What we need: Genuine Heroes

There is something written into the very sinew of man’s existence. It exists in every human society; regardless of race, culture or religion. This is the love for heroes. They could be mythical individuals such as Hercules, Theseus or Perseus. It could be comic book heroes such as Batman, Superman, Flash, Spiderman or hulk. Some adore real life military geniuses such as Alexander the Great, Hannibal of Carthage, Julius Caesar of Rome or Chaka of the Zulu nation. Not forgetting 20^th century icons such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.

The subject matter for some of the greatest literary works has always been about mighty feats of valor, amazing tactical military victories, emancipation movements and other great passages in history. It is these works that have immortalized outstanding humans. Some notable examples include the Iliad and writings by historians such as Plutarch and Ptolemy.

The reason why we love these icons could be because they represent the pinnacle of human achievement. They also act as a reference point from which young people can measure their levels of success with.21^st century business executives, politicians and sports coaches always attempt to infuse military tactics and strategies into their plans, just to see if the success can be replicated.

Then comes the big question, do we have such larger than life figures in this day and age? What kind of people do children nowadays want to be when they grow up?

If one considers the last five or so years, films with the biggest box office successes have been those about epic tales, comic book superheroes and legends. Think “The avengers”,” The incredible Hulk” or even “The dark knight rises”. Therefore, you know what this means? Well, it means we still love to get a shot of inspiration in our lives.it is because we have a natural urge to scale to superhuman heights. However, what kind of individuals do people these days look up to? Could there be a deficiency in sources of genuine inspiration?

Taking a peek at the times prior to the new millennium, young boys and girls dreamt of being great military commanders in the mold of Joan of Arc and her ilk, great thinkers like Socrates or scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton or Marie Curie. But what has happened? Advancements in military technology mean that soldiers can now deal deliver death to the enemy from thousands of miles away. There’s no longer room for pitched hand to hand battles; the kind of stuff that makes legends. There are very few earth shattering scientific discoveries and innovations coming about and not much can be said about new sweeping schools of thought.as such we very few or no Huygens, Galens, Aristotles or Julius Caesars.

It is therefore obvious that young people have had to turn elsewhere for idols to admire. This is the gist of my argument. Heroes are now to be found in the tabloid press, sports magazines, theatre and film and in the music scene.do not get me wrong. I do not see anything absolutely wrong with idolizing your favorite actor or actress, singer, baseball player or soccer player; absolutely nothing at all. But one wonders; what happens to the need for new ways to achieve human advancement? Or when their heroes are more famous for their controversial personal lives than for outstanding feats of human achievement? Heroes who seek to entertain and entrance, rather than contribute to human prosperity?

If our “Facebook and Twitter Generation” is obsessed with urban pop culture, wanton promiscuity and materialism, what happens to the desire to find the cure for AIDS, Cancer or Ebola? What about the need for thinkers to advance human perspectives in the 21^st century? The need to find a silver bullet, if you like, to perennial global economic crises?

It is my contention that there is a need for a renaissance in popular culture. We need to have stories of human triumph in the face of adversity highlighted. Stories that touch the very core of human existence. It is from these that we can find genuine heroes that would inspire young people like me to greater heights of success.

Till then, we might have to make do with being “little monsters” or dreaming of the day we might get to star in a class A movie. Maybe, just maybe, a golden age for heroes might come round once again.

Want some quality music? Just take a step back in time!

Recently, I had a winding argument with some friends. No, it had nothing to do with favorite soccer clubs, the best supercars or even money. The substance of the argument was concerned with music.

If you were to find yourself in East Africa at this time, your musical diet would consist of Dancehall Reggae in the rural areas. In an urban area, you would most likely listen to some bubblegum rap or electro-house.

Go ahead and ask the average twenty-something year old who their favorite musician is. The answers would most likely comprise names such as Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Lady Gaga or Gotye. The teenager would more often than note chose Kenyan hip hop sensation, Camp Mulla.

It is yours truly’s taste that leaves his contemporaries confounded. Scroll through my playlists, and you will find artistes, acts and genres that have long since gone out of vogue. I listen to musicians and performers such as: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, MC Hammer, The Journey, Queen, Guns n’ roses and Prince. My buddies just cannot fathom why someone born at very dusk of the 80s would be listening to music belonging to genres that are struggling to stay relevant, or are already extinct. They cannot understand while I do not identify with “urbane swagger”.

