What do you think of this artist and her work Scottish Economist?

[PRgirl]

I am sorry, SE, but I have to make this reply brief even though I would love to comment on so many things you just said. I got to tutor the kids.

Who is Lamont Young? I would love to learn about him. And I am glad you found out there are some few copies of the Baquine running around (maybe I can tell them to stop pestering me about it!) HAHA. You helped me SE you did. I got a copy of the original Public Television ballet version (which is very interesting) because the Master of Ceremonies for the tv special producer/writer/director of PBS in New York for that era was my father's best friend. Humberto. How I love him.

Yes, your "Munch" painting does capture the pace of urban living!!

About your question of why Willie Colon ran for the congressional district 17 and won it too. In Latin America (especially Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Peru, etc.) you shall find incredibly intelligent musicians and artists who are involved in politics in a big way!! The line between art and politics is fine indeed in Latin America. I could write hundreds of threads on all of them!!

Just check out the list of those in politics in Latin America who are famous writers, singers, musicians, painters and so on. It is long! Many people don't know that but it is part of our lives. It always has been. In the USA there are few artists who deal with politics. And if they do, they get bad publicity and worry about it cutting into the bottom line. Music is too commercialized in the USA. The musicians and artists in Latin America rarely make money off art. But they have a lot of power. For the masses look to the musicians to give all the problems they go through in life in Latin America a voice. And they respond.

Ruben Blades the co-collabarator with Willie Colon in "Seis del Solar..." and other albums, is a Harvard University graduate in International Law, and also a Panamanian lawyer, singer, composer and musician. Blades is also an actor and played with such greats as Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons (from the UK) in various movies. He also tried to win the elections in Panama with his party called "Papa Egoro", to try to clean up corruption in Panamanian politics. Blades discusses international politics and law and the relationship between Panama and the United States on several documentaries.

I could go on with many more names with detailed biographies. Suffice it to say SE that art and politics go hand in hand many times with the Latinos. I must say smiling too, that I would rather listen to one of their fiery political speeches any day of the week than the crap I hear from the conventional political parties in the USA and other places as well.

Check out Gilberto Gil from Brazil. Charlie Rose interviewed him recently in the USA.

In fact, I have a book I am reading now called, "Tropical Truth a story of music and revolution in Brazil" By Caetano Veloso. Whom many music critics say is a GIANT in music. Phenomenal musician, composer and singer. And the founder of "Tropicalismo" a musical genre that became 'dangerous' and persecuted by the then repressive regime in Brazil. In fact he lived in exile in London, England a few years. And went back to Brazil as soon as he knew he could live without getting killed by the government. Such is politics in Latin America. Not for the faint of heart. But the art is absolutely NON-Stop beauty. All the time!!

BE BACK LATER!

What a great cover for the Lamont Young album! What genre of music is it?

[PRgirl]

Scottish E,
I just finished tutoring the kids. Oh, they are improving so much. The parents are so happy! And now I am listening to a famous Argentine singer by the name of Mercedes Sosa. Her rendition of "Alfonsina y el Mar" is one of my favorite songs in the world. It is about a redheaded Chilean woman poet who decides to committ suicide by walking into the sea. And the songwriter writes a beautiful song to her saying things like "I hope the little sea horses make a circle around your soul" and other lovely poetic lyrics. Mercedes is of Indian race which is a minority in Argentina. Mercedes is Argentinean. Most Argentinos have a lot of European influence in their society. But they are Latinos mostly still. Too many millions of Italian immigrants they had. The mixture between the Italian and Spanish created a new Argentine dialect called LUNFARDO. I love Piero (also an Argentine singer) who's song "Mi Viejo" is BEAUTIFUL!!

Anyway, I wanted to let you see the parallels between these fantastic musicians, and their political activities and also their university studies. Many come from humble socioeconomic circumstances, study, work, are creative and very interesting!! So many things are all screwed up in Latin America but the art scene has been super creative and productive to the point of extreme creativity and as deep as the point a few kilometers off the coast of Puerto Rico which is the deepest part of the ocean! Such artistic depth. But the English speakers remain completely in the dark about it. No commercial access or diffusion in the commercial airwaves in the English speaking world. Yet all of us know all the English speaking music like the back of our hand?!! Such discrepancy and lack of balance. We don't mind hearing music in English and just appreciate its musicality, yet the same 'access' to the English speaking media for music is closed many times to many artists from Latin America, unless they are superstar commercial successes and even those have to fight like hell to get heard at the beginning. The ones like David Byrne who venture into that world, the Latin art world (music, dance, painting, literature, poetry, etc.) They become totally fanatical about it. They love it!

