I first came across Eleanor’s music about a month ago after hearing about her on the Urban Outfitters blog. After listening to her song, “Belgium,” I was hooked and haven’t stopped listening to it! I was amazed when she found my blog so I asked her if she would be interested in doing an interview. Let me just say that Eleanor is one talented lady. She was also super excited to do this interview

Q: Eleanor, how old are you and where are you from? Plus, I have to know. Is Eleanor Seabird your real name?!

Eleanor: I’m 22 years old, and I’m originally from America! I still like to call London my hometown as it is the first place I finally feel able to call my home.  No, Eleanor Seabird is not my real name, it actually came from my old landlord/friend who was in the music business briefly and we were driving along and I was trying to come up with a stage name and I wanted to be Eleanor SEBERG after Jean Seberg my favourite actress and Sandy thought I said SEABIRD and was like, “Genius! Eleanor Seabird is great!” And I never corrected him. It might not be the name on my birth certificate, but Eleanor Seabird is a real person it’s who I am and who I’ve always been.

Q: When did you first begin singing and was it just for fun or could you see this as a possible career?

E: I began singing when I was four. I started off with Elton John cassette tapes and a little walkman and then did talent shows with my kid sister (we’d sing gruesome versions of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen songs) then when I was about 17, my aunt took me to this music group and I would sing Wham! Songs at the mall to people. I didn’t take it seriously till I moved to London and felt like I had nothing to lose, so now I’m embarking on a proper career.

Q: Who are you usually compared to? And do you think that this person and you are alike?

E: Looks wise, people say I have this Karen O thing going on, and music wise it’s a combination of Karen O and Lily Allen, both of whom I love so I take it as a compliment.

Q: What is your favorite song to cover?

E: ANYTHING by Hall and Oates. I end my sets with a killer acoustic version of MANEATER and we want to do a Hall and Oates show of just their songs. They are so much fun to sing!

Q: Who were your influences growing up?

E: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN! He was and is one of my heroes. I really loved Elton John, AC/DC, Genesis, the Police, a lot of classic rock growing up as I think I was in a state of rebellion coming from a conservative home so anything loud that made me feel like I was going to get the heck out of dodge had an impact on me. As I got to my late teens’ early 20s when I moved to London I became seduced by French pop of the 1960s and fell madly in love with Jacques Brel. He is, to me, such an amazing vocalist and performer. I really hope as an artist to be as captivating as he was/is.

Q: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

E: Jacques Brel, Dizzie Rascal, or Bruce Springsteen.

Q: What influenced your relocation to London from America?

E: Because I left the states to pursue a better life for myself I don’t have too many good memories but I will say the ones that mean the most are the ones with me and my radio. I always found solstice in listening to music. I think now as an adult and coming back to the states on different terms I’m looking forward to meeting people who love music, who are passionate about life, and to be able to see the parts of the country I haven’t seen, such as Seattle. I think growing up in a small town you’re just not inclined to travel so I’d only go to places where I had relatives, we never really could afford to travel much so even though I’m from America I’ve met Europeans who have seen more of it than I have.

Q: Describe to me the London music scene.

E: The London music scene is vast. Music is on every night of the week, and there is sooo much of it. That’s what’s great about London, it’s really chaotic and multi-cultural and the music capital of the world and any and everything goes here. I will say it’s cool to be a artist here as it does feel like a community and you go out to support your peers and they come out to support you and there are some big faces around so it’s cool to bump into some bands you really like and get the chance to strike up a conversation.

Q: What is a typical day for Eleanor Seabird?

E: This question makes me laugh as I know people expect a musician to have this lifestyle, but I’m quite boring to be honest. I eat breakfast at the same café every morning, I’m usually writing and recording throughout the day and at meetings with different people I want to collaborate with, and in the nights I’m either rehearsing or checking my Myspace and then off to bed. I had someone ask me where all the great nightclubs are in London and I couldn’t name ANY! I prefer films, art galleries, photography exhibits in my spare time. And of course going to gigs to see friends play or  a really great band I like.  It’s pretty standard.

