マイケル・ジャクソンについてのモハメドレーザ・ロトフィの著作に対する批判

モハマドレザー・ロトフィは、有名なイランのタール奏者、ラジフ奏者、音楽学者です。この尊敬される教授が書いた「マイケル・ジャクソンの死をきっかけに」と題した手記が、今年8月7日土曜日（17モルダド）に新聞エテマドに掲載された。ロトフィ教授の記事では、音楽と政治の音楽への影響という観点から、伝統と現代性の衝突についても考察されています。彼のメモの全文はここで読むことができます。ここ. この親愛なる教授に感謝し、このページでは（その目的にふさわしく）、マイケル・ジャクソンのレビューとモハマド・レザー・ロトフィのメモに対する批評を提供し、そのメモは目立つ形で強調されています。説明や修正が必要なテキストには必ず特定の番号が付けられています。その前に、彼のメモの美しい部分を一緒に読んでみましょう。「重要なのは、彼がイスラム教徒になったか、キリスト教徒であり続けたか、あるいはどの宗教を選んだかではありません。重要なのは、彼が人間であり続けたこと、そして平和と友情に対する彼の愛と愛情がさまざまな種類の音楽を生み出し、その影響は決して否定できません。」ロトフィ教授は、「不正に飽きたとき」というタイトルのメモの序文で次のように書いています。「1968年の学生運動はアメリカ国境にまで広がった。ジョン・レノン（ビートルズ音楽グループの主要メンバー）はアメリカに移住し、この時期ニューヨークで活動していた。FBIとコウモリを振り回す集団は繰り返し彼を脅迫し、マイケル・ジャクソンの場合と同じように陥れようとしたが、彼は明らかに狂人の役割を果たした誰かが彼を暗殺するまで抗議を続けた。ビートルズ、特にジョン・レノンの影響は次のとおりだった」それはかなりの距離を置いて「マイケル・ジャクソン」のサークルにまで到達し、ジョン・レノンにも降りかかった同じ運命が、彼の名声と権力の絶頂期に自宅に閉じ込められ、マイケル・ジャクソンの作品の企業がより豊かになったのと同じように、多くの企業が億万長者になったと思われる。レノンと彼の過激な思想、しかし少し注意を払うと、彼も徐々に過激になっていくことがわかります。そして興味深いのは、彼が東洋の文化と音楽にも惹かれていることです。(2) もし彼の新たなコンサートツアー（コンサート数は50）が開催されていれば、おそらく彼はイスラム教徒の虐殺と、2つの超大国アメリカにとって悲惨な結果となったであろうイラク戦争とアフガニスタン戦争に関する暴露に関して世論に大きな影響を与えていたかもしれません。そしてイギリス（３）」Lotfi 教授の紹介の要約を読みました。私たちの目的は、歴史的、政治的出来事やビートルズの生涯を取り上げたり、それらについて推測したりすることではありません。しかし、マイケル・ジャクソンのファンに関する限り、このテキストには議論する価値のある点があり、それを読んでいきます。 1975 年、マイケル・ジャクソンが 17 歳で、ジャクソン ファイブがモータウンから独立し、「ザ ジャクソンズ」と名乗ったとき、彼らは自分たちの曲と歌詞を書き始め、その時から、彼らの曲にはより社会的で人間的なメッセージが込められました。マイケルは常に自分の曲の人間的なテーマを守り続けました。 『ムーンウォーク』というタイトルの伝記本で、彼は、それまでビートルズの曲を流していたすべてのラジオ局がジャクソン・ファイヴの曲も流すようになったのは、彼らの曲の力だったと定義しています。モータウン向けのこのグループの最初のアルバムは、著名なスーパースター、ダイアナ・ロスによってサポートされました。そしてこれは、スターが（マイケルの言葉を借りて）「ベイビー・パンチ」を導入するために名乗り出たのはこれが初めてでした。この「ベイビーパンチ」、特に10歳のマイケルの力は非常に大きかったので、ベリー・ゴーディは彼の前での初めてのパフォーマンスで武装解除されました。ベリー・ゴーディは最初の4曲がナンバーワンになると彼らに約束し、こうしてジャクソン・ファイブは4曲連続ナンバーワンとなった史上初の音楽グループとなった。この成功の軌跡はマイケルに続き、1982 年にピークに達しました。当時のロナルド・レーガン大統領はマイケルをホワイトハウスに招待しました。マイケルは共和党員に恩義があり、他の政治家には恩義がなかった。彼をどこにも連れて行けなかったのは彼らだった。ホワイトハウスは、1980年代にレーガン時代に一度、そして1990年代にビル・クリントン時代に再び彼の存在から恩恵を受けた。 (1) 音楽会社の法律と同様に、音楽アルバムの販売による利益はアーティストと会社で分配されます。企業だけでなく、マイケルの子供たちも彼のアルバムの高い売り上げから恩恵を受けています。もちろん、この同じページの以前に、マイケルがフィリピンの音楽会社ソニーを救ったというニュースがありました。最近では、人々は購入せずに違法にダウンロードすることを好みますが、これは当然、企業やアーティストに損失をもたらします。マイケルの死後、世界中に蔓延した熱により、集団的な渇きが生じました。音楽店はマイケルのアルバムでいっぱいになり、その後空になり、誰もがマイケルの形見を手に入れることができました。 (2) マイケルは、東から西まで、あらゆる国の音楽に興味があるとあちこちで述べています。幼少の頃より様々な作曲家の作品を学ぶ。彼の好きな音楽はクラシック音楽で、ドビュッシーなどの著名な作曲家の作品に影響を受けました。 (3) 10月下旬に公開された映画『This Is It』（マイケルのリハーサルとロンドンで50夜にわたって行われるコンサートの準備のドキュメンタリー）の最後のシーンで、マイケルはチームに「大切なのは愛だ」と語る。 彼らは、これらのコンサートを行う彼の目的は世界にメッセージを送ることだと言いました。環境、つまり私たちの地球が破壊されつつあり、その責任は私たちにあるというメッセージ。少し前に、この地球規模の問題に対処するために世界の指導者によるサミットが設立されました。またイギリスの実業家らはマイケルがロンドンに来ることでイギリス経済が強化されると信じており、そのため喜ぶ人も多かった。 2002年にイラク戦争が始まった後、マイケルは「We've Had Enough」（「もう十分だ」）というタイトルの曲をリリースし、アルバム『Ultimate Collection』に収録されて市場に登場した。「マイケルの悲しい物語」と題されたロトフィ教授のテキストの続き:“The story began with the fact that マイケル・ジャクソン was brought up with the support of Republicans (4)—especially since Reagan, like the Queen of England, stole the race from him this time, and this time it was America that had toured a full-fledged Beatle. Michael, talented and full of longing (5), in the family environment shown by his childhood films—how poor they had been—under the attention of Reagan and the record-pressing and video companies, managed to rise out of that family poverty. (6)” (4) As we said, Michael was already being discussed before going to the White House. In 1982, the world shook. There was neither White House support nor a media atmosphere. It was マイケル・ジャクソン and his album Thriller. There was a song on that album called Beat It, which pointed to the weaknesses and ugliness of society: discrimination, racism, prejudice, violence. Reagan at the White House praised Michael for his humanitarian services so that he would not fall behind the people and the media. Michael received a token—more than an honorary document for him, it was a golden page in Ronald Reagan’s record, reflecting the value he placed on art and legendary talent like his. (5) Michael was not “full of longing.” We know Professor Lotfi’s intention was to appreciate マイケル・ジャクソン’s humaneness, but perhaps a misunderstanding occurred. In his biography, Michael writes that Ed Sullivan, one of the prominent figures in the music and entertainment industry, once told him in 1970: “‘Never forget your talent—who gave it to you. Don’t forget that you took your genius from God.’ I was grateful for the kindness he showed me, but I couldn’t tell him that my mother had never given me the chance to forget that truth. I didn’t have polio, and thinking about it would be terrifying for a dancer. But I knew God had tested me and my family in another way. Our small home, poverty—jealous kids in the neighborhood who, when we practiced at home, would break the glass panes of our house with stones and shout that we would never succeed. When I think about my mother and those early years, I can say that there are things that are far more valuable than money, people’s admiration, and music awards. My mother provided whatever we wanted. If I was interested in the lives of movie stars, she would come home with a bag full of books about movie stars. Even though she had nine children, she treated each of us as if we were her only child. We will never forget. It is because of Catherine’s gentleness, warmth, and attention that I know how hard it is to grow up without receiving such love. If children do not receive this love from their parents, they go looking for someone else to find that love in. With our mother, we never needed to search for such a person. The lessons she taught us are priceless: kindness, love, and attention—never hurting others, never begging for something, never getting anything without effort. Those things were sins in our home. She always asked us to be generous, but she didn’t want us to ask anything from other people. She was like that herself. I remember a beautiful memory that describes her nature. One day in Gary (in that same poor Jackson home), when I was very small, there was an injured man bleeding in the street. He went door to door, but no one would let him in. Until he reached our house, and my mother opened the door for him. Many people were afraid to do such a thing. But my mother was that kind of person. I remember there was blood spilled on the floor of the house. I wished that all of us were like our mother. The first memories I have of my father are him coming home from the steel mill with a big bag in his hands full of food for us, and in the blink of an eye we ate everything and emptied the bag. He had a habit of taking us to the park to ride the carousel. But I was so small that I don’t remember.”’ Michael’s father explains that Michael would sometimes share the money he earned from his performances among the poor children in the neighborhood where they lived. From childhood, he wasn’t thinking about material things. If he were, he wouldn’t have donated the income from his tours to charities and wouldn’t have earned the record for the most charitable music star. “With his strange talent, emotional and mental genius, Michael was noticed very early by young teenagers. In this regard, American parents initially didn’t want to accept him, but the country’s cultural policy supported him with full force. Even though in the early programs Michael showed movements that appeared immoral, and some famous singers—such as ‘Sammy Davis’—mocked him on television, the young and underage community had found a representative of their own generation. Although Michael was Black, his fans were mostly White and wealthy children. (6)” (6) From the very beginning, Michael was noticed, and his dancing and art took root among all social classes and every age group. The extremely abundant visual reports of his travels through different cities around the world confirm this. Michael himself says that in every city he was treated as if he were one of them. At his concerts, people attended—from children to elderly individuals. The poor and Black segment of America at that time viewed him as a symbol of freedom and success, to the point that they gave him the nickname “Martin Luther King of music.” It is true that the media called his dance moves sexual, and for that reason part of his music clip titled Black Or White was censored. Of course, after that it was released differently, and no child was turned away. In particular, his “grabbing-the-pants” move faced many objections for years, but today it is considered an iconic dance move and has found its place. “Michael also released his first ‘clip’ of turning left (7) under the name ‘Earth,’ which caused a