Check out Gilberto Gil:

http://www.albertos.com/bands/GC/Gil.html

Notice SE? Music, then politics. It is an entire world of the unknown for the Western Europeans and the USA citizens. They live without more musically open horizons. Though I think the Europeans do know other European stars well. Like Andrea Bocelli. The Spaniards though know the Latin Americans REALLY WELL. So do the Italians. The Italian tourists knew so many Puerto Rican and Cuban songs that I was surprised!! So do the French, the Filipinos too, and some of the Eastern Europeans as well. But the English, the Scots,
the Irish? No. Have no idea about these artists with gorgeous music. Once they do give it try they become fanatical supporters like Byrne, P. Gabriel and many others!! My wish? I hope you enlighten me on many Scottish and Western European music I might have missed!! Do you know I enjoy reading your postings so MUCH!! I wonder how that happened? I think it was your kind courtesy and remaining reasonable always. I adore AndyJ3. I do. Don't let him know that though! He might get a big head! Lol.

But I am an old 40 year old woman. I appreciate patience and courtesy and you have been both with me when others would not have been. I think that says something about your human qualities Scottish Economist.

Oh, Scottish Economist how can I fit in a whole lifetime of music and art in one thread? Impossible. Better to go with the flow. I do have an extensive CD collection and it grows all the time. I think I am at the 1,198 mark now. My husband concentrates on Classical greats. And jazz. He likes swing, and Kentucky blue grass (which has a lot of Scotch-Irish roots), and classical Spanish guitar. Ask him about piano. He loves Chopin, Debussy, so many Russian composers, etc. So MUCH MUSIC. I remember the Pablo Casals museum not far at all from the art gallery in which Rafael Tufino used to stop by to check on his art sales!!

Read this SE, it is a spectacular Museum. So cozy and pretty. And the musical roots are deep.

http://members.aol.com/boriken01/casals.htm

There is Obed Gomez too:

http://www.obedart.com/theartist.html

Oh SE we could go for months just in visual arts alone. People though are so insensitive sometimes and it has to do with ignorance. Deep ignorance. One person told me once in some art class I took in the USA a long time ago? "Puerto Rico artistic? Naaah!! All those people are drug addicts and stupid!!" She said that without knowing what ethnicity I am SE. She had no idea!! She was sitting next to some classmate who said she went on vacation and was impressed by the art in the island. I think people say stupid things like that in my presence sometimes SE because I don't have any detectable 'Spanish' accent on my English. I learned it at age five and both my parents learned English as young children and spoke it without an accent at all. My father in particular looked European. Almost Irish. Lol. Accept he loved his ethnicity and would not change it for anything. I look maybe Jewish or Italian in the facial features and no one thinks I am Latin American. So, they feel comfortable in saying these outlandish statements around me! About African people. About Latinos. It is an eye opener. They usually get embarrassed as hell once I confront them. One time some petty officer in the US Air force told my father, "R-----(my dad's last name), why don't you change your last name? You look white as can be and you might have an easier life if you do it. And stop hanging around with those 'n's (as in African Americans) in the barracks, what the hell do you have in common with them?" This is in the 1950's Scottish Economist. And the petty officer was some white guy from the deep south. Georgia I think. My father said he understood violence associated with so much racial discrimination. And he was happy he grew up on the island with the interracial reality of our culture. It might have some big ass flaws but being ignorant racist intolerant rednecks was not one of them.

Lol. Well I hope you have some comments for me SE.

[PRgirl]

Scottish Economist, since you have a fantastic sense of humor and have probably spent more time than you have reading all those biographies and so on in my two previous posts I would like to lighten things up a bit. Do you look a little like this Scottish man? Do you? Confess...



And if I may be terribly indiscrete may I ask you how old you are? (I don't think you will say but I will try anyway!) Lol.

I am convinced you must be married or have been married before. Too smart and too funny not to have been snatched up a long time ago!! Also...you may confess right now, before PRgirl showed up in cyberspace on Scotland.com how much did you know about the tiny, inconspicuous spot on the map that is my island? I bet very little. Precisely my reason for joining up in these international sites. To have fun with natives from Scotland, South Africa, etc. and learn from each other. Shrink the world in cyberspace. BTW, I have wanted to know for a while who is that black and white portrait on your signature Scottish Economist? Who is he? Hmmm, also SE, though you may not know it. I would love to let you know that no matter what we discuss in the future, economics, politics and all the rest---you shall remain a friend. No matter how many 'disputes' we may have in the future. So, if you strongly disagree with a viewpoint I express, don't worry about anything. Say exactly what you want to say. No matter what you say, I know you are a decent man. No matter what.

Amor,

PRgirl
***********************************************

SE, check out the review for "Museo de Arte de Ponce" it is very good. And I will see if I can get you a link to their webpage. Enjoy! I would love for you to give me a link to some of the art museums in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

The Review from Frommer's:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUrl-g...4-r219340.html

A link to the Museum of Art of Ponce. The exhibitions that are permanent usually you can sample online, but currently it is under construction SE. The Museum is really beautiful. If you get a chance to go someday choose to go on a day when they have classical Puerto Rican music from Morel Campos being played live. It is a fine ambience!

http://www.museoarteponce.org

[PRgirl]

I think you will enjoy this videoclip of Caetano Veloso from Brazil. He sings in Portuguese and in English, his English song is entitled: "Don't Think" and try Drao and other songs. He has lots of compositions. He sings in Spanish too. He has complex percussion, rock, samba, bossa nova, so many styles. The whole thing really.

