Thank you Ms. Linda De Suza for your musical heritage in French, Portuguese, and Spanish!
Before going to sleep late yesterday night, Bambi came across a YouTube video referring to the death of M.s Linda De Suza at the age of 74. Her brain immediately dismissed the news as a hoax. Perhaps because she has seen many of the latter about other artists or even politicians? Or perhaps because our first natural reaction to death is denial (https://bit.ly/3G0dxlm)? Regardless, Bambi just heard a confirmation of this sad news on her internet Lebanese-American radio, along with a couple of De Suza’s immortal songs.
Of note, Bambi was preparing a post on censorship in Canada, which will be a translation of a very thoughtful article of Dr. Joseph Facal (in partnership with her beloved friend, Mr. Google Translate, of course) and an opportunity to share her recent musical discovery on liberty. She put it aside now, perhaps until tomorrow, to post this brief tribute to Ms. Linda De Suza… May her memory be eternal.
You may perhaps wonder why would Bambi be saddened by the death of Ms. De Suza to that extent? No, it is not only because she is BIG fan of this inspiring lady (who sold over 2 million records); like many fellow fans worldwide, not just in France or Portugal. Indeed, it may be perhaps the case because her French songs have rocked Bambi’s childhood and adolescence in Beirut. It is as if a part of her youth has died now with Ms. De Suza, even if her music will outlive her and us all.
Indeed, God knows how many times her songs played on the Lebanese radio during its bloody civil war (1975-1990), bringing tenderness and romance in the middle of brutality; how many times Bambi listened to them: alone, with her sisters, or with friends at the end of parties when music usually turns into slow dancing. She recalls having taking the time to write down De Suza’s beautiful lyrics more than once. She even sang them; alone do not worry because it is safer to the ears of her loved ones. Ms. De Susa’s lyrics are so beautiful that even a frog’s voice cannot succeed in turning them to bad melodies!
Thank you, Ms. De Suza for having existed and for your eternal musical heritage. You were an icon of the successful, and moving, Portuguese migrant to France. You built bridges between hearts in your adoptive and birth countries. Your beautiful influence travelled beyond Europe, including Lebanon and other francophone or francophile places. Heartfelt condolences from Bambi to your loved ones. Again, may your memory be eternal, as it will remain in your fans’ hearts and brains’ limbic system ❤️.
To end this tribute, Bambi will allow herself to borrow the translated concluding words of President Macron and his spouse in their official statement (https://bit.ly/3GpTb6p). Following this, she will share some of Ms. Linda De Suza’s most famous songs found on YouTube (a couple come with an English translation). She hopes you will enjoy either re-listening to them or discovering them.
“At the crossroads of two cultures, two languages, translating her greatest French successes into Portuguese, she asserted herself as an icon of the crossed destinies of our two peoples, and sponsored Portugal when it joined the European Union in 1986.
The President of the Republic and his spouse salute this talented singer who builds bridges between the country where she began her life and the one where she ended it, in this Normandy which was dear to her. They send their sincere condolences to her son, his family, and all those moved by her songs, in Portugal and in France.”
Bambi would like to thank the friend who just kindly shared the story underlying this post with her.
How ignorant can you be to ban a Christmas carol from TV because of its lyrics that refer to Jesus as what he is, the”King of Israel“, as mentioned in both the Bible and the Qu’ran. Indeed, the reference to Israel is spiritual and historic. It has nothing to do with politics, the Modern Israel, and the Middle East eternal conflict.
Banning a famous Christmas prayer-carol like the First Noël is both stupid and authoritarian. The artist is right: this has nothing to do with the Palestinian cause or with the current reality that Lebanon is still officially or legally in a state of war with the neighbouring Israel (contrary to many Arab counties with recent normalized ties).
Bambi has posted this song on her blog. Thus, in this post, she wants to imagine that the embedded video is a TV screen in each household of her birth country where this beautiful song has played during the Christmas holiday and where people are free to either listen to it or to change the channel if they get “triggered”.
In solidarity with Ms. Cynthia Karam and Mr. Bruno Tabbal, Bambi will share their song again, in addition to showing her earlier post again at the end of the current one. Last but not least, she will share what looks like a Facebook (or Meta) open letter, which was also released by Ms. Karam to the media. Her text is in Arabic, but with the help of her friend Mr. Google Translate, Bambi translated it to English for you.
“The Surveillance [of the General Security] banned “The First Noel” on TV screens.
Yes,
the news hit like a thunderstorm. We were informed, one day before the eve of
Christmas, that the committee to which the Gregorian video clip was transferred
(in order to obtain the usual permission to broadcast it on Lebanese TV
channels) wished to “delete the phrase born is the king of Israel” and the
reason: “for lack of misunderstanding”!? ….
