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

[PRgirl]

Originally Posted by TheScottishEconomist

Libraries here are pretty bad, therefore there is little chance I could get hold of it. But I think I get the jist of it.

PRgirl: Hmm, I would think those universities would have a lot of material from all over the world? If not, I wonder why not? It reminds me of the protests from my local city government by the ignorant again. They were upset the big public library downtown had too many books and materials in Spanish. Huge amounts of materials in Spanish. But, the authorities in the library explained it very matter of factly--the inner city has a huge percentage of Spanish speakers in it. Especially families with young children and the demand for the CD's, DVD's, Videos, books of all sorts and magazines and periodicals in Spanish were high and since the library relies on patronage usage to justify its budget--they had to put dollars into the Spanish language collection due to demand by the public at large. People though, are narrow minded most of the time. There were Vietnamese, French, German etc. collections in the library too. They focused on the Spanish due to its enormous amounts over the other groups. It is all a numbers game. If you have a city with almost half of all school age children from Spanish speaking places how are you going to change it? You can't. You just cope with the community's demands. Period. If you want to stay in business that is the way it is.



Very true, though I think English a bit prettier than German. Reminds me of something a lady of my acquaintance once told me about Dante in English, she thought the language too clumsy for it ever to be suitable for a good English translation. However James Joyce thought that for poetry Italian overused its vowels sounds, and he regarded English as a superior poetic language.

PRgirl: Well, I disagree. English can be highly poetic. But so can Spanish and Portuguese and so can French and Russian and many languages. Chinese can as well. So many. Vowels if you examine them, are stable in Italian and in Spanish, and as such you can play with them easily. Not so in German or English. English has a lot of prepositions. Chinese almost none. So, I think this is a 'prejudiced' mentality coming from anglophones. The few Anglophones and Anglophiles I have met who studied Spanish and Portuguese and other languages (such as Guarani) which is absolutely POETIC in every sound. Guarani sounds like music instead of a human spoken language. Have totally changed their minds about the 'poetic superiority' of English. As soon as they gained enough advanced fluency in those languages and started studying poetry they no longer believed in the superiority of English in anything really. It is a challenge to be open to other realities and languages (and since English is used so much people assume it is due to some kind of 'superiority of grammar or sound or some such non-sense, it is about ECONOMICS [I am sure you know the power of that in language use SE]). English poetry can be so beautiful. But if you know other languages poetry well, and understand it well, you can't make sweeping statements about which one is more 'poetic' you just ENJOY them all. Lol. That is the best thing to do. Enjoy the variety.





I absolute love Django Reinhardt’s music, and if I were to choose a favourite musician it would probably be him. Have you ever heard Andres Segovia?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH0GJ...search=Segovia

PRgirl: Yes. Andres Segovia. Of course. There are many great guitarists in Spain. Classical guitar, flamenco and more. No, in my opinion he is not as good as Django. Correct. Django is Django. Greatness of that sort is not very common.

He is not as good as Django! Actually for all his undoubted brilliance I find his playing a bit to formal and ‘classical’ (in the sense that he chooses restraint and balance in his playing). Perhaps not what you would expect from a Spaniard? That piece in the above link, I once heard it played by a Spaniard who played the chording much more like a flamenco player, and although Asturias was originally written as a piano piece, that to me sounded like how it should be played. There is a frequently told story about Segovia hearing Django and being dazzled by his playing, and when Segovia enquired about what piece he was playing he told him it was merely an improvisation. I never found the story that convincing. But even Julian Bream and John Williams regard Django as musics all time greatest guitar player ahead of Segovia.

PRgirl: Different styles SE. Django is more jazz, swing, which is innately different than the deep formality of classical guitar. Spain is deeply traditional in some musical genres. It always has been. But fusion happens everyday. And the new varieties keep things interesting always.



I am puzzled, what is meditation rock? They were very talented, they are sadly no more, they only made two albums, but what great albums! Three of the four became New Order, not a bad band, they are still on the go, but they have never matched their Joy Division work.

PRgirl: Sad when good bands don't stay together. I loved a short lived group called "Ocho" and they did not stay together sadly. They only made one or two albums. Such is the life of musicians.

Here is another group I like, some Germans singing in a language less ugly than their own:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfc_j...arch=kraftwerk

And one final thing, not a favourite, it is something a came across by chance, an example of Gaelic psalm singing.

PRgirl: Gaelic is a lovely language and especially suited to singing and music. The lyrics someone translated for me in this same forum was lovely. Gaelic is so pretty in poetry and music, it would be a shame it was dying due to the lack of dedication to keeping it alive. A fine world class linguist by the name of Ken Hale, once said languages are like works of art, if you let them die out, humanity misses out and the world is a lesser place due to it dying off. Don't let Gaelic die off ever. Especially in Scotland. Keep what is unique to your region of the world alive. It is good for the soul.