Check it out:

http://www.caetanoveloso.com.br/sec_...BR&id=5&page=1

[TheScottishEconomist]

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Just check out the list of those in politics in Latin America who are famous writers, singers, musicians, painters and so on. It is long! Many people don't know that but it is part of our lives. It always has been. In the USA there are few artists who deal with politics. And if they do, they get bad publicity and worry about it cutting into the bottom line. Music is too commercialized in the USA. The musicians and artists in Latin America rarely make money off art. But they have a lot of power. For the masses look to the musicians to give all the problems they go through in life in Latin America a voice. And they respond.

I think a picture speaks a thousand words:




I think those of us outside Latin America should keep music and politics apart for the time being. I am rarely impressed by a musician who talks politics (mostly because they are generally ignorant of politics), but a politician who dabbles in music?



This man never had the makings of a great American crooner.

[TheScottishEconomist]

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Notice SE? Music, then politics. It is an entire world of the unknown for the Western Europeans and the USA citizens. They live without more musically open horizons. Though I think the Europeans do know other European stars well. Like Andrea Bocelli. The Spaniards though know the Latin Americans REALLY WELL. So do the Italians. The Italian tourists knew so many Puerto Rican and Cuban songs that I was surprised!! So do the French, the Filipinos too, and some of the Eastern Europeans as well. But the English, the Scots, the Irish? No. Have no idea about these artists with gorgeous music.

Yes that is very true, the thing about the Anglophone nations is that if it is not in English they are not interested. There is a whole world of non English speaking art and literature out there, but they (or should I say we) seem happy to stay in our own sound world. It is true we like the great works of classical music, and we read foreign language novels in translation, but will we listen to songs from non English speaking people? No we will not, we seem to prefer listening to the most awful songs with appallingly un poetic lyrics, poorly used language, just as long as it is in English.

And we get so used to the world accommodating us. Another type of music I used to listened to when younger was Krautrock (a fancy name for German experimental music), bands like Kraftwerk, Can, Tangerine Dream etc, and it took me a while before I noticed that they were singing in English. I thought, but hang on they are Germans, why are they singing in English?

Originally Posted by PRgirl

My husband concentrates on Classical greats. And jazz. He likes swing, and Kentucky blue grass (which has a lot of Scotch-Irish roots), and classical Spanish guitar. Ask him about piano. He loves Chopin, Debussy, so many Russian composers, etc.

I also love those three also. One of my favorite symphonies is Shostakovich's Fifth symphony, and Debussy’s La Mer is another great favorite. Chopin’s preludes are fantastic. I have also been listening to Berlioz Harold en Italie in recent days.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

What a great cover for the Lamont Young album! What genre of music is it?

Good question, Young is a minimalist composer, he does drone/trance music that apparently lasts for hours, he formed a group called the Theatre of Eternal Music (the Velvet Undergrounds John Cale played Viola in it), it is supposed to be music with no beginning and no end. He is heavily influenced by eastern music, particularly Indian music. His works are very influential on today’s music, and though I have never heard any of his music, I am assured by music writers that his influence is everywhere and unmissable. I used to read a lot about him when I was younger, but could never get hold of any of his records, though I did see The Second Dream of The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer from The Four Dreams of China for a thousand dollars on American Amazon! No, way way too much! I wouldn't pay that much to have him perform it in my living room.

I noticed that La Monte Young actually gives private music lessons at $100 per hour. What price a musical genius, eh?

[TheScottishEconomist]

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Scottish Economist, since you have a fantastic sense of humor and have probably spent more time than you have reading all those biographies and so on in my two previous posts I would like to lighten things up a bit. Do you look a little like this Scottish man? Do you? Confess...

I will happily confess I don’t look anything like that guy! Who is he?

Originally Posted by PRgirl

And if I may be terribly indiscrete may I ask you how old you are? (I don't think you will say but I will try anyway!)

Not as old as you are! Not as young as thirty, not as old as forty. It is not just women who are coy about their age.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

I am convinced you must be married or have been married before. Too smart and too funny not to have been snatched up a long time ago!!

No, never married.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Also...you may confess right now, before PRgirl showed up in cyberspace on Scotland.com how much did you know about the tiny, inconspicuous spot on the map that is my island? I bet very little.

You’re right I knew very little.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

BTW, I have wanted to know for a while who is that black and white portrait on your signature Scottish Economist? Who is he?

Adam Smith the Scottish philosopher.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Hmmm, also SE, though you may not know it. I would love to let you know that no matter what we discuss in the future, economics, politics and all the rest---you shall remain a friend. No matter how many 'disputes' we may have in the future. So, if you strongly disagree with a viewpoint I express, don't worry about anything. Say exactly what you want to say. No matter what you say, I know you are a decent man. No matter what.

Amor,

PRgirl

Muchas gracias. Usted es muy amable.