I’ve often asked myself the question of relevance myself coz 9 to 5’ers and parents who grew up in an era past often take the arts as a hobby or take their immensely talented sons and daughters as lazy human beings for having chosen the arts (or for heeding to it’s irrepressible call coz it truly chooses the individual). However,the answer is not so deep. The answer to relevance is always linked to purpose.
Over the years, I’ve found a portion of the answer in a simple quote that I live by from the fine artist Pablo Picasso.
He once said: “The purpose of Art is to Wash the Dust of Daily life off our souls”. It’s what helps us get by. We need it!
For me, arts… poetry, music, architecture, paintings, fashion, comedy, sculptures, even dance make up the pulse of every society, community, nation and era. It is what gives identity to any country and nationality. It often either defines us as a people or [it] documents events. Art is how the world was built and without it none of what we know would exist. Art is what makes every part of the world unique. It is how every place around the world that you visit tells you its story and who they are as a people. It becomes them. It becomes and defines their culture.
Poets and praise-singers have been there to document every crucial historic event. From ordinations of presidents and kings to documenting or reminding those who will listen of important issues that need addressing. Put the simplest of melodies behind powerful true words by protestors of an apartheid era and it is these songs that have helped give strength, negotiate, soothe and change a situation of a whole nation.
The artist’s role is a relevant one… I, myself, don’t believe much of what politicians say but use my favourite poet or musician to relay to me the same message, I’m suddenly a believer. The artist’s gift and responsibility is to educate, to question, to declare, to analyze, enlighten and address…from personal matters, world matters, spiritual matters, moral matters, political, love, hate or simply as imaginative story tellers who can heal and make light of you heavy day at work! Artists of the Dada-ism movement way back also showed us that art can also be a way of not taking ourselves so seriously…
I’m tryna say that sometimes it’s just for fun and enjoyment. A celebration of life if you will. Frivolous expression is needed at times, if not for pure laughs, then at least, in order to help the one who doesn’t “get” artists and poets to catch-up to wasup coz words are powerful communication.
Artists who are not afraid and prefer to write (not deep, but rather thought-provoking stuff) are why poetry, words, music will never die. It is the one thing that only requires for people to mimic the Creator of all things and CREATE what your imagination allows!
My mother, a prayerful woman, always says God says that “your talent will make you stand before kings”…This is how far and beyond our mumblings will take us. The artist, poet, vocalist is important.
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Qairo Muso is a musician, vocalist, songwriter, Future History band member, artist, graphic designer, Qeuth Apparel partner … sister, child, woman, god.
http://qairo.tumblr.com/qairobio
http://qairo.tumblr.com/futurehistory
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Future-History/100987806638226?ref=sgm
http://twitter.com/#!/FH_Band