And Another Passing

Mercedes Sosa, a national treasure in Argentina and much loved throughout South and Latin America is the latest of what seems to be a passing parade of greats. She died today in Buenos Aires.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me two beams of light, that when opened,
Can perfectly distinguish black from white
And in the sky above, her starry backdrop,
And from within the multitude
The one that I love.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me an ear that, in all of its width
Records— night and day—crickets and canaries,
Hammers and turbines and bricks and storms,
And the tender voice of my beloved.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me sound and the alphabet.
With them the words that I think and declare:
"Mother," "Friend," "Brother" and the light shining.
The route of the soul from which comes love.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me the ability to walk with my tired feet.
With them I have traversed cities and puddles
Valleys and deserts, mountains and plains.
And your house, your street and your patio.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me a heart, that causes my frame to shudder,
When I see the fruit of the human brain,
When I see good so far from bad,
When I see within the clarity of your eyes...

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me laughter and it gave me longing.
With them I distinguish happiness and pain—
The two materials from which my songs are formed,
And your song, as well, which is the same song.
And everyone's song, which is my very song.

Thanks to life
Thanks to life
Thanks to life
Thanks to life

Violeta Parra

It seems the world becomes a less brighter place to often these days.

Many thanks to Soror for posting this wonderful performance on YouTube.

05 ottobre - Santa Faustina Kowalska

Mercoledi Musicale

The incredible Odetta died earlier today in New York. Folk and gospel singer, actress, rights activist and voice of an age - another one of the immortals from my youth has gone. I only saw her live as an actress - she acted one summer at the Stratford Festival - never in concert but I owned at least four of her albums when I was a teenager. On one she sang a song called "Why and why and why" - a simple dialogue between a sleepy child and a weary but caring mother. I can still hear the last line as the child asks one more "why" question before falling asleep: Because I don't know the answer. I wish I could hear the love she put into that phrase just one more time.





03 dicembre - San Francesco Saverio

Colour Me Envious

Though I do tend to focus on opera in my postings, a glance at my Mercoledi Musicale on Wednesdays does reveal a slightly wider musical interest. Admittedly my taste runs mostly to the vocal but classical, church, jazz, blue grass, country, pop, rock-a-billy and folk have all been part of my musical education. I do draw the line at later rock and heavy metal - yeah I know I'm an old foggy!

I can thank my brother for my love of folk music; he had a five-string banjo and played it at church socials, corn roasts, strawberry socials and family gatherings - sometimes whither they wanted him to or not. And I remember him taking me down to Massey Hall in Toronto to see the Weavers (after Peter Seeger had left the group) when I was around 8 or 9. Very early on I learned Seeger, Woody Guthrie and The Weavers songs and can still remember most of the words if not the harmonies.



I was reading the Toronto Star online this morning and came across a review for this concert. The chance to hear an American legend, the performers he's nurturing to carry on the tradition of folk and Sylvia Tyson coming out of the audience to do harmony. Folk don't get much better than that... and I'm so damned envious.

07 lulgio - San Claudio