Michael "Mikaeel" Joseph Jackson (29 August 1958 - 25 June 2009)

Michael "Mikaeel" Joseph Jackson (29 August 1958 - 25 June 2009)

A week has passed since the shocking news that not only shook the entertainment industry, but also the world. The passing of The King Of Pop, Michael Jackson at the 'young' age of 50, came unexpected and sudden, leaving many, including yours truly, still in a disbelieving state. But truth has been told, despite all the rumours, MJ has left us all.

I would always remember that day, I was on my way to sit for my Bahasa Malaysia final exam. In the car, 'Billie Jean' was playing on Hitz.fm. Odd, they never play anything beyond the latest on this 'top hitlist' station. But I wasn't that concern, maybe they made an exception. Then the news hit me,
'If you haven't heard (refering to the listeners), Michael Jackson has passed away at 5am, Malaysian time at UCLA Medical Centre, USA. As a tribute to the late King of Pop, Hitz. fm will be playing all of his greatest hits all day long.'
Stunned, I couldn't believe my ears. But he is still so young! My heart bellowed. It can't be true. As I made my way to park my 'lil beloved vehicle, 'You Are Not Alone' started to play. Small drops of rain was the heavens answer to the sorrow of my heart. Wishing I could sit through the song, I still had a paper to answer. Right after leaving the hall (hopefully I did well), I went straight the IT lab to yet again confirm the news. Partially satisfied, I made my way to the car catch-up on more news and songs. Slowly the day passed by, and up to this moment, I am still glued to the papers to read any new stories or tributes by people and those who were lucky enough to have met the man.

This is the man who invented the 'moonwalk' which became a fad in the 80's and 90's. The crotch gropping moves, and his energetic dance routines livens up any stages he was on. I mean, its like his limbs had a soul of their own, moving, flowing in a very mesmerising sychronised motion. The man who was also know for his funky wardrobe selection of glittery army jackets, especially the unforgettable red jacket he put on in 'Thriller', the slightly of the heels pants that showed the famous white socks, and not to forget the sparkling glove. His childlike features, and his love for children. He made news, not only in his beloved line of entertainment, but also in other lights.

The world saw his transformation from 'black' to 'white'. We saw his glistening passion on stage, and his torturous walk up and down the court step. We know of his 'Neverland' fantasies, and heard of the accusations thrown at him. We felt touched by his ever moving songs and lyrics, understood the message, yet not many made the move to change. We were entertained by his stage presence, by his choir of backup singers and his crowd of backup dancers. We admired his smooth, fancy moves, brilliant video clips and monstrous concerts. He revolutionised the music video industry with his story lined video clips, with the of role the mafia or gangsters as the 'bad ass' from the streets.

So, what do I remember most about The Great MJ?

As an 80's child, I remember his song 'Thriller' to be my first music video i saw and loved. I was drawn to the dancing 'Creatures of the Night'. To me, MJ was not just a man, singer, entertainer or a father, but he was also a humanitarian. His songs were motivationally uplifting, especially the later releases. The lyrics were special all on its own. 'Man in the Mirror' was the song chosen by my former English lecturer, as an ice-breaking session. Upon the news, radio stations worldwide played his songs for 24-hours. Yes, there has been several complaints by certain listeners, but i believe most had appreciated it. It is not often that we hear his songs being played, especially stations which only plays the latest top 40 hitlist songs. The song 'You Are Not Alone' brought tears to my eyes. I felt that the song was originally meant for himself, and how lonely he might have been with all the gossips, rumours and accusations that were thrown at him, especially over the recent years. When the collaboration for 'We Are The World' was released, it just gave me the jitters. There was a sense of hope and longing in the song for a better future for all of us and the generations to come. Through his songs, he spreads the message of peace and harmony, of tolerance and virtues. Of understanding and loving each other, 'No Matter If Your Black Or White'. I love the song 'Ghost', where he screams at the end. But then again, he screams in most of his songs, hehe... He attempt to 'Heal the World' and our souls, through the best means he knew, his songs. And 'They Don't Really Care About Us'.. hmm.. wonder who 'they' are?

I have never met this man in my life, we have never cross path, he never knew of my existence (of course I knew of his, duh), and in reality, he was just another famous superstar. Yet when the news of his passing reached my ears, I shed tears, freely. It was as if we were somehow connected in a mysterious way. And I can safely bet that it was the same for most people in the world.

His life was not all of fame and glory. We all know of the defamation stage that he went through. Through the thickness of the forest, and the thinning of the ice, MJ struggled all his way. You can say anything about him, a peadophile, or anything (one is free to one's opinion and belief). But to me, MJ was an inspiration.

He was the man, who was accepted by nations of the world as one of their own. MJ was a treasure to the world.

He was truly a remarkable man, despite what he has been through. He was passionate for what he believed in, full of hope for change.

