics. Talking of Professor Abdus Salam, I would like to refresh memory that he was denied to start a university and a research center in Pakistan for the mere fact that he was from a minority sect. Professor Salam who was disowned by Pakistan. On his gravestone: "Bismiallah" was removed (how bizarre and sick). Though in reality, Professor Salam is the real hero in contemporary Pakistan who had to leave his homeland to persue his work with a very heavy heart and he is the founding member of the world renowned research center in Italy: CERN. We must admit that there have come moments when we have proved that we are one of the most pathetic nations on the world map - who categorically discriminate, categorize and kill its own kind for political and worldly gains only.
Beyghairat Brigade in an interview with DAWN News said with Beyghairati that: "...we do NOT believe in 50% of the lyrics of the song per se....it is a just a song and must NOT be taken too seriously". What???? Are you serious??
Boys: my advice is, stand by what you say or sing in his case!!! Raising voice against wrongdoing isn't that bad!
Our tragedy is the complacency with whatever wrong is happeing in Pakistan and choosing silence over raising voice aganist the wrongdoing at every step.
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sarahinsouthkorea
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ReplyDeleteThis is really strange and a first. As a Pakistani, I feel you are the only other Pakistani who knows about Pakistan and tells it like it is. And I thought I was the only one who thinks like this. You are the first Pakistani I have ever found myself in agreement with. In reading your blogs, I can't help myself from reluctantly agreeing with you. I keep thinking I'll find a blog that will turn me off you for good, but it just hasn't happened yet.
ReplyDeleteYour blogs are well written and non-judgemental, non-sentimental and free of the usual tongue-in-cheek jingoism that spews from most Pakistani mouths.
As someone resident in Seoul, your blogs have helped me understand a lot about living in Korea.
Keep up the good work.
@blogchi: Thanks for visiting and liking the posts, appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I like your nickname: blogchi :-) aaand it is nice to know that we are like-minded on some issues...