JaZzArt en València

One of the great Spanish artists of the XX C.

Our Art History course has gotten as far as completing the Early Renaissance, sometimes called the Quattrocento in Italy. I have paused to bring forth some different artists from more contemporary times, but although I will feature these «special editions» from time to time, we will soon continue on course with the High Renaissance and beyond. Hope you like it, get something from it and comment.

Cheers…

Muy bien que lo ha dicho, este hombre que es ahora el Papa.

La lucha por la libertad, la igualdad y por los pobres del mundo no es la lucha de los comunistas. Lo que quieren ellos es esclavizarnos con su sistema anti Dios y anti humano. La lucha por un mundo mejor solo se logra con Dios y en libertad.

Gracias…

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Well, I was going to write about it but really, the video says it all, take a look and a listen and let me know what you think of «contemporary expressionism» and of art (modern or classical) in general. Art is a contrived form of expression and never intuitive.

«Sloop John B.» from the first time I heard it, back when I was a wee lad, and just recently transplanted to the United States, I loved it. The harmonies enticed me, the melody seduced me, the story, well, I did not really understand the story at all, but the words sounded nice and well the song fascinated me and it still does…

I heard it on the Beach Boys seminal album (released in May 1966) Pet Sounds. This album, which pre-dated Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and possibly influenced Paul and the lads, is considered by musicologists to be a concept album with new and sophisticated means and ways of musical production. Brian Wilson, genius behind The Beach Boys, and Pet Sounds introduced intricate vocal harmonies, incorporated elements of pop, jazz, exotic (world beat) and classical music, to create a genuine vanguard movement album. The band was not able to replicate the album live during those years. Now Brian Wilson has…

Pet Sounds allowed for the development of the culture of pop music. This album was absolutely crucial for the development of progressive and art rock and definitely opened the door to psychedelic music which would become very popular after that and lasting through the late sixties. Without a doubt it is one of the most influential albums in rock/pop music. Many have considered it the best album…of that genre…of all times, like the music magazines New Musical Express, The Times and Mojo. In 2003 it was second place in Rolling Stone magazine best 500 albums of all times. In 2004 Pet Sounds was inducted into the National Registry of Recordings of the US Congressional Library. They said it had cultural, historical and tremendous aesthetic values. And in 2015 Acclaimed Music named Pet Sounds as the album statistically more acclaimed of all times.

Here is the version from Pet Sounds:

Here is possibly the «original», if not an older version, which gave Brian Wilson the idea for his arrangement in Pet Sounds. This is by the Kingston Trio:

And here is what 1966 kind of looked like:

Georges Pompidou defeats Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and is re-elected as president of France.

Simon and Garfunkel release «Sounds of Silence».

US President Lyndon Johnson met with his Vietnamese counterpart in Honolulu to talk about the course of the war in Vietnam.

The Australian dollar is introduced at 2 to pound.

The Flintstones airs its finale.

The Rolling Stones release «Paint it Black» in the US on 07 MAY.

Martin Luther King makes his first speech against the Vietnam War.

«It’s a Small World» attraction opens in Disneyland.

US warplanes begin bombing Hanoi and Haiphong in Vietnam.

England won the World Cup in England.

Cheers…

A la ciutat de València la Porta de la Mar (Porta del Mar) és una atracció molt important. A Trip Advisor ocupa el lloc número 41, és a dir entre els 50 monuments de referència entre la nostra ciutat. Va ser construïda per inspiració de l’Alcalde Juan Antonio Gómez-Trénor Fos el 1943 i costaria unes 1.140.688,98 pessetes de l’època, ara més o menys 6.855,68 euros.

A la Porta de la Mar es veu el nostre símbol, el ratpenat i la creu de Jesus el nostre senyor.

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En la ciudad de Valencia la Puerta del Mar (Porta de la Mar) es una atracción muy importante. En Trip Advisor ocupa el lugar numero 41, o sea entre los 50 monumentos de referencia entre nuestra ciudad. Fue construida por inspiración del Alcalde Juan Antonio Gómez-Trénor Fos en 1943 e iba a costar unas 1.140.688,98 pesetas de la época, ahora mas o menos 6.855,68 euros.

En la Porta de la Mar se ve nuestro símbolo, el murciélago y la cruz de Jesus nuestro señor.

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In the city of Valencia, the Porta de la Mar is a very important attraction. In Trip Advisor it occupies number 41 among the 50 most important monuments of our city. It was constructed from the inspiration of then Mayor Juan Antonio Gómez-Trénor Fos, in 1943. It was to cost the citizens of Valencia 1,140,688.98 pesetas (of the time), which now amounts to about 6,855.68 euros.

The Porta del Mar one can see the bat, symbol of our city and the cross of Jesus our Lord.

MOLTES GRÀCIES…

MUCHAS GRACIAS…

CHEERS…

¿Donde va el arte de estos días?

Bueno, sinceramente no me importa ni me interesa. Somos artesanos. Hacemos lo que tenemos que hacer para “hacer” arte, pero terminamos reproduciendo y rehaciendo lo que ya se hizo. Y eso no importa porque el arte no tiene que ser original.

Hoy en día están tratando de destruir el arte de los artistas comparándola con “arte”, o cosas, hechas por robots, ordenadores y animales.

Hoy en día se eleva el arte conceptual a niveles que no se merece.

Hoy en día están virando todo al revés pero la vida se vive al derecho.

Bon Nadal

From the studio album Go to Heaven released in 1980. And the Dead had to record a studio album before they were allowed to release another live one, and this is a band that you had to see live. A Grateful Dead studio recording is only a little taste of the band, to get the full flavour you had to be there.

«Althea» became the favourite of concerts and considered one of the best songs by the lads. Actually Stereogum considers it the fifth best Grateful Dead song.

Here is the studio version:

And the live version from 1981:

Now just to remind those who may not recall, here are ten things that were happening in the world back in 1981…

1. First Greece enters the European Union.
2. A suspect named Peter Sutcliffe was arrested by British police suspected of being the «Yorkshire ripper’.
3. Ronald Reagan took the oath of office as President of the United States.
4. Coup attempt takes place in Spain when Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina and members of the Guardia Civil storm the congress. There were no injuries to anyone.
5. US President Reagan survives an assassination attempt.
6. First space shuttle mission is launched in the US, the «Columbia».
7. Bobby Sands dies in a British prison after 66 days of hunger strike. He was 27 years old and represented the IRA.
8. François Mitterrand wins in France.
9. MTV launches its first transmission with the video by The Buggles, «Video Killed the Radio Star».
10. On the 6th of October in Egypt, President Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated.

Cheers…

Why would I decide to be your bridge?

Why would I decide to be at all?

Why would I decide to be deciding all these things

if I were not so small…

Small as I stand shoulder to shoulder next to God’s creation,

but tall within the light that warms my soul.

I am your bridge,

so you can cross if so you wish,

or if you don’t,

perhaps half way you’ll stop and fish…

C.2021, Francis Bravo Cabrera, 06 DEC 2021, València, España 🇪🇸

The Church of Aya Sophia, (Άγια Σοφία), constructed in Constantinople in A.D. 360 as a temple to Christ, to wisdom, to faith and to beauty. It holds priceless treasures of Byzantine iconography.

Cheers…