Saturday 29 April 2017

Y is for...Yalla bina!...and...Yellow...and Youthful


is for
Yalla bina!


is an expression that translates “hurry up” or “C’mon, let’s go”, yalla not to be confused with Ya Allah, which literally means “O God” and is used as an invocation to God. 




Ykhalili Albak 


by Najwa Karam, the phenomenally popular, multi-platinum artiste from Lebanon. Najwa has been singing for almost three decades, and has sold millions of records. 







And here is a brand new Middle Eastern star Faia Younan – amazingly expressive voice! Some quality in her voice reminds me of Fairouz. She rose to stardom after this video, created by her and her sister, went viral. She has subsequently released an album and performed at many events in Europe and in MENA. Read more about her at her site








Yellow


Time for some random snaps and random facts!



Yellow limes on the Yellow Alley - Darb al
Asfar. This area of the old city was restored 

in the 90's. The vendor was a woman, she did 
not permit me to photograph her. So I got her
basket instead. 2011, Islamic Cairo. Egypt.



Middle-Eastern munchies.  Arabs snack on a wide range of roasted 
nuts and seeds - sunflower, pumpkin, pine nuts, peanuts, etc. Many 
local dishes use nuts as ingredients as well. Display in a shop near 
the Archaeological Park. 2013, Madaba, Jordan.


Bahrain National Theatre. The metal clad roof was specially treated
with a closely guarded proprietary substance to achieve the golden
yellow colour. 2014, Manama, Bahrain.




Embroidered Coptic Cross on velvet drapery at St 
Anthony's Monastery, one of the oldest in the world.
Some of these desert monasteries have been continually 
functional for around 1500 years, given a special dispensation 
of protection by Prophet Mohammed personally when the Arab 
armies conquered Egypt. St Anthony's Monastery. 2012, 
Zafarana, Egypt.


Tanoura performer in yellow. Wikala al Ghouri. Al Azhar Street,
Cairo. 2014, Egypt.


Tableau depicting Bahraini society of times past. Dates and
coffee are still an important part of Arab culture. Bahrain
National Museum. 2015, Manama, Bahrain.




Youthful


The profile of the Arablands is youthful.  First off, the demographics in these countries – the population is overwhelmingly young. Arabs are a tender young bunch, the median age in the Arab countries varies from a low of 19 years to a high of 29 years. 


Secondly, most of the 22 countries which make up the Arab League, are themselves quite young - they have become self-governing nations only a few decades ago. Except for Oman, all countries in the MENA became independent in the 20th century. All Arablands, except Oman, are less than a century old.


Many of the conflicts and challenges that these countries face can be at least partially laid at the door of foreign occupiers. Let me make it clear here - I'm totally not in favour of former colonies/protectorates looking back and forever playing the victim card, pick yourselves up and get a move on, folks! But equally we must be aware of facts.


The general public outside the Arablands knows or cares little about the origins of Arab problems and what role the Europeans have played here. I wonder if European/Western teenagers learn about the Sykes-Picot agreement in their history classes? Or about the history of colonialism of their respective motherlands? About the past roles of their governments in slavery or Apartheid? The Holocaust is shocking beyond words and we must never ever forget its lessons, but it is regrettably not the only huge injustice perpetrated in history! 'Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.' 


Is the new generation being made aware of peoples/nations who've been grievously wronged apart from the Jews?









Posted for the A-Z Challenge 2017  






34 comments:

  1. That definitely rolls off the tongue Good phrase.

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    1. Yup, very musical.sounds good when you say it :)

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  2. Speaking of youthful, Najwa Karam doesn't look old enough to have been performing for nearly 30 years.
    Love the colourful snippets you have given us. And am pretty certain that up and coming generations are NOT being made aware of the injustices perpetrated on other nations. I don't think any of us have clean hands.

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    1. I know what you mean about Najwa! she must have started when she was like five or something :)

      The media focus is always on the Holocaust, so that remains in the public consciousness everywhere, which is not a bad thing. However, there are other genocides/injustices for which NO reparations have been made, no apologies proferred, no acknowledgments even, wiped clean from the history books...all I am saying is that they need a share of attention too.

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  3. Interesting post! I enjoyed reading about the random facts. Those nuts do look appetizing.
    Lovely music
    Thanks for sharing
    Yearnings
    Best wishes!

