Bona vesparada
#music, Great American Bands, Chapter 8: SANTANA
Now this was one of the greatest kick-arse bands from the 70’s that I was truly into. As a budding guitarist (in those years) I was completely in awe of Carlos Santana’s guitar work. I mean he was amazing! So I came to collect almost all their albums, and although I loved Abraxas, when I heard Caravanserai I totally flipped. Santana mixes jazz styles and improvs into the songs in a way that guided me to become a fan of jazz way back there when I did not even know who John Coltrane was…
Santana was formed in San Francisco in 1966, by, of course, Carlos Santana… They played in Woodstock (1969) and this launched, not only their first album Santana but the band itself into the rock world of the coming 1970’s.
Santana was included (1998) in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to include Carlos Santana, José «Chepito» Areas, David Brown, Gregg Rolie, Mike Carabello y Michael Shrieve. Worth it to note that they have won 9 Grammy awards and three Latin Grammys. Carlos Santana won, as a soloist, a Grammy in 1988. And talk about sales, Santana has sold over 90 million records world-wide, making them one of the highest selling bands of all times. The original band got together to record Santana IV that came out in 2016.
Wow! Phenomenal! But enough history and narrative, now let’s listen…
CHEERS
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY! Feliz día de acción de gracias
For us in Europe, the last Thursday in November holds little significance; it is merely the day that represents the middle of the week. However, in the U.S., it is Thanksgiving Day, a special day dedicated to expressing gratitude to God (or whomever you wish) for the blessings you’ve experienced and the good things that have come your way. Giving thanks for life is something we should do every day, but for those who don’t or who may forget, at least North Americans have a day where they eat turkey, drink wine, enjoy NFL football games, and remember the importance and beauty of being grateful.
+++
Para nosotros en Europa el ultimo jueves de noviembre no tiene mayor importancia. es solo el dia que representa la mitad de la semana. Pero en EEUU es el día de acción de gracias, el famoso THANKSGIVING DAY. Es un dia señalado para agradecerle a Dios (o a quien desees) lo bueno que has vivido y lo bien que te han ido las cosas. Dar gracias por la vida es algo que debemos hacer todos los días pero para aquellos que no lo hacen, o se les olvida, al menos los norteamericanos tienen un dia donde comen pavo, beben vino, disfrutan de partidos de futbol (NFL) y recuerdan lo importante, y bonito que es ser agradecido.
CHEERS – GRACIAS
#art, Algo nuevo/Something New – OCS Valencia…
Siempre tiene que haber algo nuevo. El arte nunca se puede detener y además el pintor se tiene que redimir con cada cuadro que haga. Por eso digo que el arte es la búsqueda Este cuadro es uno de los que terminé al final del verano (2024) y está hecho en mi estilo el surreal-expresionismo. Lo que busco es captar, de alguna manera, la intensidad, la energía, el movimiento y los colores que se le presentan a los que van a ver un trio de jazz en un sótano cualquiera de nuestra ciudad. Los colores, cuando juegan con y entre las luces de un escenario (por muy pequeño que sea), se mueven ante nuestra vista. Tambien hay que recordar que no estamos siempre viendo la misma cosa. Los músicos se mueven y un gran movimiento conlleva mil micro-movimientos que no notamos pero que son los que crean la nueva posición que adquieren… Así es el jazz, así son mis cuadros.
+++
Got to have something new. Art never stops, and the painter must redeem himself with every painting he creates. That’s why I say that art is the search. This painting is one of those I finished at the end of summer (2024) and is done in my style of surreal-expressionism. What I seek is to capture, in some way, the intensity, energy, movement, and colours that present themselves to the eyes of those who go see/listen to a jazz trio perhaps in in any basement club in the city. Colours, when they are reflected in and with the stage lights (no matter how small the stage may be), move before our eyes. It is also important to remember that we are not always seeing the same thing. The musicians move, and a large movement implies a thousand micro-movements that we don’t notice but they are what creates the new position the players have acquired… Such is jazz, such are my paintings.
