Paradise (Old East Iranian: ''pairidaeza'') is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and idleness. It is often used in the same context as that of utopia.

Paradisaical notions are cross-cultural, often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both. In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an abode of the virtuous dead. In Christian and Islamic understanding heaven is a paradisaical relief, evident for example in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus tells a penitent criminal crucified alongside him that they will be together in paradise. In old Egyptian beliefs, the other-world is Aaru, the reed-fields of ideal hunting and fishing grounds where the dead lived after judgment. For the Celts, it was the Fortunate Isle of Mag Mell. For the classical Greeks, the Elysian fields was a paradisaical land of plenty where the heroic and righteous dead hoped to spend eternity. The Vedic Indians held that the physical body was destroyed by fire but recreated and reunited in the Third Heaven in a state of bliss. In the Zoroastrian Avesta, the "Best Existence" and the "House of Song" are places of the righteous dead. On the other hand, in cosmological contexts 'paradise' describes the world before it was tainted by evil. So for example, the Abrahamic faiths associate paradise with the Garden of Eden, that is, the perfect state of the world prior to the fall from grace.

The concept is a topos' in art and literature, particularly of the pre-Enlightenment era, a well-known representative of which is John Milton's ''Paradise Lost''. A paradise should not be confused with a utopia, which is an alternate society.

Etymology and Semasiology

The word "paradise" entered English from the French ''paradis'', inherited from the Latin ''paradisus'', from Greek ''parádeisos'' (''παράδεισος''), and ultimately from an Old Iranian root, attested in Avestan as ''pairi.daêza-''. The literal meaning of this Eastern Old Iranian language word is "walled (enclosure)", from ''pairi-'' "around" + ''-diz'' "to create, make". The word is not attested in other Old Iranian languages (these may however be hypothetically reconstructed, for example as Old Persian ''*paridayda-'').

By the 6th/5th century BCE, the Old Iranian word had been adopted as Akkadian ''pardesu'' and Elamite ''partetas'' "domain". It subsequently came to indicate walled estates, especially the carefully tended royal parks and menageries. The term eventually appeared in Greek as ''ho parádeisos'' "park for animals" in the ''Anabasis'' of the early 4th century BCE Athenian gentleman-scholar Xenophon. Aramaic ''pardaysa'' similarly reflects "royal park".

Hebrew ''pardes'' appears thrice in the Tanakh; in the Song of Solomon 4:13, Ecclesiastes 2:5 and Nehemiah 2:8. In those contexts it could be interpreted as a park, a garden or an orchard. In the 3rd-1st century BCE ''Septuagint'', Greek ''parádeisos'' was used to translate both Hebrew ''pardes'' and Hebrew '''', "garden": it is from this usage that the use of "paradise" to refer to the Garden of Eden derives. This usage also appears in Arabic and the Koran itself as ''firdaws''.

The idea of a walled enclosure was not preserved in most Iranian usage, and generally came to refer to a plantation or other cultivated area, not necessarily walled. For example, the Old Iranian word survives in New Persian ''pālīz'' (or "jālīz"), which denotes a vegetable patch. However, the word park, as well as the similar complex of words that have the same indoeuropean root: garden, yard, girdle, orchard, court, etc., all refer simply to a deliberately ''enclosed'' area, but not necessarily an area enclosed by walls.

Religious use

Judaism

In the Old Testament, the word 'Pardes' (a transliteration of the Persian word) occurs in Song 4:13, Eccl.2:5, and Neh. 2:8 meaning 'park', the original Persian meaning of the word, similar to the description of the parks of Cyrus the Great by Xenophon in Anabasis.

In Second Temple era Judaism 'paradise' came to be associated with the Garden of Eden and prophesies of restoration of Eden. The Septuagint uses the word around 30 times, both of Eden, (Gen.2:7 etc.) and of Eden restored (Ezek. 28:13, 36:35) etc. In the Jewish pseudepigrapha use of paradise varies. In the Apocalypse of Moses Adam and Eve are expelled from paradise after having been tricked by the serpent. Later after the death of Adam, the Archangel Michael carries the body of Adam to be buried in Paradise which is the Third Heaven.

Later in Rabbinical Judaism the word 'Pardes' recurs, but less often in the Second Temple context of Eden or restored Eden. Tosefta Hagigah14b uses the word of the veil around mystic philosophy.

