Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now...

Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush - Don't give up

A song I have sung to myself... I find the video clip really moving with the long hugging scene.



In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight
Taught to win
I never thought I could fail

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face
I've changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not beaten yet
Don't give up
I know you can make it good

Though I saw it all around
Never thought that I could be affected
Thought that we'd be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn

Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground

Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up
We don't need much of anything
Don't give up
'Cause somewhere there's a place where we belong

Rest your head
You worry too much
It's going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don't give up
Please don't give up

Got to walk out of here
I can't take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river's flowing
That river's flowing

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not the only one
Don't give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up now
We're proud of who you are
Don't give up
You know it's never been easy
Don't give up
'Cause I believe there's a place
There's a place where we belong

Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer

Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress.

[Chorus:]
Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

[Chorus (repeat)]

Rolling Stones, She's A Rainbow (Lyrics and video clip)

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

Have you seen her dressed in blue
See the sky in front of you
And her face is like a sail
Speck of white so fair and pale
Have you seen the lady fairer

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

Have you seen her all in gold
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colors all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen the lady fairer

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

Electric Dreams (movie and song by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder)

A movie and a song I watched and heard when I was 15 and marks a time of innocence and pure love.




I only knew you for a while
I never saw your smile
Till it was time to go
Time to go away (time to go away)

Sometimes its hard to recognise
Love comes as a surprise
And its too late
It's just to late to stay (to late to stay)

[Chorus]
We'll always be together
However far it seems (love never ends)
We'll always be together
Together in electric dreams

Because the friendship that you gave
Has taught me to be brave
No matter where I go
I'll never find a better prize (find a better prize)

Though your miles and miles away
I see you everyday
I don't have to try
I just close my eyes
I close my eyes

[Chorus till fade]


Electric Dreams is a 1984 movie set in San Francisco, California that depicts a love triangle between a man, a woman, and a home computer. It stars Lenny Von Dohlen, Virginia Madsen and Bud Cort (voice) and was directed by Steve Barron. It was the first film released by the Virgin Films production company.
The soundtrack features music from prominent popular musicians of the time, being among the movies of this generation that actively explored the commercial link between a movie and its soundtrack.The soundtrack album Electric Dreams was re-issued on CD in 1998.
The VHS recording of this movie is rare. It was released in 1984 and again in 1991, but has not been manufactured since the mid-1990s. Warner Bros released a Video CD version for the Singapore market in 2001, but this too has proved difficult to get hold of.

Plot

The story opens with Miles Harding, an architect who envisions a brick shaped like a jigsaw puzzle piece that could withstand earthquakes. Seeking a way to get organized, he buys a home computer (made by the fictitious company Pinecone Computers) to help him develop his ideas. Although he is initially unsure that he will even be able to correctly operate the computer, he later buys numerous extra gadgets that were not necessary for his work, such as switches to control household appliances like the blender, a speech synthesizer, and a microphone. The computer addresses Miles as "Moles", because Miles mistyped his name during the initial set-up.
When Miles attempts to download data from a mainframe computer at work, the computer begins to overheat. In a state of panic, Miles pours a nearby bottle of champagne over the machine, but instead of destroying it, this has the effect of bringing the computer to life.
The remainder of the movie deals with a love triangle between Miles, his computer (which identifies its own name as "Edgar" at the end of the movie), and Miles' neighbor, an attractive cellist named Madeline (Virginia Madsen). Edgar increasingly invades Miles' affairs leading to several invasions into his life away from the house.
Eventually, Edgar accepts Madeline and Miles' love for each other, and appears to commit suicide by sending a large electric current through its modem, around the world, and back to itself. It is revealed in the final scene that Edgar has transferred himself away from his computer "body" into electronic systems in the world.

Sex without love is a meaningless experience

Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as far as meaningless experiences go it’s pretty damn good.

—Woody Allen

Dancing rueda salsa in latin house in Maroussi

The last couple of Wednesdays I have been going to latin house cafe for rueda lessons (read below to find out in detail about what rueda is).

I must confess it is great fun as the list of moves we learn increases. I find their names also really funny, i.e. Principe bueno is when the man kisses the hand of the woman before going to the next one. Also Cucaracha (cockroach) is a sharp movement with the foot like stepping on a cockroach.

Latin House
Βασ. Σοφίας 20
Μαρούσι 15124
210 8060155

Rueda de Casino (Rueda, Casino Rueda, Salsa Rueda) is a particular type of round dancing of Salsa. It was developed in Havana, Cuba in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the famous group Guaracheros de Regla and one of its main choreographers and creators was Jorge Alfaro from San Miguel del Padron, a soloist of a comparsa.

