A STREET ESCAPE

 The group Staff Benda Bilili is truly inspirational. They are a group of paraplegic street musicians who live around the streets of Congo. Music has brought them together and kept them from the vile behaviors synonymous with street life. They predominantly play string instruments, but their music is infectious. God has given them a talent which they have embraced. Currently they have been touring around Europe blessing people with their beautiful sounds.

This story illustrates how it is possible to fullfill a dream, if you put your mind to it. Everyone needs to find an escape route to what is holding them back in life. It may be a negative past experience like a poor relationship, sickness or low self esteem contributed by negative remarks. Staff Benda Bilili have found an escape route from the street life and not even physical limitations have prevented them from maximising their talents.

Here is a sample of their music

THE RESOUNDING VOICE OF AN ORPHAN

She woke up in the morning expecting her parents to come home but to no avail, news came in from the neighbors that her parents had been killed in a serious looting masterminded by Dada, a notorious dictator.With no parents she felt empty at such a young age,she was another victim of Dada's reign.

She prayed everyday for a sign of hope for her family, divine intervention was the only means of hope.Her prayers were answered when an Irish Missionary [an orphan] invested his time and resource to start an orphanage. The orphanage sparked off the start of the African Children's Choir. A Choir, comprising of orphans that have sang wonderful tunes to inspire many around the world.

Many orphans have done instrumental things in the world for example:

• Nelson Mandela, a prominent freedom fighter in South Africa.
  
• Bill Clinton, an American President, who helped the American economy blossom.
• Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, who has contributed to technological advancement.

We all have gifts and talents but we have to overcome adversity to move forward and have an  impact in the world. Take heart from the wonderful orphans who blessed the world with their gifts and talents. http://thirdworldorphans.org/gpage.html34.html

MY MICROCOSM INTO MUSIC

The beat goes Tigida Tigida as the Queen of England steps out of the plane, she listens to the beat and smiles, as the locals of the "Pearl of Africa"  welcome her to their nation. She inhales the breath of hospitality in this nation, and feels right at home.
The following week, the beat goes Tigida Tigida as the President of France steps out of the plane, he listens to the beat and smiles, as the locals of the "Pearl of Africa" welcome him to their nation. He is also affected by the breath of hospitality and feels right at home.
 Music can improve relations between nations

My South African friend said:

"We fought apartheid, lets unite as we sing Kwaito Music. It is the pride of our nation and puts the country on the world map for the right reasons and not the wrong reasons. We have come a long way. Though the word Kwaito reminds me of the barbaric activities in the gold mines, the Kwaito sounds rapidly erase those tragic memories with a state of pride and victory."
Music was a medium of hope to the people of South Africa, and the country is well known overseas for its enthralling sounds.

I listened to inspirational songs after every surgery, and it gave me hope. It put positive thoughts in my mind, and  I never thought, I would not make it through adversity. So whenever I listen to those songs now, they remind me of the struggles I went through, and how I overcame them. One particular song that really helped me in the latter stages of my recovery was "All ye" by Coffey Anderson. This song always made me happy and rejuvenated my spirits. Music is truly a healer.

BE THE NILE

Flow like the ravishing  Nile, its tributary, the Blue Nile, with its fertile soil that prevents toil for food.

Flow like the ravishing  Nile, the mastermind behind the works of the Aswan High Dam, providing power that provides a glow in the nights of Egypt.

Flow like the ravishing Nile, a medium of trade for those countries that seek an economic upgrade.

The Nile is such a cornerstone of civilization to those countries around.

The Nile is life, water is life.

Be a source of inspiration to those around you like the Nile, do not curse but bless those around you.

Speak life and not death, there is power in the tongue. Be a pillar of love, and hold the walls of the world together.

Show endless love to your fellow neighbor, just like the Nile shows its love to the Egyptians.

The Nile does not ponder acts of love, but loves graciously. Love graciously and you will be a replica of the Nile. Be the Nile, in a world  that lacks love and adheres strife.

The Nile is life. love is life.

Marlon Katsigazi

ARISE

Arise son, rise from your slumber. The world needs healing, start believing.

Unravel those hidden talents from the grave,  as the world crave.

Arise nation, as terrorism is a common denominator in the modern world, we adore heroism.

Our dear soldiers, we cheer you from afar as you risk your lives.

Our hearts pound with every move you make, and every breath you take in the battle field, with hope your families will see your next breath, in the Christmas winter.

