I Got The Music™

What a great song - not the Will Smith version with the same name - the George Gershwin / DuBose Heyward / Ira Gershwin 1935 original.

It comes from the 1935 musical Porgy and Bess. I love this song, it has so much in it and if you sing, you understand the feeling and emotion that was written in both the music and the lyrics.

It is said to be based on a Ukrainian lullaby called Oi Khodyt Son Kolo Vikon (A Dream Passes By The Windows).

I still remember my grandmother singing this one, always such a calming way to spend a summer evening - especially if you had fallen out of a tree ;-P

American Idol brought this into the current generation again with Fantasia Barrino’s version on her Free Yourself album.

If you’ve never heard it, try and get a recording by Paul Robeson - WOW - did that guy have a voice. Summertime and Ol’ Man River really are a delight to experience. It kinda makes you feel like your missing out with some of the pop songs we have today…

Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear the original lullaby sung by the Shady Lady herself Ani Lorak?

Technorati Tags: 30's, Ani Lorak, Gershwin, Oi Khodyt Son Kolo Vikon, Shady Lady, Summertime, Ukraine

So I got hooked yesterday setting up a YouTube Channel and watching the Parkour people running around!

I think the best one I saw - more because it had a story with it was this Scottish one.

I just think it was a great idea - playing ‘it’ or ‘tag’ around Glasgow. Even the Beastie Boys’ ‘Body Movin‘ took on different meaning. These guys have (more…)

Technorati Tags: Beastie Boys, Body Movin, Deep Dish, girl, Give It All, Glasgow, Hedgehog, Jemma, martial art, Parkour, Scotland, Tictac, traceur, traceuse, YouTube

Just a short note today - I keep trying to get myself into the routine of the blogosphere, even though the weather is gorgeous.

Anyway saw a brilliant symbol at the airport and I tried to remember what I liked about it. I think it’s just a friendly yellow, but I have made my version and look forward to seeing it on someone.

Technorati Tags: airport, friendly, picture, question mark, yellow

Yes, the weather is staying fine for the moment - and I’m loving that.

The downside is I don’t spend as much time at the computer - wait, that’s an UPSIDE

I did spend some time reorganising the store so you can find things easier.

Well, I’ve tried to reorganise the I’ve put up some more designs in the ‘songs‘ section as I got feedback that you couldn’t always get to what you wanted.

It seems the Russians in Saint Petersburg enjoyed the t-shirts, but sadly the translator I used couldn’t get all your comments up. Thanks for the thoughts anyway. Yes there are some new designs posted up now.

I kept hearing ‘Hello‘ everywhere I went yesterday. It’s one of those songs that sometimes haunts you, whether you like it or not! One of the things about music is that sometimes you get a song that is only remembered by a single phrase - and if they chose it well, it’s (more…)

Technorati Tags: Africa, computer, English, flag, hello, National Anthem, Olympics, Russia, St Petersburg, weather

Wow. I just got hooked on watching some guys running through the ‘urban furniture’, things like benches, walls, buildings…and the gaps between them!

I think they call it Parkour. You know the beginning scenes of Casino Royale where James Bond is chasing a guy through a construction site - that is Parkour. Absolutely stunning to watch.

Some of these guys (no women in their group) were amazing. They just looked like some elegant creature going about it’s normal daily life - a sort of cross between gazelle and big cat.

All in a graceful, powerful rhythm.

They bounced off things, up things and held themselves in the air for ages - just gobsmacking. They were clearly confident in what they were doing, but none of them were ‘bragging’ they all said it was about sharing the love.

None of them take drugs (hooray!) as they need to keep their bodies fit - and were these bodies really, REALLY FIT!

They looked like the highest trained Olympic Gymnast with that extra something. One of the guys (Mike) said he pretty much spent his life outside - not because he didn’t have a home to go to, but because he was getting addicted to his PlayStation and his mum took it away for (more…)

Technorati Tags: BBC, beach, Brazil, Capoeira, Casino Royale, confident, dance, father, father's day, fit, football, gymnast, James Bond, love, Olympic, Parkour, Pele, PlayStation, rhythm, t-shirt