I have brown hair, very light brown, golden brown I suppose you would call it. No redheads in my family, thankfully. I am nearer thirty then forty, so even less excuse to avoid dancing. However I don’t think dancing will ever be my thing. The dancing uncle memories haunt me too much.

Buenos diás/ Buenos tardes

PRgirl: I have dark brown hair. Curly and long. And my best feature according to all who like me, are my eyes. BIG and intense. And dark. And expressive. Laura says my eyes are filled with all one wants to know in the world. Laura. My mother likes my eyes. My husband loves them too. So it is unaminous! Lol. Laura, my friend. She is beautiful!! I told her to get recruited to be some Las Vegas Showgirl if she ever lost her money!! She'd make a million dollars with that body of hers. Lol. I think the Brazilian fiancee agreed with me on that assessment. Lol. No redheads in your family? Now, you broke the stereotype of the redheaded folk in Scotland! Dancing uncles?? C'mon instead if you learn all those Latin dances you will find yourself in excellent physical shape, balance, coordination improved, and will meet beautiful girls who love to dance and are full of enthusiasm for life. Lol. But the truth is you are just perfect exactly as you are Scottish Economist and don't need to change at all.

I will be back later on to talk about some interesting music.


Amor,
PRgirl.

[PRgirl]

According to this website, Scotland is the center of "Salsa" culture in the north of the UK.

Feel like dancing?

It is said that Scotland is the Latin of the north. This is evident in the number of salsa club nights happening around Scotland and the growing number of people attending salsa classes.

If you feel the Latin rhythm in you, why not contact your local dance centre to find a class near you, see links list to the right for contact details.

Do you feel SE the Latin rhythm in you? Oh, Scottish Economist you are one of the people on Scotland.com I most enjoy. I would never have thought so, you are very conservative politically and to me that is like the death knell to most people I meet on the internet. To me conservatism represents everything wrong with the world. Lack of change, class exploitation, hunger, misery, lack of clean water, education lacking due to greedy rich capitalists who don't give one flying bean about the poor in the world, and everything rapacious, callous and low life about human nature. Yet, I don't think you are at all like that at heart. I must conclude then that we have extremely different personal life experiences. My parents were from the poorest of the poor, who due to their own ferocious determination educated themselves, got scholarships (paid for by socialism) and got advanced university degrees. They never aspired to be or instill upper middle class values in me. Why? Cuz they grew up in the most incredible squalor and identified 100% with the poor and the wretched of the earth. The ones the damn capitalists use and abuse and throw away like used toilet paper. And they were extremely well educated people, but with the heart of survivors. Of deep poverty and a sense of seeking justice for those the system ignores or grinds up and spits out. How does one cope with deep poverty background, and excellent formal educated working class background Latin Americans? Like a threat from hell is how they see those type of people. Poor people are never supposed to be educated. They should live and die in ignorance and obedience. Without possibilities of change. That the poor and destitute get a hold of an education and become leaders and start rocking the boat of change....KILL ALL OF THEM is what awaits those with those unorthodox backgrounds. And so that is how poor and educated are dealt with in Latin America. Consistently.

Veloso should have died in prison, so should have Gilberto Gil, now he is the minister of culture of Brazil. So many countries in South America are increasingly becoming in their government leadership more and more socialist and left. Why? Because the right never solved a damn thing. They never do. The right in South America is filled with Nazis (Straussner in Paraguay and the German Nazis of Brazil). What is left in these nations? Total greedy ultra rich that are few and HUGE amounts of paupers. The middle class are tiny and or non-existent. And if it exists, the middle class type hates the poor worse than the elite. And Scottish Economists who believe in liberal economies that are mixed (like you do SE) might as well be Communists and get killed for their radicalism. Lol. True. Your theories are far left for the right wingers in South America. Your head would be found floating in the river for daring to suggest to use some taxes to fund basic services over there. No, I don't think you would survive politically SE. There is no Adam Smith capitalism over there. It is all about corruption, exploitation and John Perkins confessions of an economic Hitman styles of dealing with things.

But Art and Music reaches people when all else is alien and foreign to most.

