MJ Mojo

As a kid, his was the only 'English' music my parents listened to. I don't think they could've escaped from it if they wanted to; he ruled the 80's, ubiquitous over the radio, TV, newspapers, concerts... you name it. And he appealed to almost all sections of the society, young and old. He invented the 'Pop' culture. So inadvertently, I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. And boy, didn't I just dig his music! Be his crazy outfits, his brilliant dance-moves, the unique 'moonwalk' (I remember a guy who perfected it, everyone thought he was SO cool!), the lavishly-produced music videos and of course, his catchy music.... they were all truly loved by MJ fans worldwide.

My first brush with Western music was 'Bad'. I remember Dad inserting a dainty plastic cassette in the 'tape-recorder', rewinding it (it took so long!) and finally playing it, the 'wooooh-ooohs' and 'aaaa-ooohs' of the superstar resounding in the air (only he got away by uttering those strange exclamations; he would be ostracized in this age if he did that!). Then, I saw him on TV. I thought he was pretty neat, doing that famous moonwalk of his, those aviator glasses and flashy dresses that somehow didn't look garish on him at all (except his trademark crotch-grip... 'cheee!' I used to say). The Way You Make Me Feel, Beat It, Black and White, Remember the Time, They Don't Really Care 'Bout Us, Ghosts..... they were ALL my favorites and could recite them by-heart at one time. He also visited Mumbai in 1996 and I remember how the entire city went gaga over his concert.

But then, it all went downhill for him. Child-abuse accusations, indebtedness, drugs, disease and other maladies become the norm of his life. Personally, I think he suffered more than what he deserved. And this, not cause he's dead and gone. Somewhere, I always felt sorry for him despite his various eccentricities. Pushed into stardom at an early age, tasting stupendous success, being surrounded by thieves claiming to be friends, the glitz and the glamour.... how is a man expected to keep his sanity intact? That's not to defend what he may or may not have done, but he deserved so much more.

But let all this not cloud our judgment of the incredible music he made. Fact remains, MJ was a great entertainer & musician, right up there with the greatest music icons (Elvis, the Beatles etc.) of all time. I'm glad I was witness to the MJ era. He left a void behind with his untimely death, but also left behind a vast treasure of good music behind, and for that we shall always remain grateful! Michael Jackson - R.I.P.