April 29th, 2012 by siddhi
I love God but I don’t believe in Him
It would appear, at first glance perhaps, that the title of this piece is contradictory at best and ridiculous at worst. So let me explain how I can justify such a statement.
I wrote previously that I understood that religion is necessary* or it wouldn’t exist, and I based this observation on the understanding that God is perfect and THAT understanding is based on the premise that God is all there is.
The sage Adi Da once declared that “There is neither one God nor many Gods, there is ONLY God, and all of the one Gods and the many Gods are merely idols of the one who is God”. When I first read that statement it was like a hammer blow of understanding to me. Like somebody had knocked the crap out and some sense in. I meditated on that phrase for a long time and then proceeded to use observation and reason to try and justify it.
Part of that process went like this. Observing everything within and around me, it became obvious that existence as we know it is a series of microcosms and macrocosms. Start with our bodies, but be prepared to take this observation train inwards and outwards as we progress, and let’s think of any individual organ.
Maybe start with a liver. The liver exists, it exists as a separate entity that can be removed from the body and kept in some form of existence outside of the body for a time, but it works best when it is part of a greater whole, the body in which it resides, and it functions better within that system when it’s loved and nurtured rather than abused and misused.
The liver itself is made up of cells, individual cells that can be separated out, removed, identified as objects, yet they too work better as part of a whole (in this case the liver) which works better as part of a whole (the digestive system) which works better as part of greater, or technically more inclusive, whole (the human body).
Now also consider that these classifications or labels (cell, liver, digestive system) are merely labels that we put on the with our conscious thought processes to attempt to understand them. They (the components) don’t need the labels to function or exist, they are content to do their part as a function of a larger concept without being separated. In fact they work better when NOT isolated but as part of a nurtured whole.
Our conscious thought processes or reason, deduction and understanding work better for us when we isolate and examine things by presuming them separate, and this will lead later into my explanation of how I can justify the title of this article. However, just because we choose to examine things that way it doesn’t mean that’s the only way we should consider them. When you take something out to look at it, do as your Mum told you, and put it back where it belongs.
Which leads nicely into the next stage of observation, the individual can exist on his own but when loved and nurtured can exist better as part of a family, which can exist as part of a community, which can exist as part of a country, which can exist as part of a continent, which can exist as part of a planet, which can exist as part of a planetary system, and so on. We can extend the observation of microcosms and macrocosms upwards and downwards and inwards and outwards, and it always works. We can go as deep as sub-atomic and quantum particles and as high as our imagination extends and it would always appear that when every part accepts, includes loves and nurtures the parts that function within it and extends that acceptance, love and nurture outwards to the systems to which they belong, then everything seems to work more harmoniously and as intended.
Intended by what or whom, however?
To understand the answer to that question with the conscious mind and its tendency to want to separate things to attempt to understand them, we have to consider an external entity and we tend to call that God. But God is not external in my understanding of things, God is the whole system that we are part of. When we looked deep and inwards to the quantum level, the consideration of microcosms and macrocosms still worked, but interestingly everything is the same at that level, everything is constructed of the same stuff and as you run that understanding up the chain of micros and macros would it not be sensible to assume that we are made of the same stuff as God? We are part of a whole Godly system, all made of the same stuff, just behaving differently, and that system functions more perfectly the more that the (perceived) parts within it love and nurture up and down the system.
The system stumbles, but ultimately never truly fails, when that love and nurture is apparently halted at a waypoint. When you consider yourself , your country, your community, to be separate from, or better than the whole, when you misuse or abuse parts of the whole by denying them love and nurture, then the whole becomes dysfunctional to various degrees. At that point (perceived) other parts of the system may rally around and help, while others may seem to interfere, but eventually the whole survives by existing.
So back to the title.
If I love my body, love the systems that make up my body then it functions more harmoniously. If I extend that love (apparently) outwards through family, community, nation, global, universal and beyond then the whole functions more harmoniously, and in my understanding that is God.
There is no God but God, is a basic declaration of Islam. If everything is God, and it just sometimes perceives itself as separate then by loving everything, you love God. However, you can start at an easier level, by loving yourself and extending that inwards and outwards.