I took the liberty of looking up the dance club that has salsa nights in Glasgow. I know you won't go at all. Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful a human being you are Scottish Economist with your Rothko paintings and your Django Reinhardt, and your love of Loch Lomond? And your life in Bearsden Cross, and your golden brown hair and all the rest? Your criticisms of buckfast and your self depreciating commentary about Protestant killjoyism and Calvinist reserve? Your Christmas dinner of mashed potatoes and turkey with gravy. Have you ever travelled outside of Scotland SE? Where did you go? And what were your impressions? You are someone, I would love to spoil rotten in my home, ply you with fine cuisine, and music and sightseeing and lots of gifts and affection, and would only be happy until you were completely content and satisfied and finding it hard to go back home because you enjoyed yourself with your friends too much. Well, you are very beautiful. You are. You have brought some joy into my life with your posts. I don't think we could be more different if we tried from each other, but I trust your deep respect for differences and humanistic tendencies. Whoever does marry you Scottish Economist will get someone of fine character and loyalty and lots of fine qualities(it is true I don't know you personally but one can tell a lot with sense of humor and how you respond to others who are different in many ways to you). And you are a man with a lot of passion for life, hidden behind a formal, and reserved exterior. Lucky woman she will be (the person you shall love in your life). Those are the finest men in all the world.

Well Ray Barreto, "Manos Duras" has died a few days ago. He was a loved salsero. And a fine conguero whom I always loved listening to. I think I will honor his memory listening to his music as I wash clothes and cook and clean and prepare some artifacts for cataloging for next week. One of my students made me happy today SE, she held on to my arm and did not want me to go until I promised to play the 'secret' English word game with her again. She lives with her mother and extended family in a tiny apartment and is the cutest little girl with the sweetest smile in the world. "Quiero aprender ingles--me encanta como me lees en ingles....vuelves?" She pleads with me. "I want to learn English--I love the way you read to me in English? Will you come back." Oh, SE, these beautiful BABIES!! Living in such difficult circumstances. But they will learn so much. And I am so happy to teach them the way out of problems. Education. Hard work, and respect. And living a life of dignity and respect. Never believing in their 'inferiority' or their 'lacks' but in their 'abilities' and in their innate worth. For it is the truth. And art and games and so on, is the sneaky way to win a victory. And love. Love is the force that moves the entire world on its axis towards something better. It always has.

I met a German on the internet from Hamburg. He took a huge risk and decided to visit me over here. Not having met me except on the internet and phone calls. He finally made it. His wife worried about the tenous internet relationship. Instead what happened? The German fell in love with my family. And with everything about Puerto Rico. He did his doctoral thesis on Puerto Ricans. And did not want to leave to go back. His wife had to threaten him. He told her he was having too much fun and could not even contemplate going back yet. But he had to. He sent me pictures of his newborn daughter and lots of German gifts. The world is a small place Scottish Economist. It is. And love and friendship is the cement of real change. Nothing good comes from hatred and anger and ignorance. And unfortunately that is what most of the world has in abundance when power is being fought over.

Doing what we are doing. Learning about each other and being playful and open is the key to making things better.

[PRgirl]

Check this out. Hmmm. Will you go to that dance club in Glasgow? No, you won't. But never you mind. Instead take a look at these artists.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...ial_s%26sa%3DN


Look at Ray Barreto:



SE, you can sample some of his music at the bottom of this link. Hit the little bell sounds on his biography for some samples. He died in his 70's a few days ago.

http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/en/ray_barretto.html

BTW, I loved your Gaelic Psalm singing. It was lovely. Where can I get some of that music?

SE, besides you being you and quite fun...you also have this kind of history in Scotland. These castles are amazing. Scotland has such a history. Especially the long history of the monarchy. Hmmm. Wasn't King Henry the VIII of England, the reason that the RC church did not live on, and the Church of England was established. To grant the King a divorce from his first wife the Spanish Queen. You see Scotland would have stayed Roman Catholic if it wasn't for an English King who wanted a divorce. Lol. I am being facetious, but I must say---Scottish history is fascinating. The clans, the disputes, the infighting the bids for power....etc. etc. And the economic negotiations. How did the Scottish ever keep so much of their ways intact? I think it has to do with strong wills, and resilient characters. And sense of humor too. All these King James....and so on. SE, as soon as I finish reading my Scottish history book I think I will go to the history forum and post there. Andy and others I am sure will like to fill me in on things. Have you had fun in this thread? I certainly have. Oh, SE, if you think I am fiery and very Latin, I am the restrained type in these parts. Lol. I am. Do you know, I like my culture dearest SE. I do. But I also like yours. A lot. I really do.



Do you know what I think SE? I think the only castles out of San Juan I know of are this one...Castillo Serralles in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Hmmm. Would you mind living there SE? I don't think so. No one would. It is so pretty! Lol. But, alas. It is best to be exactly where one is. For that is where we should be....for some reason.