GRACIAS – CHEERS
#opinion, Dear Diary, P.#52 – Querido diario, P.#52
Once more I am faced with the stupidity of the so-called «modern world» and her strange ways. I took out my old Doors albums and searched for «People Are Strange«, a very interesting song that truly describes society, the society of the 1960’s (in the US) when the song was written by Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger (released in 1967 in the album Strange Days), and it certainly fits as a vivid and clear description of our society in 2024!
Manipulation, control, the command to «obey», the puritanical ideas, the religiosity, the ignorance, the political correctness and all the other stupidities that are being taught today are destroying the individual freedoms that people have fought so hard to gain. «They» (and there is a «they» and it is not a conspiracy theory, it is a fact) have told people that nudity (and I am not referring to pornography) is wrong and should not be found on YouTube, Instagram or the other «social media» websites. Fine, they can say whatever they like, but the problem is that people have believed them! Good grief!
«They» have also said that certain words cannot be uttered and if you do you will be tarred and feathered and run out of town (or out of social media). And people have believed them! The US is a country of immigrants. I remember living in New York City back in the «good old days» among Jews, Poles, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Blacks and the Irish and we all called each other names and no one ever got offended! Now, because we are told that it is politically incorrect, people get offended. How stupid is that!
And I am not saying that one should go around downgrading anyone or spewing racial slurs with evil intent, but come on! Where is the humour in life? Where is the faith and trust in your fellow man? Cannot you trust that these words (which I will not mention for fear of being censured) are just words, said in jest, in friendship and without evil intent? And you see, I feared mentioning them, and I should not fear, but because of the idiots in society, I must.
+++
La version en castellano solo dice que es una reverenda estupidez decir españoles y españolas cuando uno habla del conjunto de los españoles. Dejémonos de idioteces que la vida es corta, hay que beber más vino, comer más cerdos ibéricos y aplaudir a más toreros… olé!
GRACIAS – CHEERS
Buenos días
Lennon siempre tuvo razón…
#poem, «On the Bridge»
On the bridge over blue waters running peacefully,
warriors, priests, princes and kings
are floating in the molecules,
that give life to the water,
that creates the river
and gives movement to reflections.
Fantasy,
Like the smoke from my Gitanes,
gives life to the characters
who represent,
who recite my poetry,
who engage us in the game called history
that never ends,
or that perhaps one day,
when the moon abandons our earthly sky,
it will…
C.2024-Francisco Bravo Cabrera-30 SEP 2024-Izmir, Turkey
#art, Dora Carrington, Women Artists Series 2024
This is a phenomenal artist that I had never heard of until she was mentioned in an Almodóvar movie: Julianne Moore as Ingrid, tells Martha, played by Tilda Swinton, about her next book, a biography of Dora Carrington, in a scene from The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar (Artnet News).
But I am glad to have found out about her and I think you will too…
Ok, so what can I say about Dora… She was born in Hereford, UK in 1893. She won a scholarship to attend Slade School of Art of London where she met many people that would prove to be very important in her life. However she was practically unknown during her lifetime as she did not exhibit and did not sign her paintings. She is remembered as being associated with the members of the Bloomsbury circle, especially with the writer/biographer Lytton Strachey.
Carrington chose to end her life with a gun in 1932. She was greatly depressed after the death of Strachey from cancer. Her life with Strachey was made into the 1995 film Carrington. Emma Thompson played the role Dora Carrington.
Here are some of her works:
Although she was unknown and her paintings are rarely, if ever, exhibited (and they should) I find this artist very interesting and her work quite fascinating.
What do you think?
CHEERS
#poetry, Analysis and Review of «Thoughts on a Sunday Morning in the Rain»
#art, #poetry, «Flowers? Flowers For Me? (Chapter 1)»
FLOWERS? FLOWERS FOR ME?
(Chapter 1)
Flowers for me dearest lady?
For me who has shunned your love,
your looks, your gentle touch?
Better leave those flowers, lady,
lying on a grave out there
than in my hands that do not care,
and that have never touched your skin.
Or is it that you don’t seem
to adore these precious flowers
and to while away the hours
you now have brought them to me?
C.2024 – Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 25 NOV 2024 – Valencia, España
