This Saturday marks the twentieth anniversary of a day that will live in infamy. It was the day that perhaps changed our country forever and made us realize what being in America is all about, and how perhaps we can never take things for granted.
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| The Twin Towers of New York City's World Trade Center, which, 20 years ago was attacked by plane hijackers from the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, causing their collapse, on September 11, 2001. |
It was a day that perhaps started normally like any other day. If I remember correctly it was a Tuesday and was a nice, beautiful, rather cool late summer, fall-like day. I was worried a bit--not what was to come, but something of a normal variety--a presentation at work. At the time I was working for IBM Global Services as an application developer/analyst, winding down a five-year contract with Prudential. Pru had a unit in Ireland, and we were in the process of transition their "legacy systems"----the old mainframe-base computer systems--to that unit, while the insurance company was developing new, modern technologies. I had to prepare a presentation for the system that I was in charge of. Three representatives from the Ireland based affiliate, Prumerica (not to be confused with Primerica) traveled over here and we were to do some presentations that morning. Morning came and I was talking to them about visiting New York, and how much there is to do and see.
No sooner than I had told them about the virtues of the city, then I had heard about a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers. At first I thought it was a small plane, similar to one that crashed into the nearby Empire State Building decades earlier. As it turned out, it was much serious as it was a full size airliner. Less than a quarter of an hour later, another plane hit the other tower, both were in flames. Less than an hour after that, both towers came down, a horrific and devastating experience. At the same time, another plane flew into the Pentagon in Washington DC, and yet another one crashed into a field in Shanksville PA, one which was allegedly destined for perhaps the Capitol building, or perhaps the White House, but was taken down by the passengers in an attempt to prevent that from happening.
Needless to say that our presentation was canceled and we were sent home from work around noon time. I continued to watch the horrific events unfold the rest of the day, including a collapse of yet another building in the WTC complex. All in all, nearly 3000 lost their lives that day, and many others, weeks, months or even years later as the effect of inhaling the toxic chemicals that were launched in the air for days and weeks afterwards. First responders included members of the NYPD, FDNY and the Port Authority of NY and NJ lost their lives in an attempt to rescue those in the buildings. One such hero was Sgt. Robert Kaulfers from my hometown of Roselle Park who was in his office at the Port Authority in Jersey City. He saw what was happening, and without being told to do so, went in and helped evacuate those in the buildings. Unfortunately he lost his life in doing so.
For days afterwards, myself and everyone one else had the jitters. This was an act of terrorism, mainly Al-Qaeda, headed by Osama Bin Laden. Our country was threatened and thus started the War on Terrorism. If there was any consolation as to what had happened, it at least brought our country together, in spite of a difference of opinions that we may have had. We were all one. That weekend, I had gone to a happy hour that had firepits outside and we had planted small American flags along the perimeter of the pit. The following day there was a barbecue down the shore which went on, but we were all feeling somber but were all together and remembering that we are free. We needed to prove that nothing was going to stop our way of life, that we won't back down.
That afternoon, I was on my computer looking at peer-to-peer sites looking for some soundbites from that horrible day. Back then, I made compilation CD's of current music each month (a precursor of sorts from my blog playlist), and for September 2001, I continued that but interjecting tributes, remembrances of what had happened. The music included had to do with what happened, and that included "God Bless the USA" as recorded by Lee Greenwood. It wouldn't be long, of course that the music world would deal with what happened, mostly from the country field. Within the next year, songs by Aaron Tippin, Toby Keith, Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, and Darryl Worley would be played on the radio and would be country hits. Of course, the themes weren't just confined to the country genre. As I mentioned in my Jersey countdown two weeks ago, Bruce Springsteen came out with "The Rising" and artists such as Neil Young, Rush, The Eagles, Bon Jovi and countless others had songs about the attacks, its response to it, and prayers of hope. Here is a link to all the songs that were inspired by 9/11:
List of songs about the September 11 attacks - Wikipedia
It is now September 11 as I continue to write this blog. I had just finished watching the annual commemoration that takes place at Ground Zero in New York, the site of the twin towers and now the Freedom Tower and memorial park, with the reading of the names of those who lost their life. Even now, twenty years later, it brings tears in my eyes. Many of those who read the names weren't even born when perhaps an aunt, uncle, older sibling, grandparent or family friend passed. And then the pausing and moments of silence to observe the exact time that events of the day happened, such as when the plane struck the towers, Pentagon or when the towers collapsed. This year there were musical performances thrown in, including one by Bruce Springsteen, "I'll See You In My Dreams".
