I strolled towards Band Stand at Regent Park this afternoon. The Sun, was out in all its splendor on this Wednesday......the park was buzzing with people enjoying in the Sun.
The stunted arthritic lady feeding the swans some bread with her disfigured hands.
Children speeding on their bikes loosing some off that pent up energy.
The photographer finally finding the right amount of light for an outdoor photo shoot.
A heated exchange of .....words here.....and glances there.
The bikini clad woman roasting in the Sun for that 'natural' tan. The lines...
One ray the more, one shade the less
Had half impaired the nameless grace
....come to my mind.
Byron should have called the poem She Basks for Beauty...rather than 'She Walks in Beauty'! :D!
It was just one of those days when my feet led my thoughts and my thoughts just happily followed on. ....ummm well not really. I was here out of curiosity. I had come to listen to the choir of the blind children of Milton Margai School in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
I didn't know that Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa. But if there's one thing I do know....it's that I don't know much!
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world with the highest infant mortality rate and average life expectancy of about 40 years. During the American Revolutionary War enslaved Africans were promised freedom if they sided with the British and many did. Freetown was founded in 1787 as a home for the slaves who were later freed. It's a strange world where the British enslaved them for years and later 'freed' them. In the recent past Britain along with the UN has played an 'important part' in ending rebel activities and bringing about peace.The children were here to Thank the British. After all the exploitation I'm not convinced about all the gratitude! Anyways....
The choir had already started performing....I stared at them....took in what I saw. Dark colored children in bright colorful uniform and ribbons. Merrily singing and moving from on foot to another in rhythmic motion. There were about 25 children and they sang in several languages spoken in their country and also in English!
On a closer look their faces showed signs of a difficult life. Some of them had lost their sight due to some disease. Safi, aged 13 lost her father 4 years back...he was killed by rebels. When she cried out... the rebels poured burnt plastic over her eyes.
Yet the children say - "We cannot see, but we will conquer"
....and conquer they did :)!
I wish I could tell you how my favorite tune went. But I guess that's for me to carry in my heart. But yes, it did make me and a few others dance and sway in the park with a hundred other onlookers :)
I lay down on the grass and closed my eyes trying to keep the Sun away. But within a few minutes my skin started burning and the Sun invaded my thoughts....bringing me back to reality. They couldn't 'see' the hundred of us enjoying their music!!! But they could feel how much we enjoyed their performance only if we joined in with loud resounding claps!!!
One of the performances was of 4 blind boys playing an instrument which resembled the Bongo! They were led on to the stage by their teacher.
What a performance the boys put up! It was like a jugalbandi! What co-ordination...what timing! They truly left us spell bound. The crowd responded with 'Yeaaa' 'Whooaaaa', loud applause and lots of people shaking a leg to the pulsating music! People flocked to witness the performance and the place started to get really crowded.....Regents Park rocked!!!
I couldn't help but smile as I stood their mesmerized.....what was the afternoon about.... music... children... hope...?
But what an Eye Opener this has turned out to be!
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world with the highest infant mortality rate and average life expectancy of about 40 years. During the American Revolutionary War enslaved Africans were promised freedom if they sided with the British and many did. Freetown was founded in 1787 as a home for the slaves who were later freed. It's a strange world where the British enslaved them for years and later 'freed' them. In the recent past Britain along with the UN has played an 'important part' in ending rebel activities and bringing about peace.The children were here to Thank the British. After all the exploitation I'm not convinced about all the gratitude! Anyways....
The choir had already started performing....I stared at them....took in what I saw. Dark colored children in bright colorful uniform and ribbons. Merrily singing and moving from on foot to another in rhythmic motion. There were about 25 children and they sang in several languages spoken in their country and also in English!
On a closer look their faces showed signs of a difficult life. Some of them had lost their sight due to some disease. Safi, aged 13 lost her father 4 years back...he was killed by rebels. When she cried out... the rebels poured burnt plastic over her eyes.
Yet the children say - "We cannot see, but we will conquer"
....and conquer they did :)!
I wish I could tell you how my favorite tune went. But I guess that's for me to carry in my heart. But yes, it did make me and a few others dance and sway in the park with a hundred other onlookers :)
I lay down on the grass and closed my eyes trying to keep the Sun away. But within a few minutes my skin started burning and the Sun invaded my thoughts....bringing me back to reality. They couldn't 'see' the hundred of us enjoying their music!!! But they could feel how much we enjoyed their performance only if we joined in with loud resounding claps!!!
One of the performances was of 4 blind boys playing an instrument which resembled the Bongo! They were led on to the stage by their teacher.
What a performance the boys put up! It was like a jugalbandi! What co-ordination...what timing! They truly left us spell bound. The crowd responded with 'Yeaaa' 'Whooaaaa', loud applause and lots of people shaking a leg to the pulsating music! People flocked to witness the performance and the place started to get really crowded.....Regents Park rocked!!!
I couldn't help but smile as I stood their mesmerized.....what was the afternoon about.... music... children... hope...?
But what an Eye Opener this has turned out to be!
