by Sandy | Jun 27, 2009 | Art, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Culture, Events, Exhibits, Museums
“Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of The Pharaohs”
King Tutankhamun has come back to San Francisco. First seen here in 1979, the boy king has returned to the de Young Museum in a brand new exhibit featuring 130 pieces – jewelry, statues, masks, gold objects and of course that famous golden sarcophagus.
“Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will provide insight into the life of Tutankhamun and other royals of the 18th Dynasty (1555–1305 BC). All of the treasures in the exhibition are more than 3,000 years old.”
Gorgeous!
Tutankhamun until March 2010
de Young Museum
Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA
by Bob Martin | Jun 25, 2009 | Actors, Art, Arts, Entertainment and Music
Two artists, born into fame at a time when we fans demanded more then a performance.
Michael Jackson
We wanted to know everything about our stars, even those things that we would not divulge about ourselves. As fans we were both harsh and judgmental about all of our media hero’s.
In the end, all we ever needed to know and remember were their performances.
“nough said”
by Sandy | Jun 21, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Culture, music
She sings the music of Cape Verde, an island off the west coast of Africa which declared independence from Portugal in 1975.
Singing both in Portuguese, and in the language of her small country, Lura mixes some of the musical traditions, like “Morna”, with a more contemporary, urban sound. Different from the better known tragic, emotional Portuguese “Fado” songs, the music from the Cape Verde interior catches you up in its smooth, jazz-like rhythms.
Lura Albums:
“Di Kopu ku Alma” (Of Body & Soul)
“M’Bern di Fora” (I come From the Country)
by Sandy | Jun 16, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, music
Listened again to “The Ultimate Luther Vandross“. It contains great classics from the 80’s and 90’s that are still staples of “soul”, “smooth listening” radio stations around the country:
“A House Is Not A Home”, “Power of Love”, “Here and Now”, “Superstar”, “Give Me the Reason”, “Never Too Much. There are also some more recent songs like, “Dance With My Father” (which won the Grammy for “Song of the Year” 2004).
Starting off as a back up singer and writer of jingles, Vandross’ solo career began in 1981 with the hit album “Never Too Much”. He went on to win 8 Grammys and sell 25 million CDs. Saw him in only once in concert, but, like the rest of the audience was in the “Luther” zone throughout his terrific performance. Warm, personable and soooo talented, you were pulled right in and ya loved it.
Luther Vandross, April 1951 – July 2005
BTW: There were several tribute albums after his death, I liked: “So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross“ , with Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, Elton John Patti LaBelle, etc.
by Sandy | Jun 14, 2009 | Art, Artist, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books
The PBS program and book, both called “Simon Schama’s – Power of Art”, reveals that although one of my favorite artists, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), was gloriously talented, he was also a youthful offender – violent and incorrigible. Not a mischievous “Denis the Menace” type, but, as Schama labels him – a thug. He murdered a rival! I was shocked!
But, does his anger and madness show in Caravaggio’s art? Maybe.
Considered part of the early Italian Baroque style of painting, his work, perhaps as a way of seeking redemption, focused on biblical themes – but, if you look at the faces, you will notice that there are no cherubs or saints, his paintings are inhabited by the people that he found in the local taverns with all their blemishes and wrinkles. I’ve found his work to be vibrant and alive regardless of its theme – card players or John the Baptist – full of energy, often full of violence, always very up close and in your face.
BTW – Caravaggio was like Alfred Hitchcock, who always had a walk through in his movies and TV shows – the artist liked to paint himself into the middle of his scenes – with a table of card sharks, with a group of musicians and most notably, he served himself up as the “…Head of Goliath”.
Images: “David with the Head of Goliath”, 1607, oil on wood and “The Cardsharps, 1594” oil on canvas
by Sandy | Jun 8, 2009 | Art, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Writers
An article by Fred Kaplan, “1959: Sex, Jazz, and Datsuns” featured in the June 8, 2009 issue of New York Magazine determines that 1959 was an important year for music, politics, world dynamics, social issues, and the arts. The 60’s might have gotten more press, but, 1959 was the year of change, innovation, out of the box thinking.
The magazine piece is based on Kaplan’s book, “1959: The Year Everything Changed”. He presents his examples of some of the greatest happenings of this special year and they include:
Actor turned director John Cassavetes was perhaps the first “Indie” filmmaker with his partly improvised script for his movie “Shadows”. The Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, changed the NYC sky line on the upper East Side. The first micro chip introduced by Texas Instruments. The release of the Miles Davis album (they were albums then) “Kinda Blue” (considered by many to be best jazz recording ever). Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro invited to NYC and staying at the St Teresa Hotel in Harlem. The emergence of Malcolm X and his conversations on race and politics.
Where were you in 1959?
(I was attending Paul Lawrence Dunbar JHS in the Bronx)
“1959: The Year Everything Changed”, by Fred Kaplan
