David Bowie is hoping to promote his career by jumping on the mashed-up music bandwagon. He announced a contest, inviting mashers to go at it and mix his music. A transparent self-promotion attempt, this nevertheless can help move forward the discussion about so-called piracy of music by youth.
Adán
Last night I attended a performance of contemporary dance at the University of Houston's Moores Opera House. The Sandra Organ Dance Company presented one dance that collaborated with musicians and digital artists.
The Moores School of Music Contemporary Ensemble played a stunning piece, "Infinite Heartbeat," by Stuart Greenbaum and during the dance, the backscreen of the stage showed the words of Pablo Neruda's poem, "Poetry." The projection of the poem was designed by Dr. Carlos Solís, Information Technology Consultant at Rice University and founder of Obsidian Digital.
Sandra Organ, choreographer of the piece, explains that left and right brain functions are involved in trying to read the poem in the background while focusing visually on the dancers and listening to the music. She (in a local radio interview) says that in a world with MTV, our brain is able to process various and combined stimuli. Her effort is groundbreaking. I was distracted by the words while trying to see the movements, but the disjointed connections between the Neruda words and the movements was compelling and demanded involvement. It was a beautiful and innovative performance and I hope this small Houston company is able to be seen widely.
The poem by Neruda was projected first in English, then in Spanish, well designed and animated so that the words would appear and dissappear with flourish.
Hurrah for collaborative art that opens visions:
Enjoy this from the Poem:
-------------------------
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
the darkness perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire, and rflowers,
the overpowering night, the universe.
And I, tiny being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss.
I wheeled with the stars.
My heart broke loose with the wind.
----------------
Amén
Adán
Listening to our wonderful community radio station, KPFT, last Saturday morning, I was deeply touched by a song about one of our targeted bombs that hit the home of, and killed, the Iraqi artist, Layla Al-Attar. I called the station and got the name of the song, "The Circle," composed and sung by Kris Kristofferson. Once you get to the link, scroll down to find all the lyrics. It think it is great that he blends Layla Al-Attar with the women whose children "disappeared" during the Argentinian DirtyWar.
Adán
Celia Cruz was buried today, after a service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Cruz died from a brain tumor Wednesday in her home at Fort Lee, N.J., at age 77.
In the 1950s, Cruz became famous with the Afro-Cuban group La Sonora Matancera. She left Cuba after its 1959 revolution, coming to the United States in 1960. Her music and voice help form latino identity. I was privileged to meet her on a plane about 10 years ago, She said in an interview that in a sense she fulfilled her father's wishes that she become a teacher because as an artist she taught people about her culture and about happiness: "En un sentido, he cumplido con los deseos de mi padre de que fuera maestra, ya que a través de mi música puedo enseñarle a generaciones de personas sobre mi cultura y la felicidad que se puede encontrar dando alegría. Como artista, quiero que la gente sienta sus corazones cantando y sus espíritus rebosantes".
Let's continue to enjoy her music as she lives in our hearts and culture.
Adán