SOUNDTRACK: ADITYA PRAKASH ENSEMBLE-GlobalFEST Tiny Desk (Home) Concert #135 (January 13, 2021).
GlobalFEST is an annual event, held in New York City, in which bands from all over the world have an opportunity to showcase their music to an American audience. I’ve never been, and it sounds a little exhausting, but it also sounds really fun.
The Tiny Desk is teaming up with globalFEST this year for a thrilling virtual music festival: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST. The online fest includes four nights of concerts featuring 16 bands from all over the world.
Given the pandemic’s challenges and the hardening of international borders, NPR Music and globalFEST is moving from the nightclub to your screen of choice and sharing this festival with the world. Each night, we’ll present four artists in intimate settings (often behind desks donning globes), and it’s all hosted by African superstar Angélique Kidjo, who performed at the inaugural edition of globalFEST in 2004.
The second band on the third night is the Aditya Prakash Ensemble.
Performing from their home base in Los Angeles, Aditya Prakash Ensemble highlights songs borne from South India’s Carnatic tradition. Prakash uses his voice as an instrument to tell powerful, emotive stories — which he reimagines in a fresh, dynamic way. Aditya Prakash Ensemble’s modern take on traditional music mixes in jazz and hip-hop and features a diverse L.A. ensemble.
The Ensemble is a quintet. With Julian Le on piano, Owen Clapp on Bass, Brijesh Pandya on drums and Jonah Levine on trombone and guitar.
As “Greenwood” starts, I can’t quite tell if he’s actually singing words (in Hindi or some other language) or if he is just making sounds and melodies. It sounds great either way. He sings a melody and then the upright bass joins in along with the trombone. He displays a more traditional singing and then Le plays a jumping piano solo which is followed by a trombone solo. The ending is great as he sings along to the fast melody.
“Vasheebava” is a song about seduction. Levine plays the guitar on this song. It starts with gentle effects on the cymbals (he rubs his fingers on them). Prakash sings in a more traditional Indian style and Levine adds a really nice guitar solo.
“Payoji” is a traditional devotional song and Prakash sings in a very traditional style. But musically it’s almost a kind of pop jazz. It’s very catchy with a nice trombone solo.
This conflation of Indian music with jazz is really cool.
[READ: January 11, 2021] Fearless.
“If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?”-Malala Yousafzai
This book begins with this wonderful sentiment:
Not long ago, a wave of exciting books uncovered stories of women through history, known and unknown, for young dreamers around the world. Women who had been warriors, artists and scientists. Women like Ada Lovelace, Joan of Arc and Frida Kahlo, whose stories changed the narrative for girls everywhere. Readers around us were thrilled to discover this treasure trove. But there was something missing. They rarely saw women of color and even fewer South Asian women in the works they were reading.
It’s a great impetus for this book which opens with a timeline of Pakistani accomplishments (and setbacks) for women. The timeline is chronological in order of the birth years of the woman in the book. Interspersed with their births are important events and the year they happened.
Like in 1940 when women mobilized and were arrested or in 1943 when the Women’s National Guard was formed. In 1948, a law passed recognizing women’s right to inherit property. In 1950, the Democratic Women’s Association formed to demand equal pay for equal work (it doesn’t say if it was successful).
In 1973 the Constitution declared there could be no discetrmaton on the basis of race, religion, caste or sex.
But in a setback in 1979, the Hudood Ordinance passed which conflated adultery with rape, making it near impossible to prove the latter–and the punishment was often death.
And yet for all of the explicit sexism in Pakistan, the country accomplished something that America has been unable to do–elect a woman as leader. In 1988 Benazir Bhutto became the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The woman in this book are given a one-page biography and a cool drawing (illustrations by Aziza Ahmad). They range from the 16th century to today.
The Seven Queens of Sindh (16th and 17th century) Folk Characters: Marui, Moomal, Sassui. Sohni, Lilan, Sorath, Noori.
They are inspirational women from history and legend who feature in the Shah Jo Rissalo written by the Sufi poet Shah Aldul Latif Bhittai. They denounced regressive patriarchal norms and chose free will and love above all things. While not all of their stories are happy, they are meant to be inspirational.
Fatima Jinnah (1893-1967) Politician
She was the sister of the founder of Pakistan. He educated her to become a dental surgeon (at a time when sexism was rampant). But when her brother’s wife died, she helped him in all manner of political forums–speaking publicly. She faced all kinds of threats for her outspokenness and yet continued unfazed.
Noor Jehan (1926-2000) Music Diva
She was Pakistan’s queen of melody who recorded over 10,000 songs in various languages.