The acts of cowardice and terror affected people of all races and religions, it did not discriminate. But there are many sides to what had happened and those affected, either directly or indirectly. Because of the nature of the group that claimed responsibility, named Al-Qaeda, which was an Islam extremist organization, rampant anti-Muslim hate sadly abounded. So, what was it like from those who were born and raised as Muslims who had to deal with what happened?
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| The band Hegazy, consisting of twin sisters Omnia and Leila, were deeply affected by the fallout in the wake of 9/11. |
If you're a seasoned reader of my blog, you may know about a band called Hegazy, which consists of twin sisters Leila and Omnia. They have been blog favorites since my classmate and friend, Diane Tarantino Hegazy mentioned that her nieces were musicians. Originally individual artists (with a combined 8 top 10s and three number one songs on my blog playlist), they joined forces to form their band, which released an EP in 2017 that spawned 3 more top 10's and including a number one, "Alive". The twins have an Italian mother, and an Egyptian father who was Muslim and were raised in that faith. This past week, the sisters were interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine, as part of a series featuring artists who had identified as Muslim or Middle Easterner and how they were affected by the events that transpired twenty years ago. Leila and Omnia were born and raised on Staten Island and were in middle school when the attacks occurred. While up to that point, it seems that nobody really cared about their religion or their background, and since they had dual backgrounds (Italian and Egyptian), they never really felt too attached to either the Muslim Community or their Italian neighbors, but they just lived life as sixth graders could do.
Sadly, that all changed after 9/11. Suddenly, in the wake of the attacks, they were facing betrayal and gross discrimination from their neighbors and friends, and being called the "bad guys". They were bullied, called "terrorists" and "Saddam's daughters", among other epitaphs. The family was still trying to be patriotic, hanging the American flag on their home, showing that they too supported this country and against terrorism. But because of the ridicule they faced, the sisters spent much of their time indoors and took up music, which they have carried to the present day. While the duo's music isn't overtly political or protest (at least early on), their songs do reflect the times and have made statements on the current climate. Omnia's music, in particular, as a solo artist had songs that dealt with the Egyptian revolution in 2011 ("Change This Place"), the custom of arranged marriages ("Aziza") and sexual harassment and misogyny ("Dust"). As a duo, their songs continued to make a statement. "Alive" is about diversity and living life no matter what you identify as; "Here To Stay" deals with immigration and the "Dreamers".
As for their music, they were one of the first to perform via remote, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have started performing live in person once again. They are also working on writing new songs. I was happy to see them being interviewed by Rolling Stone. You can read the interview as well as a ten minute video featuring Leila and Omnia, which you can access via the URL below:
9/11 20th Anniversary: Growing Up Muslim on Staten Island After Attack - Rolling Stone
BACK TO THE PLAYLIST : Ed Sheeran grabs his fourth blog number one song as "Bad Habits" moved from the runner up spot. It follows "Thinking Out Loud" (2015), "Shape of You" (2017) and "Perfect" (2018) to the top of the playlist. It is doing well nationally as it sits at #3 on the Hot 100 and is number one on Top 40 and Hot AC airplay this week. It also tops the UK chart again this week. Last week, in my discussion about long running songs, where "Perfect" is still on the charts after 186 weeks (now 187), I forgot to mention "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, which has been on that list for 284 weeks! Really?
Last week's #1, Cold War Kids' "What You Say" drops to #2, but both songs are far ahead of the pack. However, Nick Waterhouse (9-3) and Jade Bird (10-4) make significant moves within the top 10. But perhaps the surprise move is the resurgence of Ian Roberts' "So Fine Summertime" going from 15 to 7, surpassing its original peak of #8 from a few weeks ago. The reason for this is that I had used the song to create a video of my summer of 2021 that has about 28 likes of this writing. And to be honest, the song has been in my head these last few days, as a result. The rest of the top 20 is relatively quiet with new entries from Vivian Girls and A Place to Bury Strangers.