Q: What has been most challenging for you as a musician?

E: I think taking the criticism. I have people tell me I’m crap or that my music is shit to my face and because I put a lot of myself and my life into my work, it’s hard not to take it personally. I have those moments where I’m ready to quit sometimes…….. it’s not a life for the faint of heart especially when trying to make a living doing it.

Q: At the end of the day, what makes it all worth it for you?

E: This! When people want to interview me or chat with me because they really enjoy what I do and want to learn more about who I am. It’s cool to know that there are people out there willing to give me a chance and come on this journey with me because I’m still unknown, but hopefully I’ll drum up support along the way. I really love to play and put on a good show for people and I’m glad that more people believe in me and my work than don’t so the fans and friends who believe in me make it worthwhile and it makes me want to really succeed!

Q: What are you listening to these days and who would you suggest my readers start listening to, besides you of course!

E: Oh there are a few suggestions: I really like this band called the Dark Room Notes based out of  Dublin, Ellie Goulding is great, The Temper Trap, The XX,  The Big Pink are great and put on a wicked show,  Pelle Carlberg is an indie guy from Sweden who’s great,  Dizzie Rascal is a rapper from London who I quite think is fun, and Mayer Hawthorne is cool! He’s like Amy Winehouse, but a bloke!

Q: Where can we expect to see you next Eleanor?

E: I’m starting up a show on my YouTube channel ELEAVISION called ELEANOR GOES where I go on little adventures. It’s not a reality show, though if I did a reality show I’d call it THE BILLS because that’s wherein my drama unfolds.  Me a telephone and the lady on the other line. LOL  It’s just a little documentary style show where I go off and do stuff. My first one is ICE SKATING and then I’m going to Norway to find this red phone booth I have an obsession with. Apparently phone booths are on the historical society’s list to preserve in Norway or so my Norwegian mates tell me. So going to go on a safari and try to capture them in their habitat before they disappear.  Good times……….

Check out Eleanor’s music here

DE OCHTEND – RADIO 1 – NIEUWSGIERIG NAAR WAT ER LEEFT!

Fransen zoeken een identiteit om nieuwkomers een duidelijk kader te geven. De Ochtend vroeg vanmorgen welke identiteit Vlamingen hebben en welk kader wij  nieuwkomers kunnen geven?

Een  Vlaming is een verongelijkte individuele egoïst met een totaal gebrek aan burgerzin die vindt dat élke euro belasting er één te veel is, maar tegelijk geen enkele verantwoordelijkheid meer neemt en het vanzelfsprekend vindt dat de staat een extreme zorgstaat is/moet worden en zodoende zoveel mogelijk gratis wil. Een Vlaming is iemand die besloten heeft dat hij als simpele Jan-met-de-pet de wet niet meer moet naleven omdat alle politici-zakkenvullers/zakenlui/ondernemers/stinkenderijkaards/asielzoekers/allochtonen dat ook niet doen  – en al zeker niet gestraft of vervolgd worden! – en schept graag op over zijn foefelen en zwartwerk (alszijdatmogenmagikdatook). Een Vlaming komt enkel op straat of  mailt naar Peeters&Pichal wanneer hij vindt dat ‘zijn eigen’ onrecht is aangedaan of hij zijn achtertuin met veranda bedreigd ziet, laat zich probleem- en protestloos uitmelken door energie- en telecombedrijven, plaatst zonnepanelen niet uit ecologische overwegingen maar omdat het hem belastingsvoordeel oplevert, kiest morgen alweer voor een politicus die hij gisteren verketterde, is vanavond al vergeten wat er vanmorgen gebeurd of gezegd is  behalve wie er kwam eten. Een Vaming houdt zich enkel aan de snelheidsbeperkingen als er een flitspaal (gesignaleerd via sms of website!) in de buurt is en zijn portemonnee in gevaar komt, is er van doordrongen dat verkeersregels enkel moeten gevolgd worden om boetes te vermijden en niet voor de algemene veiligheid en maakt van foutparkeren een nationale sport. Een échte Vlaming voelt zich Thuis bij Familie onder de kerktoren en vertrouwt op Onze Nationale Held Witse om de Aspense misdaden op te lossen.

