Page 22 - Pakistan Link - April 26, 2019

P22 – PAKISTAN LINK – APRIL 26, 2019 COMMENTARY
Princess Yasmin Aga Khan Discusses Her Mother Rita Hayworth Cherry Pink and Apple

hen Hollywood star Rita A lot of people are still reluc- Blossom White
Hayworth was diag- tant to talk about dementia.
Wnosed with Alzheimer’s Th at’s our biggest problem, and
disease in 1981 at the age of 62, I’m not sure why. Th ere are famous n By Akbar Ahmed
her daughter Princess Yasmin Aga people not coming forward, not
Khan took on the role of her con- talking about it. Maybe it has to do It’s April
servator. with their careers. Embarrassment? Th e season of cherry blossoms
In addition to caring for her I don’t know. Suddenly appearing everywhere
mother, Princess Yasmin, who is How did art help your moth- All around
a step-sister of the Ismaili Muslim er? A riot of subtle pink, burgundy and purple
spiritual leader, the Aga Khan, also She actually painted. I think she And apple blossom white
became an early spokesperson for started painting in the early stages of And their sweet smell
those with Alzheimer’s, bringing her disease. She loved it. It brought Mingles with every kind of magnolia
public attention to a neurodegen- her peace and she had some talent. Butterfl y, yellow lantern, lily,
erative disease that few openly dis- She also used to love to play the cas- Star and shiraz,
cussed. tanets. Japan meeting the US
On Friday, she was in Toronto She had a brain scan and she Th ere weren’t medications at East meeting West,
to participate in a fi lm screening and had memory testing by a neurolo- the time. Today we do have medica- Along with daff odils and tulips
panel discussion at the Aga Khan gist. And between the brain scan tions, which can help slow it down Th e fragrance showers the city
Museum on the benefi ts of the arts and the memory testing – like “who’s for some people, and also help the It is a time of joy
for individuals living with dementia. the president of the United States?” mood. I think that’s where painting And rebirth,
Princess Yasmin, who is presi- – they actually diagnosed her then, comes in and music comes in, with While a prayer escapes me
dent of Alzheimer’s Disease Inter- which is quite unbelievable. It was mood, to help relieve the stress. As I bless the man who gave his name
national, a federation of Alzheimer’s confi rmed on autopsy when she Did you fi nd an outlet too? To this metropolis
associations worldwide, spoke with passed, where you could see the I coped because I had the Al- And his blessed companions
Th e Globe and Mail about how the plaques and tangles. But what we zheimer’s Association. I was very Who dreamt ambrosial dreams
disease aff ected her family. could see in the scan back then in ’81 fortunate, which many people aren’t, Of a new world
What was it like when your was shrinkage of the brain. to have 24/7 nursing care. Th ey re- And a new society of people
mother began showing signs of Al- Alzheimer’s wasn’t widely ally helped me and saved me. My Like the fl owers of the city
zheimer’s? talked about at the time. What friends and family were also there Every hue and color
She started with symptoms in prompted you to open up about it? for emotional support. But it was a Yet
her early 50s. Th ere was a lot of con- Th e Alzheimer’s Association diffi cult road. One
fusion, disorientation, mood chang- in the United States, founded by Je- When I went to university, I was In their love for this garden.
es, and she became quite aggressive. rome Stone, they found me because a music major. Timpani was my spe- And I smiled
She’d hear voices outside the house they had heard rumors that my mom cialty, and voice. I was going to go At the pleasant thought
and call the police. Th e police would was diagnosed. to Europe to study, and that’s when Th at the fl owers will bloom
come and there was nobody there. Jerry said, “We’re a small family my mother’s disease heightened, and Long aft er you and I have gone
She had also been drinking – group, and we would like to know if it was really necessary that I step in. Forever fragrant
not heavily, but the alcohol exacer- you’d like to join us and to spread the Th en I said, okay, this is more im- Forever fresh
bated the plaques and tangles in the word about this disease.” portant than my career in music. And that
brain that were being created with I said, “Absolutely.” And that was the right decision. I We were once part
the disease. I thought she had this I was the caregiver, but they don’t have any regrets. Of their beauty
serious drinking problem, but there were my caregivers. Th ey were there What message do you want to And truth.
was this element of brain disease. to support me and to help guide me share with others?
