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Friday, March 21, 2014 -- 5

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, March 21, 2014 - 5
S

Rich Pakistani
music comes to 'U'

Fashion Week isn't
a out you or me)

Asif Ali Khan to
entertain at Hill
Auditorium
By COSMO PAPPAS
Daily Arts Writer
This Friday, UMS will wel-
come Pakistani cultural icon,
Asif Ali Khan,
at the Hill Asif Ali
Auditorium Khan - The
for a perfor-
mance where MUSiC Of
he and a group Pakistan
of musicians
will showcase March21,8 p.m.
an Islamic art Hill Auditorium
form called $10 to $46
qawwali. Tra-
ditionally,
qawwali, which originated
in the 13th century, is a Sufi
devotional practice where a
performer, called a qawwal,
will sing religious poetry with
the accompaniment of a band
called a qawwali party.
Asif Ali Khan was a student
of the late, world-renowned
qawvial Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
whose career brought the art
of qawwali to the attention
of a global audience when he
was signed by Oriental Star
Agencies out of Birmingham,

Englan
"The
sons w
eral pe
States,
Islam
arts,"
mu;
Mir, di
South
would]
thing:
it's not
form:i
ally po
Whi
hand-it
devotit
Ali
promis
aesthet
every:
A disi
qawwa
a sing
poems
ranging
Punjab
at the 1
live

d. different levels of access for
re are a lot of good rea- different audience members.
hy there might be a gen- This does not imply, however,
erception in the United that one's appreciation suffers.
among laypeople, that "You don't have to be Sufi,
has not cultivated the you don't have to be Muslim, to
said Professor Farina actually enjoy this. You'll enjoy
it in a different way, perhaps,
but there's also a political
context that I think is just an
awwali-ty element of what's happening
here," Mir said. "We want
sic celebrated. to understand not just that
multiple things are going on
but that different people can
engage the performance in
rector of the Center for different ways."
Asian Studies. "But that The political context she
be a misperception. The mentioned is qawwali's role
about qawwali is that in expanding an international
an esoteric, unpopular audience's perception of Paki-
it's actually exception- stan beyond harmful, flatten-
pular as an art form." ing stereotypes. The excitement
le their music goes and beauty" of qawwali lies in
n-hand with traditional its ability to move spectators
snal practice, Asif to raptures - spiritual or not
Khan's performance - at the same time as it resists
es a night of profound untrue and dangerous charac-
tic experience for terizations of Pakistan.
showgoer, Sufi or not. "Billing this as 'the Music
tinguishing quality of of Pakistan' is an important
di performances is that statement about the fact
le performer may sing that Pakistan is about more
written in languages than the War on Terror, the
g from Persianto Urdu to Taliban - more than political
i, among others. So even difficulties. It's a place with a
evel of shared language, very rich culture and aesthetic
performances mean traditions," Mir said.

A couple of weeks ago during
spring break, most of my
friends made their brave and
noble pilgrimages to Mexico or
Miami, returning to this frozen
hellscape
seven
days later
with even
tans and
pierced ears f
(looking at
you, Ryan).
As a person ERIKA
who spends HARWOOD
her free time -
cocooned
within an electric blanket,
I should have been jealous;
my spring break was spent
struggling to navigate an
unfamiliar city in a heavy coat.
But I wasn't jealous. At all.
Because this unfamiliar city
was Paris, and my somewhat
heavy coat made me feel as chic
as my grandma (my grandma
has killer style, so yeah, I was
feeling great).
If you've so much as seen
me in passing, you could easily
glean that I have a borderline
disturbing infatuation with all
things Parisian as a not-so-
petit tattoo of the Eiffel Tower
is located on my forearm for
the whole world to see (shout
out to future employers). You
laugh, but I'm not kidding. I've
dreamt of going to Paris since
I was in the womb and over
break, it finally happened -
and yes, my tattoo felt properly
vindicated.
To top it all off - as if God
were real and he actually gave
a shit about crafting Erika's
Perfect Parisian Spring Break
2014!! - Paris Fashion Week
was taking place the entire
time I was there (shout out to
God).
So naturally, in between
all the museum visits, Eiffel
Tower selfies, pug stalking and
what seemed like a nonstop
intake of beaucoup du vin, I,
along with two friends, made
my own brave and noble metro
ride to Fashion Week.
We started off at the Grand
Palais, waiting outside of the
Chanel show in hopes that
we'd catch a glimpse of Anna