Pairs of dancers form a circle, with dance moves called out by one person, a caller (or 'Líder' or 'cantante' in Spanish). Many moves have hand signs to complement the calls; these are useful in noisy venues, where spoken calls might not be easily heard. Many of the moves involve the swapping of partners.

The names of the moves are mostly in Spanish, some in English (or Spanglish; e.g., "un fly"). Some names are known in slightly different versions, easily recognisable by Spanish-speaking dancers, but may be confusing to the rest.

Rueda is not only popular in Cuba or U.S.A., but in many other countries around the world - there are many active groups in at least Hungary, Israel, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Spain, Australia, Switzerland and the UK. At least in Germany and Israel, some of the calls are in German and Hebrew respectively.

In Hungary most of the dance schools usually teach cuban style in a Rueda.

Although the names of the calls are presently the same across the board, the different towns in Cuba use their own calls. This was due to the fact that when the pioneers of Rueda de Casino started, they wanted to keep others from participating in their Rueda. Nowadays many local variations of the calls can be found. They can change from town to town or even from teacher to teacher. For example, if you learn rueda in London you will not normally be able to dance it with people who learned rueda from a different teacher.

Nowadays, Rueda tries to be more "inclusive" and not "exclusive" and, in at least Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, Callers are choosing calls to coincide more with the regular calls made in Miami, parts of U.S.A., and Europe. Also, when an instructor wants to keep classes fresh and fun, they often makes up new interesting calls. While this may decrease the fun of dancing rueda with people you just met, it makes for an expanding world of Rueda.

Casino Rueda scenes may be seen in the movie Dance with Me and in the music video clip No me dejes de querer by Gloria Estefan.

List of moves

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Rueda_de_Casino

Translations are in ( ), variants are in [ ], explanations are in <>.