great deal of noise. Mr. Gore, the vice president, who had written his thesis about the environment and had released many CDs in support of environmental causes, supported him. The Earth clip, which speaks about preserving the environment, conflicted with the anti-environment policies of the Republican system. And in addition, since マイケル・ジャクソン had reached success from the Republican table, they could not accept this turning away. From that date, they turned against him and set up traps for him twice on flimsy grounds: the first time they took $22 million from him, closed the case, and the second time they put even more pressure on him and played with his reputation as well. (8)” (7) Michael always emphasized that he had no political inclination of any kind. The irony is that he didn’t see politicians as strong enough to accomplish anything. But he believed that the music industry was controlled by dishonest people. (8) The song “Earth,” whose original title is Earth Song—though it is better translated as “Song of the Earth”—is a global call to preserve the environment and save the Earth. The media were behind the scenes, and critics accused Michael of having a messiah delusion, saying that by seeing himself as a messiah, Michael was thinking about saving the Earth. Today, this song is regarded as a global anthem for environmental protection. The truth is that Michael had not reached success from the Republican table to the point of worrying about political trouble. The traps Professor Lotfi mentioned are the same accusations from 1993 and 2005, and proving the involvement of the White House and the U.S. anti-spy agency in them is not our job. But what is clear is the conspiracy that the media seriously supported in order to discredit マイケル・ジャクソン. Some even accuse Sony. But perhaps the reality is much simpler—so simple that it has led some people, out of disbelief, to make it complicated. A dentist decides to make a huge amount of money. A script is written and successfully performed. Bringing down stars has always been the media’s favorite pastime throughout their lifetime, and in a country where television comes first, it is imaginable that this massive machine needs more and more scandals about prominent figures as its daily food. “Finally, during the era of George W. Bush, in 2005 he settled in European countries and then in Muslim Bahrain, where the majority is Shia. It is during this period that マイケル・ジャクソン also nearly becomes a man without a homeland. His brother, who was very close to him, took responsibility for the non-profit foundations helping the poor and the needy. (9) He had been Muslim for a long time and sometimes wanted his brother to become Muslim too. Michael developed a strong interest in the history of religions and alternative ideas. He personally bought his books, and in this way he created a huge private library in his home. System pressure on him and his mental growth regarding the things that had been done to Black people pushed him toward Islam and the non-racist ideas of this religion. All the records of Black people’s oppression came together, one after another, and led Michael as well toward Islam. The first newspaper that announced Michael had become Muslim was the English newspaper The Sun. No one denied this news after it was announced. (10)” (9) Germain Jackson, Michael’s Muslim brother, has not been involved in such work. Michael personally supported several charities and even paid for his brother’s children’s daily expenses. Germain has no fixed job and makes a living by appearing in television programs and realistic series. He is friends with Bahrain’s multi-millionaires, and the financial projects he tried to arrange between his brother Michael and Bahrain’s prince son all failed. Contrary to the myth that says Michael lived in Bahrain, during this time he lived in Ireland, in the city of Dublin. He was looking for peace. In Ireland, he lived in a simple wooden house with a recording studio next to it. The calm, musical atmosphere of that place was exactly what Michael was seeking. There, he made songs. For leisure and sightseeing, he also traveled to countries along the Persian Gulf. Germain introduced Michael to major investors in that region so that a business could be formed among