Winto
the re
Lager
even b
fashio
just it
and la
(we w
cours(
Wh
of nar
harde
trying
grab t
phers
of fast
enon c
to be
is one
cally i
left n
At fir;
gave t
love fs
preset
even d
wise
ideal;
Week
somev
that's
kind o
Like k
Pai
WC
Wh
two p
one er
pull o
in the
er and
On th
who h
strick
droms
the m
(notic
"garm
also c
Wh
differ
that n
fashio
shock
are eq

sur (we didn't), gawk at end goal for both parties is
al life presence of Karl attention, for all eyes to be
feld (we didn't) or maybe on them and them alone. Of
be whisked away by a course I get it to an extent - I
n photographer who was am an only child after all. The
upressed with our cool years 1993-present have been
id-back American style full of me crafting my own per-
ere! ... just kidding, of sonal plan to ensure that every-
e we weren't). one knows I'm "a thing."
at we did see were lots Despite my level of under-
meless faces trying their standing, I still can't entirely
st (but also, like, not even get behind it. With everyone
at all, you know?) to striving for just that one photo
he attention of photogra- of themselves to be plastered
and have their .5 seconds onto some self-proclaimed
hion fame. The phenom- fashion blog, what happens
of people dressing up just to the clothes? What hap-
seen outside of the shows pens to the style? The shows
that's taken off dramati- have already become diluted
n recent years and has in ways, with the influx of
o fashion week unscathed. social media use by almost
st I could admire it; it everyone in attendance. But
hose with a respect and with the increasing distrac-
or fashion a platform to tions happening outside of
nt their own styles, or them, it almost diminishes
designs, that they other- the grandeur and allure of
wouldn't have. But this the collections, the design-
rendition of Fashion ers, the models, the make-up,
solicitors has become the everything that goes into
what of a pipe dream a fashion week that made me
promising in theory but become obsessed as a child.
if fucked up in practice. Though I didn't spot Anna
ale. Or Communism. or Karl, I was lucky enough to
catch one of my favorite people
ever, Grace Coddington, as
she walked into the Valentino
show. In true Grace fashion,
risian fashion she wore all black and clutched
onto her sketchbook. Her hair
)rld by storm. was the same as ever - a loud
red and flowing whichever
way it so pleased. She laughed
with colleagues as they made
the long walk inside the show,
at's now manifested are not stopping once for a picture.
olarizing extremes. On The show wasn't about her; it
nd, you have those who was about the Valentino fall
ut every name brand item 2014 RTW collection.
ir closet, put it all togeth- Call me old school, but if the
I call it "personal style." Creative Director at Vogue,
e other, you have those someone who sits front row
ave been unfortunately and has worked in fashion
en with Lady Gaga syn- since before my parents were
e, haphazardly 4lonning brrioesn't tlinlhc fashion
ost outrageous materials week is about her, it's probably
e my lack of the words not about you or I either.
ents" or "clothes") and Maybe a portrait of Grace
all it "personal style." Coddington should be my next
ile both sides have their tattoo. I'm thinking a chest
ences, with one thinking piece.

