I wrote several times earlier of the denouncing Sri Lankan music culture and how we are moving into one that makes the listeners blunt as they could be.
This song I found recently seems to encapsulate every thing I’ve been trying to say. I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the “Paata paata mal” (pushpe) song and that by now it could be the favorite song of some of you. Surely enough it has a cool rhythm, a cool voice and no wonder why it is the song that’s on the lips of the three year old kids in my neighboring house. They seem to get hold of the song better than most nursery rhymes. The song has appeared in most of the top music charts (those song lists compiled by the commercialized media lunatics) in most TV channels as well.
But let’s face it. It’s pure crap!!! Effectively, the song (if you can call it one) is selling weed. It says about the fantasies around ganja. It speaks about the pleasures of smoking pot. For all it’s worth, it tells you to get high. Are these the songs that’s going to be the legacy, the identity of the Sri Lankan music in another five six decades? Are they going to be the songs that the children in the future murmur in their kindergarten?
I ask, what is wrong with our people? Are we that stupid to entertain this stuff and lift these people as the forerunners of Sri Lankan music? How long are we going to tolerate this newly embraced, western-ass-kissing music culture and the overnight heroes that arise through it?
16 Comments:
Nicely said man,Some of our youth thinks that smoking pot,wearing a loose denim could make him an American,these ass kisser are cancer to our society and culture.
imagine the shock of the inhabitants of the citadel when that young upstart Kashyapa decided to paint our demure innocent maidens topless.
But let’s face it. It’s pure crap!!! Effectively, these pictures (if you can call it one) is about going topless. It says about the fantasies around seeing pretty women with no clothes on. It speaks about the pleasures of watching boobies. For all it’s worth, it tells you to get naked. Are these the pictures that’s going to be the legacy, the identity of the Sri Lankan art in another five six decades? Are they going to be the images that the children in the future want to see?
It's terrible. We should stop it immediately.
i don' think we should judge ppl like that. these kinds of cultural norms are subjective and are always in a state of flux. ( as anon above tries (too) hard to hint at )
if something does harm to ppl against their will by all means do not tolerate that and ban it, otherwise let adult ppl be what they want to be, however 'crap' it may be to our taste. as for children let their parents and other guardians ( like teachers etc.) be the judge.
you are of course free to expound and propagate what you consider worthy as an individual and let us hope others listen from their own free will instead of through force .
Funny...marijuana is a feature in local ayuvredic medicine...also I've taken hits with villagers in remote parts of Moneragala. I'm not entirely sure about the connotations of the song because I haven't heard it but that's a pretty silly connection to make. For the record could you please explain how the song promotes marijuana use.
Most of your posts seem to come from a point of view of your morality and your tastes and equate that worldview to the whole of Sri Lanka. Some of us don't mind a bit of boozing, drug use and promiscuity. In my circle of friends we have Buddhists, Muslims, Christians. We have people who like to sleep around, others who are still virgins, some like to drink, some don't, some smoke pot, some don't. But we're friends because we respect each other's views and don't try and impose our own on each other...just step in and speak the truth if someone is harming themselves.
You can't seem to wrap your head around the concept that different people have different tastes...and that's what makes the world go around.
Thanx poojitha, it's nice 2 knw that still there's some meaningful youth left among us.
Anonymous:
Yeh, that one really hurt us. The sigiriya frescos have been the scapegoat for every riduculous thing currently roaming around the society. If king kashyapa can do it, why can't we? It's very ironic that the same people who think less of our history use the same thing to there advantage. But anyway, nicely written:)
Sittingnut:
It's not these artists that i'm mad with. It's the people of this country who entertain their work that i'm mad with. Yes, it's true that the cultural norms are subjective and it's not that i can't appreciate another person's tastes. It's just that (as u have very clearly put it) we should not tolerate something that harms people.
if you think i'm trying to force my views, impose my ideas on others, well you got me all wrong. if someone is forcing certain things on our culture, it's the media and these new artists. people may not observe it explicitly. but that's what going on behind the scenes. tell me, where do we hear the old sinhalese songs these days? everywhere you look, these newly bred artists pop up their creations, most of them, which i would still say, has little intrinsic value or litarel meaning. Does that not seem to you like implicit coersion on the people? they just don't have a good pool of choices to choose from.
And you said parents should judge their children. do you really think that's possible. Parents can't monitor their children around the clock. and the stuff children get their hands at these days aren't controllable at all. in that sense, i don't think leaving it to the parents is going to save our future.
Anyway, thanx a lot for that comment. I knw what you say is generally very true. but in our case i guess intervention of the people who "genuinely" know they are right is imperative.
n:
thanx for your comment.
N: Well said, man. You said everything I wanted to type out.
N, nicely said man,
Niro, different strokes for different folks. open ur mind a little.
Regarding Weed, my perception was that it had a strong association with the "exotic" orient rather than the "boring", anglo protestant west. Probably related to N's point.
At the moment there are growing concerns about the use of weed by people who may have a predisposition to psychosis and some evidence that it could either cause or aggravate (sorry, in a hurry will have to look this up and get back to you on this) schizophrenia. There is a high level of drug abuse including the use of marijuana among the mentally ill (and ironically doctors:)); probably an unconscious attempt to self medicate. I am also aware that there are others who have a resilience and able to control drug/alcohol use and appear to remain unscathed. Maybe because like Bill Clinton they just "inhaled"? :) Those who smoke the stuff on a regular basis need to also be aware of lung cancer etc.
