Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Death of Michael or ‘Michael Jackson’?

"I Want You Back", started the musical journey of the great Michael Jackson a.k.a. ‘MJ’ as popularly called by his fans world over. Now anyone could have mistaken the voice behind that song to be that of a musical maestro but he broke the territory of stereotype and this was in 1969, when he was just 11; a fifth grader, he was a normal kid but within him lived a young boy who was just PASSIONATE about one thing – Music, a boy that simply amazed you on how could someone so young be thoroughly in command of his gifts, his passion. The journey from being a child prodigy to virtuoso wasn’t an easy ride still nothing could reduce his appetite for singing and shook his zest for good music.

Fast-forward 13 years: During a jamboree held to celebrate Motown's 25th anniversary one could hear the ooos and aahhhhs among the audience that were zapped looking at ‘MJ’ doing what has already become history – moonwalking. Noboby out there could fathom this guy who had just leapt a tall building and no one was sure if they should believe their eyes. He was 24 then; Thriller had been out for four months. That night an icon was minted in an instant: the fedora, the sequined socks, that front leg-kick thing he did-- he flew in from another dimension and looked like the greatest dancer in pop music history. Even in these new endeavors of his one could find the traces of his ‘PASSION’ – music.

Take away the music, and Michael Jackson's life is just too sad to contemplate. This is a very good argument for not taking away the music, ever. His death could well be connoted as not only death of an individual but an institution called ‘PASSION.’ Michael Jackson-- superhero, cartoon, singer, dancer, supremely troubled dude-- made all this music, and surprisingly the death of PASSION as mentioned previously hasn’t completely occurred. It's amazing to experience his PASSION that still continues to thrive in the form of his ardent admirers who religiously listen and love ‘MJ’ for his work. Such was his PASSION, very infectious. If one thing we must draw parallels with in MJ’s life could be his fervor, his craze, the clichéd yet powerful word by now – his PASSION. We're all going to die someday, too. So let's live. Live for what we innately possess – PASSION for something that is truly ours and only ours. This is it!

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