(Zie internetfora van kranten en TV-programma’s, de klaagbank van Peeters&Pichal, de werkvloer en het dagelijks verkeer).

Al moet ik toevoegen dat ik ook al heel veel Vlamingen in het buitenland tegenkwam.

(de gelegenheid om dit mooie nummer van Jacques Brel nog eens boven te halen…)

  Bien sûr, nous eûmes des orages
Vingt ans d’amour, c’est l’amour fol
Mille fois tu pris ton bagage
Mille fois je pris mon envol
Et chaque meuble se souvient
Dans cette chambre sans berceau
Des éclats des vieilles tempêtes
Plus rien ne ressemblait à rien
Tu avais perdu le goût de l’eau
Et moi celui de la conquête.

 Mais, mon amour
Mon doux mon tendre mon merveilleux amour
De l’aube claire jusqu’à la fin du jour
Je t’aime encore tu sais je t’aime 

Moi, je sais tous tes sortilèges
Tu sais tous mes envoûtements
Tu m’as gardé de pièges en pièges
Je t’ai perdue de temps en temps
Bien sûr tu pris quelques amants
Il fallait bien passer le temps
Il faut bien que le corps exulte
Finalement finalement
Il nous fallut bien du talent
Pour être vieux sans être adultes. 

Et plus le temps nous fait cortège
Et plus le temps nous fait tourment
Mais n’est-ce pas le pire piège
Que vivre en paix pour des amants
Bien sûr tu pleures un moins moins tôt
Je me déchire un peu plus tard
Nous protégeons moins nos mystères
On laisse moins faire le hasard
On se méfie du fil de l’eau
Mais c’est toujours la tendre guerre

 JACQUES BREL

  § 

Certo ci fu qualche tempesta
anni d’amore alla follia.
Mille volte tu dicesti basta
mille volte io me ne andai via.
Ed ogni mobile ricorda
in questa stanza senza culla
i lampi dei vecchi contrasti
non c’era più una cosa giusta
avevi perso il tuo calore
ed io la febbre di conquista.
Mio amore mio dolce meraviglioso amore
dall’alba chiara finché il giorno muore
ti amo ancora sai ti amo.
So tutto delle tue magie
e tu della mia intimità
sapevo delle tue bugie
tu delle mie tristi viltà.
So che hai avuto degli amanti
bisogna pur passare il tempo
bisogna pur che il corpo esulti
ma c’é voluto del talento
per riuscire ad invecchiare senza diventare adulti.
Mio amore mio dolce mio meraviglioso amore
dall’alba chiara finché il giorno muore
ti amo ancora sai ti amo.
Il tempo passa e ci scoraggia
tormenti sulla nostra via
ma dimmi c’é peggior insidia
che amarsi con monotonia?
Adesso piangi molto dopo
io mi dispero con ritardo
non abbiamo più misteri
si lascia meno fare al caso
scendiamo a patti con la terra
però é la stessa dolce guerra.
Mon amour
mon doux, mon tendre, mon merveilleux amour
de l’aube claire jusqu’à la fin du jour
je t’aime encore, tu sais, je t’aime.

 FRANCO BATTIATO 

Siccome da oggi sul lavoro mi sento così:

stasera preparo la valigia e domani volo qui:

e, se mi va, non torno più!

Il faut oublier

Tout peut s’oublier

Qui s’enfuit déjà

Oublier le temps

Des malentendus

Et le temps perdu

Fonte: “MusicalNews“

di Laura Gorini

Venerdì 6 novembre esce “L’insulto delle parole” (Promo Music/Edel), il quarto disco della cantautrice toscana Susanna Parigi.