Bano Qudsia (1928-2017) Novelist & Playwright
She revolutionized Pakistani literature by focusing on the plight of women as well as the class and gender divide. The Vulture King is considered a seminal work in Urdu literature.
Ruth Pfau (1929-2017) Doctor & Humanitarian
Pfau grew up on Germany but moved to Karachi in 1960. She was going to India to join a Catholic order but visa issues forced her to stay in Pakistan. She eventually founded a treatment centers for leprosy and treated nearly 60,000 people. Leprosy was declared under control by the WHO in 1996/
Anita Ghulam Ali (1934-2014) Educationist
Fought for the nationalization of private universities in Pakistan also became a lecturer in microbiology.
Shukria Khanum (1935-2017) Aviator
The first Pakistani woman to obtain a pilot’s licence (in 1959). She became a flight instructor when sexist policies would not let her fly for Pakistan International Airline.
Majida Rizvi (1937-present) Judge
She was only one of six girls to study law when she went to school. Clients wouldn’t go to her at first “What will a girl do?” But she won cases and became a the first female judge on a High Court. She also wrote a regular column advocating for women to receive an education
Bapsi Dishwa (1938-present) Author & Professor
Diagnosed with polio, she was not sent to school until she was 15. She read all the time and soon wrote her first novel The Bride and then a second The Crow Eaters. She then moved to the US and taught creative writing.
Shamin Ara (1938-2016) Actress & Director
Born Putli Bai, she was a beautiful actress and after being in 90 films she started producing and directing films.
Kishwar Naheed (1940-present) Poetess
Feminist poet and activist, she had become the matriarch of Urdu poetry. She eventually became Director General of the Pakistan National Council for the Arts.
Yasmeen Lari (1941-present) Architect & Conservationist
Her father worked in development and was mad a the lack of quality architects in Pakistan, so he encouraged her to pursue the career. She studied in London and then became Pakistan’s first woman to head of an architecture firm (when she 23). She began making solutions for low income housing–she focused on sustainable materials like mud and bamboo and has helped poor people to build more lasting houses.
Zubeida Mustafa (1941-present) Journalist
Has been writing for a daily paper since 1975. She wrote about women’s and children’s issues as well as education and human rights.
Salima Hashmi (1942-present) Artist & Curator
A founding member of the Women’s Action Forum, she has exhibited around the world and runs her own gallery exhibiting women artists.
Ameena Saiyid Obe (1946-present) Corporate Leader & Publisher
Became managing director of Oxford University Press in Pakistan. She upped production from a book a year to a book a week. The she co founded the Karachi Literature Festival which has 600,00 attendees in 2018.
Shahida Malik (1946-present) 2 Star Army General
Women have always been party of the Pakistan armed forces but few have risen as high ans Malik. Malik went to medical school and did very well. But she was disappointed by the quality and accountability in public mesidce. So she went into the army as a medical trainer and rose in the ranks very quickly.
Bilquis Edhi (1947-present) Philanthropist & Humanitarian
With her medical degree she and her husband started a medical dispensary in a poor village. They soon started an orphanage as well. It grew to become a foundation and then the largest emergency welfare service in Pakistan for women- and child-related services.
Reshma (1947-2013) Folk Singer
Discovered at 12 she became the first lady of folk.
Quratulain Bakhtiari (1949-present) Community Activist and Educationist
Nobel Peace Nominee was born in a refugee camp. She was horrified at the plight of refugees and began offering basic healthcare and education to those who came to the country. She established the Institute for Development Studies and Practices which offers learning spaces to communities.
Shabina Mustafa (1950-present) Educationist
She started a school in her garage to teach local poor girls. She has expanded the Garage School to three cities and over 500 students,
Sheema Kermani (1951-present) Classical Dancer & Theater Director
She founded Tehrik-e-Niswan a group for feminists to raise awareness of women’s issues. They use cultural and creative exercises to convey their message.
Asma Jahangir (1952-2018) Human Rights Activist & Lawyer
After getting her law degree she set up the first female law firm in the country, specializing in divorce and custody care. She was often arrested for fighting existing laws. She was a co-founder of Women’s Action Forum and was the first female president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
Maleeha Lodhi (1952-present) Diplomat & Academic
She was ambassador to the US and ambassador to the UK and is now Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Counsel. She started work as a journalist and became a founding editor of The News, Pakistan’s most renowned daily English newspaper.
Parveen Saeed (1952-present) Humanitarian & Social Worker
She grew up wanting to be a journalist, but when she moved with her husband to a poor town, she heard of a woman who murdered her children so they would not starve to death. She wanted to make sure that that never happened again. She started Khana Ghar a community kitchen. She would charge a paltry sum so that people did not think of it as a handout. It grew to a full team of workers and is now all over the country. Thanks to her work over 4,000 people now eat at least one square meal a day.