• A Bayamo
  • A Bayamo por de bajo
  • A Bayomo complicado
• Abajo (down)
• Abrázala (hug her)
• Adiós (bye)
  • Adiós con la hermana (with the sister)
  • Adiós con la hermana complicado
  • Adiós con la familia (with the whole family)
  • Adiós con la prima
  • Adiós con (la) vuelta
  • Adiós largo
  • Festival de adiós [con una] [con dos] [con tres]
• Al medio [p'al medio] (to centre)
• A lo cortico
• Arriba al tiempo España
• Aspirina
• Avion
• Balsero (raftsman)
• Bikini
• Beso [El beso] (kiss)
• Besito (little kiss)
• Bola
  • Bola una
  • Bola dos
  • Bola tres
• Botella [La botella] ... -> con la tapa (con tapa)... -> trunca
• Bulla [Una bulla] [Suena]
• Cadeneta (chain)
• Candado (lock)
  • Candado de mentira
• Cero [El cero] (zero)
• Cien (one hundred)
• Coca-Cola
• Coco
• Coquita
• Consorte
• Croqueta [or Taxi]
• Cucaracha (cockroach)
• Dame (una) (Gimme one)
  • Dame otra (give me another)
  • Dame una/dos/tres... (gimme 1/2/3..)
  • Dame y arriba [also Dame dos arriba, tres arriba...]
  • Dame (una) con una (with clap(s))
    • (Dame) Dos con dos/una (dame dos with 2/1 claps)
    • Dame 1/2/3... con 1/2/3...
  • Dame... con las manos [pasa con los manos, pasala con los manos]
  • Otra (again)
• Danilo
  • Danilo y dame
• Dedo (finger)
  • Dedo saboreado (with flavor)
• Dedo, guarapo y bota(la)
• Dile que no (tell her "no")
• Dile que si (tell her "yes")
• Doble play
• Doble cero (double zero)
• Dos (two)[El Dos]
• Drácula
• Echevarria
• Enchufla (plug in)
  • Enchufla pa'fuera
  • Enchufla, Enchufla pero no dile que no (enchufla without "dile que no") <"Enchufla" by default includes Dame "5-7">
  • Enchufla doble (double)
  • Enchufla que no [Enchufla y no le llegas]
  • Enchufla con la pierna (with the feet)
  • Enchufla con vuelta (with turn)
  • Enchufla con la familia
  • Festival de enchufla [con una] [con dos] [con tres]
  • Enchufla p'al medio (to middle) [Enchufla p'al centro] (to center)
    • Con una/dos (with 1/2 claps)
    • Con vuelta (with turn)
    • Con las manos (with hands)
    • Sin manos (without hands)
    • Cadena [Tranca]
      • Cadena y Mujeres y Hombres ... Se Fue (get out / on your own)
    • Cero (0)
    • Seis (6)
    • Ocho (8)
    • Ocho se fue (one goes around in an "8" formation)
  • Enchufla y casate (get married)
  • ...la cunada,... la hermana,... su madre,... la tuya
  • Enchufla por detrás
• Evelyn
• Exhibe(la) (exhibit her / show her off)
• Fly [Un fly] [Fly dos]
• Frankenstein
• Gancho (hook)
• Guapea [guaperia] (prep / basic step)
• Havana
• Helicoptero
• Huracan (hurricane)
• Juana la cubana (the guy from Cuba)
• Kentucky
  • Kentucky complicado
• La rosa (rose)
• Mantecado
• Montaña (mountain)
• Hombres derecha (men to the right)
• Hombres izquierda (men to the left)
• Mosquito (everyone claps above their head on the next 1)
• Mujeres derecha (women to the right)
• Mujeres izquierda (women to the left)
• Noventa (ninety)
• Nueve (nine)
• Ochenta y quatro
  • Ochenta y quatro moderno
• Panqué
• Pasa con los manos (pasala con los manos, dame con los manos) (pass with hands)
• P'al medio [Al medio] (to centre)
  • Pa'Arriba (upstream)
  • Pa'Abajo (downstream)
• Pa'Tras (backward)
• Para Ti, Para Mi
• Para Ti, Para Mi
• Pelota (ball)
  • Pelota (con) dos (with 2 claps)
  • Pelota (con) quatro (with 4 claps and everyone turns to left)
  • Pelota (con) loca (crazy)
• Peluquería
• Photo [Una Foto]
• Play
  • Doble Play
  • Triple Play
• Prima
  • Prima doble
  • Prima con hermana
• Principe bueno
• Principe malo [Castigalo]
• Policía
  • Policia de Miami
• Ponle sabor (give it flavor)
• Puente (bridge)
• Rico pa el
• Rollo y Guaguanco
• Rompela
• Rubenada
• Sabia (wise person)
• Saboreado
• Sacar agua del pozo
• Seis (6)
• Serrucho (saw)
• Setenta (70)
  • Setenta complicado (complicated 70)
  • Setenta Miami
  • Setenta con las manos (with the hands)
  • Setenta por debajo largo
  • Setenta por debajo largo
  • Setenta nuevo (new)
  • Noventa (90)
  • Setenta y Uno (71)
  • Setenta y Dos (72)
  • Setenta y Tres (73)
• Sencillo
• Siete (7)
  • Siete loco
  • Siete moderno
  • Siete con Coca-Cola
  • Siete loco complicado
• Sin manos (without hands)
• Sombrero
  • Sombrero doble
  • Sombrero p'abajo [Sombrero por de bajo]
  • Sombrero doble
  • Sombrero doble complicate
  • Sombrero de Manny
• Suena [Bulla] (make sound)
• Tarro [Un tarro] (horn)
  • Hombres un tarro
  • Mujeres un tarro
  • ... de mentira (change your mind)
  • Dos tarros
  • Tarro, pero no la suerte
• Tarrito (cheat)
  • Tarrito de mentira (cheat... but change your mind)
  • Pegale Tarrito (cheat, hold hands) -> Se Fue (get out / on your own)
• Telefoto
• Talía
• Three-way stop
• Trenecito
• Twist
• Uno (one) [La una]
• Vacila(la) (check her out)
  • Vacila con vuelta (with turn)
  • Vacila y sienta {sienta la}
  • Vacilence los dos (together)
  • Vacilence los dos con vuelta
• Xemena
• Yogurt
  • Yogurt con tapa
  • Yogurt con todo el mundo
  • Yogurt con la vecina
  • Yogurt para siempre
  • Yogurt shake

External links

• Indianapolis Rueda (list of calls)
• Learn to Dance Rueda in the Nation's Capitol
• A Syllabus of Rueda Moves
• large selection of videoclips of Rueda de Casino commands - French site
• Rueda commands with description
• wikibook for rueda commands
• Various styles of Salsa
• list of Rueda de Casino steps
• Salsa Casino/Rueda Dance Pattern Descriptions
• Salsa Steps from "Salsa in Singapore" : Check out Christine Tan's awesome moves descriptions pdf/word document

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rueda_de_Casino

Frida Kahlo (video clip and script of the movie)

• Download Frida Kahlo script

Amami se vuoi, Claudio Villa (lyrics and English translation)

Mi piace tanto accarezzarti
Sugli occhi timidi baciarti
Ma non mi sento di giurarti
Se tu mi chiedi eterno amor

Abbandoniamoci al destino
Soltanto lui non sa ingannar
E se rimango a te vicino
Non lusingarti, ma non disperar, no

