Saturday, March 21, 2009

Navroz Mubarak to our global Morningchai family !!!

Zee's Notes: Amazing 12 months have gone by since, at this time last year, the Ismaili's were preparing to head off to the four cities in the US for the Golden Jubilee Darbars. A lot has happened since then - most notably the entire global economy blew up in front of our eyes - yes times have changed and indeed in most Ismaili centers there will be no central 'Khushiali' celebrations. So thanks to the people who recorded some past Navroz celebrations here is a taste...

But first...I absolutely love the new rendition of the Ismaili Anthem...yes you can guess I love being an Ismaili !!!





While we are in the Khushiali mood - I need to give you this incredible story of one man who, to me, is the absolute soul of every Khushiali celebration in Vancouver. When we first moved to Vancouver in the early seventies there was this gent - his name is Mamlo Dhanji - who started the Vancouver Ismaili Band you are listening to in the video above. Mamlo has kept the Ismaili Band tradition alive for the past 30 years and he really epitomizes the celebration of our 'Khushiali. So the story is this - I am sitting here at 2:40am at my computer and looking in my hard drive if I have a picture of Mamlo - no luck - I could get it tomorrow but I want it right now - and by chance I surf over to Flickr - the photo sharing site - and type in Ismaili and lo and behold - there is a photo of Mamlo taken by an amateur lady photographer who happens to be at the Punjabi Market on Main Street - how cool is that !!!

Here is the post from Flickr - hats off to my friend Mamlo - seventy and getting younger....



Click here for comments by visitors to this lady`s site on Mamlo...http://www.flickr.com/photos/janisbrass/118390503/

Speaking of Khushiali - there is no tradition as old and universal to Ismailis from the Indian Sub-Continent and Africa as Dandiya. I dandiyad at 12 and 3 decades later I still dandiya - though a few times I ended up at the end of the line and don`t you hate that when you turn and no one on the right to catch your dandia stick - well here is what you can do if there is just the two of you and you don`t want to go into the line...just brilliant...have a great Navroz with your loved ones...

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