Though this may sound a bit obsessive, I've been taking a look at different performances by Sinéad O'Connor during creative breaks throughout the day (which, on a side note, has probably been very un-productive regardless of all the massive amounts of work I need to get done). I found a video of the day she appeared at the Bob Dylan Tribute the same year of her scandal. I don't think we'll ever know how it must feel to receive such a mixed response from the audience but unfortunately dominantly negative. How can you deal with so much hate towards you? We've all had our shares of negative energy being directed towards us, but rarely this loud and massive. What I salute (my word of the day here) is how she managed to stand with her head held high, expecting her audience to be civil enough to allow her to sing a song in honor of Bob Dylan and yet when she realizes signs of hatred will not cease, she cancels her intended performance in order to quote Bob Marley's WAR lyrics, demonstrating how relevant they are once again. Here's the clip from that day:
It's crazy how one ridiculous and almost insignificant comment can start off a series of ideas that can actually lead to something important or, at least, thought provoking. A friend of mine will be crossing the border from Israel to Jordan in a few days, and mentioned he was planning on shaving his head to do so. Why? I have absolutely no idea, but I couldn't help but comment he'd be a Sinéad O'Connor look-alike.
This immediately made me go on youtube and search for that ultra-controversial performance of hers on Saturday Night Live back in 1992. I remember being in 8th grade when this happened and how it was a world shocker. Today I payed close attention to the whole performance since the only bit that got broadcast on the news around the world were the last few seconds where she tore the picture of the Pope. I had not realized how powerful the lyrics of the song she sang were and how everything was precise in making the performance come to a full circle.
After all the controversy surrounding the Catholic Church lately regarding the unveiling of stories of pedophilia commited by actual members of this entity, Sinéad's words come as quite relevant and make her look not as crazy as she did back then. Don't get me wrong, I was the only person in my grade not wanting to crucify her, probably because I was an atheist since then (though I was baptized in the Vatican and even have a picture with John Paul II). I actually thought it took some (pardon my French) BALLS to go up and do that on LIVE television, especially at TWENTY-THREE! Talk about standing up for what you believe in. Following is the LINK (embedding is disabled unfortunately) to the full performance of that night, 18 years ago, and then a short but very interesting news report on her before it all happened.
Watching the video at the end of this post reminded me of the following: When I was in second grade I played Für Elise in front of my school at the auditorium on one of our weekly assemblies. I don't remember why there were musical numbers involved in this particular one, nor how I dared to have to the guts to go in front of an audience and play this piece by ear (our elementary school music teacher, Ms. Proctor, mus have convinced me). I had not had formal piano lessons yet but I had a very kind older sister who was willing to teach me how to play it, and so, I learned it. I never quite mastered my left hand on the second half, but I managed pretty well through the whole ordeal. Later on, I began to take lessons, but I wanted things to be faster than they were, I had no patience and this whole Chopinesque-phase ended when my piano teacher stormed out the door saying : "Your son has no discipline!" (Please imagine that in a Russian accent). I have often regretted not putting more effort into those lessons, having more patience, and realizing the importance of practice. After watching the following video, I am in absolute awe. This sixth grader has managed to give me goosebumps. I love the way he's given his own spin on the original GaGa song and the passion and confidence of his performance. It is absolutely inspiring. Please watch and enjoy.