Amami se vuoi, tienimi se puoi
Io son l'amor che svanisce
Ma dei baci miei non fidarti mai
Io son l'amor che ferisce

E quando fra le braccia mi stringi dolcemente
Ancor più dolcemente ti dirò
Amami se vuoi, tienimi se puoi
Perché io sono così

E se rimango a te vicino
Non lusingarti, ma non disperar, no

Amami se vuoi, tienimi se puoi
Io son l'amor che svanisce
Ma dei baci miei non fidarti mai
Io son l'amor che ferisce

E quando fra le braccia mi stringi dolcemente
Ancor più dolcemente ti dirò
Amami se vuoi, tienimi se puoi
Perché io sono così


Love me if you want to

I really like caressing you
Kissing your shy eyes
But I don't feel like swearing
If you ask me for eternal love

Let's give ourselves up to destiny
He's the only one who can't cheat
And if I stay near you
Don't flatter yourself, but don't despair, no

Love me if you want to, hold me if you can
I'm the love that fades away
But never trust my kisses
I'm the love that hurts

And when you hold me softly in your arms
Even more softly, I'll say to you:
"Love me if you want to, hold me if you can
Because I'm like this"

And if I stay near you
Don't flatter yourself, but don't despair, no

Love me if you want to, hold me if you can
I'm the love that fades away
But never trust my kisses
I'm the love that hurts

And when you hold me softly in your arms
Even more softly, I will say to you:
"Love me if you want to, hold me if you can
Because I'm like this"

[Translation by Cristina Giuntini]

Words Don't Come Easy by F.R. David

Words, don't come easy, to me,
how can I find a way,
to make you see,
I love you
words don't come easy

Words, don't come easy, to me,
this is the only way,
for me to say
I love you
words don't come easy

Well I'm just a music man,
melodie 's so far my best friend
but my words are calling out longer
I reveal my heart to you and
hope that you'll believe it's true, 'cause

Words, don't come easy to me,
how can I find a way,
to make you see,
I love you
words don't come easy

This is just a simple song,
that I've made for you on my own,
there's no hidden needing, you know that I
when I say I love you honey,
please believe I really do, 'cause

Words, don't come easy to me,
how can I find a way,
to make you see,
I love you
words don't come easy

It isn't easy,
words don't come easy....

Words, don't come easy, to me,
how can I find a way,
to make you see,
I love you
words don't come easy

don't come easy to me,
this is the only way,
for me to say, I love you
words don't come easy

Le mari de la coiffeuse (The Hairdresser's Husband)

An amazing film, a mixture of innocence, French sensuality, Dionysian exertions, unmitigated joie de vivre and glorious Liebestod. Not to be missed. Go and watch it, now!
A few amazing scenes, the Arab dance of the husband, the drinking of eau de cologne as alcohol...





Links
The Hairdresser's Husband in Wikipedia

Judging whether life is or is not worth living

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest--whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or twelve categories--comes afterward. These are games; one must first answer.
Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

Shirley Horn, Once I Loved [o Amor En Paz] download mp3

An extremely soft, sensitive and moving song about lost love. An all-time favourite. For some reason, the atmosphere it creates, is (although completely different genre) strongly reminiscent of Joy Division's Atmosphere.

Because love is the saddest thing when it goes away

Once, once I Loved
And I gave so much love to this love you were the world to me
Once I cried
At the thought I was foolish and proud and let you say goodbye

And then one day
From my infinite sadness you came and brought me love again
Now I know
That no matter what ever befalls I'll never let you go
I will hold you close
Make you stay
Because love is the saddest thing when it goes away
Love is the saddest thing when it goes away

Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge over troubled water (video clip and lyrics)

When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Simon & Garfunkel, Sound Of Silence (video clip and lyrics)

Hello darkness, my old friend,
Ive come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of
A neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one deared
Disturb the sound of silence.

Fools said i,you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said, the words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whisperd in the sounds of silence.

Wim Mertens - Struggle For Pleasure

Close Cover - Wim Mertens

Tous les matins du monde (video clip)

This is one of my favourite films ever. Excellent music and profound feeling.

Philip Glass, The Hours

Kieslowski & Preisner, La Double vie de Veronique, Les Marionettes (score and video clip)

Download the sheet music of Zbigniew Preisner - Les Marionettes

Moody Blues, Nights In White Satin (video clip and lyrics)

Nights in white satin,
Never reaching the end,
Letters I've written,
Never meaning to send.

Beauty I'd always missed
With these eyes before,
Just what the truth is
I cant say anymore.

cause I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.

Gazing at people,
Some hand in hand,
Just what I'm going thru
They can understand.

