Florida Fun! :-)
Can you believe it? I'm fishing!!!
This was not part of the deal...
Goodbye…
My heart sank at the news of the death of Michael Jackson. I was in Kindergarten when I first learned of him – our class room had a poster of the Jackson 5 with Michael front and center. Not only did I grow up on his music, but I also was very much influenced by his dedication to his art and they way he fought to realize his vision. It was not easy to leave his brothers and start his own sound, fearing both the success and failure. But that is exactly what he did, and it always gave me hope.
I remember that day that “Billy Jean” came onto MTV. We had never seen an African American MTV video and Michael was the first to break that mold. I was in high school (yes, it was the early 80’s 
) and I would come home from school with a few friends and we would pile in front of my TV to watch this new concept called “Music Television”. Michael revolutionized MTV video standards with short movies that had his music built in. Brilliant.
I was working at Byblos in Los Angeles in the late 80’s (right after my high school graduation) when the youngest of the Jackson’s walked in to experience Arabic music. Randy and I became friends – I would go shopping with him for Arabic instruments and play old Om Kalthum music for him as well as the pop Arabic music that was coming out of Egypt and Lebanon during that time. He had this fantastic recording studio and was integrating the Arabic sound with his work which was primarily movie/TV sound tracks. We enjoyed our friendship and I was very inspired by him and his family.
I mostly remember how devastated the family was at how fast the public was able to turn against their biggest, most brilliant star, Michael. The first thing I thought of when I heard the news of his death while in Milan this week was now we would be able to finally go back to regarding his great talent and not try and turn him into a monster. I felt sorry for him, his inability to be “normal” and our need for him to be the genius that he was. We never forgave him for what came along with the price of his career. He dedicated his life to his music and I find it ironic that his heart would stop before his final tour. The only small consolation is that now we don’t have to read reviews of likes or dislikes of the tour and performances, and the memory of Michael can remain in our hearts brilliant and magical.
So good bye Michael. I truly feel sorrow for your family and hope that you are allowed some peace now.
Nar El Ghera – Suhaila and Isabella
Who wants to see me and Izzy perfrom? :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AokDmXcmvsY
Greenville mini documentary
A peek at workshop highs, and lows. :-)