I have officially started out a new blog in Spanish as of today. I had been thinking about it for a while but I just didn't have the time nor had I come up with a name I found to be sufficiently humorous and precise. In the end, I followed a friend's advice and named it ME MUEROU. Though the correct way of writing this expression would be "me muero" (literally meaning "i'm dying" but used in Spanish as and expression of shock like "NO WAY!" or "OH MY GOD!"), I decided to add the extra "u" at the end just to give it the intonation a native English speaker would produce when saying the word. I actually use it that way, mockingly, on a daily basis. Anyway, my post on my twin blog was regarding the publishing of my first article. Not that I intend to become a journalist (nor that the actual article is impressive enough to make anyone believe that for a second), but I was very happy to have been asked by Peru's leading newspaper's magazine, SOMOS, to cast my opinion on Lady GaGa, her style and her unavoidable comparison to Madonna. It was short and concise (and a bit of it was edited too), but I guess it's somewhat "reassuring" to have the local press choose me to give my opinion on the matter. I guess all this PDML (Public Display of Madonna Love) has been finally rewarding. The coolest thing was that when I was asked to do this, my point of view was to be included only as a point of reference throughout the main article, I was only to be quoted regarding certain aspects of Lady GaGa's fashion and her similarities with Madonna, but then I got an e-mail saying they had really liked what I had written and that they were going to include it as a special feature in the spread. Here's the link to my new blog and my first post : www.memuerou.blogspot.com
I'm still a bit shocked from the sad news yesterday. I was in a meeting when I got a call from a fellow fashion designer friend who let me know about the terrible news regarding Alexander McQueen's death. We had JUST been talking about him a few minutes before, noting how the shoes I was wearing were very similar to a pair he had designed a few seasons ago but that I was too stingy to buy during a trip to London (and later bought the wallet-friendly version in Buenos Aires). I can't regret not having a piece designed by him any more right now. Alexander McQueen was always the answer to the "Who's your favorite designer?" question during interviews for the local media. I'd always mention that though I did not agree with his use of fur and taxidermy in his shows, he was the one designer from our time that I truly admired. Watching a McQueen show was, like most fashionistas know, entering a whole new dimension, where the concept of the collection ruled over everything, even the clothes. The show told a story from beginning to end, the models were the characters in the play, and the catwalk was the setting for the plot to take place . I really don't know how to explain it, but the fact that he managed to create this universe for the few minutes a show may last, gave his clothes an extra value that, for me, represents what fashion should really be about. Whenever I try to explain a collection of mine, I always mention there is a strong connection to the concept beneath it. There are some details that may come up out of the blue, but 90% of it comes from the storyline created by oneself. I think he managed to portray this beautifully every single time. I remember going to the Anglomania exhibit at the Costume Institute and being absolutely astounded by his amazing dresses and then seeing the famous Oyster Dress featured in the permanent exhibit. I think I even shed a tear. The fact that his work could move you to such deep emotions (many editors have been quoted to have cried at some of his fashions shows) comes to depict the POWER of his creations.
How will this gap be filled now? His collections were the ones I looked forward to the most. It is definitely a time for mourning in the fashion world, and I can't help but feel a little shiver just thinking about what might have been going through his mind in order to take such a tragic decision. Like I said yesterday on a post on my Facebook, he spelled out the word GENIUS. How many people can juxtapose the delicate and the aggressive, the macabre and the pretty, and whip it up into one tasteful confection while pushing boundaries and keeping the real spirit of fashion alive? I can't help but be moved to tears while I write this and I know that what I have written does not measure up to what he represented to all of us. I always hoped I'd be able to meet him or go to one of his shows. He was a true idol. All I can say is : WE LOVE YOU LEE.
Here's a landmark in fashion show history, over ten years ago, yet still avant-garde.
I just got back from an amazing trip to Salvador, Bahía in Brazil and I have to say I SO needed a trip like this. It was the perfect combination of friends, location and atmosphere. It had been over 10 years since I had last been to Brazil (I went to both Rio and Florianopolis at different times in the same year) and the main purpose of this trip was this New Years celebration. Though I have many things to talk about this travelling experience (and hopefully most of them will make it to my blog), I'm going to concentrate on the New Years party we went to. I must admit, most of my friends (we were a bunch from Peru, others from Argentina and then another bunch from other cities in Brazil), were a bit uneasy regarding the musical entertainers for the actual party : Vanessa da Mata and Ivete Sangalo.
When I had originally signed up for this trip, I thought Daniela Mercury would be peforming, with whom I'm perfectly familiar (I have a couple of her cd's and have been to a concert of hers in my teens when I lived in Montevideo), but then realized she'd be peforming at the beach on January 1st.
