Changing Times Blog

Common Market – “Trouble Is” Music Video

Common Market is serious business. Seriously challenging and seriously honest vocals—many inspired by the teachings of the Baha’i Faith—delivered by Ra Scion, along with seriously refreshing and uplifting beats from Blue Scholars‘ DJ Sabzi, make this combo into a mix between revolution and revelation.

Producer Zia Mohajerjasbi has given their lyrical bliss a fantastic video.

How they connected?

You could say the duo connected through a higher power. “We’re both Baha’i; that’s how I heard of Sabzi in the first place,” explains Scion. “So being involved with the Baha’i community and doing music, people kept asking me, ‘Do you know Saba?’”

“Yeah, people would just be like, there’s another Baha’i in town that ‘does hiphop,’” Sabzi laughs. Once connected, Sabzi spun records at the release party for RA’s debut EP Apostrophe—and the pair found that musically, they were on the same page.

http://www.vimeo.com/1854449

Thanks to Dan Jones for parts of this post…

Remembering to BE a Baha’i

Pizza. When I was walking home from Uni tonight (a cold night), I had a sudden urge for pizza. After my favorite pizza baker Mohammed hooked me up with his finest funghi, the rain drops took their chance to rush down. Unimpressed I took a nice cheesy slice from the white cardboard box and made my way home passing through our beautiful city centre with its semi-romantic renaissance buildings and decorative lamp posts right and left of the cobblestone-paved road.

I saw a man sitting in the doorway to a house. He must have been between 50 and 60, his face rough, his pants torn, his boots without shoelaces. After a second of hesitance and internal negotiations about my wonderful pizza, I decided to walk up to the old man.

“Here, have a piece of this pizza?”
“Oh oh. But will you have enough for yourself?” !!!
“Sure, I am not that hungry, here.”
“Wow, thank you so much, I will just take a small piece”
“No, please. Take more, its a good pizza!”
“Oh. Thank you.”

Two smiles. A smile on his face. A smile on my face. Although I must admit the smile on my face was bigger.

Soon after I arrived home. My flatmate welcomed me: “Hey, i just made dinner, there is enough for both of us!” Wow, God is quick at recompensing.

This just as a short note amongst the buzz, the media, the work where it’s easy to forget the small things.

Thank you to anonymous for sharing the story.