Understanding your destiny

Isam Bachiri, a vocalist, rapper and former member of the hip-hop group Outlandish, has been reflecting about the importance of capturing his family’s stories. We talked about our fathers, how we convinced them to share their stories, and how knowing our history reveals our destiny.  It’s about understanding your destiny. Who you are, what are you bringing to this world, and what are you leaving. When my father was a kid, he would see men coming back to Morocco from Europe. One thing he noticed about them was their shirts – he had never seen such white collars. That did it for him, he realized he had to leave his home. ‘I need to see what’s on the other side of the Mediterranean,’ he thought to himself. It’s these small observations, they’re still there in his memory, it’s just amazing. Knowing these details, it helps you understand your destiny - why you are where you are now.I take these lines of gold from my father’s and my grandfather’s stories and I put them into my song.[Isam is also writing a book about his story.] It’s the biggest project you can do in your life, and I’m really looking forward to putting it out there. Through our stories, like through songs, you can open something inside someone; transcend, connect, contribute in some way. I want to go out there and tell people my father’s story, and hopefully do what this virus is doing – bring people together. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. That’s why we’re alive. Alhumdulillah.Isam's book comes out in November. He shared his latest video with me, Pray My Lord; and a song he just released, Ramadan i Kobenhaven, about a person fasting welcoming the blessed month. Isam, I listen to this song on my evening walks; it's beautiful, even if I don't understand the words.To read all '30 reflections for our times', please follow the Facebook page '30 days 30 deeds', Instagram @salmahasanali, or subscribe to the newsletter at www.salmahasanali.com.Photo: Anne Bæk/Ritzau Scanpix