Which side are you on?
The second video of a song extracted from ”portraits from the quarantine” is by Douglas Kramer Nye.
I often think of Douglas as a brother. His last album, on Almost Halloween Time Records, is titled ”The End Is Nye”. How current the lyrics from the songs of that album are today, perhaps the end is really near, the end of the world as we knew it for sure, but this is also a good opportunity to start again from scratch, to work on building a more humane society, where nobody is left behind.
I still have in my eyes the image of the Vlora, a cargo ship that sailed under the Albanian flag one day, 8 August 1991, arrived in the port of Bari in the aftermath of the fall of the communism in Albania carrying tens of thousands of refugees. An unprecedented mass arrival that caught Italian authorities unaware, but not us, the people from Bari. My family as well as a lot of other families in Bari opened the doors of our houses to welcome and give hospitality to these perfect strangers. The images of the Italian television are impressive. Esat and Arthur lived in my house for months, my father helped them to find a job. And the same
script was repeated in other houses, by other families.
During the Italian and German occupation of Albania in World War II, Albania was the only Nazi-occupied country in Europe to see an increase in its Jewish population, as Albanian Jews were not turned over to the Germans thanks to an Albanian set of laws known as Besa from the Kanun. A lot of Italians, therefore, found refuge in Albania. History always repeats itself.
After having seen that boat for me is really difficult to think about racism or closed borders.
This video is another premiere of what is coming.
A compilation featuring voices, tales, portraits and polaroids from the quarantine.
A few words about the song from Douglas: ”In times of trouble, I look back. I listen. I try to imagine what good leaders from our past would do, what the young people would do. They have a voice of reason. One that is less stained by the world’s ills. Through a child’s eyes, there are endless possibilities.
In 1931, Florence Reece wrote the lyrics to Which Side Are You On? She was twelve years old. Her chosen melody dates back even further. Some say it came about a few hundred years ago, but it’s probably much older. We carry songs inside of us and pass them on. So it goes. Children don’t get enough credit. They’re well aware of what’s going on, but we allow our elders to call the shots. It’s time for revolution.
Prior to the pandemic I was wondering if my voice was necessary anymore. As a white man, I’ve been able to dabble in the music industry out of sheer desire. I wanted to make music and play it for people. It’s been relatively easy. I followed the well-travelled path of songwriters that came before me. I wrote. I played shows. I recorded songs. I released records. I met amazing people along the way. More and more though, I find myself wanting to listen and wanting to amplify the voices of other people. If I’m going to continue making music, I must be more methodical.
In my own community, the voices of Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ are very much in the minority. White men dominate the music scene where I live. While America continues a national dialogue on race, the artists from where I live should be having conversations about how we can make our community equitable and accessible to people who are not seen as cis white men.
I considered myself an ally before the pandemic…before George Floyd was murdered on TV by out of control police officers. I had a realization; if I was an ally at all, it was in the laziest form and primarily in my own head. I thought, ”I’m one of the good ones. I have friends from diverse groups. I stand up for what’s right.” This is not nearly enough. I hadn’t bent over backwards to affect change. I hadn’t used my whiteness to lift people out of the hell that America can be. I’m still trying to figure out my next moves. I’m learning. I’m changing my thinking and figuring out ways I can actually help.
Florence’s song asks an important question. One that we should all ask ourselves on a regular basis. Which side are you on?”
You can preorder your copy here.