Jamnesty to raise funds for
Washtenaw County homeless

By KATHLEEN DAVIS
Daily Arts Writer
As busy college students
wrapped up in the quest to find
our next caffeinated beverage
while rushing
to class, it's Jamnesty
easy to turn
a blind eye to March 21,
the quiet man 7-11 p.m.
on the corner The B-Side Venue
with a coffee $5 to $7
cup hungry for
change. How-
ever, the University's chapter of
Amnesty International is look-
ing to change this stigma. This
Friday, the organization will
host Jamnesty, a concert event
that aims to raise money and
awareness for the fight against
Ann Arbor homelessness.
LSA sophomore Arielle
Wisbaum, the organization's
external chair, is a key leader
in organizing the event and said
she uses her passion for social
justice to raise discussion about
important topics.
"(Amnesty International)
is a nicer forum for dialogue
because there's a lot of heated
social justice issues right now
on our campus, specifically,"
Wisbaum said. "It's a place
where people feel comfortable
bringing up these issues that
are going on."
The national chapter of
Amnesty International was
established in 1961 anddescribes
itself as "a global movement
of people fighting injustice
and promoting human rights,"
according to their website. It's
the largest grassroots human
rights organization in the
world, and use their influence
to both end unlawful detention

for p
and i
abolist
arounc
scale,;
focusi
Russia
of im:
States.
This
the fir
by A
chapte
with a
The e
perfor
Arbor-
As
f
such a
Nation
and sp
Washt
popula
night.
"We
somett
we a:
intern
are ob
close
have tt

risoners of conscience significantly more than low-
nfluence lawmakers to income individuals for homes
h the death penalty and apartments.
d the world. On a global Michigan's Amnesty chapter
the organization has been has also been working closely
ng on LGBTQ rights in with Groundcover News, an
as well as the treatment organization based in Ann
migrants in the United Arbor. The monthly newspaper
is sold to homeless inhabitants
s year's Jamnesty isn't of Ann Arbor for twenty-five
rst concert event hosted cents, which they can then resell
mnesty's Ann Arbor for one dollar. The organization
r, but is the first to deal helps to provide a transition
specific cause in mind. between unemployment and
vent will feature five work experience along with
mances by various Ann encouraging the homeless
based musical groups newspaper vendors to overcome
substance abuse or other
personal issues preventing
3sorted jams them from holding steady
employment.
:or charity. Representatives from
o aGroundcover will be speaking
at Jamnesty, as will representa-
tives from the Shelter Associa-
s Josh Pederson, Stamp tion of Washtenaw County.
and Psychedelic Engine Wisbaum hopes University
seakers passionate about students as well as community
enaw County's homeless members will attend the event
tion throughout the and learn about the issue of
homelessness in their area.
decided to focus on "A lot of students are unaware
hing more local because of the issue and (that) we actu-
dways have such an ally play a huge role in it," Wis-
ational focus and there baum said. "It'll be a fun event
viously issues happening - plus we want to change the
to our campus that we stigma that exists among home-
he resources to do things less people in the community."

honey and names equal
n and the other believe
and confusion are, both
ually problematic. The

Harwood is stalking pugs,
if you want to join, e-mail
erikacat@umich.edu.

ARE YOU AN
AMAZING
WRITER?
APPLY TO
DAILY ARTS
TODAY.
E-MAIL
AKSE@
UMICH.EDU

about," Wisbaum said. "We
decided to put on this fundraiser
concert, and all the proceeds are
going to the shelter association
of Washtenaw County for
homeless shelters."
Wisbaum said Washtenaw
County's sizeable homeless
population is partly a result
of having to compete for
housing with students, many
of whom are willing to pay

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SO GOOD,
YOU'LL
THINK WE'RE
ACTUALLY
BIRDS!!!
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INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
RESEARCH CENTER FOR GROUP DYNAMICS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
1
Winter 2014 Seminar Series:
New Science on Race, Discrimination
and the Social Lives of Black Americans
Eliminating Mental Health
Treatment Disparities
among Black Youth:
Where is the Evidence?
March 24, 2014 Institute for Social Research
3:30-5:00 p.m. 426 Thompson Street
Room 6050
Free and open to the public
p Follow us: @umisr, @rcgd_isr
Join the conversation: #RCGDseminar
More information: http://bit.ly/RCGD-seminar

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