Parveen Shakir (1952-1994) Poetess & Civil Servant
Attended Trinity and Harvard on scholarships. She became a well-regarded poet, writing about women’s issues and politics.
Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) First Female Prime Minister of Pakistan
She became a symbol of resistance for many in Pakistan. Her father was prime minister but there was a coup and he was overthrown. She inherited his power. She argued against military rule and was elected first female Prime Minister age 35. When she was first elected some men said “A woman has usurped a man’s place. She should be killed.” Her government failed and she was exiled. She returned to Pakistan while the Taliban had it out for her. She was killed by a suicide bomber.
Niloder Saeed (1953-present) Entrepreneur
She started Pakistan’s health food industry and created the Copper Kettle chain, which is known for good quality food. She then started a bakery chain Hobnob which expanded to 12 branches in Karachi alone.
Perween Rehman (1957-2013) Architect
Worked with the underprivileged she became joint director of the Orangi Pilot Project which fixed housing water and sanitation issues. She empowered residents to build systems to fight government neglect. She opposed the water tanker mafia and was ultimately killed by them.
Seemin Jamali (1961-present) Doctor
She wanted to be a doctor since she was four. She joined the public sector and worked in poorly resourced emergency rooms–always a dangerous place.
Shamin Akhtar (1962-present) Truck Driver
She was Pakistan’s first female truck driver–a unheard of thing.
Nabila Maqsood (1963-present) Celebrity Stylist & Entrepreneur
She started small with a mirror and chair and would charge 30 cents for a haircut. She soon got better and better and had her own clientele. She then moved on to work at Unilever and eventually launched her line of “Zero Makeup.”
Nazi Hassan (1965-2000) Disco/Pop Singer
Became a pop idol at 15. She had many singles and hits. After doing much in the pop world, she retired and worked at the UN and UNICEF. But she was diagnosed with cancer and died at a young age.
Nergis Mavalvala (1968-present) Astrophysicist
She had always wanted to study space. She studied in the US and earned a PhD from MIT. She received a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 2010. She worked on the team that determined that gravitational waves could be detected. She won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2016. On top of that she is a queer person of color, speaking out for all of these issues.
Syeda Ghulam Fatima (1968-present) Human Rights Activist
Worked to free bonded laborers. Desperate families were conned into taking loans and the predatory lenders demanded that people work of their loans. And their children would have to as well. She fought against the brick kiln union and her brothers legs were broken. She raised $2.5 million in 48 hours when speaking out against this.
Shahzia Sikander (1969-present) Visual and Miniature Artist
She studied the Indo-Persian art of miniature painting. But she broke with tradition to find news ways to make the art She received an MFA from RISD. She created contemporary art in a traditional style.
Mukhtaran Mai (1972-present) Women’s Rights Activist
This story is shocking. Mukhtaran’s 12 year old younger brother was accused of having an illicit affair with a woman. This was made up to cover up the fact that he had been raped by a group of men. The solution was to have the brother marry one of the women and Mukhtaran marry one of them men. Instead, they gang raped her. She was expected to commit suicide to preserve family honor. Her mother talked her out of the suicide and said that they should go public with her story. She went to the police. Some men were arrested (unclear if they were guilty or scapegoats). But the court system freed them. She did receive monetary compensation however and established a women’s shelter, a public library, a legal clinic, nd an ambulance service. She even allowed one of the daughters of her rapist to attend the school in hopes of changing the girl’s life.
Sabeen Mahmud (1974-2015) Social Entrepreneur
When anyone told her she couldn’t do something she proved them wrong. Girls can’t play cricket. She learned and excelled at it. Girls cant do computers. She became proficient. She eventually founded The Second Floor or T2F a coffee shop and bookstore that served as community space for open dialogue. This grew into a venue for concerts, book readings and science talks She also advocated for women and minority rights and opposed religious extremism. When Baloch nationalists waged war in the area, she spoke out against it. She wa shot and killed.
Namira Salim (1975-present) Astronaut and Artist
Namira’s story is amazing. She wanted to be an astronaut which seemed an impossible fantasy in Pakistan. She received a telescope at age 14 and became part of the pioneering astronomy society in Pakistan. She moved to UAE and then Monaco and then… she was the first Pakistani to reach the North Pole in 2007 and the South Pole in 2008. She’s the only Pakistani in Virgins Galactic commercial space liner. She also became the first pakistani to complete US space training.
