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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1930)
THK II.I.USTKATKI» KB A TURK SECTION I)«rember *i, ItSO E x tra o rd in a ry Genius of M oh am et’s J. A. ROGERS High-born Negro Descendant By Noted Author Ilmihim A1 Mululi was Ruler of Islam and its Greatest Singer gold that the glider place* on a public singer. remarked to D)aml,*do#n to us through the mist ot PART II the leavrs of a book ' singer tvelve hundred years Ibrahim, in unier to ahow that ho had forever ahan* On hearing th u I>jar-far the Mar- ' another •'In making his living Ilka us, ha Ishak wa* a composer of the first d o n o d all thought* of mounting the Mohammedan throne uirrtda. wa* to moved Uiat. forget- Is taking the bread out of our rank, and held on to the old form* attain, decided to become a public ainifer, an wan said. tin s that hr was hi the royal pres- mouOu " I rhea, ha roar, ami drawln« his j Ibrahim, overhearing the remark and the old songs Ibrahim was an T hu w u a d n p lm l occupation,* thry rritraim i ’ innovator; he believed in giving the I silken train after him. walked u p ‘ handed Uu three prtxes to tliem: rrp tv n l only lor itami alava* and whan •Ths C aliph,' Ire adds "wa* so !m- aim down on the divan uttering spirit free rein. Moreover he be "Take you Uie salary that Is your |iri*on* ol Ute lower classes l'ubile prewed that lie forgot to chide lb erte* of admiration due." he said scornfully, "and leave lieved that his royal birth gave him Mugen entertained at feaata. aiid|ruhim for nia neglect of tlie day be At another time Uie aide dr-camp to me what Is but a pastime ' ; added freedom One day when he tlirlr lliemes were hi praise of wine fore " jf Taber, the grral general, wu* so He spared no pain* in perfecting Ilia lieauty of women, and the tan-l Ibrahim "'"old aUr his hearers to overcome 1 was Caliph, he said-: with d.-light that lie wrnt 1 his art He delved Into higher guors of love Ttiey were thus held such heights of ecstasy that they "I am a king and the »on of a , ii abomination by religious folk much i sometimes forgot that thry were In over lo Ibrahim and kissed the h- rn mathematics In order to get a better venae of time Nature had endowed king. I sing according to my fancies the lame as actors were regarded In the royal presence. and romniltted of Ills Jewelled robe On another cvenUig Ibrahim went I him with a voice such as none then What it pleases me to sing, I sing " the Iasi century, or cabaret singers - breaches of etiquette for which they to the pajacc when a contest of living had ever heard a voice in are by some people today might have paid with their lives Proclaimed his Own Ability song was In progress A n prises, the which power, lyric quality, and flex t-'roin Caliph to public singer was Kissed |hr lleni uf his f «armeni Caliph had before him. three cups ibility were admirably combined Kaeh was an unsparing critic of Indeed a humiliating step' Hut II I was the only way of saving his life ! One day he was singing for llie one of stiver, full of gold pieces: Intent- study and good taste had the other. Ibrahim wished to stand % Marvrlwus Voire without a rival and. though ex The misfortune had Ita romiienna- ] I ceedmgly generous in other respects, lions, however Because of his royal he was hard to the point of cruelty birth Ibrahim had bes-u restricted In j j in this. Conscious of his ability he l ¡ mi ¡it . • I l- m d a r t 1 as said one day: tin-rly he could sthg only ar< r r t ly ' behind a curtain except when he “Were It not for the handicap of was called to the Ultimate gather my noble birth I would accomplish Inn* of Hie Caliph: now however, such prodigies that ail would be he was free to win lam e ami ndnitr I ! obliged to agree that I have never had atlon. free to sing whrre nnd when he pleased and never could have an equal on Throwing now his a hole soul Into i this earth." hi art he captivated Irlrnd and foe ! Once when before the Caliph he alike w i'h his marvellous voice, and I made a wager with Ishak that he hi* equally ste a l p-nser of improvia- would sing In four tones Picking uu The astronomer, Mohammed, j up an Instrument he sang in unison said of him: with it. then in a higher octave. "I h a ir for several years been one | tie« in a chord grave, and finished of those privileged to attend the pri i In a baas octave, that is to -ay he vale affair* of the Caliphs Mamnun hud four octaves at his disposition. and Montassem and Uvls is what ! | or three registers: tenor, barytone. have noticed as Mam as the voice , , and bass of Ibrahim was heard the people In , At another time Ishak sang a coir, the iMktace and r*t>rrtallv tile valets. I position of his own Uiat had pleased slaves and laborer* would drop , Uie Caliph immensely. Ibrahim. their work and draw nearer In or I who felt that his laurels were in der not lo ml s a -Ingle note Wlieu I danger, sought Isliak during the Ibiahim hail finished, and another I entr'acte, and asked him to epeat singer took his