The Caller: Jazz

A sunday to vent

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:34:00 GMT

Eno has been my friend for the past ten years or maybe more...we have the understanding, our set of jokes and we know each other inside out...we are so close at times of crisis and when we are forced to be distant. Just like now as she left the country for a scholarship...now, her being far is bringing us closer. That's weired if you ask me but, as we always are, this is me and this is her and that's the way it is...so, we are that type of friends...I might not see her for months although we live five minutes apart...but, Enka, I already miss you already.
I have this thing with cutting a cake and presenting it. I noticed that in the West they'd give you a piece of a cake laying on it's side...I would cut you a piece and plate it standing in the normal positions where all the frosting appears and not smudged...If it'd fall i would set it straight again. I wondered why we are different...Is it an east and west perspective?? I wondered, then I got it...hurray! They slice it thin...we take quarter of a cake each...of course theirs won't stand...it's so thin...it has no butt to rest onto...while we...ohhhh, we have the butts alright.
Speaking of food...no, I had no cake since the birthday party Inso threw me...yet, Quiting the smokes, freezing weather and having long vacations have caused (all excuses i know) despicable seizures of chocolate, marshmallow and...chocolate indulgence...Oh, and speaking of that...I have to greet Dear Inso for the amazing night companionship of six seasons of Scrubs to level my depression a bit.
I did vent out during the weekend, I did at some point decide to spare myself the headache of discussing a subject I really care about - when i care i get hyper tension - when i know it won't lead to anything or with someone that won't get it...yet, I lack self control at times...I got the hyper tension and the headache and l3ant salsafeel elly gabo ahl el discussions elly fe eldonia...what really amazes me is the amount of Jerks who feel arrogant enough to add to their jerkness a pile of crap by being condescending...kaman!!!
My kids hate my new hair color...kids are honest and simple so they simply gave me an honest opinion...they said: Mama, loon sha3rek we7esh awi ( your hair color is ugly ) and they had a confused look on their faces. thing is, a while ago i thought i'd refresh things with spicing up the contrast a bit and giving myself a darker shade of hair...i did, it came out black...it's a shock to say the least...it was dramatic...Adams family kind of dramatic...had to get Mama's saying on the matter, she said: rabena khala2 el blonds and el brunettes and khala2 ma3ahom a character to match...this is not you. yes, mom, it's not...and change can't be that severe...and no one can change who they really are... not even for the sake of more spice or more drama. and now I'm talking about life...not the hair.
I have a friend in Gaza. It's a group i joined because i do have a friend in Gaza...My friend in Gaza doesn't hate Egyptians, doesn't exaggerate, doesn't mislead others although he is the one suffering the long cold dark nights and taking all the fighter jets and its missiles. He knows we have a foolish crappy government, but he also knows that people of countries are helpless in so many ways....Now, people around the Arab world and within Egypt...people who are enjoying the comfort of their warm luxurious homes...watching hayfa on their LCD and driving around safe streets in their fancy cars are judging Egyptians, hating Egyptians and cursing Egyptians. I believe my point is obvious, I will not explain no more.
I have a brat for a boss and although the motherhood flooding in me can take his childish annoying behaviour...but not that childish nor that annoying behaviour. so, I smell a fight in the air...when he decides to come by the office sometime for a change and handle some work of course!!!!

Villa 55

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:34:00 GMT

This place is two streets away from my home. It seemed like a nice place. Gave me the impression as i drove by several times a week that this nice looking Villa which opened not so long ago as a restaurant is a nice place to dine and hang out...It has fences so I never saw it from the inside...only some lanterns, palms and a big inviting sign.

A Face book event announcement of a jazz and blues performer who is known to be good playing at the near by interesting place was more than enough to get me excited.

It wasn't easy for me and my friend ( Insomniac) to plan such an outing, we have obligations you see, but luckily we've managed...I treated the event with special care...so the new velvet shoe was on, the special occasion's perfume and a spirit attentive to receive beautiful Music.

As We entered the place and as we headed towards the down stairs entrance of the event we were stopped by someone who asked if we had reservations, My friend cleared the fact that there was no note on the Face book of that sort...the event was categorized as an open event...no specifications nor disclaimers were to be noted anywhere on the page.

She also asked for the Manager, she gave him the look...and OH, what a look...they were disorganized and unprofessional and she would have pointed that out sharper except for the fact that he promised to seek a place for us If we'd give him sometime and therefore we were seated in the open area cafe right in front of the event's door.

As we enjoyed a nice chat...waiting for feedback...the door would slide opened for people who arrived couple after couple...the show - then - wasn't on yet...as the door slid, I could see centre stage...In glimpses and peeks...I could see preparations on the stage, the performer tuning his music...the performer starting to sing...the door would slide and I could hear a tide of Nina Simon's My Baby Just Cares For Me...and I would go...oh, I loved that...the door would slide again and I could hear a wave of Ella Fitzgerald's I've got rhythm...and my heart would fly over their...then the door would shut again...the performer faced the door...he faced me every time the door opened...I could see him looking out...he wasn't looking at the many people walking around the stage...he was singing for no one...as if looking at a vacant space...he sounded so so so good...We realized that an hour has passed and the Manager didn't come back to invite us in...We wanted to seek him inside the place when a 2 meters tall body guard stopped us at the door...he said Bluntly: veiled women are not allowed In the pub!!

