Music and Culture

                          


                                              Mountains of Makkah Analysis
                                                     By: Momtaz Nahar

“Oh Mountains of Makkah , what can you say, Of the day that Abraham passed your way, And He was instructed by God to build, A House of peace where people will pray” (Bhikha) . These are lyrics from an Islamic nasheed, which talks about Abraham and his duty bestowed on him by God to build a house for prayer. Nasheeds are the Christian equivalent of gospel songs sung at church. They are music that inspires one to better themselves as a person in their religion. Music in general is something that livens ones inside and encourages one to do something whether it be to become more religious or just have fun. Music has become a part of people’s life and it has shaped the way people think, act, and dress whether people notice it or not. Music incorporates societal rules and regulations and portrays it to the audience in a way where the audience forms a likening for it. As one can see there are numerous people who want to dress, act and talk like their favorite singer or rapper. This is due to the fact that music has become an obsession for all kinds of people whether they are religious or not. There are numerous types of music that relate to different types of groups. Nasheed is a type of music that is liked by Muslims since it promotes messages about the Islamic religion. In the nasheed, Mountains of Makkah by Zain Bhikha, the artist uses an excellent use of spiritual and lively diction to grab the attention of his listeners.

The use of spiritual diction all throughout the nasheed helps grab the attention of the listeners emotionally and spiritually. Zain Bhikha uses thought-provoking lyrics that help for him to get his message across. For example, in the nasheed, Zain Bhikha sings the lyrics, “Oh Mountains of Makkah , what can you tell, of the day when stones from the sky fell, destroying an army determined to break the house of Allah that Abraham built” (Bhikha ). In this quote what is meant by “the house” is the Khaba in Mecca. Also what is meant by “the army that was destroyed with stones” is the war that was lead by King Abraha where they were destroyed due to the rain shower of pebbles thrown at them by many birds. The army was not able to resist the flood of pebbles and so they were retreated. In this lyric one can see the elaborate and emotional use of words and how he relates it to reality. The words form a picture inside the mind of the listener which helps them to further understand what he is trying to say. For instance the part that says “stones falling from the sky” automatically grabs the attention of the listener and gets them interested. The liveliness of the words allows for one to depict an image in their mind. Zain uses these kinds of words to aim at the hearts of his audience since he knows that his audience will be a religious one that likes to be spiritually connected with Islam.

Zain Bhika wants his religious audience to form a connection with the past history of Islam and wants to help them remember what has happened ages ago. Zain’s usage of lively and spiritual diction not only enables one to become one with the lyric but it also makes the listener easily memorize it. He is very creative with his use of many different words that work in his favor of gaining popularity. Zain Bhikha is very much successful in his efforts in getting the spiritual acceptance from his audience due to the high volume of viewing which are in the millions.





                          

                                               Look into my Eyes Analysis
                                                     By: Homayra Thasmin

“Look into my eyes, and tell me what you see. You don't see a damn thing, `cause you can't possibly relate to me” (Outlandish). These beginning lyrics from the song “Look Into my Eyes” by Outlandish demands one to listen to the message. Outlandish uses music to make its message more effective and make people aware about the Palestine-Israeli War. This is because music is a very significant aspect and it teaches people about the important pieces of life. Throughout music people learn new things everyday; it also encourages one to know about culture, history, and to create awareness among people. Outlandish uses music to advocate for the innocent Palestinians and lets the world know what they are going through every day. In the song “Look into My Eyes,” it corresponds to the war between Palestine and Israel. This song states how the Palestinians are living in an open prison in they are own country, which is living under the rule of Israel. Palestinian people have been tortured by the Israeli force for more than sixty years. They are suffering every single moment of their life. The Palestinians are being forced to live as a refugee in their own land. They have no freedom and their country has been taken away by force. Throughout this song Outlandish is letting people know the pain and anguish of the poor Palestinian citizens. In the song “Look into My Eyes” Outlandish uses pathos to educate the Americans about the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.


The use of pathos all throughout the song is to make people think and view the world in a different way. Outlandish uses ethos to show how the Palestinians are being victimized in their own land. The lyrics of this song articulate the fear of the Palestinians about their precious life. Outlandish illustrates the terror a Palestinian has in his or her eyes, “My fear is that the tank that just left will turn around and come back.” It shows that the Palestinians are living under fear and hostility in their own land. They do not feel safe in their own country because it has been taken away illegally by the Israeli force. This quote also refers to the Palestinians not feeling secure but they rather live in fear and terrorized in their very own country. This song also expresses how the Palestinians are craving for the freedom and the hoping to get their land back from Israel, “I will not be thrown from my own home, nor will my fight for justice cease” (Outlandish). The significance of this quote is that even though Palestine has been invaded for a significant amount of time they still have hope that they will be free one day. Outlandish also wants to educate the Americans about the conflict between Israel and Palestine through this song. For example Outlandish states in this song that “American, do you realize, that the taxes that you pay, feed the forces that traumatize my every living day.” In this quote Outlandish states that Americans are liable for the war in Palestine. He says that Israel is using American tax money to kill innocent Palestinians. Every year the U.S. government funds billions of dollars to Israel and all these money is being used to kill the innocent people of Palestine. The use of pathos in this song makes one to feel the pain and grief of the Palestinians. It also informs the Americans about how their tax money is being used to kill innocent people.