Let’s
put everything in its proper context. The First Noel is a traditional English
medieval Gregorian chant first recorded in 1823 in the collection Gilbert and
Sandy’s Carols.
The
First Noel is one of the world’s most famous Christmas anthems and has been
performed by a number of world famous artists such as Celine Dion, Josh Groban,
Maraya Carey, Whitney Houston and others.
The video clip was filmed in a Lebanese village and in the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation. It shows the piousness of Cynthia Karam and Bruno Tabbal in the context of the Christmas prayer and then placing the baby Jesus in the cave, thus expressing the essence of the religious meaning of Christmas and its human dimension. The question being asked? What in this context is favoured over “misunderstanding”??? Let’s go back and explain what needs no explanation: The phrase king of Israel has no connection to any political meaning! It is found in the Bible and means “King of the Jews”. And everyone, everyone, knows that.
This phrase appears more than 27 times in the
Bible.And to mention the example: Nathanael answered him and said to him, “Teacher, you are the Son
of God. You are the King of Israel.” John 1:49 “Let this Messiah, King of Israel, come down now from the
cross, so that we may see and believe!” Mark 15:32 “And you, O Bethlehem, the land of Judah.[…] For from you shall
come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2:3 As for in the Holy Qur’an, Surat Al-Isra’, the second verse: {1}
And We gave Moses the Book and made it a guidance for the children of Israel,
that you should not take a proxy besides Me. {2} The surah is also known as “Surat Bani Isra’il” because it talks
about this people. This is to mention a few examples.
THE
FIRST NOEL chant performed at the beginning of the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy of the Christmas Mass in the Vatican in the presence of His Holiness
the Pope (link: https://youtu.be/Hhrjxix3pAE),
and it was performed by Father Peter Hanna (link: https://youtu.be/KlvEbeXMZv0). I also
performed it personally at my birthday celebration in 2018, in the presence of
His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Bechara Al-Rahi, and the ceremony was broadcast on a
Charity TV. Not to mention countless hits on screens, the latest of which was
on Christmas Eve two days ago, when it was performed by a young artist on MTV.
So, what is required? Replacing this phrase in the Bible with “Occupied
Palestine” and asking all fathers, metropolitans, bishops, and the Pope of Rome
to delete it and not to pronounce it for “not misunderstanding”?! This is
nonsense. So, what is required? Have the word Israel, which means the Jews
here, become the monopoly of the Zionist enemy? So why is the Jewish community
in Lebanon officially called “the Israelis”, i.e. israélites? And if we in
Lebanon do not accept all monotheistic religions, then why was the Magen
Abraham Synagogue in downtown Beirut restored? A clear and unfortunate
contradiction. What did this oversight achieve?
Nothing.
Preventing the Lebanese people from watching a beautiful video clip on TV on Christmas
eve, which is purely Christmas-related, did not achieve anything. The clip has
been on YouTube for two weeks, and it was shown twice or more a day for a whole
week on MTV before we stopped showing it out of respect for the decision issued
by General Security. We are under the law, even if it is unjust. The clip
spread and achieved the required success without registering any objection from
any party or any “misunderstanding”. The Lebanese are not idiots who
need a “guardian to think for them”. The problem is not with the
oversight body, which I have been dealing with for more than a decade, and they
are among the kindest, most respectful, and positively cooperative people. The
problem is with the idea of censorship that is not in keeping with the times
and technology. We have repeated that over and over again. Today, with the
“click of a button”, we can obtain any information without an
intermediary or observer. The problem is with discretion and old laws and
committees that do not match the thought of this time and the development of
humanity in addition to technologies. We need to update it to keep pace with
this era and to be effective, unlike what the First Noel video clip censorship
did not accomplish. In addition, we see a very big difference between
censorship and people, as I repeat that the clip won great admiration and no
objection was recorded. Censorship is in one place, people are in another, and
it is clear that the Lebanese are not ignorant, as they are “aware” and fully
aware of the context of this video clip and its true meaning.
So, today I am addressing this oversight body
and all the respected curators behind it through this publication, which I
consider an open letter, asking them to reconsider this unfair and wrong
decision that harms their credibility and the reputation of our beloved Lebanon. I repeat and repeat the clip circulated through the Internet and
achieved the required spread and success. The request to reverse the ban is only to support the right that
we all thirst for. Our country is going through a collapse at all levels.We need great awareness, solidarity and unity
to correct matters in all fields, and we must always raise our voice to correct
mistakes and “missing steps”. The silent about the truth is a dumb devil.