She was forgetful, accusatory. on what to do and what to expect. It Th at there’s hope. Th ere’s edu- rich, the style was perhaps a cross Many years later when I was
It was confusing and diffi cult, and was a very small organization at the cation on the disease. Th at one can between Master Inayat Hussain and working in the UAE, I remember
it wasn’t until she actually had a col- time; now it’s a national and interna- change the mood by introducing art. A.Hameed’s. But there was some- attending Madam’s live concert
lapse that I could get her to a doctor. tional organization. Th en, the press It’s not a cure. It’s a momentary time thing very unique in their compo- in Sharjah in the early 1980s. She
What was it like to diagnose came to me. I talked about it and of pleasure. – - Th e Globe and Mail sition, especially the use of Western sang many of her songs that eve-
Alzheimer’s then? kept talking about it. instruments, but with absolutely no ning, but there was just one fi lm in
Unheard but Unforgettable Western infl uence in the tune and her repertoire of which she sang
composition itself. To have the Ma-
two songs and that was Lahu Pu-
lika-e-Tarannum sing in your very kare Ga.
fi rst fi lm was something Anyway, turn up your volume
Nigahon ke sawal ka, nigahon and enjoy the two songs that I
se jawab do and Arman to bohat heard Madam at the concert that
se hein dil mein, par arze tamanna pleasant evening on the You-
kaise ho Dekha jo hamien mun pher
liya, itna bhi na poocha kaise ho They are very diff erent in
On the heels of Mafroor, came composition, but
several other fi lms including Kafi r
and Lahu Pukare Ga, probably the equally mind-blowing.
only fi lm which had Santosh Ku- Notice how the pitch
mar and Firdous in the lead. I be- swings from low to high
lieve that Lahu Pukare Ga came to and then low again. Lovely
be known more for its photography
than anything else, not surprising- lyrics turned even more
ly, as it was a production from the beautiful through blending
Burki brothers - Azhar and Muzaf- with some very creative
far.
Like Mafroor, it was only a and deep orchestration.
moderate success. I remember Madam’s voice modulation
bunking class to watch the movie stands unparalleled while
only for its songs (most of them
with Noor Jahan) and some incred- Ilyas has been blown away
ible background score by M. Ilyas. by the winds of oblivion
He made Madam do some amazing
voice variations. I thought this guy Tube links below:
n By Siraj Khan up some class notes and then to even greet her. Th at lady was was going to go places. But as time http://www.youtube.com/
Boston run. I usually would enter Saeed’s Zeba. Sprawled on a separate sofa, would tell, I was totally wrong. watch?v=2TMtrcwF048
place unannounced and as usual was the huge fi gure of Lala Sudhir. I To this day, I am surprised as http://www.youtube.com/
was in St Patrick’s High School, barged in and encountered a sight believe they were there for the pre- to what happened to M.Ilyas, for I watch?v=WKF7ans4BeI
Karachi and was working to- in the family room, which I have mier of Mafroor. Sitting with them never heard new songs aft er that (Th ey are just audios).
I wards my Senior Cambridge. not forgotten to this day. was a pleasant-looking young man or his name associated with any Th ey are very diff erent in
So, this must be sometime in the I was looking at a stunningly in jeans and a t-shirt, who I initially fi lms again. I have yet to see that composition, but equally mind-
year 1967. I had beautiful woman, sitting elegantly thought was also some actor. I later style in any other composer since. blowing. Notice how the pitch
dropped by at the on a sofa. I may have seen more found out that he was Mafroor’s How did he drop from the radar, swings from low to high and then
home of my friend/ gorgeous women in pictures, mov- music director M. Ilyas -- apparent- as quickly as he came on it? Where low again. Lovely lyrics turned
class-mate Saeed ies, magazines, but even forty years ly Sudhir’s discovery who, interest- did he disappear? Is he still alive even more beautiful through
Shiraz in Sindhi and 60+ countries later, I have yet ingly, himself had sung just a hand- and if yes where does he live? I am blending with some very creative
Muslim Society, to set my eyes on a lady in person ful of songs in his entire fi lm career. unable to confi rm anything except and deep orchestration. Madam’s
whose family had where I have stopped, my feet fro- When I heard Mafroor’s songs that I am told that even Madam voice modulation stands unparal-
a fi lm distribution business. I was zen and unable to move. I was so on the radio, I could notice imme- liked him immensely and that in leled while Ilyas has been blown
on my bike and had to just pick stunned that I probably was unable diately that the orchestra was very itself says a lot. What a mystery! away by the winds of oblivion.
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