I did some research, and concentrated on Ivete Sangalo, having heard a bit more of her than Vanessa da Mata, but I wasn't thrilled with what I found on youtube. I have to say this changed COMPLETELY once we were at the party. We got there minutes before Vanessa da Mata appeared onstage and she totally ROCKED. It was impossible to sit still while she was there, performing like a true artist, fabulously styled hair (flower included) and flawless voice. Though Ivete was ENERGY personified,and managed to keep us dancing and jumping with a smile on our faces through the rest of the night (she appeared a bit before midnight and kept on going for an amazing THREE HOURS), I have totally fallen for da Mata. There is one thing I've learned from this concert, and that is that when music is of a good, elaborate quality, it knows no boundaries. I had NEVER heard one of her songs before, neither did I understand 90% of the lyrics (I found out on this trip that my knowledge of portuguese was practically null), but I could not help myself from dancing and enjoying it. I've become obsessed with one particular song, which struck me IMMEDIATELY as she performed it, it's already on my iPod (thanks to Cristian who let me download the songs from his cd). It's called Você Vai Me Destruir. It has become my new DRAMA MODE anthem. It couldn't be more dramatic, more divalicious, more 70's disco/funk inspired yet Brazilian by heart. Though the song is on repeat practically 24/7 ever since I got back (you should have seen me screaming the chorus out loud as I went for a run yesterday), I find it will be almost impossible to surpass the live performance she delivered on New Year's Eve. I have found a video on youtube of another performance of hers (love the outfit and scenery), just so you can enjoy it as much as I did. Here it goes :
P.S: THE LYRICS! (English translation available at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/voce-vai-me-destruir-you-will-destroy-me.html)
Está acabando o amor Você ainda não veio Não disse, não ligou Se vem viver comigo
Se me quer como amiga Se não quer mais me ver Você vai me esquecer Você vai me fazer padecer
Está acabando o amor Você já não me pertence Eu vejo por aí Você não está comigo
Nessa nossa disputa Nesse seu jeito bom Eu não quero saber Você vai desdenhar E vai sofrer
Você vai me destruir Como uma faca cortando as etapas Furando ao redor Me indignando, me enchendo de tédio Roubando o meu ar Me deixa só e depois não consegue Não me satisfaz
Está acabando o amor Você já não me pertence Eu sinto por aí Você não está comigo
Nessa nossa disputa Nesse seu jeito bom Eu não quero saber Você vai desdenhar E vai perder
Você vai me destruir Como uma faca cortando as etapas Furando ao redor Me indignando, me enchendo de tédio Roubando o meu ar Me deixa só e depois não consegue Não me satisfaz
Pensando em te matar de amor ou de dor eu te espero calada
UPDATE: YAAAAY!!! I found a video from the actual New Year's Eve concert, here it goes.
I have JUST found out it is Helen Slater's birthday today! Ring a bell? To me she's the 80's beauty and Michael J. Fox's object of desire in The Secret of My Success (1987), but I guess most people will remember her as Supergirl.
However, I think I enjoyed watching her the most in the leading role in The Legend of Billie Jean, which has that wonderful hell of a song by Pat Benatar, Invincible. Well she's turned 46 today, and I can say she has aged pretty well, don't you think?
Here's the video for her song, which includes tiny bits from the movie and then a clip from one of my favorite scenes in The Secret of My Success. Enjoy.
As a result of my search for pictures for my last post, I naturally arrived at many that included Julie Andrews. Though I had downloaded quite a few songs from Mary Poppins I realized there were some I was missing. Among them was one that was sung not by Julie Andrews but by Glynnis Johns, the actress who plays Mrs. Banks. The song is called Sister Suffragette, and as the title suggests, it deals with women's votes, something that was forbidden during the period of time the movie was set in, early 20th century. Though her character is portrayed as somewhat ridiculous, what comes across as ridiculous is the fact that women were not allowed to vote, especially when we come to think that this movie was made during the 1960's. The simple thought of women not being able to exercise their individual rights and have a say in political matters must have felt absolutely insane and unthinkable for the new generations at the time, yet interracial marriage was THEN a topic of social debate.