Many of you dear readers are fans of Ms. Leila Milki; some expressed your appreciation of her talent on this blog in earlier posts shown further below. Bambi hopes you will enjoy her latest project, like she did ❤️!
—
Earlier posts on the much talented Lebanese-American singer, songwriter, and pianist Ms. Leila Milki:
Jad Dagher gave his first solo peformance on piano on December 26, 2022 in Lebanon!
Mr. Jad Dagher is full of talent. Bambi is not only impressed, but also proud!
Indeed, Jad Dagher is only 17. Yet he completed the Trinity College of London (Grade 8) program (https://bit.ly/3Z1qCDE). The latter is a highly prestigious and rigorous leading exam board and independent education charity. It has been providing assessments around the world since 1877. It specializes in assessing communicative and performance skills, including music, drama, English, and combined arts. The Trinity College of London has over 850,000 candidates per year in over 60 countries, imagine. Jad Dagher has been one of them. He is skilled in both sciences and music, among other skills. Bravo for his multi-talent, diligence, and beautiful attitude in life.
This post will focus on Mr. Dagher’s musical talent only. He began learning piano at age 7. Yesterday, on December 26, 2022, he gave his first performance on piano. He interpreted Bach, Mozart, Debussy, and Skoryk. His concert was followed by an opera concert featuring Ms. Maria Dudnik who was accompanied on piano by Ms. Kateryna Azzi. The latter is the Rock’N Bach School of Music and Art‘s piano teacher.
Following the poster below, you can appreciate Mr. Dagher’s INCREDIBLE talent. Notice how he has memorized the pieces he played. Of note, the last videos are Mozart’s 12 variations of “Twinkle Twinke Little Star” (https://bit.ly/2VBaI0U).
It takes an immense talent, much practice, and courage to perform solo as Mr. Jad Dagher did yesterday. Please, Jad, keep up BOTH your talent and dedication. Bravo for making us all proud and thank you for being an inspiration to Bambi ❤️!
Welcome to all the babies and… long live “Meghle”!
Have you ever heard of or tasted a Lebanese desert called “Meghle”?
Bambi has two most recent memories of Meghle. The first dates from December 2019 when she visited her family in Beirut. The smell of the delicate flavours of anise, caraway, pistachio, coconut, and rose water woke her up upon her first morning in Lebanon. What a nice way to start a day, isn’t it? Bambi followed the smell to her mom’s kitchen, teasing her by asking if she had given birth to a baby sibling for her :)? Her mom explained that it was for both Baby Jesus and for Bambi’s sister, Roula, who likes this desert. Cool, Bambi thought!
Well, it seems that the recipe is relatively easy. Bambi does not trust her relatives when they say so, including her own spouse who is the king of their/his kitchen. They all say this and they most likely mean it, thanks to them. However, they forget sometimes that nothing is easy for those of us who are among the least talented of the common people :)!
Anyhow talking about ease in the kitchen, Bambi’s second most recent memory of Meghle is related to her cousin Samia from Sydney, Australia! When she visited Montreal, in just a few magical minutes, she prepared Meghle for her niece who was craving this delicious desert. Thankfully, there is something called sharing in life. We all got to taste her masterpiece of Meghle. Mmm!
Cousin Samia’s Meghle: Mmm! A picture taken by Bambi in Montreal, Canada in September, 2022.
Cousin Samia’s Meghle: Mmm! A picture taken by Bambi in Montreal, Canada in September, 2022.
Be honest with yourself, please: Are you salivating right now, like Bambi? If so, you may be perhaps interested in reading the Meghle recipe that Bambi found online for you (https://bit.ly/3GkKI48).
Below are brief videos about how to make Meghle in several languages: English, silent (except for the music language) with Arabic sub-titles, Arabic (by the talented Lebanese-American Chef Soha), French, and German.
To conclude this post, “Sahteen“, or Bon Appétit , as they say in Lebanon. “Mabrouk” and welcome to the newborn 🙂 in music with… two songs. The first is a kids’ song in English. The second, you can guess that it is Mr. Ramy Ayash’s Lebanese “Mabrouk” [Congrats!] song :)!
Silent (except or the music language :), English sub-titles
Bambi wishes her dear readers, especially those who highlight Christmas in one way or another, a Merry Christmas eve/day. She will do so in music with Bocelli’s beautiful voice. If she may, she will also add the following thoughts:
Be merry everyone, whether you celebrate or just respect the birth of “Baby Jesus” (tonight or maybe later in January?); whether you acknowledge his birthday, at least in the hearts of those who believe in him even if you don’t yourself; regardless of your own different faith or lack thereof, and last but not least regardless of your efforts of being, or just wanting to sound, too “inclusive” of others’ different traditions to the point of denying your own family heritage (cultural, historical, religious, etc.).