NEW ENTRIES: An interesting array of adds this week, topped by two more Jersey artists. I was going to add Halsey's latest song "I Am Not A Woman, I'm A God" as it entered the Hot AC chart, but then saw that another song, "You Asked For This" entered on Alternative charts. Upon hearing the latter, I added that as it is definitely in the rock lane. It definitely has that mid-90's post grunge rock vibe to it. She's never sounded better. Her blog peak has thus far only been the #34 peak of "You Should Be Sad" from last year, but "You Asked For You" should quickly shatter that. It is the Top Debut at #74.
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| Swingadelic, a New York City-based ensemble headed by Roselle Park graduate Dave Post, is a band devoted to jazz and swing. The band will be playing at Roselle Park's Arts festival on September 25. |
Of local interest is the next highest song, "Gonna Build Me A Playhouse" by a band called Swingadelic. As the name implies, this band specializes in Big Band and Swing music. A fellow Roselle Park classmate, Gary Augustine had posted a song "Gonna Build Me A Playhouse", and apparently the leader of this group is Dave Post from Roselle Park's Class of 1972. Apparently, the band has been around since 1998 and has released eight albums, the most recent being Bluesville just last year. "Gonna Build Me a Playhouse", however is from their 2005 album Big Band Blues. Since it looks like the YouTube video just came out a couple months back, I went with this cool track. While perhaps the band may have formed in the wake of the neo-swing revival of the late 1990's (with bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and The Brian Setzer Orchestra), this looks more to be a throwback to the original 1940's era than the other bands that emerged during that later time, although this track is as bluesy as is jazzy. I can also hear a bit of Nick Waterhouse, who no doubt got his inspiration from that era as well. Post gathered some of his musician friends around the New York era and started playing the Supper Club in that town, as well as Swing 46 there, where they currently have a residency. They have been playing at festivals around the New York-New Jersey area as well.
But, it appears that Dave Post and company will come back to his hometown of Roselle Park for that town's Arts festival on September 25, joining alt-rockers ScreenAge who will perform that day as well...talk about musical diversity.
Next we have Santana's latest, a collaboration with Rob Thomas and American Authors, called "Move". The collaboration reunites Carlos and gang with Thomas, who both hit the top spot in 1999 with "Smooth", from the 15 times platinum album Supernatural. Joining them is American Authors, a rock band from New York City. This is definitely a rock song with Thomas' vocals, the Authors instrumentation and of course Santana's trademark guitar playing. Santana scored on my blog two albums back with Santana IV (featuring the original band lineup); Carlos had subsequently come out with Africa Speaks in 2019. Thomas' band, Matchbox Twenty, originally popular during the late 1990's and early 2000's, scored a top ten blog hit with "She's So Mean" in 2012, while the Authors' blog best is 2014's "Believer" which hit #74 late that year.
Next is Off Guard's "Cut Me Off", a follow-up to the Long Island rockers' top 20 "Sincere". Looks like Matt Weiss has put away the EDM for now, to concentrate on his rock outfit, and is what you would expect from this band, definitely in the alternative, emo, early Fall Out Boy style. Could Matt have his fourth top 20 song this year? We shall see.
Elton John is back...and so is Dua Lipa... as the two collaborate on "Cold Heart". Ms. Lipa has been hot lately, both on my blog and on the national charts, as "Levitating" remains in the upper regions of the Hot 100, and had attained top ten status here. Dua, of course, is still rising with her latest solo single "Love Again", and recently was featured on Miley Cyrus' "Prisoner". For the legendary Sir Elton, this is his second blog appearance; he hit top 10 two years ago with "I'm Gonna Love You Again", a duet from his biopic Rocketman, with the actor who played him, Taron Egerton. Elton and Dua's collaboration gels with some EDM sensibilities. The song is sort of a mash-up of his "Sacrifice" hit from 1989 along with his classic 1972 hit "Rocket Man". Its appearance on the Hot 100 last week marked a "comeback" for Elton, who had a streak of 30 straight years on the big chart's top 40, but has returned to that portion of the listing for the first time since then.