I felt heat up my brains, anxiety was about to attack me so I said: Why didn't he say so??!! That is unprofessional and unacceptable and he should have had the decency to let us know instead of making us wait for more than an hour thinking he's fetching a place for us inside!

Simultaneously my Friend stated the same facts and more...expressed how rude and unacceptable that was and powerfully and proudly asked for a paper to leave a note to the performer as she didn't care for the place enough to leave a guest note for the Owner.

the Body guard blamed the evasive Manager and showed understanding for our situation...he apologized and offered delivering My friends note to the performer...she took the waiting seat and started writing a note briefing what has happened to the preformer asking him to pick the place for his good music and feed her back...I sat beside her spotting the sliding door...it opened again and he was singing a Sinatra's...I felt oppression in the ugliest form...the tunes were a few steps away and i was forced out because I covered my hair!!!! another wave of tunes hit me as the door slid and i saw him again and heard him sing NEWYORK full voice...then it faded again...and a tear had to come out...

See, at a time very very recently i was torn between my will to obey Allah and maintain my veil...and between how attractive and liberated I would feel without it...I didn't have the heart nor courage to take it off...yet I didn't have enough modesty to keep it pleasantly...

Right there and then...as the door slid open to give me a tide of music which is my passion...and as the door slid to give me a glimpse of where i wanted to be...and where i felt oppressed without any reason...and where i felt degraded because of a conviction or a dress code...however it meant to anyone...I felt sharp sadness in my heart...that at a point I wanted to belong to the attractive fun life of the norm...I wanted to be accepted among the nice living...I wanted to see admiration in the eyes of people for how I look...I wanted to feel young and not categorized and not judged...I wanted to mingle with the modern...I wanted to change to accept myself so that others would accept me...

But those kind of others are oppressors...just like the religious scholars who define good and bad people by what they wear...My cover was bad enough to keep me from enjoying good music...and other's revealing outfits keeps them from enjoying the company of some conservative good people...or wherever place that would identify people by their appearance...

At that moment and as the tear rolled down my cheek noting that I'm more of the tough type than of the fragile one...Right then and there...se3eb 3alaya 7egaby...se3eb 3alaya that at one point I was thinking of letting it go because of all the previous stated but mostly because i felt down inside that i wasn't good enough for it any more!

My friend is a sweet heart...she left them the note after she made sure she stapled it...smiled out the situation and kept us going out of a gloomy mood...and instantly and parallelly i enjoyed a drink and a muffin in a nearby cafe while I had the tides of music echo in my ear....we had a very nice time talking other life issues...waved the night goodbye and retreated to the comfort of our own homes.

Acceptance Isn't the simplest trade and people will forever serve injustice mainly towards themselves.

Random Harmony

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:41:00 GMT

Three Types of Jazz in an open theater last night:

* Czech Republic…Five musicians...Each instrument played a whole different story...yet all gather to present a high tuned image of greatness.

The drummer stood out...he handled the sticks and hit the brass with tenderness and power I have never seen before. The sound of the beat differed...

The pianist was out of this world...staring at one spot down on the floor and simply out of this world...tapping and hitting those keys as if he's exchanging vibes of life and passion with the universe.

Not over describing but that what it all seemed like while they played such vivid music in open air...just heard passion and saw the sky.

Sax, Trumpet and base guitar players was as great...and they all shared 40 minutes of random harmony...actually it is amazing how music - just like thoughts sometimes- can melt into such emotional sheer existence...so soft and consistent yet holds in it so much randomness.

I could tell easily how much each musician improvised in his solo...it was also very nice to see an admiring smile on the other players faces watching their colleague improvise...as if they were told a little personal secret. Sharing a part of his soul.

* Ahmed Elsawy (zad)...Five musicians...won't even refer to any of them although the sax player is a master...but, Ahmed's voice and Oud playing blew me away.

I don't even remember when was the last time I heard an Egyptian with such a deep inartificial voice...so sensitive I actually had goose pumps and couldn't hold a tear …maybe two.

He sang contemporary Oriental/ Jazz suffi songs...amazing amazing feeling with as amazing Oud skills. The man had passion...the man gave a Jazz concert another taste and a different dimension. Definitely unique.

* Spain and Cuba...again, Five musicians...All are extraordinarily great...but, a contrabass (double bass) player who handles those huge strings the way that man did...as if he is playing around with the finest thread of silk is simply exceptional!!

First song was Cuban and couldn't really relate to it...not because of its origin but because it was...mere instrumental...I mean, it sounded lifeless to me although it had lots of rhythm.

Right after that their music became personal...from within...Improvising wasn't chaotic but I could sense it was originally written with a random flow of feelings.

Most beautiful of all was a song the composer (which is also the lead sax player) has written for his father...the most touching, moving, inspiring piece of heaven I've ever heard.

I could feel every note swaying with breeze into my heart...I was totally in ecstasy...

A world that has sense