Although 2015 has had its ugly side -- replete with cultural and political hurdles -- the Christmas season has continued to march on with its annual messages of love, compassion, and generosity. While Christmas could, on one hand, be viewed as a much-needed escape from these hurdles, the Indian broadcasting company TATA Sky has chosen to connect the holiday with world affairs by sending out a heartwarming message of cultural unity. In a TATA Sky advertisement, three Sufi Muslim musicians perform Christmas carols during the holiday season as a gesture of good faith -- the kind only music can relay.
In light of this gesture, it is important to remember that the TATA Sky broadcasting company caters its programming to India -- an area of the world where frayed East-West relations have a deeper history than what the U.S. is now experiencing. Still, with a similarly expanding multicultural backdrop as the U.S. once experienced, TATA Sky is taking the necessary steps to appeal to its diverse viewership of many faiths and customs. In this regard, the sentiment of witnessing three Sufi Muslim musicians perform Christmas carols -- appealing to the holiday music of an entirely different faith -- should be as welcomed of a gesture to the West as it is to Indian audiences. Furthermore, in an effort to quell what TATA Sky suggests to be an increasingly cynical worldwide climate, the network ended their advertisement with the message: “Don’t lose faith in humanity just yet.”
Among the carols performed were “Silent Night”, “Rudolph, The Red Nose Reindeer”, and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, all performed on the mandolin, the esraj, and the rabaab. The beautiful arrangements each have what Politicus U.S.A. called "an underlying tone of communal harmony and peace", surrounded by candles that are meant to "symbolize others' faith and religion". Hardly a mere marketing gimmick, the musical trio known as Strings for Humanity (the Sufi Muslim musicians performing Christmas carols) had shared their video, “A Christmas Surprise” not only throughout social media, but also directly with President Barack Obama via Twitter, indicating some far-reaching and noble ambitions.
The TATA Sky advertisement, posted on YouTube, expands on the underlying message of the artists in the video description, reading “The world could really use some love and hope right now. And this video is just that - a message of hope. It’s a gentle reminder that, though all seems dark right now, there is light still left in this world. And it’s time we let it in.”
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