I believe a non-judgemental, informed and open debate is necessary on these matters. I suppose in a way I share Niro's concerns that people might be too blasé about this. However, like sitting nut (:)) and maybe N, I am also not sure if over regulation is the way to go. Maybe in a country like Sri Lanka, smoking weed sometimes seems more real than the surreal events happening around the place.
'people who "genuinely" know they are right' - that's one of the funniest (and slightly disturbing) things I've heard in awhile.
Thanx L:
well, my intention was not to discuss about weed or the consequences of getting high. My idea was to say that the sri lankan music culture is ruined to the extent that people can even write things about weed and put them as "songs". But anyway, you have given a nice perspective about smoking pot. Fully agreed and much appreciated. at least you haven't taken my posts personally and started attacking me instead of my beliefs.
N:
I guess it's true that people react hard when they are hit the most.
What does that even mean? And I'm assuming your talking about me attacking you "personally rather than your beliefs"...where exactly did I do that?
He He, reminds me of a typical family conversation. Would like to butt in for a moment.
Ok, am clueless about what the song says so I should probably keep my opinion to myself.
Having said that :-)
Niro, you have probably created a minor stir due to the wording in your post; to me it gives the impression that you think that songs about the pleasant aspects of weed/drugs by default are inferior in quality. Also it gives the impression that you are under the misconception that drug taking is a mainly western influence.
You also bring up the negative influence on children. I think this is where the importance of ratings and imposing restrictions on daytime TV (which we have discussed before) come in. Beyond that, there is the unpleasantness of having what people call a "nanny" state.
Regarding the Sri Lankan music culture, one could turn to India as an example where there is a global and local appreciation of both the popular Bollywood stuff as well as the Indian Classical scene. Of course the Indians do have the advantage of a massive population.
Just read an interesting article regarding this issue (http://transcurrents.com/tamiliana/archives/356). Would this perhaps be closer to what you are trying to say?
Finally, just be thankful that you have some breathing space before the wonderful world of low budget reality TV hits the shores of Sri Lanka. What to doooo men...I too get indigestion when I see shows that appeal to the lowest common denominator.
I think what I fear most is our older generation's inability to adapt with the younger generation. This gap has to be bridged and the older folk have to realise times are not what they used to be. It's not a bad thing either, your day's were quite different from the day's of your grand father and so on.
Marijuana is a plant how certain societies like to portray it as a drug is up to personal interpretation and local laws. In my opinion Ganja is as bad as a glass of wine, we let wine into our churches and many Sri Lankan households hand out bottles of arrack during funerals as they sit awake over night.
It's common for us Sri Lankans to only see wrong in certain things and no wrong in other similiar evils because it's convenient. If you haven't had a joint light one up and turn up that song on the radio! You can't label the Marijuana plant evil and you can't be ashamed of it's legacy. It's been used since the stone age.
fuk all u stupid pundai haters n blaming western culture wtf its multicultural thing im sri lankan n smoke that ganja plant its ok if u do it sumtymes not all the time u choose to use or abuse weather its drinks or drugz get it straight u idiotz
hmmm...well i havnt heard this song but i have heard about it so i cant comment on that...however calling ppl who smoke pot western culture ass kissers is a little far fetched...marijuana is a plant that grows pretty much everywhere in the world...it has grown naturally in sri lanka from ancient times...and its silly that people draw these lines...if u like doing something, just do it...i mean everyone knows that the effects of alcahol on a human is waaay more harmful than marijuana can ever be...i dont understand how its accepted that ppl get drunk and act like animals and start fights etc. whereas ull have an extremely hard time trying to find a pot smoker who will cause trouble and start fights and bother everyone...but noooo marijuana is illegal so lets condemn it...but drinking??? oh no it hurts u physically, turns most ppl absolutely uncontrollable but lets all get drunk and not say anything about drinkers coz its accepted and legal...stupid dont u think?
calling sumone who smokes weed a western pop culture ass kisser is just like sri lankans who condemn men with long hair and call that a western trend...i wonder if anyone realizes that the whole mentality of short and neat hair and the side or middle part is decent and long hair isnt was something brought here by the british...ironic eh?
point is...marijuana is global...screw that its universal...it knows know colours or races nor does it draw lines between different cultures....its something that has just existed and it always will
peace, love and weed
u guys r seriously fucdup!weed is a natural thing guys..i luv smokin weed and i aint ashamed to admit it.not dat i think its a "cool " thing to do anyway.i smoke weed cos it makes me happy.i enjoy my food more.n it makes me enjoy music betta.if u dnt feel dat u shud not judge it so wrongly.god..wat a bunch of losers..oh by da way whether u lyk it or not even todays kids know dat weeds da shit so deyr prolly gonna be singin dem weed songs for a lon tym from now..am sure ur grandkids will b growin dem mini weed plants in ur backyards.and u wont b able to do a single shit about it..so y not pull ur headouta ur ass n accept things for da wey dey r dude..growup!
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