Hindu in Popular culture
Two years ago American Pop Recording artist and actress, Selena Gomez Debuted a hit song of hers named " Come and Get it"
The song was praised for its tabla beat. The tabla, is a membranophone percussion instrument which is often used in Hindustani classical music and in traditional music of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. this song contains Bollywood themes and lyrical content. The song also had a strong commercial success, peaking inside the Top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100. When she premiered and performed her song just of two years ago, she did begin to receive heavy backlash from the Hindu/Indian community. |
According to Huffington Post,
The Bindi has landed Gomez in hot water with Hindu leaders at the Universal Society of Hinduism who want her to apologize for wearing the religious adornment. "The bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance," Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told WENN. "It is also sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol... It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed. Selena should apologize and then she should get acquainted with the basics of world religions." |
According to Huffington post cont'd;
The Times of India noted that there were other traditional Indian motifs to Gomez's performance. "Come & Get It" opens with a man singing in Punjabi with tabla percussions heard in the background. She paired the song with some classic Indian dance moves, done while barefoot. In her defense, Selena spoke to US weekly and stated; that she finds Hindu culture inspiring and enjoyed learning about her "seven chakras." which are (are energy points or nodes in the subtle body.) "My hairstylist and my makeup artist are actually really big into the whole culture—they've been around, they've traveled, they've gotten me into various books," Gomez said. "I've been traveling, too. It's been really fun to explore that because it's a very different view and it's such a beautiful culture." So in spite of heavy criticism at the time, she did not apologize she continue to wear the Bindi and continued to perform the song and dance at other scheduled performances. |
Sources derived from :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_%26_Get_It_%28Selena_Gomez_song%29
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/selena-gomez-bindi-mtv-movie-awards_n_3092129.html
http://www.fuse.tv/2013/07/selena-gomez-talks-love-of-indian-culture-despite-criticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_%26_Get_It_%28Selena_Gomez_song%29
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/selena-gomez-bindi-mtv-movie-awards_n_3092129.html
http://www.fuse.tv/2013/07/selena-gomez-talks-love-of-indian-culture-despite-criticism