I was a big, huge fan back in the mid eighties and early 1990’s. In Spain there was Simply Red fever, especially after Stars. One of my favourite songs, which came way before that, was «Holding Back the Years» from 1985…
(1993)
In any event, this was…and is…a marvellous group from Manchester, England, who did a little soul, jazz, pop, and blue eyed soul. Hell, they even did some reggae and rock and have sold over 55 million records.
I know they’ve a lot of fans here and in the US as well. So, I am posting their concert in La Habana, Cuba at the Grand Theatre of La Habana. The orchestra and the dancers are Cuban artists. And the theatre is amazing. I had the pleasure of visiting in 2016 and I was impressed. Of course, this incredible building was built in the days when La Habana was considered among the first five most beautiful cities in the world (Paris, London, Buenos Aires, New York). Now Havana (in English) is number 28 in the ranking of the top 50 cities of the world. It is one interesting place to visit.
(photo from the Guardian)
I hope you enjoy the concert. I know, it is longer than listening to just one song, but if you enjoy the music of Simply Red, you will enjoy this video.
Llegamos a otra de las vanguardias del Siglo XX, el hiperrealismo. Esta, que para mi no es mas que una técnica, me es extremadamente aburrida porque todo nace de una foto y yo prefiero ver la foto que un cuadro que imita, a la perfección, una foto. Ahora, también diré que algunos artistas hiperrealistas si han tratado de añadirle algo de emoción a sus retratos y otros, como el australiano Ron Mueck, que esculpa figuras extremadamente desproporcionadas y hacen que la experiencia de observarlas sea un tanto mas interesante. Pero bueno, vosotros al vídeo que está bueno…
As we continue on through Art History, we visit another of the vanguards of he XX C. This one is, to me of course, extremely boring and I am referring to Hyperrealism, not today’s presentation, which is metarealism beyond all limits. The reason I say hyperrealism is boring is because I would rather look at a real photograph rather than a painting that is identical to a photograph. I would always go for the real thing. Now, I have to say that there are some hyper-realist artists that do find something interesting to actually paint, like an expression of an emotion in a portrait. And the grotesqueness of painting/sculpting a figure way beyond its normal proportions as is the case with Australian sculptor Ron Mueck, can be amusing, albeit minimally. But you guys, look at the video. It’s a good one…
The «pretty face» of The Beatles back in the days of Beatlemania. The prolific, multi-instrumentalist, creator of the ideas that brought us Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour and the Get Back project, of the later days of The Beatles. And of course the power that made Wings fly throughout the 1970´s. Maca, the unstoppable songwriter, composer, film-maker, producer and yes, artist as well, soon to be 80 years young…thank God he is a Gemini male, they never age…is still going, going, going strong, creative, active and headlining Glastonbury 2022!
(Macca in the early 60´s)
I thought about a lot of men and women who could have been the one that would open this new series, thought twice and concluded that it had to be a musician, pop star, pop legend. So it had to be one of The Beatles. Easy, it will be McCartney. With Paul I could not lose. This is why:
Paul is considered one of the most successful musical artists-composers of all times. He has sixty gold records and has sold more than 100 000 000 albums and more than 100 000 000 singles as both a solo artist and a member of The Beatles. More than 2200 singers have covered «Yesterday» making it the song most covered in the history of popular music . His 1977 «Mull of Kintyre», is among the singles most sold in the UK! He has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first as a Beatle in 1988, and then in 1999 as a solo act. Macca has twenty one Grammy awards, again as a Beatle and as a solo act. And his songs, well thirty two have hit number one on Billboard Hot 100. Paul, along with George, John and Ringo, was named a Member of the British Empire (1965), but he was elevated to Knighthood in 1997, making him Sir Paul. This, of course, was because of his music and contribution to British culture.
(Macca as he entered the XXI C)
Needless to say I have always been a Beatles fan and Paul´s songs have been among some of my favourites. But one thing I do admire about him is his unquenchable thirst for creativity, for the search, for working his art, his craft and developing his talent. You would think that a man with his money, and his history…bloody hell, he´s done everything…would be happily retired, enjoying spending his money. But McCartney still works as hard as he did when he was in his twenties and writing pop songs with his best mate.
(Go for it Macca!!!)
I hope you have enjoyed this first edition of this new series that I will diligently try to publish every Monday. If any one has a suggestion for a candidate, let me know. I am trying to keep it to the XX and XXI Centuries. Maybe I will do another one about great artists of all times but that´s for another day…
(1977 Paul McCartney and Wings)
(recorded in New York, 1970)
In closing, I would just like to say…
(1965)
Cheers my friends, for your kind attention. your visit, your likes and comments…
As an artist, I have always been engaged in «the search», and it usually leads me to the place I want to be and to the things I want to discover. I have always said that…to me…all art is poetry, therefore I am a poet, a craftsman that constructs with feelings, emotions, rhymes, rhythms, lines, colours and human interactions.
The Euro-Ku is the result of one of those searches…or should I say the incessant search…and I’ve embraced its capacity to express, clearly and coherently, in everyday speech and form, some not so clear, precise or coherent ideas. It is like arranging abstract thoughts into figurative images, well defined and easily interpreted.
A super Super SUPER classic by the greatest band ever, The Beatles!!! And as well a fitting song for this day in Valencia, a day blessed with Rain…
(1966)
The songs these lads were coming up with so long, long ago and that sound…to me and to many millions I know…so fresh today. Of course, nothing and none others have been able to make anything better…
«Rain», written by John Lennon, (although it says Lennon/McCartney on the record), in 1966, it was the B side of «Paperback Writer», the best B side ever by the lads…
The last verse of the song is backwards and The Beatles were one of the firsts…if not the firsts…to use such a studio effect. John Lennon and George Martin both claim to have developed such an idea. But Lennon said he went home at about 0400 hours after a long recording session and kept experimenting. When he placed the tape in his home recorder he inadvertently…probably because he was dead tired…placed it backwards. Then he listened and liked what he heard. That was how it happened according to John…
(John in 1966, Image: Mirrorpix from the Liverpool Echo)
(La plaza mayor, foto propiedad de FBC, Omnia Caelum Studios Valencia – Photo property of FBC, Omnia Caelum Studios Valencia)
Que agradable es andar por las calles de Madrid, cuando hace buen tiempo y aunque nuestra visita fue en febrero, tuvimos la suerte de disfrutar unos días bellos, no tanto frio y buen sol.
Nothing like walking the streets of Madrid, in good weather, and although it was February, we got very lucky and had lovely days filled with sunshine…
JaZzArt en València 