Saturday, June 30, 2007

Music from the edge: Adiemus

Composer Karl Jenkins (Diamond Music) founded this group to delve into a deeper inner sanctum. The music of this group is haunting, and the lyrics sung are of a language only known to Karl himself, in order to showcase the human voice as an amazing musical instrument. It is mystifying to sit and listen to this group, though you have no idea what is being said, the music surrounds you and you are immediately transferred to a place of tranquility and solitude.

It shows the true meaning behind the saying that "music is a universal language". Along with its calming effects, the music intertwines a variety of world sounds from African to Arabic. This music transcends all genres and ideologies, allowing the listener to gain whatever perspective they need from religious to meditative.


This first video is the original release from the first Adiemus album entitled "Songs of Sanctuary", released in 1995 (main vocals my Miriam Stockely). This song was also the theme song for Delta Airlines.




This second video "Cantus (Song of Tears)" is one of my favorite songs from Adiemus (there was no official video for this release.)which was from the second CD release from Adiemus titled, "Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi" in 1997.




Both albums include the London Philharmonic. I hope you enjoy this different musical journey. It certainly is a pleasure to introduce Adiemus to a larger audience.

Peace.Love.Live
JPB

PS. These songs give me a feeling of peace and liberation. Considering the "place" where I currently reside, having this tranquility allows me to maintain a bit of sanity, where there otherwise may be none. The calming effects this music has on my soul, quiets the beast within and renews my spirit.

Next up in music from the edge: Ronan Hardiman

Friday, June 29, 2007

Changes

The title says it all. Most of us are afraid of change, and I guess I would have to include myself in that group.

I guess what frightens me most about change is the "unknown." There is no longer stability and consistency. Even though I don't care much for change, I think that I manage through the process very well, once I determine that I can no longer resist it.

So changing for me is hard - in the beginning...then I find it a challenge.

Challenge is easier. So as I embark on this new challenge, I will embrace the change that is to occur. I am at a crossroads. Only God knows what is in store for me.....

Thursday, June 28, 2007

The World Crisis: The world that we created

Since I have decided to have a point with most of my blogs (though I am sure there will be some that have no point at all..), this one came to me while I was sleeping.

One of my favorite songs is "Is this the World We Created" by Queen from the album "The Works" released in 1984 (most famous for the song "Radio Ga-Ga"). Anyway, I bought this album (on tape) from Camelot Music at Chapel Hill Mall, in Akron, Ohio. I put this tape in my Walkman and was completely mesmerized. Not only did most of the songs on this album have a strong political message, but it rocked! (If I remember correctly, this tape stayed in my Walkman for about a year, until I had played it so much that the tape wound itself around the turning parts).

So back to the dream I had. For some reason - and it doesn't happen often - I dream in "music" and this was the soundtrack to my dream. Needless to say, I felt the need to write about it....and find a youtube video that would give justice to both the song and my dream sequence. This video comes quite close.

Originally written [Brian May & Freddie Mercury] to address the issues of starvation and poverty in the developing world, this song was adopted by various causes since, including: LiveAid, Greenpeace, WorldAids, and Unicef. The message of this song is as powerful, timely and universal now as it was 23 years ago. The images in this video use past and present events to bring this song into the new millennium.



Is This The World We Created?

Just look at all those hungry mouths we have to feed
Take a look at all the suffering we breed
So many lonely faces scattered all around
Searching for what they need

Is this the world we created?
What did we do it for?
Is this the world we invaded
Against the law?
So it seems in the end
Is this what we're all living for today?
The world that we created

You know that every day a helpless child is born
Who needs some loving care inside a happy home
Somewhere a wealthy man is sitting on his throne
Waiting for life to go by

Is this the world we created?
We made it on our own
Is this the world we devastated
Right to the bone?
If there's a God in the sky looking down
What can he think of what we've done

To the world that he created?

The World Crisis: Working Class Hero

First...I have an amazing crush on Billy Joe of Green Day. But this version of John Lennon's classic song is moving. I actually cry...seriously, the message.

This song is included in the benefit CD to help in efforts in Darfur. Watch this video. It says it all. My heart hurts. God help the people in Darfur. We must help the people of Darfur!










Please be generous in your donation. It only takes a few moments and can help save lives.

http://www.savedarfur.org/


Peace. Love. Live.

JPB

And so it goes

And goes, and goes....

Then stops....then goes again, and again....then stops....

this is basically life.

We go and we go and we go...then we stop, reasses, then go again and again and again. We never really just STOP. We are basically the "period," at the end of the sentence. Just a brief pause to finish a thought, then ....on to the next sentence. We need more than just a brief pause. We need a vacation. I don't know what this would be considered in grammatical terms (other than maybe a "quote")...

Alas, the real point of this post is the failure for an organization to realize what talent it possesses in its people. At this time, I am not at liberty to talk more about this, but I think if organizations spent more time assessing their "talent," and rewarding them accordingly, they might find that Generation X'ers would respond. Failure to do this, and the Gen X'ers jump ship.

And it goes...and goes...ang goes......

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Climate Crisis: Silvery Rain

One of my favorite songs from Olivia's blockbuster album Physical, released in 1981.