So, I declare that I love myself, and I love God, but God is only perceived as separate for the purpose of labeling and attempted understanding. I don’t believe in a God that is separate from me, but I understand that there is a complete whole, of which I am a part, and I love that.
*Necessary for some and for individual and personal reasons, but not mandatory, and useful as a stepping stone to a more inclusive understanding.
April 24th, 2012 by siddhi
picture shamelessly stolen from Ramy Khalaf
February 22nd, 2012 by siddhi
In the interests of full disclosure I want to make three points;
- I was sent this compilation and asked to review it, as opposed to my usual modus operandi of spouting my unwanted opinion with abandon about something that I used my hard earned moolah to obtain, but I promise it will be a fair representation of my opinion and not in any way biased by the fact that I got it for free. In fact, if it makes you feel any better I’ll buy it as soon as it comes out commercially okay?*
- The Executive Producer, Ginger Shinobi, is a personal friend of mine, a recent friend, I mean it’s not like we mud wrestle or anything, but he’s a friend and he has a track on this album that is one of my favourites. Not because he did it, or because I’m sucking up (I mean I don’t have to suck up, I already got the album for free, right?) but because it’s that good.
- I’m still not really sure what "Moombahton" is. I remember a quote that I heard once that said "I don’t understand pornography, but I know what I like" or was it "I don’t understand Art, but I know what I like" – anyway it was something like that, so I’m going to talk about this compilation in that frame of reference….. is it something that I like?
Yes. Yes it is!
 That said, let me explain why. The executive producer of this album has already introduced me to a few artistes that push boundaries beyond perceived limits. From The Secret Archives of The Vatican, a collective that I believe actually produce some of the best sounds I have come across, to Jay Gabber T – a DJ/Producer that takes hardcore to a whole new level, and several other acts in between. So it comes as no surprise that I couldn’t really identify many of the tracks on this album as being Moombahton, if Moombahton is loosely (note I said LOOSELY) defined as being 108 beats a minute and having a latino influence.
Maybe that’s where the DEEP part of the album title comes in, the parts of these tracks that conform to the conventional definition of the genre are buried pretty deep (see what I did there? Huh?) and that’s a good thing, because I’m a firm believer that genres need to be expanded, boundaries need to be busted and music should come from a place that defies definitions.
Moombahdeep Vol. 1 has 14 tracks on it, and there’s not a bad one amongst them. I listened to this collection many times over a few days period, and I kept coming up with a few new favourites every time. Four tracks however, kept appearing in the favourite list so I’ll mention those specifically.
- Andy Kisaragi’s "Chromatic Night" is wonderfully layered, a little chilled out at first but it builds beautifully and has some incredible (almost) subliminal bass. From the first listen, this track was my favourite on the album and still is.
- Catfish & The Bottleman’s "Sidewinder (Ginger Shinobi’s Deep Moombahton remix)" stands out for it’s production content. The way that the vocals integrate with the layers of instrumentation is really good, and because the source material was so strong, this remix is very, very good (and I’m not just saying that, check disclaimer point #2).
- Vapid’s "Saxaton" probably has the most noticeable latin content of the compilation, I’m a sucker for brass, latin rhythms and minimalism, so this track has it all for me.
- Johnny T & Disgraceland’s "Age of Moombahton Love" is probably the other extreme, with more going on than almost any other track on the album, I keep finding different sections within it that I really like.
So, Moombahdeep, Vol.1 is a really good compilation album, it collects a variety of tracks loosely held together by a "genre" name but that are so different that you could never get bored listening to them. I am REALLY looking forward to Vol. 2 and beyond……….
You need to listen to this on good equipment with good speakers/headphones, with a really full bass response, the subtlety of many of the tracks will be lost on shitty gear.
Lastly, and this was a bit of an eye opener for me, if you have ever wondered what the value of an executive producer is, let me explain something. I downloaded this and listened to it on a portable device that played the tracks in alphabetical order. The album was good, but when I re-tagged the files and played the album in the order that Ginger Shinobi produced the compilation in, it took on a whole new sound. There was a flow to the album that hadn’t been there before, a logical feel to the way the tracks followed each other that enhanced my listening pleasure immeasurably. So track choice and sequence is important and a valuable skill-set to have.
