Some of you may remember my previous article on Beyoncé's "Why Don't You Love Me?". Well, further discoveries have warranted a revisit to this mid-century wonderland.
Just to refresh your memory:
On another of my many YouTube train-of-thought binges, I stumbled onto footage from a 1950 Burlesque film called "Teaserama":
Now doesn't that seem oddly familiar? How about this?
Turns out Beyoncé was heavily inspired by Bettie Page and the Pin-up Girl in this video - not just in her dances but also in her clothes.
The maid costume may also have been partially inspired by this outfit:
Today marks what would have been Freddie Mercury's sixty-fifth birthday had his life not been tragically cut short by AIDS twenty years ago. His was a stellar career spanning two decades (both with Queen and on his own) and about four octaves. His death in 1991 sparked huge surge in publicity for the disease - second only to the death of Rock Hudson, I would say - as well as a huge storm of controversy regarding his private life.
Mercury with partner Jim Hutton, who died last year.
The surviving members of Queen founded the Mercury Phoenix Trust [MPT], which has raised over 15 million dollars to in the fight against HIV/AIDS since its inception in 1992. Among many other fundraising projects, they organize "Freddie for a Day" [FFAD]. The project was born last year when Liz Swanton - London banker and web editor to MPT - decided to dress as Freddie Mercury for 24 hours and asked friends, family, and co-workers to sponsor her. Read her entire story here.
Liz Swanton, the original Freddie for a Day in 2010
Well, MPT thought it was a brilliant idea and decided to pick up the event and advertise it world-wide. The FFAD website has costumes, accessories, and other merchandise for sale - proceeds going to the MPT, of course. This first official FFAD also comes just in time for the production of the Freddie Mercury biopic, which will star Sacha Baron Cohen as Queen's lead singer.
In honor of Mercury's birthday, here are some of his songs:
I'm only sad that I learned about this too late to participate, and so instead I decided to advertise their cause and maybe get some of you readers to do it with me next year! Perhaps, instead, we can chip in by buying some of their fabulous merchandise here - like this delightful mug:
"Before I begin today's post I would like to say I'm sorry for my sudden halt in posting. I've been going through a lot lately and quite frankly I had to let a lot of things slide, this blog included. I'm back again just the same as ever, but I've decided the best thing to would be to limit myself to posting twice a week - Mondays and Fridays. This way I can be more certain to keep posting consistently while juggling my school and social lives, but enough about me! On to the post."
I stumbled onto today's featured performer completely by accident. You see, I'm a big fan of what can be called Youtube binges. I'll click on one video then go on an endless parade of related videos into infinity. Well this time I really struck gold. It all started when a friend of mine posted the original "Mah Nà Mah Nà" skit from Sesame Street - not the one from "The Muppet Show" that most of us are familiar with. This got me thinking: Is "Mah Nà Mah Nà" an actual song? Turns out, it is! It was written by Piero Umiliani for the 1968 film "Sweden: Heaven and Hell". Here's the original:
So, from here I was led to a parody made by a funny-looking Frenchman named Henri Salvador: "Mais Non, Mais Non", roughly translated: "Of Course Not, Of Course Not!" It works a lot better in French, obviously. Suddenly I was bombarded with a series of very funny, quirky skits from the plethora of hosting jobs he had on French television in the 1960s. Here are my two favorites. Yes, they are in French, but they're easy to follow because of his expressive face.
A true artist.
Juanita Banana: The story of a Cuban Banana Farmer's Daughter who longs to be an opera star despite her father's misgivings. She runs away to join the theater and of course once her father hears of her success he leaves the plantation for the stage!
Minnie Petite Souris (Little Minnie Mouse): This guy is doing everything he can to kill this poor mouse, but she's not having any of it.
There are plenty of other skits and songs of his on Youtube, but most of the others are too difficult to understand if you don't speak French. What I found most interesting about Mr. Salvador is that he's known for recording some of the first French Rock songs. In addition, his song "Dans Mon Ile" is said to have been Anotonio Carlos Jobim's inspiration for pretty much the entire Bossa Nova movement. Pretty neat, huh?
