Saudi Arabia: Michael Jackson v. Elvis Presley
Written byAyesha Saldanha
When Saudi blogger and journalist Yasser Al Ghaslan heard about Michael Jackson's death, he immediately remembered the day he heard that Elvis Presley had died.
He writes:
عندما مات ألفس بريسلي و هو الملقب بملك الروك إند رول في عام ١٩٧٧ كنت حينها لم أتجاوز سن السادسة، في تلك الليلة الصيفية من شهر أغسطس كنت أجلس بين والداي في بيت جدي في إيطاليا حيث كنا نقضي الإجازة الصيفية و قد كنا نتفرج على التلفاز و هم ينقلون للمشاهدين خبر وفاته مع مشاهد للمعجبين ينتحبون لفراق ذلك الفنان الذي شغل العالم بفنه الموسيقي و رقصاته اللولبية و كريزماه الشخصية التي جعلت منه معشوق الفتيات و ملهم الفتيان.
When Elvis Presley, known as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, died in 1977 I was no more than six. On that summer night in August I was sitting between my parents in my grandfather’s house in Italy where we were spending the summer holiday. We were watching television; it was delivering to viewers the news of his death, with scenes of fans wailing at the departure of the artist, who had engaged the world with his music and gyrating dancing, and personal charisma that made him adored by girls and an inspiration for boys.
يوم الخميس الماضي تلقيت في حدود الساعة الثانية عشر ليلا إتصال من أحد الأحبة يبلغني فيه بأن ملك البوب مايكل جاكسون قد مات و هو على بعد أيام من الإحتفال بعيد ميلاده الواحد و الخمسين، فقد نقل أحد المواقع الإلكترونية و أكد الخبر في حين لم توكده بعد السي إن إن، و بعد مرور ربع ساعة تقريبا تأكد الخبر في الوقت الذي كنت أتلقى فيه تهاني الأصدقاء و الأحبة على دخول اليوم الجديد و الذي أكملت فيه سن الثامنة و الثلاثين.
Last Thursday, at around midnight I received a call from one of my friends telling me that the King of Pop Michael Jackson had died, and one website confirmed the news even before CNN had. After approximately a quarter of an hour the news was confirmed at the same time that I was receiving congratulations from friends and loved ones at the start of a new day, on which I reached the age of thirty-eight.
بين موت ألفس بريسلي و موت مايكل جاكسون ٣٢ سنة تقريبا ولدت و ترعرعت بينهما أجيال و أجيال و تغيرت عوالم و تبدلت أذواق و تحللت و تحلحلت أخلاق لأمم و شعوب من هنا و من هناك … فبالرغم من أني كنت كما كان الكثيرون من أبناء جيلي معجب بأغاني مايكل جاكسون و بالنمط الذي أدخله على ثقافتنا المتمردة إلا أن موته بالنسبة لي كان كمن ينظر لمشهد من ذاكرة الزمان، فألفس و مايكل … كانا ملوكا لمدارس فنيه لها أتباعها و كلاهما ماتا و هما في ريعان الشباب و كلاهما لاحقته لعنات المعجبين و المنتهزين و كلاهما ماتا و لا زال هناك من يقول بأن الموت لم يلحقهم فهم أحياء بيننا بفنهم و عظمتهم، و لكني أقول أنهما ماتا كمن يموت أي إنسان و لم يبقي خلفه إلا عمله و ذكريات من عاصروه بمن فيهم ذكرى ذلك الطفل الذي جلس بين والديه و ذلك الرجل الذي كان ينتظر تهاني عيد ميلاده الثامن و الثلاثين.
Between the death of Elvis Presley and that of Michael Jackson were about 32 years. I was born and grew up between them. There were generations and generations, the world changed, tastes altered, the morals of nations and peoples from here and there dissolved and disappeared. … Despite the fact that I, like many of my generation, was a fan of Michael Jackson’s songs and of the example he introduced of a rebellious culture, for me his death was nevertheless like witnessing a scene from a long gone memory. Elvis and Michael…were kings of their respective schools of music, each with their followers, and both died in their prime, and both were followed by the curse of fans and opportunists. Both of them died, and there have still been those who say that death has not touched them and that they still live amongst us with their music and greatness. However, I say that they died just as anyone dies, and left nothing behind except their work and the memories of their contemporaries, including the memory belonging to that child sitting between his parents and that man waiting for the wishes for his thirty-eighth birthday.
المفارقة التي ربما لها و ربما ليس لها معنى أن مايكل جاكسون تزوج إبنت ألفس بريسلي في عمل إعتبره الكثيرون أنه من أجل العلاقات العامة و من أجل خلق صوت مدوي في الإعلام الفني الغربي، فسبحان الله كيف تلتقي الأقدار على أكثر من خط.
Perhaps ironically – and there is no meaning to it – Michael Jackson married Elvis Presley’s daughter. Many considered it to be for public relations and to create a loud noise in the Western music media. It’s amazing that their fates met in more than one way.
Written byAyesha Saldanha
35 comments
As much as Elvis was a brilliant entertainer and icon he did not have the worldwide recognition or indeed, adoration that Michael Jackson evoked. In any country in the world from isolated Eastern block countries such as Uzbekistan, to Yemen, to Sierra Leone to the Bushmen of the Kalahari no matter where if you showed people a photograph of Michael Jackson they knew who he was and could sing his songs.There was also a study done in the 80’s that found that there were three words that were known universally, one was ‘ok’ and the others ‘Michael Jackson’. Whether you except it or not, Michael Jackson was the most famous person on the planet – hence the media reaction.
You can spread false information all you like but the truth is not on your side. Everything that Jackson’s fans and contemporaries have said about him was said about Elvis first. The comment about the three words you said were spoken universally was said but the three words were Jesus, Coka Cola and Elvis. That’s the truth!