place, alt u-turned t I the song Ishak refused; Ibrslum to Ihelr work, witliout wishing lo j pull« d off his Jewelled vest and of hear him I rail give no more strik fered it to him whereupon Ishak rc- ing example of his Influence upon | lieated his song twice In a low voice nil naltirr* foreign nml rebellious to The Caliph, learning that Ib-ahim education than th is" 1 was going to repeat Ishak's sony Instantaneous I oni|M>wer I hurried back to his seat This song | Ibrahim now sung, adding grace Many are the stories told ut I bra j j notes of his own. of which he alone him His brother. Mnnsnur. relates I | had the secret His success was the following complete. Tlie Caliph gave him six < hie dav. lie said, the Cah|ih had | purses ot gold, all of which he sent for Ibtahhn to sing but In spile j handed over to Ishak. of ie|wnled message* Ibrahim did] tint go The next day ■•mewlial j Parued by Hi* Creditors a lam ed at his negligence. he went! And at this time Ibrahim needl'd to tlie palace learn in g that the money badly. When he was Caliph Caliph was In the menagerie look ■ and the finances of the empire were tug at some newly aruved lions, lb- in a bad wav he had borrowed large rnhit.i and he started thither, stop sums of money front his friends to ping on tlie way to select a lyre. | pay his army and to carry on pub T hu Ibrahim carefully tuned and | lic works His creditors were often hid In Ills robe pursuing him for these sums, and When they arrived In the mcna- ! threatening to tell the Caliph. In gerta the Caliph was standing with vain Ibrahim pleaded with them that his hark turned anil was looking at the money had been spent lor the one of the wild beasts He had been use of the State. al a tea t llir night before and had In order to m aintain his suprem not yet recovered from tire effects acy. Ibrahim went sometimes to of tlie wine. cruel lengths. He had continued Stealing quietly In. Ibrahim look his habit of going about disguised the lyrr, and began to sing. Impro and one day when he was passing vising: the home of Moussouh. Ishak* "I emptied a nip of wine for my father, he heard Moussouh singing pleasure a song of his own composition, and Then 1 drank another to correct repeating the difficult passages while the effect of the first." his slaves marked the time. Mous The Caliph, on hearing thla. ap soull was to sing that evening for plauded "Well done, uncle, you've the Caliph brought back gaiety again." And Hiding under the balcony Ibrahim ordering a cup of wine, the Caliph memorised Motissouhs song That drained It while he listened to the evening when Moussoull had scored remainder of I tie song a triumph. Ibrahim arose and "What struck me." said Mansour. charged him with plagiarism, offer "was tills Mv brother that day held Vi.siting him one morning, Bedl took h lute and «gnu for him one hundred unedited songs. ing to slug the song note for note. hlm-clf constantly to the higher or This he did to perfection, where tavr of the Instrument without Caliph a romponidon of his own of 1 another of gold, full of silver pieces; done the rest. upon Moussoull was reproached by showing tlie slightest sign of fatigue the following Is a rough' and a third of purest crystal full Ibrahim, however, was not with the Caliph. Later, however, Ibra Re ¡uu even more which l win re which told the Caliph all. and sent translation: of amber The rivalry was liitenae; out powerful rivals. The most noted a him frum from telling lest I he charged rich present to Moussouh. Willi falsehood Nevertheless, I can "In describing the beauty of my be each singer hoping to win a prise. of these was Ishak. son of Moussou- T ie victories, however, were not loved I dream of the pure gold In Spurned Mune, for Performances 1! both court singers The rivalry always to Ibrahim. Once a t a con not help adding tlmt as soon as fh the coins of the ancient G rvp - ralilin had commenced to sing, the Ibrahim sang and won the first between the two became a veritable cert twenty singers were singing be Uans ferocious beasts stretched tlielr He sang again and won the second; fore the Caliph, ten to the right lie. k* In his direction, and approach Of the pearl In Ita shall In the at the third contest the Caliph was m. steal battle, which added oonsid- and ten to ll»e left Suddenly Ishak depths of tlie sea. which la the so stirred by Ibrahim's song that siderable excitement to the court of exclaimed that one ot the singers ed hit by bit. They ended by sup- despair of Uto Usher poituuc I lieu heads on Uie bars of he rose and .showered a thousand Mamoun But for this rivalry lb the rage until the song was finished Or of the eiqulalle linei less of the praises on him. At this, Moussouh. rahlm's name might not have come Continued on Page Four Who are the Thirteen Most Gifted Negroes in the United States? Watch the Illustrated Feature Section, Mr. Eugene Gordon, widely known writer, will answer this question in his own original and inimiitable style. Appearing Soon in The Illustrated Feature Section.