Just a quick little post for this week's Music Monday. This is a little gem of a song I discovered while on one of my famous Wikipedia binges. More and more often I find myself on vicious cycles of clicking article after related article just to satiate my undying curiosity. On this occasion I happened to be reading about Barbra Streisand's career and I read that her first television appearance was on "The Tonight Show" in 1961, and she sang this beautiful song:
Anyway, I've fallen in love with Ms. Streisand over and over as I discover new and different parts of her career. She is probably the epitome of the musical diva we know today. Just for fun let's watch some other songs from some of her many television appearances and specials:
The last one is my favorite because of the fashion tie-in. Those hats she tries on drive me up the wall with envy... (Especially the one at 4:56). Anyway that's that for this week's Music Monday.
While searching for videos of the 2011 Grammy Awards performances, I somehow stumbled onto this video from the 2009 European Music Awards. Katy Perry opened the awards program with a medley of all the "Best Song" nominees: I Gotta Feeling, When Love Takes Over, Use Somebody, Halo, and Poker Face.
If you're wondering what all that "Katy Kat Club" business is and why they turned 'Halo' into a polka, then hold on tight - the 2009 EMAs were held in Berlin. Why is that relevant? Because Berlin is the setting of the iconic film, "Cabaret". Observe:
Ta-da! Just another case of modern artists inspired by the work of the great Bob Fosse, who choreographed and directed "Cabaret". Though the medley itself was a bit off-putting, I think Perry did a good job with the movement, and the choreography was true to Fosse without being a complete rip-off.
What do you think? Nostalgically Yours
Post Script: Because of my move back to the city, I now have many more responsibilities than I did living in New Orleans. This means that posting every day will be impossible for me. Instead I've decided to post between two and three times a week (more if time allows), so you'll hear from me on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from now on. Thanks for sticking with me!
Today is Valentine's Day and it's raining here in San Francisco.
I successfully found an apartment and I love being back in the city. If you're like me, when you're in a sentimental mood it's nice to hear a sweet love song. At least I think it's healthier than cursing the very existence of love:
So, for everyone who's feeling just a little lonely today, here are a few of my favorite love songs:
So, if you're with someone tonight, hold tight. If not, why cry sour grapes? All the same, Hooray for Love!
Today I share with you a bolero from "Love in the Time of Cholera". Shakira wrote this and "Despedida" for the film at the request of Gabriel García Márquez, the author of the novel upon which the movie is based. I've recently discovered that she holds a reputation here in the United States for her less than modest way of dancing and dressing. Because of this her art goes greatly overlooked - not to mention the fact that translating her beautiful lyrics into English is a challenge because English does not have the same poetic and lyrical qualities that Spanish possesses. However, I think the fact that Márquez asked her personally to write two songs for the movie speaks volumes of her talent in the music field.
Anyway, since I know all of you don't speak Spanish, I've taken the liberty of translating the song into English. One can find translations of these songs online (like at this song translation forum), but they are mostly literal, do not attempt to tackle the rhyming scheme and often seem flat. I've done my best to write an English version that could be sung while keeping in the original bolero style. Feedback is, as always, greatly appreciated!
Oh, my love! Just what wouldn’t I do
To be able to hold you, in my arms to enfold you
Lost in our little world
Oh, my love! Like two rivers that meet
Spinning, churning, and then smooth as silk
May we both flow into one
There are passions that grow stronger with each obstacle that meets them
Like a wine that ages making it grow sweet then
Thus my feelings for you grow each moment more
There are passions that will wait until the coldest day to flower
In a winter, blooms grow heavy on the bower
And that’s just the kind of love I hold for you.
Oh, my love! Don’t forsake that green ocean
That has seen me cry so many times
Over my memories of you
Oh, my love! Please remember that day
That day fate came and steered you away
Leaving me swept by the tide
There are passions that grow stronger with each obstacle that meets them
Like a wine that ages making it grow sweet then
Thus my feeling for you grows each moment more
There are passions that in autumn bring a bright and fragrant bower
As the trees all start to die this love will flower
And that’s just the kind of love I hold for you.
I for you… For you… That is just the kind of love I hold for you…
Since she included some variations in the lines in terms of cadence and the amount of syllables, I took some liberties in that regard. Hope it's not too confusing!