To conclude this brief musical post, please remember to be safe and let your hearts smile, not just during the holidays but throughout the year. Indeed, in addition to being enriching, life is more fun with smiles and/or laughter 🙂 ❤️!
Is there anything more moving than the lyrics of this prayer? Here is a quick English translation from Arabic for you. Mmm, what would have Bambi done without you, dear Mr. Google Translate? If she may, Bambi would like to dedicate this song to a reader who knows how to appreciate it. Yes, she is thinking of you, Achim, if you happen to be reading. She hopes you will enjoy this brief version. As for you Ms. Chantal Bitar, THANK you; Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
“When we give a cup of water to a thirsty person, we are in Christmas.
When we clothe the naked in the garment of love, we are in Christmas.
When we hold back tears from our eyes, we are in Christmas.
When we brush hearts with hope, we are in Christmas.
Thank you, Dr. Joseph Facal for your thoughtful article published yesterday in the Journal de Montréal (https://bit.ly/3jokwgj).
Below is a quick translation for you, thanks to Bambi’s faithful online friend, Mr. Google Translate.
Do you also see the increasing nonsense in Canada’s universities and, by extension, society?
If so, what can we collectively do about all this, in your opinion?
And if not, are your truly convinced of the added value of such ideologically-based positions? Or are you too politically correct to dare to question them like Dr. Facal?
—
“Being ridiculed full-time does not hold back the University of Ottawa’s leaders.
The institution wants to hire an Assistant Professor in “Anti-racist Education”.
The contest ended yesterday.
“The research program would focus on anti-oppressive and inclusive education, anti-colonial perspectives, diasporas, critical theory, human rights and racialized perspectives […]. ».
Science?
A university professor is supposed to teach and do research.
Both teaching and research must aim for objectivity, which does not prohibit – it is the nature of trial and error that characterizes discoveries – speculation.
It is pure and simple hoaxes to claim “anti-racist” scientific research.
By definition, there is no “scientific” research if the answers are known in advance, or if you are only looking for what will reinforce a predetermined conclusion.
It is essentially militant discourse, more or less sophisticated catechism, spiced up with pseudo-scholarly expressions, conveyed by people who want academic positions.
And it works, as illustrated by the job advertisement mentioned above: positions, scholarships, public subsidies, etc.
It has come so far that hundreds of academics in Québec are currently mobilizing against the new criteria for awarding FRSQ research grants, which require candidates to explain how their project advances this ideological program.
Let’s get this straight: of course there is racism and racists, here as everywhere.
But these pseudo-researchers do not wish to clearly define the phenomenon.
They build and brandish a symbolic weapon, whose three sharp points could be expressed thus.
First, all of “white” society is racist.
Second, anti-white racism is marginal, if not non-existent, since only the white majority has the power to impose its racism on non-whites.
Third, the White who does not see how he is racist is a prisoner of his unconscious biases.
He is necessarily guilty and must ask for forgiveness.
Many of these academic pseudo-researchers are extraordinarily aggressive.
It’s not just because they’re fanatical.
It is also because they know that their academic production is so weak that it would hardly resist an evaluation according to the usual scientific criteria, that this examination must be prevented by violently attacking those who would like to look at it closely.
To justify their nonsense, they will invoke their “academic freedom”, the one they are so quick to want to suppress in others.
The cleverest have even found a way to make money with this new “anti-racism”: small companies of consultants moving full speed ahead to offer their services to sell training in EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) in order to bring your employees in the luminous path of virtue.
React!
Many academics do not like that we denounce the abuses in academia.
It is true that such nonsense offends those who do serious work.
But it is precisely the fact of looking away instead of reacting that allows evil to spread”.
Bambi will always be grateful for her cousin Joumana for making her discover Mr. Omar Kamal, as per one of the older posts shown further below. Since that time, Bambi’s friend, Jacinthe, became a fan as well. Who knows? Perhaps you are also fond of Mr. Kamal’s talent [like you, Fatma :)]?
In case you do not know this incredibly talented musician and singer yet, below you can watch a brief five-year-old France24 English-speaking interview with him. From it, Bambi learned that he studied engineering in England. He chose a musical career instead. Thank goodness for us!
Anyhow, if she may, Bambi would like to end this brief post by thanking Mr. Omar Kamal for singing for Christmas from East to West in both Arabic and English!