[PRgirl]

OH, Scottish Economist, they finished constructing the website for the exhibitions on the Museo de Arte de Ponce. Go back to the link I gave you and now you can see some of the paintings and exhibits online now!! I think you will enjoy it. If you can read Spanish they give you wonderful background on all the art as well!!

Art brings out personal stuff with me. I don't know why. Don't you worry about it though. You just sit back and have a good time with the music and the art. I am thrilled to have you as my 'captive' audience. I doubt anyone else in Scotland.com is interested in any of this.

Has anyone told you how beautiful you are SE? You are. Really.

[TheScottishEconomist]

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Do you feel SE the Latin rhythm in you?

Erm, like George Washington I can’t tell a porky pie, and as I don’t want my nose to grow any longer, I must truthfully answer (and in my beautiful graceful German): nein. Tut mir leid!

Originally Posted by PRgirl

To me conservatism represents everything wrong with the world. Lack of change, class exploitation, hunger, misery, lack of clean water, education lacking due to greedy rich capitalists who don't give one flying bean about the poor in the world, and everything rapacious, callous and low life about human nature. Yet, I don't think you are at all like that at heart.

Thanks! You know compared to the United States the UK is quite socialistic. We love the National Health Service and state schools, and no government would get into power if it threatened those sort of things. British people are horrified at the American Health service, indeed so are most sensible Americans.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

Have you ever travelled outside of Scotland SE? Where did you go? And what were your impressions?

I am not much of a traveller really, I have visited the following countries: England, Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, and Spain (including Spain’s island territories). Not too impressive really? I never visit anywhere long enough to get a good impression, I enjoyed Holland, Romania (under Ceausescu) was very interesting. The countries I have the most experience of are Spain and England. I remember my parents taking me to visit Barcelona Cathedral when I was in my early teenage years which sticks in the memory:

, as for England, it is so flat compared to Scotland, I have always enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the Southern English coutryside:

Originally Posted by PRgirl

I must conclude then that we have extremely different personal life experiences.

I think it probably a cultural difference; we are both products of very different societies with very different histories, and it would be very surprising if this did not impact on our views considerably, but I am afraid my knowledge of Puerto Rico is not anywhere near good enough for me to give a very considered opinion on this matter

Originally Posted by PRgirl

My parents were from the poorest of the poor, who due to their own ferocious determination educated themselves, got scholarships (paid for by socialism) and got advanced university degrees. They never aspired to be or instill upper middle class values in me. Why? Cuz they grew up in the most incredible squalor and identified 100% with the poor and the wretched of the earth.

I am interested in what you mean by upper middle class values. It seems to me a term that could be difficult to define. Class is essentially an issue of status, but is not necessarily an economic issue. Income on the other hand is an economic issue, but not always related to class. In England there have been periodic outcries because the ‘wrong sort’ of people have started making money, the Essex man stereotype is a good example of this. Thankfully class is not much of an issue in Scotland, and it is becoming much less of an issue in England.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

One of my students made me happy today SE, she held on to my arm and did not want me to go until I promised to play the 'secret' English word game with her again. She lives with her mother and extended family in a tiny apartment and is the cutest little girl with the sweetest smile in the world. "Quiero aprender ingles--me encanta como me lees en ingles....vuelves?" She pleads with me. "I want to learn English--I love the way you read to me in English? Will you come back."

Oh dear, speaking of cultural differences I think the above is unfortunately a fine example. I doubt very many Scottish kids would show any such enthusiasm for a foreign language. They would probably regard it with the same amount of enthusiasm as tidying up their bedrooms or doing household chores.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

SE, besides you being you and quite fun...you also have this kind of history in Scotland. These castles are amazing. Scotland has such a history. Especially the long history of the monarchy. Hmmm. Wasn't King Henry the VIII of England, the reason that the RC church did not live on, and the Church of England was established. To grant the King a divorce from his first wife the Spanish Queen. You see Scotland would have stayed Roman Catholic if it wasn't for an English King who wanted a divorce. Lol. I am being facetious, but I must say---Scottish history is fascinating.

With regard to the reformation, it happened independently in Scotland and England. Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church, but he was not strictly speaking a protestant. Henry’s break with Rome came a quarter of a century before Scotland’s reformation, and it was more about diminishing papal power over England than Henry getting a divorce. In Scotland Henry VIII’s nephew King James V criticised his uncles “Lutheran madness”, The Scottish reformation came several decades later than England in 1558, and happened very quickly (the same year the Catholic Queen Mary of England died and her sister Elizabeth came to the throne).

