Sunday, July 3, 2011

Making local music popular with new generations



In Pakistan, there's a great tv series Coke Studio which features live performances from musicians from all all over the country. I love it.... this is one of my favourite songs at the moment..Ith Naheen, performed by singer Sanam Marvi. Found the English lyrics too..its really haunting


Title: Ith Naheen – – If Not Right Here

Language: Urdu, Siraiki

Poet: Sachal Sarmast (d. 1829)

tu mila bhi hai tu juda bhi hai

You are merged, You are also apart

tera kya kahna

You defy description!

tu sanam bhi hai tu khuda bhi hai

You are the idol. You are also God

tera kya kahna

You defy description!

kya kahna

defy description!

ith naheen te kith naheen

if not right here, then nowhere

ith naheen te kith naheen

if not right here, then nowhere

eeho kaun pya bolainda

who is this who is speaking

bolainda

is speaking

bolainda

is speaking

ith naheen te kith naheen

if not right here, then nowhere

kanjari waali soorat ban ke

assuming the appearance of a dancing girl

sachal naam saenda

“Sachal, the Truthful’ is he proclaimed as

he is proclaimed as “(Sachal) the Truthful’

saenda

proclaimed as

saenda

proclaimed as

ith naheen to kith naheen

if not right here, then nowhere

Friday, June 3, 2011

India - broken food system

I travelled to India to collect material for the launch of Oxfam's GROW campaign aimed at ensuring everyone in the world has enough to eat; and why the numbers of those going hungry is now increasing...

A broken system



Hunger, death and disease:


Impact of rising food prices

Oxfam launches campaign to ensure a world where everyone has enough to eat

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Pictures of the Ivory Coast refugee crisis - refugees in Liberia

More than 120,000 Ivorians have fled -- and continue to flee -- into neighboring Liberia.

In the past week alone, its estimated that more than 9,000 refugees arrived in the southeastern Liberian coastal city of Harper, in Maryland county, after many villages were attacked.

This abandoned school building on the outskirts of the city is now home to more than 4,600 people. The site was designed as a temporary transit center for 1,500 people -- but is now bursting at the seams.

The early arrivals got tents; but those who arrived more recently have to sleep on the floors of the derelict schools; others have built makeshift wooden shelters themselves; using leaves as a roof to try to shield them from the searing sun and the occasional rain.










IVORY COAST REFUGEE CRISIS