Sounds that feel like home

Here's a strange one for you. I love hearing the call to prayer. I'm not Muslim, never have been, never will be, never even considered it. I'm not saying that hearing the call to prayer makes me feel closer to God, or further from God. In fact, for me, this sound has nothing to do with religion. I was basically non-religious when I lived there (I was Lutheran, but not practicing, and didn't understand it). Our house was a block away from the Masjid when I first moved to KL and when we moved to my family's new house, they were building a masjid right next door. Literally the speakers went straight into my bedroom for 3 months.

Here's a youtube video someone took at the National Mosque in KL, It's very long, and by all means, don't listen to the whole thing, but after the first few seconds of silence (waiting for it to start), you'll hear the beginning of the call. It's the one I think of when I think of the call to prayer. 

I really don't know much about the Arabic or the Islam behind the call. It doesn't matter that's not the point. The point is the sound. It's like many other sounds from living in Malaysia. It's a sound that makes me smile.

Now to any of my Confessional Lutheran friends who might read this, I'm not saying I find comfort in the actual call to prayer. I'm saying the sound reminds me of home and that brings comfort.

So, other sounds? Fellow exchange student Jo from NZ yelling "Hey Mat Saleh" out the bus at exchange student Chris from Oz. Yes, 26 years later I can still her her. :)

Chris will hate me for this, but every time I get "Oh Gagah perkasa" stuck in my head I laugh like I crazy person. This was a dikir barat written for the 30th anniversary of AFS Malaysia (ABM in Malay). We practiced it A LOT in preparation of the gala.

Also, I get tied up when I hear the Malaysian National Anthem, again, not out of any serious feelings of fealty to a nation, but because it reminds me of home - that and I had to stand at attention and sing it every single Friday at school (outside, in the sun, in the heat, in the sweat).

Oh, and at the time, Rasa Sayang was all over. I think the reason some of these songs stick with me is cause I used so many of them to learn the language.

Now, one of the coolest things I got to do while in KL was to play with the Orkestra Symfoni Muda - Mustika. It was the rock band of the National Youth Symphony (Youth meant pretty much anyone). We played back ground symphony for all the big Malaysian Pop stars of the time.

This is one of my favorites. I have a picture somewhere of me with Jay Jay and Dayang Ku Intan after our concert. Francisca Peter was another one we played background music for. Loved this song too.

Last one. Ramlah Ram. I played this song over and over and over on my tape deck. And learned LOTS of Malay while I was at it. ;)

Finally, (have I tortured you enough with Malaysian 80's bands yet?) Gersang. We never got to play for them while I was in Malaysia, (they're a band, not a solo or duet) but I listened to them on the radio a LOT and it was this song was the first one I sat down and wrote out, getting translations for each word into English.

Ok, maybe I'm getting old. ;)