Outlandish wants people all over the world to know about the injustice that is going on in Palestine. Throughout the music, Outlandish is creating awareness among American and people all over the world about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. It uses pathos in a creative way to grab the listener’s attention and gives a second thought about the Israel and Palestine War. “Look into my Eyes” is successful in its attempt to illustrate that the Palestinians are only waiting for the justice and hoping to be free someday from the Israeli ruler.


                                     

                         

                                         The Movement of Gospel Analysis
                                                    By: Betty Jamison

“Let your Glory fill this place, let your all-consuming fire, fill this tabernacle, and purify our hearts. Surround us in this place, we want you to breathe new life within us. Send a refreshing glory, purify our hearts” ( http://www.lyrics.com/rain-on-us-lyrics-earnest-pugh.html ). Gospel music is very powerful; people who tend to be into the Lord are moved by the music that talks about the love of Jesus. Music is a huge part of the generation that we live in today. Just like there are different types of music, there are different types of people, meaning that people listen to different music for different reasons. In Earnest Pugh’s “Rain on Us”, the lyrics of the song moves people spirits by the artists’ use of diction and pathos.



There are things that people tend to struggle within their everyday lives. Some people are not really enthused when it comes to gospel music. What people fail to realize is what it is exactly gospel music represents. Gospel music is defined as “a now popularized form of impassioned rhythmic spiritual music rooted in the solo and responsive church singing of rural blacks in the American South, central to the development of rhythm and blues and of soul music” ( http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gospel+music ). The way this is defined is not entirely true. Everyone does not care for gospel music simply because they do not understand the greatness of the Lord, or they do not believe or have faith in the same God that others do. Gospel is one of many ways of sending praises to the Lord to show one’s appreciation for sacrificing his life so that we could have life on earth. Many people do not understand what it was exactly that was done for us. It is explained in the Holy Bible in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, for whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. By giving the people of the world life on earth, the people give back with praises unto the Lord through gospel music.


Earnest Pugh is one of the many artists who spiritually move the people of God with his lyrics. The lyrics that are used in the song say:


“Rain on us, breathe on us. Shower down, shower down, send your spirit Lord”.


To a person who understands the blessings and appreciation of the Lord can relate to what the author of the song is expressing. The diction brought forth in this song is very strong. It explains that whatever it is that a person is going through, God will send his anointing spirit down and shower you with it. Life is meant to put one through many trials and tribulations, but the message portrayed in “Rain on Us”, helps a person struggling feel the urge to go on.


The movement of Gospel music allows a person to open up their minds and souls and surrender themselves to the Lord. As said before, not everyone feels the same way about gospel music. But it is an aspect that has to grow on you. You are not supposed to force Christ on a person; they have to make that decision on their own. Earnest Pugh’s lyrics and the usage of diction and pathos move people. By understanding gospel and interpreting what gospel represents, can take a person’s connection to the Lord to the next level. In Earnest Pugh’s “Rain on Us” lyrics, the artist brings forth great usage of diction and pathos by portraying the message that the Lord has laid on his heart to put out to his listeners. Whether people have a good connection with the Lord or not, they must realize that it is his blessing and his power that keeps everyone covered. The lyrics brought forth are to help people become at ease with themselves and learn how to deal with everyday life.




                              


                                          Through it all, I am still here!
                                                By: Sierra Williams


“I been up against ropes, everything you're going through I been there before, seen them all come and I seen them all go, you can bet your last that my head won't hit the floor, never and I'm still standing, standing, standing, standing I'm still standing, standing, standing, standing” (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/monica/stillstanding.html) These are lyrics from a very powerful R & B (Rhythm and Blues) song “Still Standing” by entertainer and singer Monica featuring acting, rapper, and co-founder of Disturbing the Peace Ludacris. The lyrics to this song make a person feel as though they are strong, have high self esteem, and also make you notice that there is someone watching over you.


“I had a lover take his own in front of me I asked God, why is this happening to me? But I didn't fold, I held my own…” This piece of lyrics tells that she is a strong woman. Not everyone is able to keep their head on straight after their love one has token their life right in front of their eyes. Some people may need counseling, there is a possibility of them going crazy, and they may have even token their own life. A great example is the Shakespeare movie and book “Romeo and Juliet”. Anyone who is liable to keep their head on straight after seeing a lover commit suicide, they deserve a standing novation, because that is not easily done.


“Whatever, don't kill, you make you stronger Well, I must be the world's strongest woman” When you read this line of lyrics do you feel as though she is being cocky by words? This line of lyrics shows that she has a high self esteem. She has confidence in herself. Make you feel as though your superwoman. “You can bet your last that my head won't hit the floor, never
and I'm still standing,” This here is another piece of the lyrics to the song. This piece here also shows how high her self-esteem is. This also shows that she will never give up she will keep trying and keep trying until she make it.


“Try to throw my name in the dirt, But I really don't give a damn I'm still standing like the statue of liberty…. Still standing on my two feet 'Cause I'm a child of God” This statement is said by Ludacris. When reading these lyrics you get the feeling that there has to be someone watching over us because you hear people talking about but you don’t let them in your way. There’s someone there that’s telling you to keep on doing your thing and you will continue to succeed.


All in all, the lyrics to this song make a person think about life and what they have done. Makes you feel as if you were ever the one that was going through any situation that you could pull it through. There is still hope for you. All you have to do is trust and believe in yourself. Keep telling yourself that you’re able to do anything and you can make it through any situation. Always remember “you gotta walk by faith and not by sight”