Highly recommended documentary about the Port-of-Spain Carnival.
The Other Side of Carnival (by Charysse Harper)
The Other Side of Carnival is a 45-minute documentary that explores Carnival’s social and economic impact on Trinidad & Tobago.
With more than 60 interviews from professors, medical staff, police officers, government officials, students, tourists, every day locals and more, The Other Side of Carnival is able to highlight that while Carnival is an exciting occasion, it is a festival that creates turmoil, which is not widely visible…or is it just simply ignored?
Known as “The Greatest Show on Earth” by the citizens, this documentary captures the roots of Carnival and how far some go to keep the original idea alive, and how others attempt to integrate change.
Consummating over two years of research and interviews and with the coordination of a multi-national crew (Trinidad & Tobago, US and UK), The Other Side of Carnival does not pass judgment on Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago, but aims to bring an awareness of the type of influence that Carnival has on the population.
From all phantastic music genres in the whole wide world Parang is my absolute favorite. Parang is a christmas music mainly from Trinidad, linked to Parranda in Venezuela. Classic Parang is usually played by a small bands with cuatro, guitar and maracas or other percussion small enough to move from house to house visiting neighbours and celebrate christmas. Traditionally lyrics in Spanish with spiritual background - although modern Parang and Parang Soca usually deals more with the spirits in your glas, eating and celebrating.
Working on a parang release and also mix atm - untill then enjoy this parang soca classic by Marcia Miranda.
It’s freezing cold since a few days - the times of long bike rides are over now for this year. The picture was taken two weeks ago on my last ride straight through Brandenburg.
Producers be real!
Some producers in the Tropical Bass genre (and outside) love to work with some real instrument sounds. They fire up a factory sound like let’s say “steel pan” and play it in a way the real steel pan would never be played - or even couldn’t be played physically. It is the freedom of the producer to shape sounds the way they want and put it in a harmonic setting and arrangement.
But - I strongly believe that if you are using a sound of a real existing instrument and also refer to it in your press info (“spirits of Trinidadian Carnival” etc etc) you have to do your homework and learn how the particular instrument sounds, how it is played and how it is tuned.
Just for the minimum respect you owe the culture and the people who share with you.
Edit: I know a dude in Trinidad who had the Gispy Kings blasting in the car for weeks just to study their guitar technique - that’s dedication.
Chawayé - Enjoying my evening with that nice compa-ish tune by Gee Mylo from Martinique.
“Le point de vue du lion” - a movie by Senegalese rap artist Didier Awadi.
Synopis:
“50 years of independence. They promised us happiness and prosperity. Nowadays young Africans climb into simple wooden boats, they cross the desert and the sea towards Eldorado.” Why? What are the deeper reasons? And how could it come this far? These were the starting questions from director and hip hop star Didier Awadi. For several years he interviewed ex-presidents and ministers, important UN officials, writers, artists, historians, activists and lay migrants and refugees: 44 people who analyse the situation of their continent and they do not mince matters! The result is a decidedly Pan-African, deliberately subjective and revolutionary documentary whose power of impact leaves little to be desired.
“Technically speaking this is no Spielberg or Spike Lee film. Our goal is to bring across a pan-African message. Don’t expect any naive objectivity. Our intention is purely subjective. Our purpose is revolutionary. We stand by this.” Didier Awadi
“African policies are determined from the outside, not by Africans themselves. They should be allowed to express what they think about current policies, colonisation, de-colonisation, foreign military bases on their territory, the colonial currency still used today, questions about migration. We welcome the whole world here, but nobody wants to welcome us anywhere. It is a hypocrisy that we must name, shame and fight against.” Didier Awadi in conversation with Olivier Barlet, Africultures
Against the background of blatant racism the debates surrounding “illegal immigration” and the consequent questions over security are becoming more and more omnipresent in the West. Meanwhile Africans, those mainly affected by this discriminatory practice, hardly react. However, Didier Awadi, did not want to keep quiet. afrik.com
Director
Didier Awadi, rapper, DJ and musician born in Dakar in 1969, is one of the pioneers of the hip hop movement in Senegal and West Africa. After his first group, Didier Awadi’s Syndicate, he founded in 1989 together with Amadou Barry, alias Doug-E-Tee, PBS (Positive Black Soul) and released the album Boul faalé in 1994 with worldwide success. In his three solo albums Kaddu gor (2001), Un autre monde est possible (2005) and Sunugaal (2006) as well as his latest project Président d´Afrique (2010), he reflects on pan-Africanism, advocates greater humanity in international politics and commemorates formative personalities of independent Africa.
The Lion’s Point of View
Director: Didier Awadi
With Abdou Diouf, Amadou Moctar Mbow, Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Aminata Traoré, Téophile Obenga, Amady Aly Dieng, Taoufik Ben Abdalah, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Moussa Dembélé, and many more
SN 2011
Distribution info: africavenir.org
Autumn by the lake
Large Zouk tune in English and Creole from the island Dominica, produced by Dada.
Mourir Auprès de Toi, a short film directed by Spike Jonze (“Being John Malkovich”, “Where the Wild Things Are”) and Simon Cahn, hand made with love by the fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan.
(via the warmly recommended Netzfilmblog)
How Do We Benefit From Streaming?
Controversy among labels and musicians over streaming services like Spotify. Also worth reading: Portrait of the German plattform Simfy (in German).