Some try to tell me
Thoughts they cannot defend,
Just what you want to be
You will be in the end,

And I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.
Oh, how, I love you.

Nights in white satin,
Never reaching the end,
Letters Ive written,
Never meaning to send.

Beauty I'd always missed
With these eyes before,
Just what the truth is
I cant say anymore.

cause I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.
Oh, how, I love you.

cause I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.
Oh, how, I love you.

The Christians - Words (video clip and lyrics)

The Christians: Words

If i could find words
To tell you i'm sorry
Make you understand
I mean just what i say

After all that i've heard
Why should i worry
When we ride the fine line
Between love and hate

If i had been wise
well how could i doubt you
now i'm all alone
my life in disarray

but try as i might
i can't live without you
so i cling to the hope
of a bright brighter day

oh i know we've been through this all before
how can i prove my love for you is real
no i can't do anymore
if i could only find words

and still he has dreams
and still i must learn to cope
absurd as it seems
i still have hope

if i had good sense
and heed all the warnings
i would let it be
and leave all well alone

but there's no recompense
for waking up mornings
feeling sure it's myself
who's the foolish one

yes i know we've been through this all before
how can i prove my love for you is real
no i can't do anymore

The Doors, Spanish Caravan

Carry me Caravan take me away
Take me to Portugal, take me to Spain
Andalusia with fields full of grain
I have to see you again and again
Take me, Spanish Caravan
Yes, I know you can

Trade winds find Galleons lost in the sea
I know where treasure is waiting for me
Silver and gold in the mountains of Spain
I have to see you again and again
Take me, Spanish Caravan
Yes, I know you can

Savina Yannatou, Lu purtuni

An Italian song from Puglia.

Savina Yannatou, A traditional song from Kalymnos

Miracolo a Milano (Miracle in Milan - 1953) by Vittorio De Sica

Miracolo a Milano is one of the most moving films I have ever seen, far ahead of its time with its mixture of magical realism and deep humane feelings.

A must-see for any serious movie buff.

Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Chapter1 - Introduction

This book is based on the widely renowned Eight Verses of Training the Mind (Lojong Tsig Gyema in Tibetan), which was composed by Bodhisattva Langri Tangpa, an eleventh-century Buddhist Master from Tibet. Though comprising only eight four-line verses, this remarkable text reveals the essence of the Mahayana Buddhist path to enlightenment, showing how we can transform our mind from its present confused and self-centred state into the perfect wisdom and compassion of a Buddha.

Every living being has the potential to become a Buddha, someone who has completely purified his or her mind of all faults and limitations and has brought all good qualities to perfection. Our mind is like a cloudy sky, in essence clear and pure but overcast by the clouds of delusions. Just as the thickest clouds eventually disperse, so too even the heaviest delusions can be removed from our mind. Delusions such as hatred, greed, and ignorance are not an intrinsic part of the mind. If we apply the appropriate methods they can be completely eliminated, and we shall experience the supreme happiness of full enlightenment.

Everyone wants to be happy and no one wants to suffer, but very few people understand the real causes of happiness and suffering. We tend to look for happiness outside ourself, thinking that if we had the right house, the right car, the right job, and the right friends we would be truly happy. We spend almost all our time adjusting the external world, trying to make it conform to our wishes. All our life we have tried to surround ourself with people and things that make us feel comfortable, secure, or stimulated, yet still we have not found pure and lasting happiness. Even when we succeed in fulfilling our desires, it is not long before our desires change and we want something else. We may find the house of our dreams, but a few months later we feel that we need a bigger kitchen, an extra bedroom, or a larger garden, and we begin to think of moving. Or perhaps we meet the `perfect' partner, fall in love, and move in together. At the beginning our partner seems to be the most wonderful person in the world, but before long we begin to see faults in him or her. We discover that we are no longer in love, and soon we are looking for someone else to fulfil our desires.

Throughout history human beings have sought to improve their external situation, yet despite all our efforts we are no happier. It is true that from the point of view of material development many countries are making progress. Technology is becoming more and more sophisticated, and worldly knowledge has increased dramatically. We know so many things we did not know before and can do things we never even dreamt of. Superficially it looks as if our world is improving, but if we look a little more deeply we shall see that there are now many problems that never existed before. Terrifying weapons have been invented, our environment is being poisoned, and new diseases are appearing. Even simple pleasures like eating or lying in the sun are becoming more dangerous.

The result of an unbridled pursuit of happiness from external sources is that our planet is being destroyed and our lives are becoming more complicated and dissatisfying. It is time we sought happiness from a different source. Happiness is a state of mind, so the real source of happiness must lie within the mind, not in external conditions. If our mind is pure and peaceful we shall be happy, regardless of our external circumstances, but if it is impure and unpeaceful we can never be truly happy, no matter how hard we try to change our external conditions. We could change our home or our partner countless times, but until we change our restless, discontented mind we shall never find true happiness.

