I’d Rather Go Blind

by Billy Foster, Ellington Jordan and Etta James

So, if you have had enough Burns by now, why not celebrate today the birthday(s) of Robert Boyle (1627), Anna Gardner (1816), W. Somerset Maugham (1874), Virginia Woolf (1882), Florence Mills (1896), Witold Lutosławski (1913), Ilya Prigogine (1917), Arvid Carlsson (1923), Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927) or Benny Golson (1929)? As for me, I fancy to play some Etta James (1938–2012) who, incidentally, was born the same day as Vladimir Vysotsky. Here is a 1975 live version of I’d Rather Go Blind, originally recorded in 1967 and released the following year.

How to Train Your Dragon trilogy

Timur’s got this box set as a delayed birthday present; these (extended) Christmas holidays we watched all three films.

How to Train Your Dragon

a film by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

The first film in the series, and, unsurprisingly, the best. Given that it is co-directed by DeBlois and Sanders, the dynamic duo behind Lilo & Stitch, it is hardly surprising that one of the protagonists, viz. the dragon Toothless, seems to be just a gracile, winged, cat-like version of the famous Experiment 626. And why not? The only drawback is the absence of a worthy villain.

How to Train Your Dragon 2

a film by Dean DeBlois

Wow. Hiccup finds his mother, loses his father, finally faces a human baddie and becomes a new Viking chief. Meanwhile, our feline Stich becomes a new dragon alpha (a glaring misnomer; dragons are not known to be social animals — probably the film creators couldn’t find a better word for a dragon analogue of “king of the beasts”). In spite of all this, the “2” film underwhelms. Most sophomore efforts do.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

a film by Dean DeBlois

If the “2” film had a predictable tyrant of Drago Bludvist, The Hidden World features much subtler Grimmel (voiced by the great F. Murray Abraham, who brought to life many a villain par excellence), a dragon killer for the sake of pure evilness. The island of Berk in the beginning of the film, “the world’s first dragon Viking utopia”, looks more like Chinatown at the Chinese New Year and the music at times also gets rather oriental — a welcome change from whatever was passing for Viking music in the first two films. The stunning visual effects (not quite) offset the patently formulaic ending of the saga.

Fifteen more short films

Just like last year, I went to Teatro Guiniguada where the 15 winning films of the San Rafael en Corto were screened. Just like last year, it was a mixed bag. My favourite films were La Bañera by Jonay García, La Ronda by Jessica Marrero Díaz and La nueva hermandad by Sergio Gerson Ramos.

Proyección del palmarés de la XV edición de SREC Teatro Guiniguada, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Wednesday, 15 January 2020, 19:30

Todo bien by Willy Suárez Amarás al prójimo by Vasni J. Ramos Un segundo by Sonia de la Cruz and Paloma Maza Boca que vuela by Emilia Sacristán and Lola Cáceres Otro futuro posible by Gotzon Cañada and Erika Urquiola Realidad invisible by Escuela de Cine “Secuencia 27” Nueces by Lamberto Guerra La Bañera by Jonay García Amores Eclipse by Carlos Martín Mikes, Padre e Hijo by Pablo Ramírez and Michael Friedl Ojo por ojo by Jesús Etc Una jaula sin puerta by Dunia E. Marmus La Ronda by Jessica Marrero Díaz Renacer by Agustín Domínguez La nueva hermandad by Sergio Gerson Ramos

China Fast Forward

by Sergi Vicente
translated by Agnès González Dalmau

Originally written in Catalan, translated to Spanish and named China Fast Forward, this book intrigued me from the start. Not only did the fist chapter, Pero ¿qué diablos hago aquí?, fail to answer this very question, “What the hell am I doing here?”: it also confirmed that the author himself never got the answer during all his twelve years in China. Vicente started his Chinese stint as an English teacher, then continued as a TV3 correspondent, then had enough of it. I can’t blame him. I liked the anecdotes of his travels around China the most; less so stories of encounters with Chinese bureaucracy (after a while, they get rather samey — I guess they really were); and even less his excursuses into recent Chinese history and politics. For the benefit of those interested in Chinese language it would be useful to include hanzi or at the very least Pinyin rather than ambiguous romanisation used by the author. A fascinating book nevertheless; read it before it becomes hopelessly out of date.

En pocas semanas perfeccioné mi capacidad de responder a mis compañeros de viaje. Me inventaba ejercicios de memorización de vocabulario, como cuando a cada nuevo encuentro decía que era de un lugar diferente:
— Vengo de Alemania.
— Ah... Alemania. Buenos coches.
O bien:
— Vengo de Suiza.
— Ah... Suiza. Buenos relojes.
Aprendidos los más fáciles, me atrevía con países como Israel, Bulgaria... y recuerdo haber probado también con algún país africano.
— Vengo de Nigeria.
— Ah... Nigeria... ¿En qué continente está?
— África.
— Ah.
— En realidad soy negro, pero llevo demasiado tiempo sin ver el sol.
— ¿Eh?
— Un poco como Michael Jackson, ya sabes.
— ¿Quién?
Extraordinario. Su mundo, sus referentes, su sentido del humor... no tenían nada que ver con los míos. Aunque alguno acabó sonriendo cuando le dije que había pasado de ser negro a blanco.

Live music and dance in Santander, December 2019

My last month in Santander started on a high note and finished on even higher one. Keep reading...

• 1 December: Jazz Jam @ Rvbicón, Calle del Sol 4, Santander
  With the base band featuring Nadir Ibarra (tenor sax), Fer Serrano (piano), Manuel Cavero (double bass) and Daniel Rodríguez (drums) with guest musicians Manuel San Emeterio (guitar), Tom Ranby (alto sax) and others.
• 4 December: Dr. Bobô @ Rvbicón
  Modern jazz fusion trio featuring Juan Saiz (saxophones, flute), Pedro A. Terán Camus (drums, percussion) and Sergio Di Finizio (electric bass).
  