The Zohar gives the word a mystical interpretation, and associates it with the four kinds of Biblical exegesis: ''peshat'' (literal meaning), ''remez'' (allusion), ''derash'' (anagogical), and ''sod'' (mystic). The initial letters of those four words then form – ''p(a)rd(e)s'', which was in turn felt to represent the fourfold interpretation of the Torah (in which ''sod'' – the mystical interpretation – ranks highest).

Christianity

New Testament

In the New Testament, ''paradise'' occurs three times:

Luke 23:43 - by Jesus on the cross, in response to the thief's request that Jesus remember him when he came in his kingdom.

2 Cor.12:4 - in Paul's description of a man's description of a third heaven paradise, which may in fact be a vision Paul himself saw.

Rev.2:7 - in a reference to the Gen.2:8 paradise and the tree of life

Early Christianity

In early Christianity it was often connected to a paradise restored on Earth (Matthew chapter 5, verse 5 - ''the meek shall inherit the earth''), similar to what the Garden of Eden was meant to be. Some early sects actually attempted to recreate the garden of Eden, e.g. the nudist Adamites.

In the 2nd century AD, Irenaeus distinguished paradise from heaven. In ''Against Heresies'', he wrote that only those deemed worthy would inherit a home in heaven, while others would enjoy paradise, and the rest live in the restored Jerusalem (which was mostly a ruin after the Jewish–Roman wars). Origen likewise distinguished paradise from heaven, describing paradise as the earthly "school" for souls of the righteous dead, preparing them for their ascent through the celestial spheres to heaven.

Tension between these two competing Christian views of paradise may be responsible for a textual difference in one of the three New Testament verses using the word, Luke 23:43. For example the two early Syriac versions translate Luke 23:43 differently. The Curetonian Gospels read "Today I tell you that you will be with me in paradise", whereas the Sinaitic Palimpsest reads "I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise". Likewise the two earliest Greek codices with punctuation disagree: Codex Vaticanus has a pause mark in the original ink after 'today', whereas Codex Alexandrinus has the "today in paradise" reading. Today almost all translations follow the "today in Paradise", although there is some support among classical Greek scholars for the reading "today that"

In Christian art Fra Angelico's ''Last Judgement'' painting shows Paradise on its left side. There is a tree of life (and another tree) and a circle dance of liberated souls. In the middle is a hole. In Muslim art it similarly indicates the presence of the Prophet or divine beings. It visually says, 'Those here cannot be depicted.'

Slavic Christianity

Slavic languages, and Romanian which is not Slavic but Slavic-influenced, have a distinct term for "paradise", "rai" which is generally agreed to derive from Persian ''ray'' and co-exists alongside terms deriving from the Persian word ''pardeis''.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God's purpose from the start, was and is, to have the earth filled with the offspring of Adam and Eve as caretakers of a global paradise. After God had magnificently designed this earth for human habitation, however, Adam and Eve rebelled against Jehovah and so they were banished from the Garden of Eden, or Paradise. Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that the wicked people will be destroyed at Armageddon and that many of the righteous (those faithful and obedient to Jehovah) will live eternally in an earthly Paradise. (Psalms 37:9, 10, 29; Prov. 2:21, 22). Joining the survivors will be resurrected righteous and unrighteous people who died prior to Armageddon (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15). The latter are brought back because they paid for their sins by their death, and/or also because they lacked opportunity to learn of Jehovah's requirements prior to dying (Rom. 6:23). These will be judged on the basis of their post-resurrection obedience to instructions revealed in new "scrolls" (Rev. 20:12). This provision does not apply to those that Jehovah deems to have sinned against his holy spirit (Matt. 12:31, Luke 12:5).

One of Jesus' last recorded statements before he died were the words to an evildoer hanging alongside him on a torture stake: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:43. Notice the placement of the comma is after the word 'today', indicating that there are two separate phrases, 1. 'I tell you today' and 2. 'You will be with me in Paradise'. This distinction differs from other Christian understanding of this verse where they read it as 1. 'I tell you' and 2. 'Today you will be with me in Paradise'. Some scriptures that Jehovah's Witnesses use to support their belief are (John 3:13-15); (Acts 24:15). Witnesses believe Scriptures such as Matthew 12:40 and 27:63 and Mark 8:31 and 9:31 show that Jesus himself expected an interval of three days between his own death and resurrection, making impossible a reunion in Paradise on the same day as Jesus' ''"you will be with me in Paradise"'' statement.