L’album, distribuito nei negozi tradizionali, sulle piattaforme digitali e sul sito www.promomusic.it, affronta il tema della parola, delle sue smisurate e controverse potenzialità.

Sono le parole di Pasquale Panella, in una introduzione contenuta nel libretto, che presentano il cd: “Le parole che insultano e le parole che sono insultate, e quello che ne viene. […] Tu canti questo. […] Chiusa nel cuore e preda del tuo pubblico egoista”.

Susanna Parigi lo presenterà in una serie di showcase/incontri che partiranno il 5 novembre a Roma presso la Fnac del Centro Commerciale Porta di Roma (Via Alberto Lionello, 201) per proseguire il 6 novembre a Napoli presso la Fnac (via Luca Giordano, 59) e successivamente in altri store in tutta Italia.

Susanna Parigi racconta così il suo progetto: “Percorrere la storia di una parola è come scoprire sotto le pietre il segreto delle sorgenti. La parola ha una potenza smisurata, a volte può fare la differenza tra vivere o morire. La parola può dare la sensazione di appartenere a qualcos’altro, una folla, un esercito, un ideale. Può comandare, contrattare, illudere. La parola è sacra. Le parole ingannano. Qualcuno ha detto “Non credo che alcun sistema filosofico riuscirà mai a sopprimere la schiavitù: tutt’al più ne muterà il nome”. Ecco l’insulto di cui ho sentito esigenza di scrivere oggi, forte, violento, talmente evidente che è un dolore terribile accorgersi che dai più non è visto”.

Sei dei brani contenuti in “L’insulto delle parole” sono firmati in coppia con Kaballà, il musicista di origini siciliane già autore fra gli altri di Carmen Consoli, Eros Ramazzotti, Antonella Ruggiero e Mario Venuti.

Da segnalare la riedizione di “La canzone dei vecchi amanti” di Jacques Brel, riarrangiata da Vince Tempera. Tutto il disco è arricchito dal quartetto d’archi Arkè String Quartet, con Carlo Cantini al violino, Valentino Corvino al violino, Sandro Di Paolo alla viola e Stefano Dall’Ora al contrabbasso.

Queste le dieci tracce che compongono l’album: “L’insulto delle parole”, “Non chiedermi parole d’amore”, “Fa Niente”, “L’Attenzione”, “La Fiorista”, “Il Raro Movimento”, “C’è Bisogno di Tempo”, “La Canzone dei vecchi amanti”, “Una Basta”, “L’applauso”.

“L’insulto delle parole” contiene inoltre “The insult of words”(è la traduzione inglese, per questo va tolto), un clip video che raccoglie le testimonianze di Pino Arlacchi, Corrado Augias, Lella Costa, Cesare Fiumi, Kaballà, Leonardo Manera, Andrea Pinketts e Bruno Renzi e rappresenta un work in progress che si va man mano arricchendo di altre testimonianze e variazioni sul tema dell’insulto della parola.

Sul sito di Promo Music è già visibile l’intervista rilasciata da Marco Travaglio, e con il tempo si aggiungeranno sempre più dichiarazioni di importanti personalità della cultura italiana.

Interprete sofisticata e autrice di grande spessore, Susanna Parigi è stata pianista di Riccardo Cocciante, Claudio Baglioni e Fiorella Mannoia e vocalist di Raf, suona la fisarmonica, canta, scrive i testi, la musica e gli arrangiamenti delle sue canzoni. Chansonnière fiorentina ma trapiantata a Milano, propone un genere originalissimo che potrebbe essere definito “pop letterario”.

Sostenuta da artisti come il fotografo Sebastião Salgado e il filosofo Umberto Galimberti, diplomata in pianoforte, insegna al conservatorio di Trento. Susanna Parigi ha inoltre collaborato con il celebre chitarrista statunitense Pat Metheny, la cantante israeliana Noa e il bassista e stickista statunitense Tony Levin.