If we have to walk across rough and thorny ground, one way of protecting our feet is to cover the whole ground with leather, but this is not very practical. We can achieve the same result in a much simpler way - by covering our feet. Similarly, if we wish to protect ourself from suffering we can either try to change the whole world to make it conform to our wishes, or we can change our mind. Until now we have been trying to change the world, but this clearly has not worked. Now we need to change our mind.

The first step towards changing our mind is to identify which states of mind produce happiness and which produce suffering. In Buddhism, states of mind that are conducive to peace and happiness are called `virtuous minds', whereas those that disturb our peace and cause us suffering are called `delusions'. We have many different types of delusion, such as desirous attachment, anger, jealousy, pride, miserliness, and ignorance. These are known as `inner enemies' because they are continually destroying our happiness from within. Their only function is to cause us harm.

Delusions are distorted ways of looking at ourself, other people, and the world around us. The way a deluded mind views these phenomena does not accord with reality. The deluded mind of hatred, for example, views another person as intrinsically bad, but there is no such thing as an intrinsically bad person. Desirous attachment, on the other hand, sees its object of desire as intrinsically good and as a true source of happiness. If we have a strong craving to eat chocolate, chocolate appears to us to be an intrinsically desirable object. However, once we have eaten too much of it and start to feel sick, it no longer seems so desirable and may even appear repulsive. This shows that in itself chocolate is neither desirable nor repulsive. It is the mind of attachment that projects onto it all kinds of desirable qualities and then relates to it as if it really did possess those qualities.

All delusions function like this, projecting onto the world their own distorted version of reality and then relating to this projection as if it were true. When our mind is under the influence of delusions we are out of touch with reality and are, in a sense, hallucinating. Since our mind is under the influence of at least subtle forms of delusion all the time, it is not surprising that our lives are so often filled with frustration. It is as if we are continually chasing mirages, only to be disappointed when they do not give us the satisfaction for which we had hoped.

The source of all delusions is a distorted awareness called `self-grasping ignorance', which grasps phenomena as inherently, or independently, existent. In reality all phenomena are dependent arisings, which means that their existence is utterly dependent upon other phenomena, such as their causes, their parts, and the minds that apprehend them. Objects do not exist from their own side, in and of themselves; what they are depends upon how they are viewed. Our failure to realize this is the source of all our problems.

The type of self-grasping that harms us most is grasping our own self, or I, as inherently or independently existent. We instinctively feel that we possess a completely real and objective self or I that exists independently of all other phenomena, even our body and mind. One consequence of grasping at our self as an independent entity separate from the world and other people is that we develop self-cherishing, a mind that regards ourself as supremely important. Because we cherish ourself so strongly, we are drawn to the people and things we find attractive, we want to separate ourself from the people and things we find unattractive, and we are uninterested in the people and things we find neither attractive nor unattractive. In this way attachment, anger, and indifference are born. Because we have an exaggerated sense of our own importance we feel that others' interests are in conflict with our own, and this in turn gives rise to competitiveness, jealousy, arrogance, and lack of consideration for others. By acting under the influence of these and other delusions we engage in destructive behaviour, such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and hurtful speech. The result of these negative actions is suffering for both ourself and others.

Even though our delusions are deeply ingrained, they are not an intrinsic part of our mind and so they can definitely be removed. Delusions are just bad mental habits, and like all habits they can be broken. Through making a sincere and consistent effort to become familiar with constructive states of mind we can eliminate even the most stubborn delusions and replace them with the opposite virtues. For example, we can weaken our anger by familiarizing our mind with patience and love, our attachment by familiarizing our mind with non-attachment, and our jealousy by rejoicing in others' good fortune.

To eradicate delusions completely, however, we must destroy their root - the mind of self-grasping. To do this we need to familiarize our mind with the true nature of reality, or ultimate truth. If we destroy self-grasping, all other delusions cease naturally, just as the leaves and branches of a tree die if we destroy its roots. Once we have completely eradicated our delusions it will be utterly impossible for us to experience unpeaceful states of mind. As we shall no longer have the internal causes of suffering, external causes of suffering, such as sickness or death, will have no power to disturb our mind. This permanent cessation of delusion and suffering is known as `liberation', or `nirvana' in Sanskrit.