May you find your long awaited peace. MJ, you will live in our hearts, forever.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Here are some beautiful comments by those who too, felt the lost:

From Catherine & Rocky (www.michaeljackson.com)
Love You Dear Michael, Thank you so much for your love to the world; Thank you so much for your lovely song always in my memories; Thank you so much for all that you gave us. Hope you will have a peaceful life from now on.... no more hard life and bad news anymore! Take care!


From Vegannibal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hg-IRZk4D0&feature=related)

I think he was already diagnosed with vitiligo at the time. He was covering it up. He always looked so beautiful no matter his skin color - his appearance deteriorated itself when he went under all the stress and the broken heart from the accusations he went through :( He stopped eating and took painkillers to deal with the hurt, and that took its toll on him. He was always beautiful to me though, beautiful soul shining out of whatever body he was in. F*** racism! I'm a Jew and I love Michael Jackson with all my heart. How DARE you say that. Michael also had Jewish friends, and advocated for love and peace between all nationalities. If you really love Michael, learn to have tolerance for people of different races/religions/etc.

MAHSURI... the Theatre

"So now you know the story of Mahsuri. The story took place in Pulau Langkawi, and it's a true story. In Langkawi, there is Makam Mahsuri (Mahsuri's Memorial), Telaga Mahsuri (Mahsuri's Well). We can visit these places when we go on vacation to Langkawi, ok"

That was a part of a conversation I managed to overhear, between a mother and her 10 year old daughter, as I made my way up the steps to exit the theatre.

The play, directed by Fauziah Nawi includes the cast of Vanidah Imran as the leading roles of Mahsuri. It tells the legendary story of the island of Langkawi. Mahsuri, the island's beauty, is the daughter of the villagers Pak Mayah and Cik Alang. Her elegance and beauty captured the heart of Wan Yahya (Datuk Pekerma Jaya), the Sultan's ambassador to Langkawi, and proposed her for his brother, Wan Darus despite the objection from his wife, Wan Mahura.

Wan Mahura was jealous of the attention given by the people of Langkawi towards Mahsuri, who was then pregnant with the child of Wan Darus. A call by the Sultan of Kedah to defend the state from the attack of Siam, was the perfect opportunity for Wan Mahura to devise a scheme to rid of Mahsuri. The selection of Wan Darus to lead the troops from Langkawi, tore the heart of the father-to-be, between leaving his heavily pregnant wife, ad his loyalty towards the state. With a heavy heart, the young lovers seperated, leaving Mahsuri in the care of her parents and Deramang, a lone traveller who settled in Langkawi and a good friend of Wan Darus.

A silent trickery was played; Mahsuri's parents were called to the house of Wan Yahya, leaving Deramang alone to care for Mahsuri. The golden opportunity was seized by Wan Mahura, accusing Mahsuri of committing adultery in the absence of her husband. Deramang was defeated and killed whilst defending his and Mahsuri's honour. Taken to Datuk Pekerma Jaya, Mahsuri was sentenced to death for her 'crime'. As she was pregnant, she was imprisoned and her sentence was to be carried out after she has delivered. A baby boy was born, and named Wan Hakim.

Pleas from her parents and villagers of her innocence were ignored and thrown aside. Alas, on the day of the sentence, the 'keris' used to kill her could not penetrate her body. After several attempts, it was Mahsuri who suggested to used her father's inherited 'keris'.

As the legend goes, the 'keris' penetrated her body, and white blood bled out of her body. Her curse, was the Langkawi will suffer from tragedy and grievousness for 7 long generations.

The Legend of Mahsuri is a story of an innocent being accused and judged without a fair trial. The white blood symbolises her innocence and purity, and her bravery in proving it. Whether you want to belive in the story or not, the invasion of Siam to Langkawi was believed to be based on her curse, as well as several other occurrences which happened to the island.

The whole history of Langkawi, including the its most famous legend are available at Makam Mahsuri, Langkawi.

The play is currently running in Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur, from 24-30 April 2009. Tickets are priced at RM30, RM50, RM70 and RM100. For further information and ticket reservations, visit : http://www.istanabudaya.gov.my


My Review...

For those who already know the story of Mahsuri, the play was quite predictable. So, I would focus more on the choreography. For me, as it is my first time in Istana Budaya, I was satisfied with the props and technicalities. The part when the lovers were to be seperated almost brought tears to my eyes, and how the separation between the two scenes of Wan Darus after the victory against Siam, and of Mahsuri being in prison was remarkable. The dances and songs were believable and beautiful. I congratulate the members of Artistana Istana Budaya, the artistes, the crew and of course the director, Fauziah Nawi, for a brilliant and lively performance. In the midst of cultural balancing of the country, the play has shown the beauty of the Malay gracefulness and politeness through this play.