Call to Morning Prayer

[bm_cricket]

Odd thing I think about often. In 2008 on Wednesday at sun rise there was someone who began singing the Islamic call to morning prayer. It was hypnotizing.

Does anyone know who that was? It was the only time I have ever heard it in the United States but I bet you it could easily become a fixture at Burning Man if a few people put their voices to work. In most middle eastern cities it is a fixture of the sound-scape.

I am not preaching. I'm not Muslim if anyone cares. I'm atheist actually. But this is honestly one of the most unearthly sounds, especially when it's coming from hundreds of people and from every direction.

Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAvlimEYEpQ[/youtube]

[lambert13]

Regardless of religious affiliation or lack of, the 'call to prayer' can sound very beautiful in the right setting. I agree with you 100%.

Even if a coordinated effort of live voices could not be done, having it come though speakers can be just as amazing. Especially right around sunrise when everything is quiet and sleepy.

[AntiM]

I've lived in both Saudi and Iran, I know exactly what you mean. Although mostly I've heard it over crackly old speakers, mixed in with traffic noise and street sounds.

Although the Yaki Imo call can be as haunting:

http://www.antipixel.com/blog/archives/audio/yaki-imo.mp3

Roasted sweet potatoes can be spiritual.

[CapSmashy]

My wife recorded this in Turkey.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaJGcRGvT14[/youtube]

They arrived at the Blue Mosque just as the call to prayer was beginning.

[CapSmashy]

Regardless of religious affiliation or lack of, the 'call to prayer' can sound very beautiful in the right setting. I agree with you 100%.

Even if a coordinated effort of live voices could not be done, having it come though speakers can be just as amazing. Especially right around sunrise when everything is quiet and sleepy.

My first thought is that it would be beautiful to play one morning but my wife pointed out that we would wholly unprepared if we had someone show up with or looking for a prayer rug at our bus.

[bm_cricket]

I've lived in both Saudi and Iran, I know exactly what you mean. Although mostly I've heard it over crackly old speakers, mixed in with traffic noise and street sounds.

Although the Yaki Imo call can be as haunting:

http://www.antipixel.com/blog/archives/audio/yaki-imo.mp3

Roasted sweet potatoes can be spiritual.

I guess that to me the city sounds seem only too appropriate. BRC is a bustling ephemeral city that never sleeps.

I was personally hoping to inspire someone out there who is capable and willing to create a real prayer space from which to call morning prayer. It would probably feel empty for someone like me to do it but since BRC has people from every walk of life I would just like to inspire someone from this walk of life to make this contribution. It would be a welcomed one, even for those people who aren't of the same faith. Also, I know a few people in my camp and others who are planning a sort of distributed sound system for the playa. It could help increase the range of one or two people's voices to the entire playa!!

[LeChatNoir]

Regardless of religious affiliation or lack of, the 'call to prayer' can sound very beautiful in the right setting. I agree with you 100%.... Especially right around sunrise when everything is quiet and sleepy.

You summed up what I was going to post pretty well. To me, it's like placing an ear to the wall and hearing something coming from way back in the past

[ZaphodBurner]

Much better than my idea of projecting jihad beheading videos into PETA camp.

A cool idea would be to have a choir of monks sing the call to prayer.

[bm_cricket]

Much better than my idea of projecting jihad beheading videos into PETA camp.

A cool idea would be to have a choir of monks sing the call to prayer.

I'm not going to tell you that you can't project something into the PETA camp (It's burning man!?) but if I may make a suggestion: I think it would be good enough to just show clips of every fast food chain ad into their camp 24/7. Just videos of hamburgers on grills and little kids eating meat. Videos of fat American families eating double sized cow-part patties with special sauce.

PS, I seldom eat any meat but I get a sick satisfaction in screwing with PETA members. They take their opinion, which I happen to feel is justified, to an absurd extreme. I don't follow anyone who lives too far to any extreme.

As for monks, yeah, sounds great! I don't know if there are more or less Buddhist monks or Islamic imams on the playa but I would love to hear both in this year of the metropolis.

I am not religious but ancient songs like these shake your bones.

[motskyroonmatick]

I've lived in both Saudi and Iran, I know exactly what you mean. Although mostly I've heard it over crackly old speakers, mixed in with traffic noise and street sounds.

I heard it in Turkey. It really was great. I think the crackly old speakers would be perfect. I also loved the way in the time of cell phones and everybody having accurate time that the call to prayer went on for at least 5 minutes starting up and fading away from random points on the compass.

Where does one get those old PA horns. I have been looking. I am thinking of them for another project that could be used for the call to prayer too.

[Isotopia]

I remember being told by Larry that there was to be a call to prayer each morning. I too only heard it once in the early hours of daybreak and thought it was pretty damn cool

Certainly more soothing to wake up to than the ubiquitous rave music.

[bm_cricket]

I remember being told by Larry that there was to be a call to prayer each morning. I too only heard it once in the early hours of daybreak and thought it was pretty damn cool

Certainly more soothing to wake up to than the ubiquitous rave music.

The neighborhood I was in that morning was pretty quiet at that hour. The most pronounced sound was the song with just a hint of face-melting wobbly base-line far off in the distance.

