“Madinah Madinah” by Aashiq al Rasul (Video review)
“Madinah Madinah” by Aashiq al Rasul reminds me of the 1980s when music videos were not yet sophisticated, and life in general seemed a bit simpler. The nasheed itself is an earworm that will likely cause listeners to walk around for hours singing “Madinah, Madinah! (aaah-aaah!), Madinah, Madinah! (000h-oooh!)” either inside their head or aloud. If you think I’m exaggerating, listen to the song and see for yourself.
The video has a definite throwback vibe, showing many images of Madinah on old-fashioned televisions. Mostly we see footage of the singers dressed in different outfits and lip synching to the song, but interspersed with that are images of a school teacher and four young children who seem to be looking at a giant video screen. Sadly the school house footage does not manage to make the video more interesting, cheerful, or meaningful, and I don’t think it is successful in catching viewers’ attention or telling a story.
I looked up the date the song was released, thinking maybe it really was a throwback to several decades ago, in which case I would have cut it some slack. But no, it was released in 2005. Although that seems like ancient history to my kids, it feels like yesterday to me, and I know videos from sixteen years ago were not necessarily unsophisticated. Sadly, rather than having a cool retro vibe, “Madinah Madinah’s” video comes off as being low-budget and poorly made.
The nasheed is repetitive but upbeat and melodious. The lyrics are positive and paint the City of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the best light:
The city, the people, the street,
The markets, the dwellings, everything
Dawn and dusk, morning and night
Sunset, every moment
Everything is peace
In Madinah-tun-Nabi
My heart is at ease
In Madinah-tun-Nabi
So, while the video is not one that would engage me or my children, “Madinah, Madinah” is likely a nasheed I’d include as part of an Eid-al-Adha playlist. I’d 0nly want to hear it once, though, since the consequence would probably be humming the tune all day long.
