Sanam Marvi and the contemporary sufi music of Pakistan

I'm no fan of Coca-Cola, but I am really grateful for Coke Studio's fabulous contribution to Pakistani culture. So much brilliant tradition and modernity out there! Makes me proud to be South Asian (I happen to be Indian, but only incidentally: my grandmother's village is 10 kilometres from that horrible, artificial border).

It's unfortunate that too much of the world (including India) knows little about Pakistan besides terrorism, intolerance, and political instability. The song I linked above is contemporary Sufi. Sufism is the opposite of violence, intolerance and instability - it's loving, embracing, and enduring.

Bhopal verdict - justice delayed AND denied

Skulls discarded after research at Hamidia Hospital. Medical experts believe the methyl isocyanate gas inhaled by people in Bhopal may have affected the brain. Photo: Raghu Rai.

Referring to the compensation to Bhopal gas victims, Dow Chemical's public affairs specialist Kathy Hunt said in public in 2002 that “$500 is plenty good for an Indian." The explanation for this may be that Hunt and Dow are racist. But what is wrong with us?

From The Times of India, June 8, 2010:

Appearing for CBI, then additional solicitor general Altaf Ahmed had argued before the SC that the accused knew about the potential danger of the lethal gas escaping and hence should be tried under the stringent provision.

"There was ample material produced by the prosecution in support of the chargesheet which indicated that all the accused shared common criminal knowledge about potential danger of escape of the lethal gas — MIC — both on account of the defective plant which was operated under their control and supervision at Bhopal and also on account of the operational shortcomings detected by the Varadarajan expert committee," Ahmed had said in court.

However, a bench comprising then Chief Justice A M Ahmedi and Justice S B Majmudar disagreed. "On our finding that the material pressed in service by the prosecution does not indicate even prima facie that the accused were guilty of an offence of culpable homicide and, therefore, Section 304-II was out of the picture, Section 304-A on this very finding can straightaway get attracted at least prima facie," the bench said. It then quashed the charge framed against the accused under Section 304-II.

Caetano Veloso sings "Cajuína"

I love Caetano Veloso. And now I hear him sing every time my cell phone rings :) I have the studio version from Putumayo's Acoustic Brazil collection. Sorry that the subtitles in the video below are quite nonsensical, but it's a great live version of the song!

I don't know Portuguese but I understand that cajuína is a beverage distilled from cashew, and that the best cajuína comes from northeastern Brazil. This song refers to Teresina, which may be a place there.

I would welcome a good translation and some information about whether this is a traditional song in Brazil - leave a comment! Also, if it's traditional, is it known in other former Portuguese colonies like Cabo Verde or Angola?

Stephen Colbert on the hypocrisy of CSR

When you consume harmful products to help a cause, does your help outweigh the harm you're causing? Stephen lampoons corporate social responsibility, KFC, Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, Ford, and Marlboro.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Tip/Wag - Scientists & KFC
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Hey Bobby Marley, sing something good to me!

LOL, whoever created this video must have smoked some crazy shit.

PS - Feel obliged to say that I don't endorse drugs, just psychedelic videos.

PPS - I heart Manu Chao