The year is 2024. Disease is ravaging the planet, global warming is overwhelming food supplies, clean water has become scarce, and rampant violence is taking over. Society outside a few walled communities have descended into chaos; and, to make matters worse, the US has a president who is more interested in spouting strongman slogans than bettering the lives of his people.
Parts of this landscape may be somewhat familiar, but it is actually the world in Octavia E Butler's Parable of the Sower.
The novel is the basis of an opera streaming Wednesday, April 22, at 8pm as part of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Reconnect series. It was filmed at the university’s The Black Box venue in September 2015, and marked the first show of the NYUAD Arts Centre.
The performance is a concert version of the opera, which saw its full-scale production premiere at the Arts Centre in November 2017 before going on to tour the world.
Toshi Reagon, who adapted the novel for the opera, says that with the performance showing on Earth Day, there is an important message to be gleaned from the story about our relationship to the planet.
"Butler's work in general is truly expansive in how it explores humans on earth and the way we live in relationship to the earth, the universe and each other," says the American musician.
“We don't have to be experiencing a climate crisis right now but we are. We are made of water so how could we be so reckless about the elements we literally need to survive on this planet?”
Parable of the Sower was a cautionary post-apocalyptic narrative when it was published in 1993. It warned of wealth inequality, an ever-widening income gap, and the return of corporate slavery.
In 2020, Butler’s dystopian fiction has never been more possible, more terrifying.
“The parable in the '90s looked forward and clearly imagined what would happen if humans did not live well with the earth and with each other.”
Yet, Reagon says it is hope and faith in mankind that drive the novel’s protagonists, particularly its main character, Lauren, a 15 year-old who is at the centre of a blossoming spiritual and philosophical idea called Earthseed.
“The novel is a story about us,” the singer-songwriter says. “A story about humanity and hope for the future. That no matter how bleak and harsh it gets, we can keep pushing forward.”
She also says she isn’t sure yet whether the coronavirus pandemic will drive us towards a Butleresque dystopia or inspire us to work together to forge a new destiny. But it is something she's been thinking about while self-isolating in her Brooklyn home.
“In a way, the Earth is showing us her self-healing powers. Of course I wish it was not in the form of a deadly virus that forces all away from each other and has already killed so many people but it does show the systemic lying about what humans are capable of in changing our condition on earth. We can be much better citizens on our planet.”
Reagon says that adapting the novel for the stage was not a straight-forward endeavour, especially considering that parts of the sequel Parable of the Talents were also used for the opera.
“We picked the characters and the conditions from the novel that we thought would tell a good story on stage. Everyone has two rolls except for six of us,” Reagon says. “Our show is considered big for American theater. We are independently produced. It's not like a Broadway show on tour. We raise money and get on the road in collaboration with our incredible presenters.”
Reagon – who began her musical career as a teenager in the early 1980s – says the musical styles for the opera range from funk to rock to blues and gospel music. But it is Reagon’s mother, Bernice Johnson Reagon, who is the musical foundation of the opera.
“My mother’s singing is based on the unaccompanied sacred music from Southwest Georgia, with a harmonic system that comes out of the 19th century. Our collaboration allowed us to explore over 200 years of black music,” Reagon says, adding that the first musicians she became obsessed with as a child were Jimi Hendrix and her mother.
Blending Butler’s dystopic world with African-American spiritualism was also important in challenging the forces that marginalize African-Americans in real life and in fiction.
“Science fiction and speculative fiction is to be without boundaries,” Reagon says. “Yet, so much of it does not see black people as a part of the future. It is a part of our sacred traditions to see ourselves more than what we are in our bodies. I know I am alive because my ancestors passed up to me songs that tell me who I am – who we live with.”
Talking about the coronavirus pandemic and the US government’s inability to take appropriate action, Reagon adds that it is difficult to create a path towards healing if “the leadership doesn't believe in the health and care of the nation and the world. So people have to do that work themselves.”
She illustrates her point by mentioning a scene in the parable, where Lauren meets a group of strangers when she ventures outside her walled community.
“The group lives on the principle that they will not hurt each other nor will they steal from one another. So we kind of have to do that as well. To make the promises not to hurt each other, to form systems of survival together. This is all in the book," she says.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
THE%20JERSEYS
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'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, May 3
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
65
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
