Monday, January 22, 2007
luminous not-so-subliminal messages in song - feel at ease to press the play button[s] now!
As I was listening to my favorite radio station -to be found, for I would be remiss if I did not mention it, on my luminous toolbar- I was pleased to hear a certain classic song come on just as I was reflecting upon the perpetual stagnation of things in modern society in general... The classic song in question was truly the most perfect choice for the occasion, as you'll see (although it is John Oates down below, the classic song there is not one of the Hall & Oates hits you might still be haunted by at night - no! Go ahead and see... And please do listen to it too! It is safe to do so, I assure thee!)
This classic dates back to 1985 - and I do believe that, in 22 years, nothing has really changed in the world we live in. The weather has gone crazier - that's it, pretty much! It took a glaring crisis to reunite all the top recording artists in the US of A to record that one - and their message, though repeatedly belted throughout the song by various and diversified voices, so many different times that it should have been drilled enough into people's craniums... Their message has simply not really gone through to people, has it? The Western world heeded the call, at first, and then started slowly but steadily to recoil again in its cocoon of capitalistic safetyness - turning a blind eye and a deaf ear again to the plight of the rest of the globe, feeling too cozy in its abundance and ease to truly care, it seems...
The first thing that peeps do now, when some funds become "available" in their budget, it is planify some renovations, vacation or new fanciful and even fastidious purchases... Where is there room in that for the needy? Especially those far, far away, in remote places of the Third World...?
Kudos to the artists with a conscience who TRIED - though it was alaos a grand stage for some much-needed publicity too; but that is another story... Nowadays though, such an assemblage would have included the greatest voice there is -arguably- and that is REGINE VELASQUEZ.
She would undoubtedly headline an elite international corps of golden voices -international because that is the way things are done now, in the global village- and maybe then she too would garner the much-needed attention from American mainstream media that she so rightfully deserves. She wasn't a part of the 1985 selection because she wasn't ready yet - she wasn't even in the USA either, so that was tough luck on her part too! Brings to mine a certain wordsmith championship that is exclusive to U.S. residents - tough luck for ME there! First Chapters seems to think that nowhere else than in the Home of the Brave and Land of the Free can a quill, pen or keyboard be of effective use... But that is another story!
Below, testaments to the voice that Regine possesses - and that what I say about the Filipino Diva is true!
I will pause one second to note -in a blatant self-serving way as well- that the same thing happened when I finally updated my luminous pondering blog/site. On it, I have my LP Radioooo - and it started playing, randomly as always, the top two songs to be found on my disabled video playlist there (disabled by an inept provider - not my choice!)
Such synchronicity is worth noting, especially since it came about a mere few hours after the previous one that did, in fact, generate this very blog post! ;)
So, "USA For Africa" was a partial success at best. A permanent solution to a shocking problem that endures even into the modern era and the new millennium was NOT found there. The Americans did not succeed in that - and neither did the Canadians with their copycat tune; it goes without mentioning! Our Saviour did say that we would have the poor with us until the end of Time, after all...
The one that truly did come close to succeed at this was the original one; the British! Sir Geldof's project triggered an ever-renewable desire to help those in need throughout the world with his own self-serving but altruistic nonetheless crusade (after all the hoopla, he did launch a solo career; did he or did he not?)
Band Aid's classic tune is cranked up ever since and the message does come through loud and clear, with greater results than any other similar effort too.
Here it is:
It succeed so well because it became a seasonal happening - a bonafide Christmas song, from the very start too, of course. It is on par now with anything Christmassy that Perry Como, Bing Crosby and good ol' Deano used to sing - and, also, that Lennon song that I bashed two Christmases ago right here on TLB Prime - check out the luminous archives for it!
The Band Aid effort is firmly entrenched now in our culture - it was even remade in 2003 or something, to much lesser effect though (most probably because it employed the new talent that is prominent today!)
Christmas time is ideal too for this sort of message; people are already more generous in principle alone. Automatically, they will give to the poor, feed the hungry, donate to charities and even give a chance to the has-been and/or the wannabee, a fact proven by all the "comebacks" made on stage during New Year's Eve broadcasts throughout the world...!
Bob Geldof's Band Aid was a success where the others were not. My lone complaint with it is that it did not take the place of Lennon's holiday tune - probably because Lennon was not around to be a part of Band Aid, for reasons diametrically opposed to those that prevented Regine V for instance from being a part of any of the others! And so we are forced to remember the reason for the season each and every year with Lennon singing his bittersweet song... Lennon's song, yes - Harrison's My Sweet Lord, no? Oh well...
As long as they continue to ditch McCartney's Wings!
Not to mention Ringo's Stars!
But I digress again - and, contrary to what you may believe, it "don't come easy" to achieve on a regular basis - not easy at all!
Thus, one can be left perplexed by the attitude of the world in general. Why are they not sharing their wealth more? Why are they not spreading more evenly ressources? Why the focus on gain and profit, to the detriment of doing what is right, fair and just? Why this obsession with a career and not with making the most good aroud you that you can while you can - in other words, while you're around!?
The answer is quite sad and just as sadly obvious too; they are too busy to do so!
In a society that chose a system based upon consumerism, they strive to reach their short-sighted goals by working hard, never straying from their plans too much. Such is the rat race, as you all know.
One can hope that they will realize before too long that, as fun as amassing a fortune can be, one is missing the boat if that is all that one strives to accomplish while here, on Earth...! Fortunes, riches, moolah, cold hard cash, gold and that ever-precious oil - it cannot be taken with you once you cross over to the Great Beyond.
What can be taken to the other side, is your conscience.
The only credentials that will matter will be your deeds.
The résumé that will be presented will make statement about the good that you did - not anything other than that! Good for you if your career allows you to do actual concrete "good" around thee - it is a rare opportunity though, seeing most jobs are "just a job" and only means to "earn a living" and "pay the bills"... Nothing too altruistic there - nothing about saintly behaviour there (but then no career-oriented peeps strive to achieve beatification post-mortem; they have many goals, but that is certainly, most assuredly not one of them!)
But I digress...
There are many trustworthy charitable organizations out there that do help those that truly need the help. I am not going to make any suggestions - you can find them on your own, I am positive about that (and that is quite telling, for I am, paradoxically or not-so-paradoxically, quite negative sometimes here, even though luminous! I say it is only being brilliantly realistic or whimsically as well as sardonically wide-eyed - but that is not the point right now...!)
There are enough ways to help the world - to feed it, clothe it, save it in a sense only (God Will Save it in all senses - soon enough.)
There are worthwhile organizations out there.
Find them - And give.
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