This video follows my post from last week in that it fits into the style I call the 80s non sequitor music video. MTV was vastly populated with videos that had little if anything to do with the song they featured.
Also, I happen to adore this band and their videos. I higly recommend all of their albums. More on OKGO later.
Let's start off the week with the recent hit by the British singer/producer duo La Roux:
I first heard this song through my mother, believe it or not. It was her and my sister's new favorite song, and has since become mine. Of course, this song and its music video simply ooze the 1980s, but if you're still not convinced just check out the album cover:
Seeing her perform on a great deal of variety daytime shows has really given me insight into the mindset that predominated that time period. I quite frankly used to hate the eighties. I felt the music was bad, the clothing was worse and I saw it as awkward transition between the seventies and the nineties. Recently, though, I've come to the conclusion that the opposite is true. The eighties were the iconic time whilst the seventies and nineties (though they did have their own distinct styles) were more transitional.
New Romantics such as Boy George incorporated 19th century clothing into their wardrobe, inspiring designers such as Vivienne Westwood to do the same.
The 1980s saw many great cultural changes across the globe. Calvin Klein began featuring racy clothing and underwear commercials in gigantic public billboards. Synthetic music was invented and exploded into pop culture. The punks of the 1970s would dovetail into the New Romantics and the Goths. Rap, Hip-Hop, Techno, and Rave were all subcultures that have their origins in the 1980s. Globalization began taking jobs from the United States and stores like Walmart and Kmart began to flourish under a stream of cheap products from Asian countries. The movie "Wall Street" epitomized the no-holds-barred attitude held, not only towards the economy, but also to almost every aspect of life.
Apparently Brooke Shields says she can still fit into the jeans from that controversial ad - Shields was 15 years old at the time.
When I saw La Roux perform on the Ellen Degeneres show, I was taken aback by how amazing this all seemed. I was also hypnotized by that drummer; the way he danced while he played. For a teenager coming of age in the 1980s, it must have been absolutely breathtaking... Nothing like this sort of music had ever been seen. Of course, synthesizers were used in disco, but this was not just about the music. It was a lifestyle. The music videos featured bizarre non sequitors. The bands wore crazy outfits and did crazy things. Imagine a pop culture permeated with Lady Gagas. That was the 1980s.
In retrospect, it's no wonder we all have this stigma with the shoulder pad and synthesizer culture. However, many signs indicate that the 80s are coming back. Music and fashion have reflected this, and I think the arrival of Lady Gaga has opened the doorway for other artists to help push the envelope in artistic expression.
Christina Aguilera is already getting flack for her video "I'm Not Myself Tonight" (Not Safe for Work), but she was already trying to push limits with her video for "Dirrty" (NSFW). She was completely bashed for being so hyper sexual in the 90s, but now she's following Lady G's lead and letting her hair down a bit.
Perhaps this means that we are, in fact, entering a new period like the 80s, where we will see behavior and statements that we could never have imagined. If a raw meat dress at the VMAs isn't enough to give that general impression, then I'm not sure what is. Hopefully, though, we'll learn our lessons from the past and avoid running the economy further into the ground through the near complete deregulation of Wall Street - but I promised I wouldn't get political, so I won't. In short: I'm excited for the coming decade - I hope you are, too!
As I try my hardest to get into the groove of writing this blog while juggling a steady stream of work and social activities, I'm trying to find ways to post less while not detracting from your reader experience. One of the ways I'm going to do this is through "Music Mondays". Occasionally I'll feature music videos I think have a certain nostalgic flair and talk a little bit about the artist.
This week I feature Beyoncé's "Why Don't You Love Me?"
I like Beyoncé a lot. As I talk about in my Beyoncé and Fosse post (which, for the purposes of this new post, I've refurbished with in-text videos!), she borrows a lot from the past. This video is a kick-ass blend of 50s, 60s, and 70s retro glam! Was anyone else seriously coveting her hair in the bedroom sequence?
No? Just me? Okay, moving on.
None of the clothing in this video is vintage - in fact many of the garments and accessories look very modern - yet it all has a distinct retro feel. This really shows the power of styling to steer the mood of an outfit and really create a look. It's a good example of how all of you out there can incorporate a retro flair into your everyday outfits.