Originally recorded by Cliff Richard in 1974, Olivia decided that she needed to put this song on her album to highlight what she felt was a severe consequence to our use of pesticides in our farming. This message wasn't the first environmental message to meet our ears from Olivia, but it was one of the most haunting. ONJ was also an environmentalist before it was "cool" to be...and she lives what she preaches. Silvery Rain stands as a testament against crop dusting, but as the video shows, can definitely be tied to the climate crisis - all things are tied together.

I have included the video....it show’s Olivia's playful side, as well as images of Olivia that you might never have seen otherwise. However, nothing is more powerful than the lyrics. By the way, this videogram won a Grammy in 1982 for best long form video (I think it was also the 1st video Grammy ever given!)




Written by: Hank Marvin (more on this story later)

Butterflies danced on invisible strings
Showing wings they borrowed from a rainbow
And a blackbird on high sang a praise to the sky
While a light aeroplane sprayed the fields
With a silvery rain

Furry backed bees with a tireless drone
Never moan, they're happy to be working
And a grasshopper green could be heard but not seen
While a light aeroplane sprayed the fields
With a silvery rain

Fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul
Before there's nothing left to fly at all
Take to the sky, higher than high
Before the silvery rain begins to fall

Nothing moves now but the swaying ripe corn
Not a dawn is greeted with a bird's song
There's a feather or two from a bird that once flew
Before a light aeroplane sprayed the fields
With a silvery rain

Fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul
Before there's nothing left to fly at all
Take to the sky, higher than high
Before the silvery rain begins to fall

Fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul
Before there's nothing left to fly at all
Take to the sky, higher than high
Before the silvery rain begins to fall

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Climate Crisis

Reading through my latest copy of Rolling Stone Magazine, I came across a great article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., entitled What Must Be Done. This article chronicles the real cost of denying our interdependence on foreign oil and the major subsidies that go to the major oil and coal companies.

A little background to substantiate my point of view:

For the past 7 years W. and his party have been blaming everything that has gone wrong in this country on Bill Clinton and the Democratic party, or just flatly denied that there was a problem at all! I guess this administration is of the belief that if they say something long enough and loud enough that eventually people will begin to believe their drivel. It seems as if that strategy worked for a while, but most people are wising up to this fascist’s propaganda.

Now for an amazing revelation:

In the article, I was struck by a few, simple paragraphs that stood out as shining beacons of truth – (something that Robert Kennedy Jr. is able to do so well) placing blame for much of what has happened in the Middle East - and the Iraq war, solely at the feet of the master republican Ronald Reagan….

“Back in the 1970’s, President Jimmy Carter attempted to level the playing field by creating incentives and minimal subsidies to jump-start clean fuels in the marketplace. But then Ronald Reagan took office and ordered the solar panels that Carter had installed on the White House roof torn off. He rolled back fuel standards for automobiles, killed federal incentives that had given America a commanding lead in wind and solar power, and doubled our oil imports. Reagan’s efforts fueled the current oil addiction that has us acting like a crack- house junkie rolling old ladies for drug money. Our jones for petrodrugs has not only superheated the planet, it has embroiled us in the Mesopotamian quagmire and made America a pariah among civilized nations, damaging the cause of democracy across the globe.”

“During the oil crisis sparked by OPEC in the 1970’s, American business and government went into overdrive to promote conservation and develop alternatives to Middle Eastern oil. Between 1977 and 1985, Detroit boosted the fuel efficiency of its automobiles from 18 to 27.5 miles per gallon. Oil use shrank by 17%-while the economy grew by 27%...oil imports from the Persian Gulf plunged by 87%...had we stayed the course, we would have needed to import a single drop of oil from the Middle East after 1986- achieving true energy independence that…would have enabled us to avoid the devastating attacks of September 11th, as well as both Gulf wars.”
(Rolling Stone, June 28, 2007, Issue 1029)

One can argue, using Kennedy’s assertions, that Reagan was the “instigator” that began the devil’s dance in the Middle East, and most likely laid the foundation for the events that led up to and created Osama Bin Laden’s hatred for the United States.

The blame game works both ways, I guess. However, I only like to think of what things could be like today if Reagan would have remained faithful to the initiatives and subsidies of the Carter administration. Our lives as Americans, I feel, would be dramatically different and we would not be sacrificing the lives of our brave soldiers for a war that only benefits the few.

Jericho LIVES!

Well, I couldn't be happier! My favorite television show from last season; the highly acclaimed Jericho has finally been renewed! Initially cancelled in April because of poor ratings (I will get back to this in my next blog), a major uprising occurred online and fans of the show began a campaign to save the show.

Well, it looks like it worked! Jericho will repeat the second half of its first season starting July 6 and then will return to the CBS lineup in that time slot for the fall (or so it seems - there is a bit of confusion here about that).

So, to catch up on the first part of season one, you can go to http://www.cbs.com/innertube/player.php?cat=115191&vid=&format=&auto=1 and watch the series on innertube. And for those of you with Comcast cable you can go to your On Demand section, tab under CBS and watch the episodes there as well.

I will keep you posted on future developments as I hear about them. See, it really does pay to speak you mind...sometimes, if you are lucky, someone actually listens!

For more information on Jericho - go to: http://www.jerichorises.com/