I try to assure them that I do not consider myself particularly bohemian. It is that I do not see any art in singing about women, cars, money and smoking Marijuana. I love music with complex melodic and structures and compelling lyrics.to be more succinct I believe most of the music made from 2000 onwards is inferior to that made earlier.

At this point, you may already be alarmed. But let’s take a journey back in time. During the classical era (Mid 1700 to early 1800s), most composers made music for prominent members of society: Kings and Queens, Cardinals and Archbishops, and other members of European High Society. These people had access to the best education that included lessons in music appreciation. They had refined tastes that needed equally refined music to sate their appetites. Composers thus came up with material that had complex structures with a complex audience in mind. There were contrasting melodies, harmonious key changes and change in moods: the kind of music enlightened mind would identify with. Their audiences had the aptitude for challenging music, and did the composers deliver!

Still on the trail of music history, let us cross over to the Americas. Songs about hope for emancipation had been carried down from one generation of slaves to another. The angst and emotional feel, coupled with a touch of African Rhythm, had already spawned a genre then known as Negro spirituals. It is the confluence of classical music and African elements that contributed to most of the genres that arose in the twentieth century. There is rock n’ roll, jazz, funk, blues and later hip hop.

Going back to my argument, I believe the golden age of modern music was from the late 70s to early 80s.Musicians could actually play instruments; the lyrical content was top notch as well. Some even performed with full live orchestras! There was a deliberate effort to have a maximum impact on listeners. The hippie movement in the late 60s to 70s had put art on a pedestal, as a channel for human expression. There was a demand for quality work; songwriters and performers delivered. Just how many people do you believe, are of the opinion that the following are not the best compositions of all time: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin”, “Purple Rain” by Prince or “November Rain” by Guns n’ Roses?

Fast forward to the 21^st century. Along came glamour, flashiness and yes, shallowness. Synthesized beats and use of auto tune are all the rage now. True, there have been some fantastic productions in recent times; but most are characterized by shameless display of wealth, disrespect for women and above all, lack any intellectual spine.

The fast pace of 21^st century life does not help matters either. Hardly does anyone sit down to listen to entire albums, just for the sake of it anymore. Nowadays, music is something you listen to while working out, writing a boring business report, or while falling asleep in a bus.

Music appreciation is at an all-time low. Target audiences just cannot figure out complex music. Naturally, musicians have gravitated towards the easier route: sampling material from the 70s and 80s, adding a modern touch and a danceable beat, and voila, there’s a hit! These hit songs however have a short lifespan in the charts. I can bet that after 2 or 3 years most are hardly listened to anymore. Compare that to hits from the 70s and 80s which still have a place in people’s hearts and minds.

To be more direct, it is my opinion that the decline in quality of music can be attributed to the inability of patrons to appreciate and understand music that requires talent to compose and perform. As such, they are easily excitable by material of an inferior quality. A sad story indeed. The solution? Just travel back to earlier times!

One Life for another:Really?

This week I had the opportunity to watch Werner Herzog’s documentary, “Into the abyss”. Let me give a brief outline of its plot for the benefit of those who have not had the opportunity to watch it.

The documentary is in actual sense a set of interviews revolving around a triple homicide case in a small town in Texas, USA. Herzog gets to talk to most of the belligerents in the saga involving the killing of Sandra Stotler, Adam Stotler and Jeremy Richardson. He interviews the two convicted murderers; Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, Lisa Stotler, who was a daughter to one victim, and a sister to another. He also had a talk with Jeremy Richardson’s elder brother. Others interviewed include a death house chaplain and other associates of the victims and convicts.

 At the time of filming, Michael Perry is on death row with eight days to execution, while his accomplice, Jason Burkett was serving a life sentence, with a possibility of parole after forty years served.

Altogether, it was a beautifully done piece of work. Herzog was objective in his approach without compromising the raw emotional feel that such a story would have. He however lets slip of what I believe to be the central   of the documentary: He expresses his disapproval of the death penalty.

Let me paint a picture. Here is a family that has had several deaths in the previous six years. The burden of grief is heavy as it is. Then comes one night of pure madness. Two young men, intent on stealing the Stotlers’ Chevrolet Camaro indulge themselves in an orgy of violence that leaves a mother and her son dead. The son’s friend’s life is also taken as collateral damage. There is unfathomable devastation. They do not deserve die. No human being has the right to revoke another's license to live.