Well now, nearing 2010, about a hundred years after this fictional nanny changed the lives of the Banks family, some minorities continue to fight for their individual rights. Gay marriage is illegal in many countries, not to mention the fact that BEING gay is considered a crime in some countries too. Though some progress has been made, it is up to our generation to continue the strive for equal rights. Hopefully this WILL change in much less than a hundred years.
Anyway,back to my song-of-the-moment, I searched for the video and then had a little fun playing with the lyrics in the first verse, so as to update it:
ORIGINAL: We're crearly soldiers in petticoats And dauntless crusaders for womens'votes Though we adore men individually We agree that as a group they're rather stupid!
MY VERSION: We're clearly soldiers in PRADA coats And dauntless crusaders for GAY MEN'S votes Though we adore STRAIGHTS individually We agree that as a group they're rather stupid!
It's just a stereotypical joke! Here's the video, enjoy:
This is a VERY short post, a virtual toast to Christopher Plummer on his birthday. One of my first crushes. I bet there are more people who found him attractive in The Sound of Music. I mean, who else was there to like, right? OK. OK. I know we probably all related to Liesl (though I particularly liked Brigitta the BEST), but regarding the male characters? Friedrich? Kurt? That mailman-turned-Nazi just didn't cut it for me no matter how many times I watched the Sixteen Going On Seventeen scene.
I then watched him in The Fall of the Roman Empire, and I remember my seven year-old self having a hard time dealing with him as the bad guy.... I just found out he has published an autobiography last year, In Spite of Myself. It must be quite an interesting one, coming from a man whose acting career began in theater and who has been in movies since the 1950's. His latest production, Beginners, is in filming, yet to be released in 2011.
Well, that's it, Happy 80th Birthday Captain Von Trapp.
I've been thinking about how the 80's haven't ceased to make their comeback just yet. It started in the late 90's with the Adidas trademark stripes on everything and then kept slowly creeping up on us until there was no more denying it and then suddenly we were all wearing leggings once again. OK, maybe not all of us, but all our girl friends. Believe me, I have nothing against men's leggings but you've got to have a killer physique to pull them off AND then of course, I DO live in Lima, Peru, where I get "Barney" yelled at for wearing purple jeans...Ah! The Third World! Back to our main subject, regarding the 80's and stuff (yes, I said "stuff"), it is common knowledge music and fashion go hand in hand most of the time. From disco to rock to rap to the next thing, we've seen and heard it all happen. Gianni Versace was one of the first designers to take advantage of this by signing Madonna, Prince and Elton John among others to star in his ad campaigns and by having all of them front row at his shows. This also reminds me Gianni would have turned 63 this year had he miraculously avoided that fatal encounter twelve years ago.
MADONNA IN A 1995 VERSACE AD SHOT BY STEVEN MEISEL
OK, now seriously, back to what brought me to my blog once again. I was paying close attention at how Lady GaGa and, on a very different level (at least up to now), Adam Lambert were adding so much NEEDED glam to the musical scene. It had been a long while since we had seen such attention grabbing theatrics from pop newcomers, the trend had been quite the contrary lately, just remember when Britney came out, then Christina (though she was quick to break from her initial image), Mandy Moore, etc. They all pretty much filled the same pattern. I think it's refreshing to see people who are willing to challenge an audience that had become numbed by a flatlined scene. Now, this only applies to mainstream pop, I'm in no way trying to ignore the fascinating and amazing talents of the likes of Roisin Murphy and others who HAVE been doing their own "thing", pushing musical and fashion boundaries for QUITE A WHILE but have gone unnoticed by the masses. I mean, Roisin has been wearing avant garde wardrobe (including shoulder pads) for a loooooooong time.
She's wearing a deer-shaped jacket for Christ's sake... (and I love it).