them—which, apparently, Michael didn’t like, because it ended without any outcome. (10) In the 1980s, Michael brought Black people to power on television, and since then the process of their gaining power and progress has continued. Michael has a huge library of tens of thousands of books. He was interested in studying all religions of the world—from Buddhism to Islam. But his favorite religious figure was Jesus, because of his love for children. Michael never revealed his religion, if he had any inclination toward a religion. But apparently his life pattern was not one that fit into a specific mold. He was neither Muslim nor Christian nor Jewish nor… He was a human being. The teacher of Michael’s children who taught them in Bahrain said he had never heard Michael talk to his children about religion. However, he liked to talk with them about artists, painters, musicians, and celebrities. One of his close friends also said that Michael had baptized his children in the manner of Christians. He entrusted the upbringing of his children to his mother, who is a committed Christian. A few years ago, a song with a similar-sounding voice to Michael was released under the name Give Thanks To Allah, which has an Islamic theme and misled many people. Now is a good opportunity to say that this song has nothing to do with マイケル・ジャクソン. It’s only a similarity in voice—and that’s it. The English newspaper The Sun, which broke the news that Michael became Muslim, is known for writing fake news. Besides, Michael never got tired of denying the rumors that were being spoken about him, because from his point of view they seemed insignificant. And in the end, as Professor Lotfi also said, what matters is that he remained a human being. We quote the beautiful final section of Professor Lotfi’s note word for word: マイケル・ジャクソン left this world, but very soon; however, you friends can understand his human intent and gentle spirit with Michael’s first performance. This memory shows how sensitive he was and how much intimacy there was in his work. マイケル・ジャクソン’s pure childish voice first captured the hearts of listeners when he was five years old, when he was going to kindergarten. At the Christmas celebration ceremony at Michael’s five-year-old school, he sang the song “Climb Every Mountain,” taken from the film The Sound of Music. His voice was so affecting that it moved many of the audience, teachers, and students to tears. What’s interesting is that Michael performed this calm and very difficult song from all the poems and songs in that film. Perhaps in his subconscious, the path of Michael’s life was influenced by this beautiful lyric; “Climb every mountain, search high and low, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream; a dream that will need all the love you can give… Every day of your life… while you’re living…” As a young child, Michael sang this song with his beautiful voice in his first performance in front of others. In his book, he writes: “When I finished the song, the reaction of the crowd was so overwhelming that I didn’t know what to do. The sound of the applause was very loud and they were smiling. Some of them were standing. My teachers were crying and I truly couldn’t believe it. I had made them all happy. It was an incredible feeling. I was a little confused too because I didn’t think I had done anything special. I just sang the way I sang every night at home. When you perform, you don’t realize how you look or what special impact you leave on the audience. You just open your mouth and sing.” (11) And perhaps it was this feeling that made him persist and stand firm through the ups and downs of his artistic life. He was always looking to bring happiness to others through his art—full of life and love in its absolute meaning. We end this piece with parts of one of his songs, so that everyone knows the world is in turmoil, and it is the duty of more enlightened leadership to think about the future of humanity, because artists, educated people, and the general public have always been—and are—seeking peace and calm. (11) Of course, it is a matter of pride for us that in writing this piece we also used マイケル・ジャクソン’s biography available on eMJey.com. But I wish the source of that as well had been mentioned. Source: eMJey / etemaad