At the time of the Scottish reformation Mary Queen of Scots was in her minority (and living in Catholic France, where she had married the dauphin Francois in 1558 and became Queen of France in 1559, though her husband died in 1560), and the country was ruled by Mary’s mother Marie of Guise. Historically Scotland has had a lot of minorities, and these can lead to weak governance, Marie of Guise was a catholic but she had to compromise with the Protestant party in Scotland in order to get the green light for the marriage to the dauphin. That allowed the Protestant party to grow in power, and when they needed military aid they appealed to Elizabeth of England (which she did finally send), and that allowed the French/Catholic influnce on Scotland to be broken.

Eventually Mary Queen of Scots would give bith to yet another James, and he would gain the English throne upon the death of Elizabeth in England, but that’s the end of todays Scottish History lesson.

Originally Posted by PRgirl

BTW, I loved your Gaelic Psalm singing. It was lovely. Where can I get some of that music?

I believe you can actually buy it here, though they charge in pounds sterling. Did you know there was a program on British TV suggesting that Black Gospel music had it origins in Gaelic psalm singing? I watched the program and thought it was inconclusive, though the producers seemed to think otherwise, but needless to say it has not gone down well in some quarters!

I shall have a look at the Museo de Arte de Ponce website. Hasta luego

[PRgirl]

SE, interesting lesson in Scottish history. I knew Mary Queen of Scots would figure in it somewhere. Lol. I am pressed for time. I have to go and wash and iron some clothes for work next week. And I cook a lot on Sundays. It is hard being a good cook. People moan and complain if they don't get fed and grow overly attached to my creativity in the kitchen. I think people miss all things associated with a normal home life in the USA. Where women stay home and cook elaborate meals and serve everyone and make everything tidy and pleasant to arrive home and relax. Oh, SE, my husband is spoiled. He really is. I have catered to his tastes in food for YEARS. Worry about if he will like the appetizers or the soup or the salad or the low sugar desserts, or the tropical fruit concoctions. But it takes so much work!! And Angelica (his mother) was a lousy cook. I hated to tell him that but she was!! He finally confessed to me as we exercised the dog and I did some work for next week, that one of the great joys of being married for him was my cooking. When I go off for my anthropological research and things and leave him alone he calls me at least four times a day. Usually around meal times, and tells me everything tastes like sawdust and tasteless and how life is not worth living without my cooking...how can I not cater to him? My grandmother was the finest cook in the entire city, famous for years even after her death for her hospitality. And my mother, aunts, cousins ALL are the finest of cooks. I have been brainwashed since early childhood to cook properly always. Nothing heavy, greasy, stale, inferior or mediocre is acceptable ever. Every detail thought about---the only people I felt understood my family's standards for cuisine was a lady who's father and mother grew up in Paris and ran a bakery/restaurant there. She was a friend of my mother and said my mother and I were the only ones in the USA she ever met with standards for food similar to her family's. I don't know, it is a long hard job to cook properly with the sheer crap produce and things one finds in these lousy supermarkets in the USA with their emphasis on convenience foods, and pre-packaged crap!! Soup in a damn can! Meat over eight days old. No 'plaza de mercado' "open air markets' are rare. It is a culture that does not take food seriously at all. One has to hunt for the proper products. The horror. In the long run cooking for real at home is cheaper, healthier and much better than anything obtained out there in commercial land in the states. With the exception of maybe New York, San Francisco and one or two other places.

I strayed from the subject but once I get through with my washing and cooking SE, I will be back to discuss your interesting commentary. NO latin rythym growing in you eh? HA! I knew it. Lol. You don't have to lie to me. I know you don't go for that sort of thing.

[PRgirl]

Scottish Economist,
I found a rare black and white OLD filmstrip from the 1970's with an old classic salsa song entitled, "Todo tiene su final" "Everything has an ending". Which emphasizes that we are all mortal and will die someday. In it the singer with the glasses is Hector Lavoe. Again, he had a tragic life. Willie Colon comes out playing the trombone and doing backup vocals. He is the guy with the heavy sideburns and the white shirt. The little boy dancing in the video made me smile. Because that is exactly how I used to dance to that song with my father when I was about that little boys age. Lol. I guess we do come out dancing right out of our cots. Lol. Please have a look. It is long, but it is worth it SE. You must realize salsa singing is not for beautiful voices. It is popular and gritty street music for the public to dance to, yet there is a lot of skill and jazz arrangements in it too. I hope you tell me what you think? I think you like adventure SE. And as such I included some for you. Just remember the little boy dancing is how I learned to dance too. Lol. It is a little long but if you are patient and see it till the end it is a lot of fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhnp-QS928w&search=salsa