|
|
city
of shiva
city
of kali
home
of the jagannath
-
radio beijing interlude -
the
torch of naxalbari
Mixed
from 5 hours of samples recorded during an overland journey to and in India
in 1996/97, „ram nam satya hai" is no chronological travelogue like „traumpfad",
but was arranged horizontally: Moments at the beginning of the journey
mix with later encounters. Thus a muhezzin from Istanbul meets Indian tablaplayers,
a Japanese zenmonk in Bodhgaya meets a Korean bamboo flute, Pakistani
sufis meet Indian chaivendours. The central moments were recorded at the
burning ghats in Varanasi (Benares). The title is the traditional hindu
praise for the deceased first shouted by one person, then responded echo-like
by those carrying the corpse. It is translated as: „The Name of Ram is
Truth".
The
titles:
city
of shiva: Varanasi/Benares, holy city at the holy Ganga river
city
of kali: Calcutta, described in the inaudible poem on track 5 of
the CD (compare below)
home
of the jagganath: Puri, holy city in Orissa - the jagganath is an
acid-like deity that doesn't care for castes; women in their menstruation
are not allowed in his temples though; an old tradition that has led to
much controversy and hopefully will be abolished soon.
radio
beijing interlude: a situation in Shigatse, Tibet, when the
whole city (the second biggest in Tibet) was polluted with Chinese propaganda
at maximum volume
the
torch of naxalbari: several graffitis all over India, but mainly
in Bihar, Westbengal and Orissa support the peasants' insurrection that
began in Naxalbari and led to the founding of the People's War Group
'Lyrics'
(the inaudible Calcutta poem in track 5):
only
half awake as our train's been delayed
still
more people than dogs sleep in the streets
yes,
this city' s a bitch with more puppies than tits
and
sometimes they bite so she bleeds
some
drops for mother destruction, an omnipresent sacrifice to quench her thirst
kneedeep
in rotten flowers, a humid human mass pulsating in steam
throb
throb like the goats' blood at the temple in front of which cops destroy
corrugating iron shelters
of
those who escaped from the slums and commies chase hawkwers and beggars
to clean the strees for mother destruction, an omnipresent sacrifice to
quench her thirst...
The
references:
sanjoy
hazarika: strangers of the mist - tales of war & peace from india'
s northeast
prakash
singh: the naxalite movement in india (C!)
mala
sen: india's bandit queen - the true story of phoolan devi
christa
wichterich: stree shakti - frauen in indien
taslima
nasrin: lajja - shame
patnaik/chowdhury/das
patnaik: the bondos and their response to development (R!)
sitakant
mahapatra: the tangled web - tribal life and culture in orissa
tribal
and harijan research-cum-training institute: the kondh/the saora/the juang
(R!)
salman
rushdie: the moor's last sigh/shame/midnight's children/grimus/the satanic
verses/east, west
theos
bernard: hindu philosophy
w.
j. wilkins: hindu mythology
(C!)
- written by a cop...
(R!)-
contains racist prejudices against the indigenous people of india
releases:
ram
nam satya hai - eighty
percent of nothing - cITY.cRIME.cONTROL.
- in
statu nascendi - traumpfad
- a travelogue in three acts -
worminside
- the libyan tapes
/ to loop a loop - prisonblood
(murder 1, 2, 3) - triptych
1: may all rapists be happy - triptych
2: skarz
NEW!
the patricide
ep - punish
the guilty - '.blackbox.'
label activities: m. nomized - origami vs. manipura
interactive discography: releases
products: list - 2nd hand - live archives
texts (german only): cd/lp/7" reviews a-l m-r s-z - interviews - gigs - hörspiele