Mormonism

In Latter Day Saint theology, paradise usually refers to the spirit world. That is, the place where spirits dwell following death and awaiting the resurrection. In that context, "paradise" is the state of the righteous after death. In contrast, the wicked and those who have not yet learned the gospel of Jesus Christ await the resurrection in spirit prison. After the universal resurrection, all persons will be assigned to a particular kingdom or degree of glory. This may also be termed "paradise".

Islam

In the Qur'an, Paradise is denoted as "Jannah" or Garden, with the highest level being called "Firdaus". The etymologically equivalent word is derived from the original Avestan counterpart, and used instead of Heaven to describe the ultimate pleasurable place after death, accessible by those who pray, donate to charity, read the Qur'an, believe in: God, the Angels, His revealed books, His prophets and messengers, the Day of Judgement and the Afterlife, and follow God's will in their life . Heaven in Islam is used to describe the Universe. It is also used in the Qur'an to describe skies in the literal sense, i.e., above earth. In Islam, the bounties and beauty of Heaven are immense, so much so that they are beyond the abilities of mankind’s worldly mind to comprehend.

The Urantia Book

The Urantia Book portrays Paradise as the "eternal center of the universe of universes," and as "the abiding place of the Universal Father, the Eternal Son, the Infinite Spirit, and their divine co-ordinates and associates." The book states that paradise is the primal origin and the final destiny for all spirit personalities, and for all the ascending creatures of the evolutionary worlds of time and space.

See also

Big Rock Candy Mountain

Fiddler's Green

Garden of Eden

Golden Age

Goloka

Nirvana

Paradise garden

Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador

Valhalla

Willow Grove Park, named Paradise

Utopia

References

External links

Etymology of "paradise", Balashon.com

Etymology OnLine, etymonline.com

Category:Christian eschatology Category:Christian cosmology Category:Afterlife Category:Latter Day Saint concepts of the afterlife Category:Concepts of Heaven

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name	Manu Dibango
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Emmanuel N'Djoké Dibango
born	December 12, 1933Douala, Cameroon
genre	Afrofunk, afrobeat, jazz, makossa, traditional
occupation	Saxophonist and vibraphone player
years active	1972–present
website	www.manudibango.net }}

Emmanuel Dibango 'Manu' Dibango (born 12 December 1933) is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music. He is a member of the Yabassi ethnic group, though his mother was a Duala. He is best known for his 1972 afrobeat single "Soul Makossa".

Biography

Early life

Dibango was born in Douala, Cameroon. His father, Michel Manfred N'Djoké Dibango was a civil servant. The son of a farmer, he met his wife travelling by pirogue to her residence, Douala. A literate woman, she was a fashion designer, running her own small business. Both her ethnicity, the Duala, and his, the Yabassi, viewed this union of different ethnic groups with some disdain. Emmanuel had no siblings, although he had a stepbrother from his father's previous marriage who was four years older than he was. In Cameroon, one's ethnicity is dictated by their fathers, though he wrote in his autobiography, ''Three Kilos of Coffee'', that he has "never been able to identify completely with either of [his] parents."

Dibango's uncle was the leader of his extended family. Upon his death, Dibango's father refused to take over, as he never fully initiated his son into the Yabassi's customs. Throughout his childhood, Dibango slowly forgot the Yabassi language in favor of the Duala. However, his family did live in the Yabassi encampment on the Bassa plateau, close to the Wouri River in central Douala. While a child, Dibango attended Protestant church every night for religious education, or ''nkouaida''. He enjoyed studying music there, and reportedly was a fast learner.

In 1941, after being educated at his village school, Dibango was accepted into a colonial school, near his home, where he learned French. He admired the teacher, whom he described as "an extraordinary draftsman and painter." In 1944, French president Charles de Gaulle chose this school to perform the welcoming ceremonies upon his arrival in Cameroon.

Career

He was a member of the seminal Congolese rumba group African Jazz, and has collaborated with many other musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. In 1998 he recorded the album ''CubAfrica'' with Cuban artist Eliades Ochoa.

The song of the same name on that record contains the lyrics "makossa", which means "(I) dance" in his native tongue, the Cameroonian language, Duala). It has influenced several popular music hits, including Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", as well as his re-recording of that song with Akon, the Fugees' "Cowboys", and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music". The 1982 parody song "Boogie In Your Butt" by comedian Eddie Murphy interpolates Soul Makossa's bassline and horn charts while "Butt Naked Booty Bless" by 1990s hip hop group Poor Righteous Teachers heavily samples its musical bridge and drum patterns.

He served as the first chairman of the Cameroon Music Corporation, with a high profile in disputes about artists' royalties. Dibango was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004.

