- Playing
- Lost in Ritual
- From
- Hammad Ahmed
Muslims pray five times a day, even if they happen to be stuck in Harvard Square on a hot June day.
My aunts are using the sun to figure out the direction towards Mecca: "Basically, it usually rises to your left. -No, it sets on your left. -No, towards your left is the east, and towards your right is the west. -That was in England. -But England is also in the east?"
Their daughters are not religious--at first glance. But, what they say about finding a "side room" sounds very similar to how their mothers describes the "essence" of prayer. Hear four distinct Muslim women sound off in this three-minute soundworld.
And here's a brief glossary for the un-initiated:
qibla = the direction Muslims face while praying (i.e. towards Mecca)
namaaz = any of the five daily prayers
hijab = Muslim headscarf
sajdah = lying prostrate during prayer
side room = a private-or-not-private space that Muslims occupy for prayer when away from home
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Piece Description
Muslims pray five times a day, even if they happen to be stuck in Harvard Square on a hot June day. My aunts are using the sun to figure out the direction towards Mecca: "Basically, it usually rises to your left. -No, it sets on your left. -No, towards your left is the east, and towards your right is the west. -That was in England. -But England is also in the east?" Their daughters are not religious--at first glance. But, what they say about finding a "side room" sounds very similar to how their mothers describes the "essence" of prayer. Hear four distinct Muslim women sound off in this three-minute soundworld. And here's a brief glossary for the un-initiated: qibla = the direction Muslims face while praying (i.e. towards Mecca) namaaz = any of the five daily prayers hijab = Muslim headscarf sajdah = lying prostrate during prayer side room = a private-or-not-private space that Muslims occupy for prayer when away from home
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Emily Eagle
Posted on November 19, 2008 at 06:02 AM | Permalink
Review of Lost in Ritual
The ambient sound of this piece becomes it's own character--taking the listener straight to the place. Maybe this producer wishes he had interviewed these women somewhere quiet--a side room--but I'm glad he didn't. The car noises and distant chatter illustrate how the prayer is an everyday (five times daily!) event that can't always wait for peace and quiet. I'm glad too that the producer kept himself in the piece--it wouldn't be intimate without him.