Questi i suoi lavori precedenti: “Susanna Parigi” (1996); “Scomposta” (1999); “In Differenze” (2004); “In Differenze: il dvd” (2007).

Fonte: Ufficio Stampa Parole e Dintorni

El miércoles se me olvidó comer. Mareado entre papeles, facturas, ordenadores y casillas de Acces me elevo como lo hace en clase Mercedes Torrevejano, mi profesora de metafísica. Ése soy yo, Tontainaman. Al llegar a casa, una orgía de asuntos sorprendentes me devuelve a la realidad. No me importa que la melancolía sea el regalo con que los dioses premian a los elegidos.  Quiero escapar de ella antes de sucumbir por ella; vivir en mi nube, que me dejen allí, ni muy alto ni muy bajo, yo mi nube la manejo bien. Si sólo quería mirar hacia el sol y acostarme en la tierra. No es tanto! No me dejéis ahora, os he de necesitar. Voy a darme un par de hostias antes de ponerme a llorar. En una esquinita de mi lista de tareas anotaré diez veces… acordarme de comer y también de sonreír.

Cuando no hay más que el amor, por única razón, por única canción, por único socorro.

Sin tener nada más que la fuerza de amar, estará en nuestras manos, amigos, el mundo entero.

Il est blond, bien coiffé, le genre gendre idéal. Malgré les apparences, il ne s’agit pas de Jean Sarkozy mais de Scott Walker. Faux frère dans les Walker Brothers, il se lance en solo en 1967 et reprendra à plusieurs reprises Jacques Brel dont il s’était fait l’interprète anglophone et dont il a contribué a populariser l’œuvre au delà des frontières francophones. Pour son album Scott 3 (1969) il enregistre trois titres de Brel dont “Sons Of”, dédié à tous les fils de.

↓ Ecouter Sons Of de Scott Walker.

Ça punche comme titre, non???

Bin c’est officiellement l’insulte la plus funky du monde!!! Me semble que j’imagine quelqu’un me crier ça, quand je le coupe….

C’est sûr que si j’avais une charette pis un cheval, au moins, ça semblerait plausible…

Mais pour y aller un peu plus sérieusement, je revenais de travailler il y a quelques minutes à peine, et pour être sûre d’être capable de me rendre à bon port, je chante à m’époumoner dans mon auto. Je pars du travail, branche mon iPhone dans mon auto et pèse sur Aléatoire. Ça commence avec Kat de Luna (Whine up) sur Ste-catherine. Au coin de Ste-Cath et Papineau, proche du McDo, et bin dans la dite fenêtre du McDo, je vous le jure, il y avait le gars qui a gagné star académie… ou qqn qui y ressemble beaucoup. Bin je me suis dit que lui, bin, il pouvait pas chanter à tue-tête du Kat De Luna… Et je l’ai vraiment plaint…

Jusqu’à ce que je tombe sur ”Le casque d’or de Mambrino” , que j’entendes l’insulte ultime (Cornichonesque marandrin), et que j’arrive sur le pont. Là, je m’époumonais sur du Brel et l’ai oublié….

Bonne journée

Då är man snart i Stockholm igen (imorgon) och nu ska jag faktiskt tillbringa minst två veckor i huvudstaden då jag ska delta i en arkeologisk undersökning strax utanför Norrtälje. Det ska bli skönt att få sova i sin egen säng några dagar och laga mat i sitt eget kök.

På lördag är det dags för Franska Vin- och Gastronomidagarna på Grand Hotel i Stockholm.  Vi kommer att gå på förmiddagspasset (12-14) och sedan leta upp någon trevlig restaurang att fortsätta eftermiddagen på och för att följa tråden får det bli något franskt kök.

Magnus Reuterdahl

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La vie en rose Quand il me prend dans ses bras, Il me parle tout bas Je vois la vie en rose, Il me dit des mots d’amour Des mots de tous les jours, Et ça m’fait quelque chose Il