Anyway, this glam thing going on in music is once again VERY 80's. I was just humming "When You Were Mine", thinking it was a Cyndi Lauper original only to find out it was actually performed first (and written) by Prince. However, her version stood out, I think. I youtubed it immediately and found a live performance from the American Music Awards I was happy to recognize as one I had seen many times as a child. Now THAT was a true GENUINE performance. And to think it was over 20 years ago. I think that was probably more shocking back in the day than what our discussed boundary-pushers have done at the last award ceremony held two weeks ago. It'll be interesting to see how this new wave of pop artists that are embracing louder images shall influence people around the world. Maybe they will let more people bring out their flashy side and enjoy fashion as the role-playing game it can be. Cyndi Lauper SURE was an influence back in the day, we've seen that hair and make-up on the street, don't you remember? Here's her UH-mazing performance at the 1985 AMA's for "When You Were Mine". Enjoy.
La Roux is FINALLY getting some airplay on cable tv in Lima, her Bulletproof video, mainly, and I've been happy to realize she has become quite popular with friends whose comments on Facebook have made their appreciation of her work pretty clear (it used to be only a couple of us who were aware of her). I even danced to a remix of this song las weekend at a party that had announced to have a setlist including the likes of her, Dragonette, Crystal Castles, Little Boots, etc. It was fabulous to be able to dance to this kind of music here in Lima. It hardly ever...scratch that...it NEVER gets played anywhere. Hope there's more of it soon. Regarding La Roux, I just heard a remix of I'm Not Your Toy and I'm LOVING it. Loving it so much it might be taking over Lady Gaga's Bad Romance forever-on-repeat-during-gym-time spot on my iPod. What I've loved the most about this song are her lyrics and how well they fit her voice and delivery. It's just pure VISUAL poetry. So descriptive, so right, so easy to relate to. Unfortunately, I haven't found a video featuring this remix, so all I have to post here is the original version which is still QUITE AMAZING, just like the video. I'm loving the fact that this is such an exciting time for female performers. Here's the link to the video, followed by the lyrics.
Love, love is like a stubborn youth That you'd rather just deny I'm walking on a broken roof While I'm looking at the sky
It's all false love and affection You don't want me You just like the attention Yes it's all false love and affection You don't like me You just want the attention
I'm not your toy This isn't another girl meets boy I'm not your toy This isn't another girl meets boy
Love, love hides in a smoky light And I can never find the truth Boy, your touches leave me mystified And I wish I could believe in you
Yes it's all false love and affection You don't want me You just like the attention Yes it's all false love and affection You don't like me You just want the attention
I'm not your toy This isn't another girl meets boy I'm not your toy This isn't another girl meets boy
The search for a soundtrack for my upcoming show has accidentally brought me back to my francophile self. Not that I plan on using any of them for the actual show (well, I really don't know that yet), but as I discovered Guesch Patti and other songs performed by Desireless besides their major hit "Voyage, Voyage" (which has the ability to transport me back to communist Moscow, back when the first music channel came out over there, Telecanal 2x2...never understood that name), I started humming a song in my head I remember hearing all over the place on a trip to Paris in 2000. Anyway, thank goodness for google, I only remembered part of the chorus and that the girl singing it was called Alizée, whom I've heard of more recently but haven't been able to really get into her at all. In fact, I haven't even made the effort to like her. Anyway, I typed in "c'est pas ma faute" and there it came : "Moi Lolita" by Alizée. It's downloaded and, again, on repeat. I love it. It's a catchy, poppy song, nothing extraordinary, but what kind of got to me, is that this song was making me nostalgic for the year 2000. TWO THOUSAND. Not 80's or 90's like my constant status updates on Facebook, but TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THOUSAND. GOD. Funny thing is, I was already complaining about aging back then, and no longer being a "teen"...I guess that'll be a constant in my life. Then again Daft Punk's "One More Time" is also a song that brings back memories from this trip and I'm sure most people are unaware it's a nine-(soon-to-be-ten)year old song. Here's "Moi Lolita". Enjoy.