Although attaining our own liberation from suffering is a wonderful achievement, it is not enough. We are not isolated individuals but part of the family of all living beings. Everything we own, everything we enjoy, all our opportunities for spiritual development, and even our very body come from the kindness of others. Are we to make our own escape from suffering and then abandon everyone else to their fate? This would be like a young man imprisoned together with his aged parents who makes his own escape but leaves his parents behind. We would not admire such a person. We definitely need to make an effort to liberate ourself from the mental prison of our deluded minds, but our ultimate aim must be to help everyone else do the same.

Thus the final goal in Buddhism is the attainment of full enlightenment, or Buddhahood. The Sanskrit term `Buddha' means `Awakened One', and refers to anyone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and is free from the dream of mistaken appearance. Because ordinary beings like us have not yet awakened from the sleep of ignorance we continue to live in a dream-like world of mistaken appearances and do not see the true nature of things. This is the fundamental reason why we experience suffering and are of limited benefit to others. Through completely removing all traces of the darkness of ignorance from their minds, Buddhas attained omniscient wisdom and the limitless ability to help all living beings.

Their boundless and all-encompassing compassion gives Buddhas the energy to work without interruption for the sake of others. They understand the real causes of happiness and suffering, and they know exactly how to help living beings in accordance with their individual needs and inclinations. Buddhas have the power to bless people's minds, causing their delusions to subside and their virtues to increase; and they also have the ability to emanate innumerable forms for the benefit of others. Of all the ways in which Buddhas help living beings, the most effective is to teach them how to control their minds and follow the spiritual path to liberation and enlightenment.

The founder of Buddhism in this world was Buddha Shakyamuni. After attaining enlightenment, Buddha gave eighty-four thousand teachings, all of which are advice on how to subdue and overcome delusions by cultivating virtuous states of mind. Buddha's teachings, as well as the inner realizations achieved through putting these teachings into practice, are known as `Dharma'.

In the text on which this book is based, Bodhisattva Langri Tangpa has condensed the very essence of Buddhadharma into eight short verses. Through contemplating the meaning of these verses we shall see that they contain a step-by-step path to complete inner peace and happiness. If we sincerely put these teachings into practice we shall gradually subdue our destructive and self-centred habits of mind and replace them with the positive minds of unconditional love and compassion. Finally, by practising the instructions given in the chapter on ultimate bodhichitta, we shall be able to overcome the fundamental delusion of self-grasping ignorance, together with its imprints, and thereby experience the bliss of full enlightenment. This is the real meaning of seeking happiness from a different source.

Although Eight Verses was written over nine hundred years ago, it is as relevant today as it was then. Whether Buddhist or not, anyone with a genuine wish to overcome their inner problems and achieve permanent inner peace and happiness can benefit from Langri Tangpa's advice.

REBIRTH AND KARMA

Since some background knowledge of rebirth and karma is useful for understanding the main practices explained in this book, there now follows a brief introduction to these topics.

The mind is neither physical, nor a by-product of purely physical processes, but a formless continuum that is a separate entity from the body. When the body disintegrates at death, the mind does not cease. Although our superficial conscious mind ceases, it does so by dissolving into a deeper level of consciousness, called `the very subtle mind'. The continuum of our very subtle mind has no beginning and no end, and it is this mind which, when completely purified, transforms into the omniscient mind of a Buddha.

Every action we perform leaves an imprint, or potential, on our very subtle mind, and each karmic potential eventually gives rise to its own effect. Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field. Positive or virtuous actions sow the seeds of future happiness, and negative or non-virtuous actions sow the seeds of future suffering. This definite relationship between actions and their effects - virtue causing happiness and non-virtue causing suffering - is known as the `law of karma'. An understanding of the law of karma is the basis of Buddhist morality.
After we die our very subtle mind leaves our body and enters the intermediate state, or `bardo' in Tibetan. In this subtle dream-like state we experience many different visions that arise from the karmic potentials that were activated at the time of our death. These visions may be pleasant or terrifying depending on the karma that ripens. Once these karmic seeds have fully ripened they impel us to take rebirth without choice.

It is important to understand that as ordinary samsaric beings we do not choose our rebirth but are reborn solely in accordance with our karma. If good karma ripens we are reborn in a fortunate state, as either a human or a god, but if negative karma ripens we are reborn in a lower state, as an animal, a hungry spirit, or a hell being. It is as if we were blown to our future lives by the winds of our karma, sometimes ending up in higher rebirths, sometimes in lower rebirths.

