MJ Re-discovered

The automated sliding doors of the metro closed behind me with a whoosh! I just made it to the 8:45 am train to office. Inspite of the weather bureau’s assurance that the monsoon was going to hit anytime now, it still felt muggy and humid as ever. My cell beeped. It was Y; he had messaged that Michael Jackson was dead – died last night due to cardiac arrest (for once he was ahead of me in following the news). It felt weird – Michael Jackson – the king of pop – no more. By reflex (now it comes automatically) I messaged X, knowing his love for music, I assumed (correctly) he will be kind of heartbroken.

I still remember how we used to dance to his songs after coming back from school, throwing our school bags on the bed and switching on the music system (It was the advantage of having both the parents working. Although it also meant getting scolded each evening for the mess I had created in the room and not finishing homework). Dad had given me his old tape player and it was one of my most prized possessions. There were no CDs and mp3 downloads were unheard of. I used to save all the money I used to get during Diwali, Dusshera, holi, even Christmas (any opportunity to get some money was welcome, as the list was too long to ever get over) by uncles and gran ma and use it to buy cassettes. A major investment was made in buying brand new, shiny and polythene covered cassettes of ‘thriller’. In 80s MTV meant Michael Jackson. We even used to tease our friend Michael Patrick that Michael can never sing and dance as real Michael Jackson can.

My sister and I have spent endless afternoons trying to perfect the moon walking dance step with ‘thriller’ and ‘Black or White’ playing in the background (rewinded again and again). My mother used to love watching his videos, where in one of them, he transforms into coins in front of an Egyptian queen. That was his peak. Then came the child molestation scandal and he faded away.

Like the overused rusty cassettes and old broken tape recorder, his music too disappeared from our lives. His music was replaced by newer boy bands like Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, rediscovered rock bands from my dad’s collection.

Years later, today, when I heard the news, I desperately craved to find my old cassette again. I can’t stand listening to Backstreet Boys again (not meant to be offensive but just the truth), but I can listen to the king of pop anytime. On an impulse I went to Music World and bought all his old songs that I have grown up listening too (now they came in shiny CDs). His death has made his music even more precious… inspite of a tragic personal life, his music, I guess, inspired a whole generation.

Now with his “you are not alone” playing in the background I can’t help thinking like a snake that sheds his old skin for new, we too forget old things for new. Fortunately, some old memories, feelings, people and music linger on- just peeking around the corner to be rediscovered again.