His song "Reggae Makossa" is featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. In August 2009 he played the closing concert at the revived Brecon Jazz Festival.

Discography

''Soul Makossa'' (1972) Fiesta Records

''O Boso'' (1973) London/PolyGram Records

''Africadelic'' (1973)

''Makossa Man'' (1974) Atlantic Records

''Makossa Music'' (1975) Creole Records, licensed from Société Française du Son (France)

''Manu 76'' (1976) Decca/PolyGram Records

''Super Kumba'' (1976) Decca/PolyGram Records

''The World of Manu Dibango'' (1976) Decca Records

''Ceddo O.S.T (1977) Fiesta Records

''A l'Olympia'' (1978) Fiesta Records

''Afrovision'' (1978) Mango/Island/PolyGram Records

''Sun Explosion'' (1978) Decca/PolyGram Records

''Gone Clear'' (1980) Mango/Island/PolyGram Records

''Ambassador'' (1981) Mango/Island/PolyGram Records

''Waka Juju'' (1982) Polydor/PolyGram Records

''Mboa'' (1982) Sonodisc/Afrovision

''Electric Africa'' (1985) Celluloid

''Afrijazzy'' (1986)

''Deliverance'' (1989) Afro Rhythmes

''Happy Feeling'' (1989) Stern's

''Rasta Souvenir'' (1989) Disque Esperance

''Polysonik'' (1992)

''Live '91'' (1994) Stern's Music

''Wakafrika'' (1994) Giant/Warner Bros. Records

''African Soul - The Very Best Of'' (1997) Mercury

''CubAfrica'' (with Eliades Ochoa) (1998)

''African Woodoo'' (2008) from tracks recorded between 1971 and 1975 for cinema, TV, and advertising.

References

Sources

External links

"Manu Dibango" World Music Legends

Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:Cameroonian musicians Category:Fania Records artists Category:Makossa Category:Saxophonists Category:Vibraphonists Category:World music musicians

cs:Manu Dibango de:Manu Dibango es:Manu Dibango fr:Manu Dibango it:Manu Dibango la:Manu Dibango lb:Manu Dibango hu:Manu Dibango no:Manu Dibango pt:Manu Dibango fi:Manu Dibango sv:Manu Dibango

name	Lloyd Charmers
background	solo_singer
birth name	Lloyd Tyrell
born	1938
origin	Kingston, Jamaica
instrument	Vocalist, Producer, Keyboard
genre	ska, reggae
associated acts	The Messengers, The Charmers
notable instruments	}}

Lloyd Charmers (aka Lloyd Chalmers, Lloyd Terell, Lloyd Terrell) (born Lloyd Tyrell, 1938, Kingston, Jamaica) is a ska and reggae singer, keyboard player and record producer.

Career

Lloyd Charmers' professional career began in 1962, when he performed as The Charmers with Roy Willis on Vere Johns' ''Talent Hour'', starting a recording career soon after. When The Charmers split, he joined Slim Smith and Jimmy Riley in The Uniques. Charmers subsequently moved on to a solo career, releasing two albums in 1970, and also recording x-rated tracks such as "Birth Control", and the album ''Censored'', these more risqué outings appearing under his real name or as 'Lloydie and The Lowbites'.

He was also a member of The Messengers, along with Ken Boothe, B. B. Seaton and Busty Brown.

He set up his own 'Splash' record label in the early 1970s, and moved into production. Productions by him were notable for their sophisticated arrangements. With his session band, The Now Generation, he produced artists such as Ken Boothe (including some of Boothe's most successful solo releases of the period, including his cover of David Gates' "Everything I Own"), B. B. Seaton, The Gaylads, and Lloyd Parks.

Tyrell's influence can be heard in The Specials' song "Too Much Too Young", which borrows the melody and structure of "Birth Control".

Discography

Albums

''Reggae Charm'' (1970, Trojan Records) (with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires)

''Reggae Is Tight'' (1970, Trojan)

''Censored'' (1972, Lowbite) (as ''Lloydie and The Lowbites'')

''Charmers In Session'' (1973, Trojan)

''Wildflower Original Reggae Hits'' (1974, Trojan)

''Too Hot To Handle'' (1975, Wildflower)

''Golden Days'' (1980, Sarge)

''Sweet Memories'' (1982, Echo)

References

External links

Lloyd Charmers at Roots Archives

Category:1938 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican record producers Category:Jamaican ska musicians Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Trojan Records artists