The last ten days have been marked by the arrival of the Islamic new year (Muharram) and the ever-progressing arrival of Ashura, which is the 10th day after Muharram (ahsura means ‘10’).
On the eve of Ashura, bands of children from every neighborhood gather together to play music. They beat drums and tambourines and blow into long horns that make a single, bleating note. Sometimes they sing. If you are lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where some of the older boys lead the children in learning rhythms, you are treated to some great sounds. Of course the kids ‘practice’ all week long and parade up and down the derbs in raucous good humor.
My street has tons of children and their numbers steadily increased as they banded together the other night to symbolically mourn the end of a year and celebrate the beginning of a new year. They probably don’t know that is what they were doing, but the idea of drumming out the old and heralding in the new gave me the wherewithal to deal with their learning curve and a great appreciation for the steady progress they made in producing the traditional rhythms.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ashura this year … perhaps it’s because I took the time to learn what it’s all about.
2 comments:
The drumming children will move down the street away from your window if you bribe them with sweets, that's what I learned a couple of years ago.
Hi,
I am glad that you are eager to learn about a new culture and where its traditions come from. Very few people are so open minded. I came across your blog upon reading it my heart felt great pain. It is this pain that has pushed me to comment. Ashura to many Muslims in the world is far from occasion of merry-making, but one of great sadness as Muslims commemorate the death of the grandchild of the Prophet. I do not wish to go into the history, but i hope that you will do your own research and see how even though one community parades the street with drums and happiness another community reflects on the torture that befell upon the grandchildren and the companions of the Holy Prophet.
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