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  4. Y already? I hope You will consider more of these posts when the challenge is done. This one was amazing.

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    1. I know! I can't believe how fast April's slipped by...Thank you for that suggestion, I will definitely consider it. Thank you also for being here throughout, appreciate the support.

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  5. You chose very nice shades of yellow to display.

    You are correct that we must learn our history, including the parts we wish we could undo.

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    1. That parts that we wish we could undo are perhaps more important to learn in order not to repeat them. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.

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  6. yalla bina - I like that. I want to visit the Bahrain theater - very cool yellow. And I like uses of metal.
    Awesome. As for Arab youth - there's gotta be a few young 'uns in this world to keep things rolling along..... interesting.
    Hmmm. What shall Z be? You will no doubt take us out in style!!!

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    1. Bahrain has lots of cool modern architecture. Z has come round way too soon...and promises to be as lengthy as all my other posts...I need to take editing classes! :)

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  7. Another excellent post, Youthful and yellow two very good "Y" letters.

    Yvonne.

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    1. Thank you Yvonne. Much appreciate your presence and support throughout.

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  8. Very important question you have asked at the end of the post. Apart from the jews, even I am not aware of the problems faced by these countries.
    Nilanjana your posts have been an amazing read everyday and I hopeto read more such interesting stuff from you!!!

    Theme: Peregrination Chronicles (travel)
    Y is for You have got mail in Udaipur #atozchallenge

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    1. Like I said, that's because the other injustices don't get the same level of attention...which is an imbalance that needs correction...

      Thank you for your visits and encouragement. Much valued.

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  9. This has been a great series, Nila. I haven't always commented (sorry), but I'm subscribed and I've really enjoyed your posts. Well done!

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    1. Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. No worries re commenting, the A-Z is intense and it's quite impossible to comment on each and every blogpost that we read. Sorry I haven't been able to always return your visits as I couldn't track your blog down in the main list or from your profile. If you are reading, please leave a link to your blog here.

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    2. Hi Nila - this is Martha's site:
      https://marthareynoldswrites.com/2017/04/29/a-to-z-musicals-%E2%99%AC-y-is-for-young-frankenstein/

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  10. Hi Nila - dumb me .. I commented and then went off to do something else ... I do need to 'leave home'!! I love the yellow-limes ... and that golden roof - wonderful I wonder what they used. I'm amazed at the age profile of your Arabiana lands ... I'm looking forward to reading through and listening to the music ... cheers Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/y-is-for-y-artists.html

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    1. Thanks so much Hilary for posting Martha's link! and also for your constant presence here for all the posts...much appreciate it.

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  11. As a US student in the 70s and 80s, we did learn about slavery in the US, the revolutionary war and our civil war--every darn year. I wish we could have learned about 20th century events. I had to read about those on my own.

    Beautiful yellow pictures.

    Y is for the Yellowstone Conspiracy

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    1. US is/was not the only country involved in slavery.

      Most of the 20th century events I too read about on my own.

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  12. A very powerful post Nila. The call to remember and to own our responsibility and to repair the harm we have done is a message we must all be willing to hear and act upon.

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    1. Not many are willing to acknowledge the need to do so, let alone act upon it.

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  13. The pictures are so pretty. I loved it

    A Peice Of My Life

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  14. Loved your post , had saved it for the last. Beautiful pictures. And thanks for that stimulating last question.
    best wishes,
    Moon
    https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com

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    1. Thank you, and no easy answers to the last question.

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  15. kids aren't being made aware of much these days. Shockingly not.
    Good music.
    Finding Eliza

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    1. True. Yet information is at everybody's fingertips now.

      Thanks for being here.

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  16. That is a pretty fascinating point to bring up.

    I grew up here in these Arab lands but, having gone to an international school, I learned more about European/American history. Probably the closes thing we got to 'Arab' history was Ancient Egypt.

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    1. Yup, I noticed that too. My son goes to a British curriculum school - he's learned about WWI and II and the Nazis etc...but not one word about the foreign occupation of Arabia or Egypt in the curriculum. And of course, ancient Egypt is not Arab history at all.

      The Arab children learn about the various political tussles between French and English and the Ottomans etc in Arablands in their history, but their Western counterparts I don't think do.

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  17. Those yellow pictures are great :)
    -----
    Eva - Mail Adventures

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