[sbot]

your little bullshit "call to prayer" is totally evil. So go fuck yourself.

FUCK RELIGION! AND ESPECIALLY FUCK ISLAM!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTMRRzUAyrE[/youtube]


I'm not open minded enough to tolerate totalitarian hatred. Sorry, it's not even funny. That little "call to prayer" video you posted is not cute. It is evil.

The people who sing that song & coming to "prayer" in those Mosques rape and beat their women, and they want everyone at burning man dead. So FUCK Islam, and FUCK Religion, and FUCK you for being a coward.


Take your call to prayers and fuck off. I'm calling you out!

[Bounce530]

..

[Ugly Dougly]

..

My thoughts as well.

Sbot, keep your hatred in Defaultia, where it belongs.

[sbot]

Ugly Dougly,

as i'm NOT threatening anyone...


being all happy about a "call to prayer" that is itself the greatest force of hatred and violence towards women, gays, and everything freedom stands for is sickening. educate yourself.

the laws of the countries in that "prayer" video kill people like you. and here you are supporting it like it's some happy little "unification" tribute or some bullshit. you're ignorant and cowardly!

[Ugly Dougly]

Nice try, troll.

[Isotopia]

Hey, I'm an atheist. I'm a queer and I have issues with what's going on under the name of religion myself.

But I like good gospel music too.

Suggesting that actions by a minority of religious extremists under the name of Allah/Mohammed or whoever is representative of an entire group (or culture) of people is about as unfair as suggesting that Timothy McVeigh acted on the part of ALL Christians when he blew up the fed building in Oklahoma.

Sorry, but I'm not buyin' your visceral stereotyping.

[ygmir]

would it be "un-P.C." to suggest, perhaps, the model airplane club do a fly-over during the song?............

[goathead]

would it be "un-P.C." to suggest, perhaps, the model airplane club do a fly-over during the song?............

only if they fly into the Man.
Is that Paul at the controls?

some sounds just seem to haunt the soul.
have nothing to do with Islam but the sounds of the calls
brings peace to my soul for some reason.
just as the sounds of bagpipes, or other sounds stir my soul.

accordians, flaming tuba's, men in lederhosen.....
Girls in lederhosen.
Wondering where Simon is?

[ygmir]

Zamfir, is your man, then...........

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wv3Ya9nskA[/youtube]

[unjonharley]

There was a minaret built on the playa 2008

[FaeTora]

I was raised Catholic and as a Witness (don't try to wrap your mind around that; the minds a terrible thing to waste) and am now agnostic. I believe there maybe something out there and I do not claim to be smart enough to know for certain what is or isn't. But I also do not force my beliefs on anyone else. They are my own and I hold them dear. I am also gay and my sister is African American and Caucasian. I can remember hearing Mulatto and Zebra being yelled at my sister as we walked down the street and (though I had no understanding at that age what it ment) crying because I couldn't understand how someone could hate the beautiful kind person that was my sister.

Having said that. Sbot, have you ever had your IQ tested? Does an eye for eye solve anything? In my expereince you just end up with a bunch of blind men walking around. Its a chant. It has no arms, no guns, no trigger fingers. The Playa will not be seduced into violence because of a mere call to prayer.

Leave your hatred at the door along with your shoes.

[Eric]

seeing as sbot's first post was "herpes slut at the burn" I wouldn't place to much value on what he says. He seems rather pathetic.

[SFbrothermichael]

This is the call to prayer you heard.
It's by the artist David King.

http://www.davidkingcollage.com/calltoprayer1.html

[gyre]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlVRBXhvCoM[/youtube]

[bm_cricket]

This is the call to prayer you heard.
It's by the artist David King.

http://www.davidkingcollage.com/calltoprayer1.html

That does seem very, very likely except I didn't attend in 2007. Maybe it returned in 2008 for a special morning prayer.

Either way, cool! Thank you!

EDIT: If I close my eyes and try to remember then yes, I remember clearly that this is the voice I heard.

[nickn]

I wanted to play all 32 minutes of Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan" one morning, but as great as it is, I still wasn't sure my neighbors would want to hear it.

[Timezone LaFontaine]

I wanted to play all 32 minutes of Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan" one morning, but as great as it is, I still wasn't sure my neighbors would want to hear it.

I'd love to hear that out there. Actually, come to think of it, I listened to that album on the way to BRC last year.

[Bay Bridge Sue]

Kinda like The Last Prophet done by Fateh Ali Khan... one of those hauntingly beautiful things you can fall back on again and again when you want to hear something totally different. Keep a copy of it on my ipod... just the thing to listen to on an airliner...

;)

Seriously, tho... Music is music... whether it's some crusty 90's grunge or ancient religious stuff or lady gaga or the oak ridge boys or zeppelin.. it's all a gift of being human, that it's there to be enjoyed.

As to the call to prayer - it's all in the talent of the mullah issuing it. Like anyone else wto whom music isn't their primary profession, it can go from stunningly beautiful to all about shouting. Shit, kinda like some people I've seen on stage at BRC! ;)

And no... I am not a follower of Islam, but I do like the music. So there.

(And for you numerologists... this was post # 3200. Figure *that* one out...)