*Moombahdeep Vol. 1 will be available for FREE download on Monday February 27th 2012, do yourself a favour and get it, I will post the link when it is available…… promise….. no really I will….
Here it is – free and available Moombahdeep Vol. 1 download
February 22nd, 2012 by siddhi
February 22nd, 2012 by siddhi
February 22nd, 2012 by siddhi
February 18th, 2012 by siddhi
Doha is blessed to have one of the most innovative Museum Authorities in the world. Under the supervision of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani,during the year that I have lived here the museums have presented amazing and innovative exhibitions as well as maintained and promoted two beautiful permanent museums (Mathaf and The Museum of Islamic Art). Museums are free to enter and special exhibits usually cost around QR25 (about $6).
 Today I went to view the exhibition EGO by Takashi Murakami, a Japanese artist that I had very little prior exposure to. “This presentation is one of the largest gatherings of the artist’s work to date including work created over the past 15 years. The installation has been conceived and choreographed by Murakami to function as a giant self-portrait – a look inside the artist’s mind manifested in a stunning variety of multi-media objects and environments.*” This quote is directly taken from the booklet issued by the Qatar Museums Authority to describe the event.
 As beautiful as the Museum of Modern Art building is, Al Riwaq, which sits in its grounds, is as plain a building as you can imagine. It is little more than a giant box, and when I first visited it was the temporary home of the Mathaf Modern Art Museum. However, Murakami has decorated the rear of the building in his own unique style to promote the exhibition. It has become a giant mural of his self portrait and includes many of his characters and themes. It is, quite simply stunning.
 But that is nothing compared to what greets you when you enter through the front doors. A GIANT inflatable sculpture of the artist fills and dominates the lobby. For an idea of the size of this sculpture, enlarge this picture and note the Museum staff behind it. This thing is so detailed it literally stops you in your tracks. It sits in the foyer/gift shop and greets each and every visitor amongst plush sculptures and souvenirs and the Museum’s signature friendly staff.
Photography is not allowed inside the exhibition, and this is one of my few pet peeves about the Museum Authority. Photography is only allowed in certain museums, and I have been told that it is because of copyright restrictions imposed (usually) by the artist. But the work is publicly displayed and bloggers and social media posters displaying photos of the exhibits would only serve to bring in more visitors. I just don’t get it, so the pics that I am displaying here, I took from the Museum booklet, probably busting all sorts of copyright (and of course I’ll pull them if I am asked).
 The whole exhibition is expertly laid out, drawing you through a series of paintings, sculptures, inflatables, floor coverings and video presentations. You can see the development of Murakami’s ideas and imagination, drawing on manga and anime influences, Japanese kawaii and western techniques.
Many of the works are thematic, similarly styled but with colour and detail variations that makes each one unique. Weaving into his pieces manga type characters, smiling flowers, palettes of bright colours and complete walls of dark foreboding images – Takashi Murakami shows the paradox that is the Japanese culture. Sweet  smiling images and dark perversions sit side by side and bright smiling images sit next to ominous (nuclear type)mushroom clouds of skulls. Traditional Japanese monsters and priests look across the image at smiling and beautifully created cartoon like characters. The old and new, the traditional and the modern all married in one incredible exhibition.
One particular hall features giant paintings made of many panels, that take full advantage of the huge display areas at Al Riwaq. Many of these incorporate traditional Japanese religious themes and styles but also feature modern acrylic and metal work and styles reminiscent of Rothko, all woven into  unique and visually stunning pieces that demand long and careful viewing. There is also, in this hall, a circus tent showing video presentations from anime that Murakami is involved with, notably “Six Hearts Princess”.
At the end of the exhibit is a hall featuring models and sketches showing the detail involved in creating the incredible sculptures produced by this amazing artist.
Murakami has laid his ego bare…. if you live in Doha, you MUST see this exhibition.
*This quote is directly taken from the booklet issued by the Qatar Museums Authority to describe the event.
February 18th, 2012 by siddhi
One of my friends, a Qatari, asked me if I’d like to go with him and his brother (and a few others) to buy two camels. What white boy wouldn’t take up that offer????
So, I met them at the market, which was way out of town, and when we arrived there were two men looking after about 8 camels and the owner in a Land Cruiser (on the phone, of course) and I’ve got to admit, as ugly as they are, there was something every appealing about them.