God bless you soldier, the soldier we truly love

Arise church,  come out of the four walls and fight morality in our society.

Church, don't even dare try to scare the lost souls, welcome everyone with love

Arise people, we heard him say, "The sun shone brightly down on me as if she were shining for me alone" Yes! It is true, the sun knows your significance and potential. Only if we can live as one with no prejudice, we can truly see the power of unity.


Arise, I say arise.


Marlon Katsigazi

ONE LOVE

A DECAYING WORLD

What has happened to the black pride?

All our forefathers with a stride of enthusiasm left a perfect benchmark

Martin Luther, Nelson Mandela and George Washington Carver to mention but a few

Uh wee! What a treat representing the wit of the black world

Corrupted by the material world and a scourge of moral decay,

Our so called heroes today are leading the young ones away,

Leaders in Africa have turned their countries to their own,

Sitting at the helm like a monarch of Pre-Revolutionary France

Engulfing all the wealth as people strive to maintain their health

Black –on- black violence is the very essence of life,

Look no further to the Darfur Conflict and the Rwanda Genocide, what has come of this world

The Hip hop revolution, an avenue to show the talent of a brother

Has become a venue for sin, representing women as sex objects, we all bother

Women are the catalysts of new life, how can we abuse God’s precious creation

Have we forgotten we are created in the likeliness of God?

Our bodies are not meant for pleasure and destruction, but to treasure

Our bodies are to speak life to fellow man

Vice is what I see written in many churches today, advice is no longer a priority

We all need to stand for what is right and show the enemy our might.

With an embodiment of humility in all our works

Seek the Lord passionately for he is the way the truth and the life

The foundation of character should be centered on God

Then we would see a world without violence and corruption

But a world of unity, love and compassion

Is this a satire?

Look at the attire this poem wears and be enlightened

Marlon Katsigazi


I wrote this a while back,  here is a song to go along with it.

A day in the kitchen

I was relaxing one dull, cold late afternoon, and I decided to stir up the spirits of the house hold with some East African food, chapatis to be exact. The images below show the whole process:

 

 

If you are interested you can contact me for recipes


The chapatis go well with seasoned ground  beef or turkey, split peas, fried cabbage and a lot more good stuff.

I enjoy cooking, it is another activity I do to raise my spirits. Imagine the satisfaction attained, when you put your effort into something, and the recipients of your work say, "job well done."


Personal analogy:.
The last image which shows how sumptuous the food is after various processes, reminds me of how we go through life with excess baggage, and  through good nurturing and education, we end up with good character. A philanthropic character, that can be a light in a dark world; food can also be a light in such a world by being used to feed those who are needy.

We basically need food to grow but it can be used to spread joy and hope to those who lack. The satisfaction a hungry person gets from fulfilling his appetite is  hard to explain. I know people who are moody, but once they eat, a smile is quickly restored, and the person is completely different. So just imagine how many moods can be changed, if food is spread around to the needy. We live in a world where money is wasted in unsubstantial things, but with proper accountability at least the money can restore joy to our world through widespread of food. Melancholy should be short lived, and joy should be everlasting.


I love these quotes about food:
"He who eats alone chokes alone." (George Meredith)

 "One should eat to live, not live to eat." (Garrison Keillor)

Creative Mind

When ever I feel like being creative, I get so many ideas that I have to write them down. I was relaxing on my bed and I got my guitar. Then I started playing this African tune, I loved it so I just decided to share it. Playing the guitar makes me happy and raises my spirits when I am feeling down. It is good to find something that raises your spirits when your having a bad day or feeling low. I am most creative when I am relaxed.

RISE LIKE THE SUN

Who said you cannot come out a better person after adversity. Surgery after surgery I felt very empty and life had no meaning. But I was encouraged by those around me, and I felt I was given another chance. I sought out ways I could make a difference in the lives of many and gain satisfaction from my own abilities. The pain I went through made me realize how precious life is, and no one should take it for granted. So I made up my mind to find out my gifts and talents. I decided to write a book that can inspire people who are going through difficult times in their lives. Just to put a smile on a face of someone who feels all hope is gone. The book has a lot of encouraging words of wisdom in poetic form and quotations from the bible. I continue to write words of wisdom and encouragement, whenever I get an opportunity. I thank God for giving me a second chance to express myself. If I was able to overcome multiple surgeries and still be positive, there is hope for someone out there. The image of a sunrise in Kampala comes to my mind. it is a new beginning, do not look back look forward.