• 7 December: Sandman Cabaret @ Black Bird Club, Calle Vista Alegre 13
  This Dark Fusion & Tribal Fusion Bellydance show, purportedly inspired by The Sandman comic saga, was a strange and somewhat disappointing experience. I’ve seen a lot of tattoos but altogether it was not funny, daring or provocative enough even to be called cabaret. It was more like an end-of-the course showcase of several dance schools linked by a not very clear storyline narrated in a very annoying voice and interspersed with no less annoying Mr. Sandman sung by The Chordettes. Featuring Ai Khanum (Italy), Aicha Dance Troupe (Basque Country), Alicia Tuya (Asturias), Béu Riot (Cantabria), Caroline Crane (Basque Country), Cernéula Galupa (Basque Country and Cantabria), Delirium (Cantabria), Deyanira & Laura Malizia (Cantabria / Basque Country), Idhun (Valencia), Idunna Patricia Everglot (Cantabria), Mai Bastet (Cantabria), Marina Bartual (Cantabria), Miguel Palomera (Cantabria), Nur Bloodrose (Barcelona), Om Mayura (Cantabria), Paola Olaskoaga (Italy), TribalRock Fusion (Madrid) and Una Shamaa (Germany).
  

• 11 December: Surikato Blues @ Rvbicón
  Energetic rhythm and blues and rock’n’roll from Madrid featuring Víctor Sánchez (bass, guitar, vocals), Miguel Galván (drums), Joe O’Boyle (guitar, bass, vocals) and Cristian Castellanos (lead vocals).
  

• 14 December: Mujeres que cantan a mujeres @ Salón de actos de la Fundación Botín, Pedrueca 1
  A mini-concert by Yenia Popova, Mehnai and Gema Martínez at the closing of the 1^st Cantabrian Conference on Women and Aging.

• 17 December: Paula Bilá Quartet @ Canela Bar, Plaza de Cañadio
  This young singer-songwriter from Cádiz treated us to the delightful programme of blues and soul standards such as I Just Want to Make Love to You, I’d Rather Go Blind and River. With Rafael Santana (piano), Toño Gutiérrez (double bass) and Rodri Irizábal (drums).
• 20 December: Ara Malikian @ Palacio de Deportes de Santander
  I missed quite a few Ara Malikian shows during the last couple of years, consistent sold out being the main reason. But this time, he came practically to my workplace, so I had no excuses to miss him once again. Quite fittingly, this was the last musical event I’ve been not just in Santander but this year as well. Malikian is not only a brilliant violinist and showman; he’s got quite a sense of humour and, between the musical numbers, entertained us with hilarious personal anecdotes of ever diminishing plausibility. He was backed by no less amazing band featuring Humberto Armas (viola), Tony Carmona (guitar), Iván Ruiz Machado (double bass, electric bass), Anna Milman (violin), Iván “Melón” Lewis (piano), Georvis Pico (drums) and Cristina Suey (cello).

Goodbye, Santander. And now, it’s time to say: Happy New Year!

Live music and things in Santander, November 2019

November in Santander. Pretty quiet (and rainy, as expected)...

• 3 November: Jazz Jam @ Rvbicón, Calle del Sol 4, Santander
  With the base band featuring Marcelo Véliz (trombone), Rafa Santana (piano), Toño Gutiérrez (double bass) and Yeyo Pilatti (drums).
• 6 November: Ferenc Nemeth Trio @ Rvbicón
  Amazing Ferenc Nemeth (drums) with Greg Tardy (tenor sax) and Tzumo Aprad (keyboards) presented their brand-new collaboration (they never played together before). Unfortunately, the CD is not released yet, otherwise I would have bought it.
  

• 13 November: Max Ionata Trio @ Rvbicón
  Max Ionata (tenor sax) with Jesper Bodilsen (double bass) and Martin Andersen (drums).
  

• 20 November: Rémi Dugué Trio @ Rvbicón
  An evening of manouche jazz with Rémi Dugué (guitar), Dany García (guitar) and Manuel Cavero (double bass).
  

• 22 November: Kolektiv Lapso Cirk @ La estación de tren de Adif, Santander
  David and Tomas of Kolektiv Lapso Cirk presented Ovvio, an entertaining equilibristic show employing simple objects such as wooden planks and deckchairs. It was free of charge and took place at the foyer of the Santander Adif rail station, where additional enertainment was provided by the train departure announcements. The show was a part of the VIII International Circus Festival En la Cuerda Floja.

• 24 November: Maddy Smith, José A. Gallego and Kate Gass @ La Pirula, Calle Peña Herbosa, 21
  A charming programme of English, Irish, French and (sometimes) Spanish folk and folk-y songs.
• 27 November: Asere Quartet @ Rvbicón
  Another international modern jazz collective featuring Fèlix Rossy (trumpet), Leandro Irarragorri (piano), Josep Cordobés (drums) and Calvin Lennig (double bass).
  

It’s almost Christmas time — and only three weeks till I leave these shores.

The Wall

by Pink Floyd

I first heard The Wall in 1980, not long after the album was released. At first, I was unimpressed. It felt too long, with too much lyrics and too little instrumental parts — a far cry from Pink Floyd I knew and loved. I didn’t change my opinion upon hearing The Final Cut a few years later — in my view, the latter album was more focused, shorter and therefore better.

By the end of the ’80s, however, I grew to like it. And after seeing the movie and especially after watching The Wall in Berlin on live TV (still in the USSR!), I have finally accepted that it’s Pink Floyd all right. And you know what? The forty-year old album still rocks.