| TV
Times
|
||||||
|
'French
Week'at Trans Asia Hotel As Paris is
the fashion capital of the world, 'French Week' too will start with
two top fashion shows on June 17 at 1.00 p.m. at the Kings Court.
"Lunch & Fashion" , the theme of this fashion show
will feature young students from a French Model School. The exquisite
colours and trends are from Barefoot and Odel. The tickets are priced
at Rs. 500/- for this fashion extravaganza. The French
film "Tanguy" will be screened at the Earl's Court on
June 18 as the part of the 'French Week'. The charity
ball with a four course dinner "Reflections of the Past"
featuring band Misty and the Navy Band will come alive on June 19.
A culinary voyage to be experienced and of course "The ball"
to be seen at with the price of Rs. 2800/- per head. June 20, the
French band "Minaro" will have rocking to the French beat
and Nesan's drums will come live for a great local touch at the
Beira Terrace. From the June
16 to 22 the Summerfield's cafe at Trans Asia will feature French
Cuisine all week long for an unforgettable culinary experience.
The week of
activities coincides with the traditional "Fete de la musique"
( French Music Day) on June 21, which also happens to be the first
day of summer, giving the French an excuse to "Faire la fete"
everywhere you go you get music and dance and the opening of the
summer music festivals throughout parks, where one can experience
diverse music. In Sri Lanka too "Fete de la musique" will
come alive on June 28. The French community would like to share some "Joie de vivre" with the host country Sri Lanka and at the same time raise money for the less fortunate and the recent flood victims. Where
Is Rap Heading Today? I had the chance
to listen to it when I switched on to MTV (music television) recently
and the first impression that I got was that it sounded like some
angry Sri Lankan scolding another in Sinhalese with a durm beat
(and some musical instruments) on background. (although the Song
is in English, when someone lets his imagination run wild, he hears
the song like that). Well, what the lyrics of many rap songs contain?
Faith and violence yes, many songs contain more F words than any
other word. Many songs promote violence on a mass scale. What happened
to the "delightful" sound of rap like "Rapper's Delight"
(Sugarhill Gang), 'Holiday Rap' (MC Micker G & DJ Sven) and
"Stutter Rap" (Morris Minor And The Majors). Where has
rap gone? Can anyone compare the latest rap songs which have taken
more or less "gangsta" shape with the "old skool"
rap of early days? In the late
Eighties and early Nineties, rap music started changing its shape
of the face. Acts like the 2 live crew, Geto Boys and too short
started verbal abuse with their songs and most of their victims
turned out to be females. With the hardcore obscence lyrics and
filth, rap flowed in a different direction, which no ordinary listener
can trod into. The rap song
which burnt the charts in the early nineties "Freaky Tales"
by Too Short contained the "rotten" lyrics "I met
this freak/ Her name was Beth/Her pussy got wet and it smelt like
death/ I was tired as hell, I was drippin sweat/but I was all up
in her, trying to hold my breath." The lyrics
of this song is fine example for the nefarious nature of the rap
which has now evolved into a horrific kind of music. The obscenity
of the lyrics surely have brought it to charts as such kind of lyrics
are a rarity in those days. However, many record buyers were either
not tired of listening to the filth or just ignoring the lyrics
but going only for the melody. (However is there a melody?) On the heels
of that came Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's "Talk Like Sex"
which featured the lyrics like "I'm leavin floods of blood
on your matress/I'll leave you holdin' your swollen backside and
rolling..../ Once on it you can't cop out/I'm pounding ya down until
your eyeballs pop out/I'm not your ordinary player/because I'll
leave you in a wheelchair, dear after I lay ya....' Well, do I have
to describe the nature of violence this song promotes. Weak hearted
people tend to get their minds spoilt listening to such lyrics.
Another rap
song, Akinyele's "I Luh Huh" promoted violence and subsequent
homicide through the lines like "You're talkin" about
marriage/I want you to have a miscarriage/I'm upset that I done
it/I'm already setting up to have my/little man kick it in the stomach/I
punch my fist to that navel/'Cos I'll be damned if this/be the hand
that rocks the cradle/I'm thinking? about pushin/ her down the stairs....'
These kind
of lyrics can change a good but vulnerable mind towards violence.
With these
songs came a horde of many other rap songs which pushed all kinds
of vices to the heights of the charts, so to the minds of music
lovers. With the acts
like Snoop Doggy Dog, the F world reached greater heights and the
normal rap turned to gangsta rap. Every kid in town started uttering
the lyrics, but many elderly couldn't tolerate. Then came Eminem
with a bang, but with the same kind of filth, violence, hatred and
many vices which early nineties' rappers that promoted. Just listen
to the latest UK number one, R Kelly's "Ignition" (which
was on top for 3 weeks now), Count how many "Filthy' words
it contain? Just ask yourself; "Can I go and say the words
of "Ignition" to my loving friend?" |
||||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