There were two young camels that looked ridiculously cute, but they were not for sale unless you bought the Mom too.
Now, I should explain, almost every conversation, between men, in Arabic, increases in volume until it sounds like an argument, so the “conversations began”. Finally two were selected and Salim and his brother were going to ride them. The owner, who had taken a shine to me, and was making the obligatory jokes about “No AC on camel” offered me the chance to ride one of the others.
So, to recap, there are three people that are going to ride camels, two herders, the owner (now back in the land cruiser) and a bunch of Qataris who just know something good is about to happen.
One herder helps Abdullah get on his camel, the camel kneels, the herder places his foot on the front leg and Abdullah climbs on. Our herder gets two camels to kneel, places his foot on ONE camel leg, and both Salem and I mount our camels. Salem’s camel stands up immediately as he throws his leg over the saddle and his camel lurches its hind quarters into my camel.
My camel jerks upright immediately and I only had one leg on top of the saddle (not astride it) throwing me off from about 6 feet in the air and I crashed to the ground on my side. The desert at this place is hard compacted sand and rock and the air left my body immediately. I heard two distinct sounds, my breath leaving me and the raucous laughter of a dozen Arabs who thought this was hilarious.
 I took a moment to recover, and then male pride/stupidity and indignation took over. I got back up, got on, (held on for my fucking life) and rode the camel. I know I cracked at least 2 ribs, I’ve done it before and I know the feeling, and I have a large swelling on top of my left hip, but I rode the effed up camel for about 10 minutes. When the camel kneels to let you off the sensation that I was going right over the top was horrible, but somehow I stayed on, dismounted and was cheered by my friends….
This morning, the day after, I hurt in places that I forgot I had. Coughing and or sneezing both hurt like a son of a bitch and once I find a position to sit or stand in that doesn’t hurt, I am reluctant to move. BUT, I rode the camel…… and I have a story…… and Salem now owns these two beauties
February 3rd, 2012 by siddhi
In what seems like a lifetime ago I was managing a civic venue and we were presenting Samson, a versatile, creative and powerful heavy rock band. I remember standing in the balcony talking to frontman Paul Samson and being almost deafened while the drummer sound-checked.
The kit was well microphoned and the pa was powerful, but the power that the drummer was using came through and each bass pedal, cymbal crash and drumbeat shook me to the core. The drummer was Thunderstick, and he was masked even for the sound-check.
Samson put on a hell of a show, the late Paul Samson was an incredible guitarist and the band was beyond tight, but the showman of the evening was Thunderstick. Standing and pouring beer over his masked head during numbers, tilting his head to one side and seeming to stare at every single pair of eyes in the venue, the man was a commanding presence, great showman and a hell of a drummer.
Still is apparently.
 I recently picked up a copy of Echoes from The Analogue Asylum, a 16 track collection from his eponymously named band and have spent the last few days listening to it.
I’m going to own up, I kind of drifted away from heavy metal/rock when it became full of growling death and doom merchants or a race to see who can play more notes per second (yeah I’m calling you out Dragonforce). So it was interesting to listen to this with a clear mind and almost no expectations.
This album is REALLY, REALLY good.
 I shouldn’t have been surprised, a talented drummer, a creative force should attract talent of equal calibre, and he did. My initial reservations about a female vocalist (2 as it turns out) were quickly dispelled. Both Anna Marie Carmella Borg and Jodee Valentine turn in convincing rock performances. No “sounding like your dog just died” whiny voices here, just good range, pitch and emotion. Jodee Valentine is especially convincing and reminded me a little of Ellen Foley in her prime.
Every piece of instrumentation is good. There is some truly great guitar work on “Rich Girls (don’t cry)” and “Feel like Rock’n’Roll” and “Runaround” are stand out tracks, but truthfully, they are ALL good.
Thunderstick’s (Barry Graham Purkis) drumming is solid, creative and binds the sound together well, some innovative samples and good songwriting made me realize just how much I’d missed Heavy Metal……
If you’re listening to this album and you’re not playing air guitar or air drums by the end of track 2, turn it up (or get your hearing checked)….
January 16th, 2012 by siddhi
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