Being Latin American and not knowing about Carlos Gardel's tango and Bossa Nova is like being American and not knowing about Jazz... a sin! (Although I'm sure a lot of people don't even know they exist).
Carlos Gardel is a man I've heard thanks to my grandmother and my father! I really like him, he's songs are certainly sensual! However, I must admit that I prefer Bossa Nova! Portuguese is a perfect language! It's so beautiful and melodical! (I have some Bossa Nova CDs myself)
Antonio Carlos Jobim is by far the greatest of all, his songs like 'The Girl from Ipanema' have crossed the world without limits! (Even Sinatra recorded him!)
'Aguas de Março' is one my favourite Bossa Nova songs! I love it when Jobim annd Elis Regina sing it together, but when they sing it alone they also make a great work!
(Who hasn't listen this at least once in their lives?)
Jazz is by far my favorite American musical style! Jazz just speaks to me in both melodies and lyrics. I have already listened to everything that was covered up in the notes of Jazz, and I just don't understand how someone could have not listen to at least one of the basic jazz songs! Unbelievable!
Ragtime
Scott Joplin is certainly the star of ragtime and I think that everybody should have at listened to one Joplin's piece. The Pineapple Rag, for instance, is a must! It is perfect, sublime, a unique experience! So catchy, cheerful even if there's no lyrics on it!
Blues
Blues are certainly not cheerful (duh), but I think Blues are sublime! A complete different experience from Ragtime, but still great and deep; it touches one's heart!
Tin Pan Alley
To understand what a Tin Pan Alley song is, you just have to listen to 'After You've Gone'. There are plenty number of versions of this song, I couldn't just pick one as my favorite.. I think that Leigh Harris's, Dinah Washington's, Eydie Gorme's and Fiona Apple's are all great in their different styles!
Here's an excerpt of the song in 'All That Jazz'
Jazz
Jazz for me is indescribable! It is great in so many ways that I can't make a short paragraph about it. I don't want to let anyone out, but I would only talk about the ones that I think are the more basic and delightful.
Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald: My favorite pair! Armstrong trumpet is sublime, but his voice is just marvelous! Ella Fitzgerald is naturally one of the greatest female singers of all times! Her voice is just angelical, melodic... perfect!
Glenn Miller Orchestra: They created one of the most famous jazzy melodies. Who doesn't want to dance to their music! It's such a shame what happened to them...
Don't Fence Me In: Who doesn't like Cole Porter, Bin Crosby and the Andrews Sisters all in one?! What a sublime piece!
George Gershwin: Indeed one of the greatest American composers along with Cole Porter!
(I think Sinatra sings this one better, but Fred Astaire does a great job too!)
Charlie Chaplin: I love Chaplin's films! He always know how to delight me and make me laugh. I really didn't know he also composed music, I've already listened to 'Smile', of course, but I never imagined Chaplin was involved with it. I just fell in love again with this song!
Ray Charles: How I love his man! His life was certainly problematic, sad, sometimes pathetic, but his music is something I can't resist!
(I love Ray Charles in 'The Blues Brothers')
Harry Warren: I love Harry Warren! 'At Last' is, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs of this time!
Frank Sinatra: One of my dreams is to see Frank Sinatra singing in front of me in a concert. Of course, that dream can't never be accomplished anymore, but what can I say? I love Frank Sinatra! What a man! I think his voice is the most perfect voice that the USA has ever produced! Hats off to him! I can't decide which is my favorite song by Sinatra, but here's one I really love:
I couldn't forget to mention Dean Martin and Louis Prima on this post! I love them!
I read the poems by Dorothy Parker,Langston Hughes, and Sterling Brown and all I could think about is that there was an old black ma'am reading it for me. The syntax and orthography of those poems is certainly unorthodox but great still!
"White man tells me--hunh--
Damn yo' soul;
White man tells me--hunh--
Damn yo' soul;
Got no need, bebby,
To be tole."
Dance
Josephine Baker was just weird. There's no other word to describe her... she's weird and somehow disturbing. Bill 'Bojangles', on the other hand, was just great! His dance would make any man smile! The Nicholas Brothers are overwhelming, they would make everyone say 'ouch, that should have hurt'... they are acrobatically amazing! The may not be as classy and delicate as Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, but they surely got an amazing talent!
I think society underestimates photographers that make 'commercial' photographs. Fashion and Hollywood photography is obviously commercial, but it is not less artistic than a photograph of any other Photograph movement. In my opinion, Fashion and Hollywood photographers are great and they certainly accomplished their work of making celebrities and models look like semi-Gods we have to look up to! These black and white photographs are just perfect! It's all about light!
California Modern Architecture and Design is indeed really modern! Those houses and designs are something we could see today and still consider it glamorous and innovative. I think that California Modern houses are really beautiful and and a great work of art if we're talking about aesthetics, but their practical potential is limited. I mean, I love those houses, but I wouldn't live in one of those... Where's the privacy? What about the sun? No one would like those houses in Culiacan!
Yeah! Basic chairs for any school today!
What a nice gas station! Why don't we have a PEMEX station like this one?!
I would define Art Deco as the modern son of Art Nouveau and I've always loved Art Nouveau, so Art Deco works perfectly for me. Art Deco, however, is also really attached to our machine-dependent present and it is easy to notice that it features a tendency towards straight lines and straight geometric figures rather than curves and circles. Nevertheless, even though I usually prefer curves and circles, I think Art Deco is amazing and actually produced a great bunch of interesting and overwhelming buildings! How cool would be to live in a city full of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture! Moreover, homes full of Art Deco designs and paintings with people all dressed up in Art Deco fashion clothes... the paradise for sure!
Art Deco painting itself is really contrasting and interesting. For instance, I really REALLY loved Tamara de Lempicka's work; her paintings feature some perfect color, dark and light compositions that just combine perfectly with the stylized figures that star the whole piece! Perfect! However, I didn't find Florine Stettheimer paintings that appealing even if they give a bit of an European atmosphere... (But I would LOVE to have that doll house for me!)
Tamara de Lempicka's self portrait
Lempicka's 'The Musician'
Art Deco sculpture seems to me like some miniature versions of Art Deco buildings! Really interesting!
Fred Astaire is one of my favorite male dancers along with Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse. Fred Astaire's got not only a notorious talent, but a great class that has always delighted me!
Here's his the number I love the most:
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