Naheen Rahman (1976-present) Investment banker
Recognized by Fortune magazine as a 40 under 40. She was the youngest and only female CEO among twenty-two asset management companies in Pakistan. In a male-dominated field she took a loss-making venture and turned it into profitable corporation that returned a 443 per cent gain. (They don’t say what it was, though).
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (1978-present) Producer & Director
She has always made films about women’s rights and has won two Oscars. She has also chaired the World Economic Forum and has chronicled the dangers of extremism in the world.
Women’s Action Forum (1981-present) Women’s Rights Organization
In 1979 the Hudoo Ordinance was enacted which criminalized sex outside of marriage including being raped–the punishment was often death for the woman. The WAF was formed in response. It started as a protest and soon became a powerful pressure egroup
Nighat Dad (1981-present) Human Rights Activist & Lawyer
Nighat studied in the city but had family in the countryside. She was shocked by the amount of abuse she received for studying law. She is passionate about free speech and speaks out online against harassment. She insists on educating young women about internet security
Sana Mir (1986-present) Cricketer
Sana loved cricket and chose it over engineering. She became captain of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket team and soon become the face one women’s sports in Pakistan. When a multinational brand;s advert showed a young basketball player expressing concern about her body hair showing on court, Sana was vocal about the role of corporations in body shaming and objectifying women in professional settings. She said, “Make no mistake, you need strong arms not smooth arms, on a sports field.”
Fatima Ali (1989-2019) Chef
Fatima studied to be a chef–she loved cooking. She went to the CIA in New York. She won a season of Chopped in 2012 and was on Top Chef in 2017. Sadly her story is tragic because she developed a cancerous sarcoma soon after and died very young.
Maria Toorpakai Wazir (1990-present) Sportswoman
A tomboy from the start at age four she burnt her dresses and dressed as a boy so she could play outside. She learned to lift weights but since women were not allowed to participate, she pretended to be a boy, supported by her family. She soon shifted her attention to squash. She went professional and received an award from he president of Pakistan. That year though, the Taliban issued threats against her. She went into hiding but came out in 2011 and is ranked as Pakistan’s top female player.
Qandeel Baloch (1990-2o16) Model & Social Media Personality
This story is amazing and disgusting at the same time. Born as Fauzia Azeem in a conservative part of Punjab, she was married at 17. She walked out of the abusive marriage and then broke into the entertainment world as Qandeel Baloch. She made dramatic and sexy TV appearances and no one outside of her family knew she was Qandeel. She made a video with Aryan Khan for the song “Ban.” When the press uncovered her identity, she was killed by her brother who felt she dishonoured the family.
Zenith Irfan (1995-present) Activist
When she was young, Zenith started riding her brother’s motorcycle–something unheard of for women in Pakistan. She decided to take a six day solo trip in the northeastern parts of Pakistan. Then at 21 she motorcycled 320 km on a suzuki bike and is thought to be the first Pakistani female motorcyclist to travel alone in the north of Pakistan. Normally in this area women do not even leave the house without male escort. She is pushing boundaries wherever she goes. She has a travel vlog 1 girl 2 wheels
Malala Yousafzai (1997-present) Activist
The Taliban forced her father to shut down his school because he taught girls there. Malala asked “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” She began blogging for the BBC as Gul Makai to show the threats of the Taliban and asked questions like, “Why is it that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace?” At 15, she was shot in the left side of her head. She was finally released from hospital and then moved to England. She established the Malala fund
Lyari Boxing Girls (2013-present) Sports Group
Khadija, daughter of a local boxing champion wanted to get involved in the sport. No school would teach girls, so her father asked his own coach. He had been coaching his own daughters and let Khadija join. Although he was afraid of pubic reaction, he wound up with tons of requests from girls and now has several new clubs across the country.
Girls at Dhabas (2015-present) Feminist Group
They are desi feminists occupying and claiming public spaces on their own terms and whims. A founding member, Sadia Kharti, studied in the US and returned to Karachi feeling repressed. She traveled around and posted pictures of herself and a friend at a roadside cafe–usually the domain of men. Her hashtag #girlsatdhabas took off. Hundreds more girls shared photos and experiences of biking, drinking chai in public and much more. Groups started forming under that name in cities around the country. They want to change cultural norms of what good girls can do.
And credit to the creators of this book:
Amneh Shaikh-Farooqui is a co founder of Women of the World Festival in Pakistan
Aziza Ahamd is a graphic designer who explore stereotypes and representations of female experience.
Sara Nisara is a designer and educator also a cofounder of the Women of the World Festival in Karachi
Aurelie Salvaire a French author and social entrepreneur, she filmed 28 minute documentary on masculinity in pakistan called Maard Ban (Be a Man). She is looking to get more people to be gender activists through her platform Shiftbalance.
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