Finally, rounding out the debuts are the Liverpool, England band The Wombats, with "If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming With You". It's a simplistic, yet ambience-driven song in their indie rock lane, with perhaps an 80's overtones. The band hasn't had a blog hit in awhile but this could the one to bring them back.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
September 5, 2021
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
2 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: = |
9 |
|
2 |
1 |
11 |
|
|
3 |
9 |
7 |
|
|
4 |
10 |
8 |
|
|
5 |
3 |
14 |
|
|
6 |
4 |
15 |
|
|
7 |
15 |
15 |
|
|
8 |
12 |
10 |
|
|
9 |
8 |
13 |
|
|
10 |
7 |
16 |
|
|
11 |
11 |
12 |
|
|
12 |
5 |
14 |
|
|
13 |
16 |
8 |
|
|
14 |
6 |
14 |
|
|
15 |
17 |
10 |
|
|
16 |
21 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  "Sick" Album: Memory |
5 |
|
17 |
13 |
15 |
|
|
18 |
24 |
8 |
|
|
19 |
14 |
14 |
|
|
20 |
19 |
18 |
|
|
21 |
23 |
10 |
|
|
22 |
25 |
8 |
|
|
23 |
20 |
16 |
|
|
24 |
33 |
5 |
|
|
25 |
18 |
19 |
|
|
26 |
29 |
4 |
|
|
27 |
34 |
8 |
|
|
28 |
35 |
8 |
|
|
29 |
32 |
10 |
|
|
30 |
52 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  "Beggin'" Album: Chosen (EP) |
3 |
|
31 |
31 |
9 |
|
|
32 |
44 |
4 |
|
|
33 |
39 |
5 |
|
|
34 |
40 |
5 |
|
|
35 |
50 |
4 |
|
|
36 |
22 |
11 |
|
|
37 |
42 |
7 |
|
|
38 |
26 |
13 |
|
|
39 |
43 |
8 |
|
|
40 |
49 |
5 |
|
|
41 |
38 |
7 |
|
|
42 |
47 |
9 |
|
|
43 |
30 |
11 |
|
|
44 |
46 |
6 |
|
|
45 |
28 |
13 |
|
|
46 |
48 |
9 |
|
|
47 |
27 |
14 |
|
|
48 |
53 |
7 |
|
|
49 |
36 |
17 |
|
|
50 |
55 |
Christina Alessi and the Toll Collectors - Stone Meets the Sea |
6 |
|
51 |
58 |
5 |
|
|
52 |
57 |
5 |
|
|
53 |
37 |
14 |
|
|
54 |
45 |
11 |
|
|
55 |
56 |
9 |
|
|
56 |
60 |
4 |
|
|
57 |
54 |
10 |
|
|
58 |
41 |
14 |
|
|
59 |
51 |
12 |
|
|
60 |
67 |
3 |
|
|
61 |
76 |
2 |
|
|
62 |
65 |
12 |
|
|
63 |
69 |
3 |
|
|
64 |
78 |
2 |
|
|
65 |
63 |
9 |
|
|
66 |
59 |
17 |
|
|
67 |
70 |
3 |
|
|
68 |
80 |
2 |
|
|
69 |
61 |
14 |
|
|
70 |
68 |
6 |
|
|
71 |
71 |
3 |
|
|
72 |
81 |
2 |
|
|
73 |
75 |
3 |
|
|
74 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  Album: If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power |
1 |
|
75 |
72 |
4 |
|
|
76 |
85 |
2 |
|
|
77 |
64 |
9 |
|
|
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
79 |
83 |
2 |
|
|
80 |
66 |
12 |
|
|
81 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
82 |
62 |
9 |
|
|
83 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
84 |
73 |
7 |
|
|
85 |
82 |
3 |
|
|
86 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
87 |
88 |
4 |
|
|
88 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
89 |
89 |
6 |
|
|
90 |
74 |
10 |
|
|
91 |
79 |
10 |
|
|
92 |
90 |
4 |
|
|
93 |
77 |
12 |
|
|
94 |
92 |
30 |
|
|
95 |
87 |
27 |
|
|
96 |
86 |
6 |
|
|
97 |
93 |
Elle King and Miranda Lambert - Drunk (And I Don'tWant to Go
Home) |
23 |
|
98 |
84 |
13 |
|
|
99 |
91 |
16 |
|
|
100 |
94 |
17 |
|
|
Songs with the greatest increase in
favorite points over the prior week. ●
Songs with
25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲ Songs with 50 or more plays.
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