Ali Goyam: Seek Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
Seek seek seek… and then seek some more.
We are living in a strange time. COVID-19 has many of us confused, overthinking and anxious.
The final days of mixing and mastering “Ali Goyam” coincided with the first COVID-19 lockdowns. But, I barely even noticed. (Well, I went on a mandatory Costco trip with my parents to get everything for doomsday, but that’s it). My mind was in the one place it needed to be… my piece.
I was in do or die mode with the song -- my identity wrapped up in this one project. I was at war, finding discordant mistakes all over the piece and fighting the voices of imaginary critics. There was no clear light at the end of the tunnel.
Being that my own personal anxieties were top priority, life outside of music was a nuisance. So I stayed inside and did my work or went to Lucky Run Studio to work with the mixing engineer. I was like “Coronawhat?”
When the piece was finally done in mid March, I opened my eyes and saw that people were sick, isolating, and in genuine fear. I thought to myself:
How important is a song in the midst of this strange new world? A world that is quiet and peaceful on the outside. Blaring and anxious on the inside. We are living on top of each other in our tiny apartments, and yet tremendously alone amongst our loud thoughts.
Now I’m sitting here wondering if the divine is showing all of us something through this sickness and collective anxiety. Are we falling apart for a reason? Why are our lives characterized by so much anxiety? When can we all finally rest?
For Shia Muslims and many Sufis, Ali is the reprieve of all heartache. And to sing about Ali is pure magic.
“Ali ruh o ravan-i man
Ali aram-i jan-i man
Ali zikr-i zaban-i man
Ali Goyam, Ali Joyam”
Ali is my soul, Ali is my spirit,
Ali is the repose of my life
Ali is the recitation on my tongue,
I say Ali, I seek Ali
(From “Ali Goyam” written by Amir Hayati)
I sing these words and, sometimes, a little reward showers down from the skies above. All the harmonies crash against my skin, and tingle my spirit.
Music and poetry cancel out my stale thoughts and allow fresh ideas to come through. They make me feel calm and at rest.
My little offer of calm to the world is my rendition of “Ali Goyam.” Listen here and see if it helps you to feel calm amid the chaos of today’s strange world.
