Dubai's International Holy Koran Award
The latest spectacle on TV in the Gulf is a televised Koranic recitation contest for under 21 males
Not really my idea of must see TV, but each to their own. The New York Times report above notes the lenghty screeds of texts these boys manage and the preparation that goes into it. Quite impressive, all things considered.
Here, however, is the kicker: "The contestants are judged first on their accuracy to the text, then on the quality of their reading according to the rules of tajweed, and finally on the quality of their voices. Some of the readers, including Khubaib, do not speak Arabic, but have memorized the text by rote.
At the risk of infringing on the Episcopal Blog's demarcation, this does rather put understanding on the back burner.
Not really my idea of must see TV, but each to their own. The New York Times report above notes the lenghty screeds of texts these boys manage and the preparation that goes into it. Quite impressive, all things considered.
Here, however, is the kicker: "The contestants are judged first on their accuracy to the text, then on the quality of their reading according to the rules of tajweed, and finally on the quality of their voices. Some of the readers, including Khubaib, do not speak Arabic, but have memorized the text by rote.
At the risk of infringing on the Episcopal Blog's demarcation, this does rather put understanding on the back burner.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 10:07 am.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Well, it makes a change from Big Brother House.
In some countries - and trust me, I have seen it on TV - they give a girls' prize for reciting the koran, and the one who wins is the one who recites it with the most emotion. These girls make Sarah Bernhardt make Laurence Olivier look too timid. It is hysterical. All these blobs in their hijabs holding back sobs in the dramatic parts, allowing their voices to go all trembley, suddenly becoming bold and self-righteous. It's a hoot. Mind you, you can only watch it if there's nothing else on TV and you're having a stiff drink. Actually, it's best to be on your second stiff drink to appreciate the humour.
Here comes a meander:
Sarah B had a wooden leg in her latter years, and French tragedies open with someone rapping on the floor with a cane. Anyway, SB was playing in some tragedy or other, there's the rap of the cane and Jean Cocteau declaims 'C'est elle!'.
Apparently apocryphal, but I like it.
My favourite car crash (literally) TV for watching for the wrong reason from time to time is 'World's wildest police chases' or whatever it is called, because of the truly absurd narrator. The permatanned / permawaved one is never knowingly under melodramatic or lacking in alliteration. And oh how he loves his primary school level puns.
"C'est elle!" V good!
Just imagine having to sit through a whole 21 hours of koranic recital. It'll never catch on in Croydon.
GC - to adapt Twain, 'If that *does* fetch 'em, I don't know Arkansaw'.
» Post a Comment