Brave 3-D

a film by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman

Finally, a Pixar/Disney film featuring a princess who does not need a prince charming. Stunning visuals (I wanted to say “as usual” but that would be a lie: even better than “usual” Pixar standard) and lovely Scottish voices. And our not-so-small-anymore children did not pooh-pooh the movie, they actually enjoyed it.

The Dark Knight Rises

a film by Christopher Nolan

My kids enjoyed this film. I can see why. To me, this was the most absurd, humourless, pompous, right-wing piece of cinematography I ever had to suffer. It lasts 165 minutes and is compounded by Hans Zimmer’s apocalyptic score. I’m glad we didn’t go for the IMAX experience.

Backatown

by Trombone Shorty

I never heard about Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty until a month or so ago. I was actually looking for a real trombone instrument on various Amazon websites — you’d be surprised what a difference the extension (.com, .co.uk, .de and .fr) makes, especially on the budget side of the spectrum. If and when I manage to buy a trombone via Amazon, I will say more.

In the meantime, I bought this album because it was... one of those “smart” suggestions by Amazon, and for once, it was a good suggestion too. I did a bit of research before ordering it though. (You can hear the complete album on Spotify, for instance.)

Backatown is a pleasantly surprising impossible-to-categorise record. Andrews himself calls his music “supafunkrock”, where “supa” apparently is “shorty” for a mix of soul, hip-hop and Balkan brass with New Orleans jazz. The vocal numbers are not my favourites though; I would leave all of them but Allen Toussaint’s On Your Way Down out.

If the album is good, the live show of Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue must be mindblowing, as this performance of In the 6th and Neph demonstrates.

Wandlebury Family Picnic Concert

Remember I wrote last year of Luton Carnival being my last gig with Arco Iris? Well, never say never.

Today Arco Iris played at Wandlebury Family Picnic Concert as a part of the Cambridge Summer Music Festival. As it happens, I am in London now, so I made my way to Cambridge for this occasion. We had a smallish but good band today. The weather was nice, the audience was sitting/laying/crawling on grass, and we’ve got some children engaged in rhythmical clapping. And it seems that I remember most of caixa parts.

African Healing Dance

with Wyoma and the Dancers and Drummers of Damballa

First published 23 July 2012 @ zumbafuerteventura

Of my small collection of dance fitness videos, this one is perhaps the most enjoyable. Wyoma must be a brilliant teacher. The programme was recorded in 1997 but it does not look dated in any way. The picture quality, however, is not that great. The whole DVD appears to be little more than a direct transfer of the original VHS tape. But don’t let this spoil your experience.

Also, don’t be confused or annoyed by the word “healing”. No matter what your relationships with African deities are, the dances are guaranteed to make you feel better.

The body teaches. The more you learn about your own natural body rhythms, the healthier you can be.

The workout is fun. It starts with Wyoma teaching some body isolations. Then she proceeds to show — and explain the origin of — the traditional African dance moves: imitation of animals such as snake, elephant, birds; the elements (air, fire, water and earth); and daily routines (picking berries, grinding grains and so on). The warm-up is just the right length and effort level. In the DVD booklet (a nice touch, by the way) it is explained that the warm-up is not traditionally done in Africa as the “dancers there have already spent much of the day walking miles to gather food or water or to attend school, so their muscles are typically loose and ready for the joys of more rigorous movement”. Then we are taught the real African dances.

The African-Caribbean Dances section includes only two dances, both of them are loa dances of Haiti, of Benin origin. I was especially impressed by Yonwalu. On the video, it is danced first at slower pace, with Wyoma breaking down the moves, then at the faster tempo.

The Healing Journey is some sort of free-style dance/meditation:

Bring your curiosity, freedom from judgement, and sense of play to the dance floor... Dance a dream or fantasy, or dance with no thought at all.

Oh, did I mention the open-air setting and live drumming? It’s all there too!

Finally, in the very end of a short cool-down, Wyoma encourages you to take whatever you’ve learned and share it with someone. Isn’t it wonderful?

African Healing Dance Dance as a means of healing body, mind, and spirit Body Isolations Animal-based movement Dance based on everyday movements Dance based on the four elements The warm-up Traditional African Dances Sowu — “The Dance of Life” (Ghana) Gbêgbé — Journey to find a new home (The Ivory Coast) Focodoba — Post-initiation basket dance (Guinea) Umoya — Bringing energy from heaven and earth (South Africa) African-Caribbean Dances Nago — The warrior dance (Haiti) Yonwalu — Dance for Damballa, the Serpent Deity (Haiti) Improvisation: The Healing Journey The cool down The Dancers Nii Armah Sowah k. osiris wade Lisa Wittner The Drummers Clifton Robinson Heidi Alina Eric Robnett Saphyre

Live at the Basement

by Jon Lord with The Hoochie Coochie Men

Oh Lord, what a band! And when I say “Oh Lord”, I refer to the great late Jon Lord. Of course, he was — and always will be — known as a founding member of Deep Purple as well as for his orchestral works. But among Lord’s later recordings, this double album is an underrated masterpiece. Lord is in top form here — just check his Hammond solo in Howlin’ Wolf’s Who’s Been Talkin’, also featuring Jim Conway on harmonica.

Ice Age 4: La formación de los continentes 3-D

a film by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier

Well, well, well. For a completely unnecessary sequel, this one is not that bad. Besides, I will always remember it as the first film watched in Spanish cinema. Naturally, in Spanish. Curiously, children understood the dialogue better than me. Maybe that’s because I stopped paying attention to the storyline quite early on. Or maybe it’s just how the things are.

Three years ago, I wrote about Ice Age 3:

It probably makes the best use of ‘3-D’ effect in animation I’ve seen so far.

And you know what, this was true for Ice Age 4 as well.

All in all, it was a nice evening out: first the movie, second our favourite sadwich bar in Puerto del Rosario, Mundotaberna. When I was about to pay the bill, Timur confessed that he forgot his bag (with a book, mobile and MP3 player inside) at the cinema. So Tamara and kids rushed back to the movie theatre. To everybody’s pleasant surprise, the bag was handed back instantly and without any questions. In the UK it would be either nicked or removed by the police and destroyed.