Regardless of which course justice takes, they cannot be brought back to life. Telling the bereaved that it-will-hurt-now-but-get-better-with-time is hardly any consolation. Surely, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and yes, a life for a life, would be a fitting recompense for live taken, would it not?

After all in the major civilizations of ancient time such as Egyptian, Roman and Hebrew, was the penalty for murder not death.is it not clearly spelt out in the old testament of the Christian bible for good measure? If that is the correct position, did Michael Perry not warrant his date with the executioner? But wait!

What purpose does a nation’s correctional system seek to serve? Is it not meant to rehabilitate errant members of the society? Are convicts therefore not supposed to be presented with an opportunity to carry out some self-evaluation, realize the extent of their wrongdoing, be remorseful about it, and hence be fit for readmission into society? Even better, should they not therefore serve as a living example of what a life of crime can lead to?

After all, as I mentioned earlier, when it comes down it, no human being has the right to decide when another’s time is up, even for punitive purposes! Surely, with that in mind, no matter what belief system you subscribe to, is it not wrong to not only hand down, but ultimately dispense a death sentence, with no regrets at all?

The debate on this issue will always be there as long as man exists. Therefore, the question is, what is your conviction?

Think you are the man?Read this!

Recently while browsing through an edition of daily nation for a sports brief or a car review, I accidentally and unknowingly stumbled upon an article written with a female voice. I have to make it clear at this point that it was out of interest in literature in general (rather than in the subject matter) that I interested myself in that piece.

The author bemoaned the idea that “they no longer make men like they used to “That the merchandise available today comprised of soft, irresponsible and dishonest “big boys”. She argued that being a man required much more than just owning a pair. However, I noted with interest that she still wished Kenyan men could be sweet, gentle, caring, a good listener and so on, so forth. So, it was in that state of confusion that I consulted (whether I agreed or not did not matter) with a sixty something mzee on the matter. This is some of what he had to say.

1. A man is good at his job. Not his work, not his avocation, not his hobby. Not his career. His job. It doesn't matter what his job is, because if a man doesn't like his job, he gets a new one.
2. A real man fantasizes that buried somewhere deep inside is a Jiujitsu genius.
3. A real man can at least cook an egg, make tea or toast a sandwich and maybe boil rice-occasionally.
4. Areal man probably never has or never will; but deeply believes he can kick somebody’s ass-anybody.
5. A real man never sheds a tear-unless he accidently paints his eyes with red pepper or Arsenal wins the premiership.
6. A real man should not be able to pronounce the names: Mujer, Eduardo or Alejandro-But can spell out Solskjaer, Szczęsny or Even St Etienne Lupopo.
7. A real man does not necessarily hate dancing; it’s just that it can be conveniently avoided.
8. A real man loves the masterpiece of God’s creative genius that’s the human body. He likes the crease of a bent knee, the sight of a bare shoulder. He can sneak a view at an exposed bosom, a well sculptured leg, without being seen…And if he is seen, won’t give a dime.
9. A real man loves having money, the feeling of having lots of it or dreams or having a Lil Wayne-like bunker full of Legal tender.
10. A real man’s handshake makes lesser men cry and women quiver.
11. A real man runs to a fire, not away from it. When he hears a lion roar nearby, he gets excited at being in the company of an equal.
12. A real man can look you up and down and figure some things out. Before you say a word, he makes you. From your suitcase, from your watch, from your posture. A man infers.
13. A real man gets the door. Without thinking.
14. A real man knows how to lose an afternoon. Drinking, playing Video Games, driving aimlessly, shooting pool.
15. A real man can tell you he was wrong. That he did wrong. That he planned to. He can tell you when he is lost. He can apologize, even if sometimes it's just to put an end to the bickering.
16. A man looks out for children. Makes them stand behind him.
17. A man listens, and that's how he argues. He crafts opinions. He can pound the table, raise his voice, grab a collar, take the floor. It's not that he must. It's that he can.
18. A man welcomes the coming of age. It frees him. It allows him to assume the upper hand and teaches him when to step aside!(read  Mugabe,Assad,Gaddafi)
19. A real gets drunk from feeling pain and bored from experiencing peace.
20. At the end of his life, a real man would rather not slowly fade away, he burns out with a bang!