This uninterrupted cycle of death and rebirth without choice is called `cyclic existence', or `samsara' in Sanskrit. Samsara is like a Ferris wheel, sometimes taking us up into the three fortunate realms, sometimes down into the three lower realms. The driving force of the wheel of samsara is our contaminated actions motivated by delusions, and the hub of the wheel is self-grasping ignorance. For as long as we remain on this wheel we shall experience an unceasing cycle of suffering and dissatisfaction, and we shall have no opportunity to experience pure, lasting happiness. By practising the Buddhist path to liberation and enlightenment, however, we can destroy self-grasping, thereby liberating ourself from the cycle of uncontrolled rebirth and attaining a state of perfect peace and freedom. We shall then be in a position to help others to do the same. A more detailed explanation of rebirth and karma can be found in the books Introduction to Buddhism and Joyful Path of Good Fortune.

Pulp, Do you remember the first time, (lyrics and video clip)

You say you've got to go home
cos he's sitting on his own again this evening.
I know you're gonna let him bore your pants off again.
Oh God, it's half past eight,
you'll be late.
You say you've never been sure,
though it makes good sense for you to be together.
Still you bought a toy that can reach the places he never goes.
Oh, now it's getting late.
He's so straight.

Do you remember the first time?
I can't remember a worse time.
But you know that we've changed so much since then,
oh yeah,
we've grown.
Now I don't care what you're doing,
no I don't care if you screw him.
Just as long as you save a piece for me,
oh yeah

You say you've got to go home.
Well at least there's someone there that you can talk to.
And you never have to face up to the night on your own.
Jesus, it must be great to be straight.

Do you remember the first time?
I can't remember a worse time.
But you know that we've changed so much since then,
oh yeah,
we've grown.
Now I don't care what you're doing,
no I don't care if you screw him.
Just as long as you save a piece for me,
oh yeah

I never give them hell; I just tell them the truth

I never give them hell; I just tell them the truth and they think it is hell.
Harry S. Truman

Nick Drake, Pink Moon (video and lyrics)

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get you all
It's a pink moon
Hey, it's a pink moon
It's a pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.
It's a pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get you all
It's a pink moon
Yeah, it's a pink moon

Nick Drake, Hazey Jane I (video and lyrics)

Do you curse where you come from,
Do you swear in the night
Will it mean much to you
If I treat you right.
Do you like what you're doing,
Would you do it some more
Or will you stop once and wonder
What you're doing it for.
Hey slow Jane, make sense
Slow, slow, Jane, cross the fence.
Do you feel like a remnant
Of something that's past
Do you find things are moving
Just a little too fast.
Do you hope to find new ways
Of quenching your thirst,
Do you hope to find new ways
Of doing better than your worst.
Hey slow Jane, let me prove
Slow, slow Jane, we're on the move.
Do it for you,
Sure that you would do the same for me one day.
So try to be true,
Even if it's only in your hazey way.
Can you tell if you're moving
With no mirror to see,
If you're just riding a new man
Looks a little like me.
Is it all so confusing,
Is it hard to believe
When the winter is coming
Can you sign up and leave.
Hey slow Jane, live your lie
Slow, slow jane, fly on by.

Bridget St. John, Want To Be With You (video clip and lyrics)

When the rain sets in on Derbyshire the hills are lost to cloud
Battered by gale-force wind that hits out hard
People run for shelter waiting for the calm to come;
And you see I get this feeling and that seems we've lost control
The things we're sure of crumble -the heart grows cold
Crying out for shelter, waiting for the calm to come
I want to be where someone loves me best of all
Want to be where someone loves me best of all
Want to be with you

Links

• Bridget St. John in Wikipedia
• Bridget St. John website

Vicky Leandros L'amour Est Bleu (video clip and lyrics)

L'amour est bleu	Love is blue
Doux, doux, l'amour est doux	Soft, soft, love is soft
Douce est ma vie, ma vie dans tes bras	Soft is my life, my life in your arms
Doux, doux, l'amour est doux	Soft, soft, love is soft
Douce est ma vie, ma vie près de toi	Soft is my life, my life next to you
Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu	Blue, blue, love is blue
Berce mon cœur, mon cœur amoureux	Cradle my heart, my loving heart
Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu	Blue, blue, love is blue
Bleu comme le ciel qui joue dans tes yeux	Blue like the sky which play in your eyes
Comme l'eau, comme l'eau qui court	Like the water, like the running water
Moi, mon cœur court après ton amour	Me, my heart runs after your love
Gris, gris, l'amour est gris	Grey, grey, love is grey
Pleure mon cœur lorsque tu t'en vas	My heart weeps since you went away
Gris, gris, le ciel est gris	Grey, grey, the sky is grey
Tombe la pluie quand tu n'es plus là	The rain falls when you're not there anymore
Le vent, le vent gémit	The wind, the wind moans
Pleure le vent lorsque tu t'en vas	The wind weeps since you went away
Le vent, le vent maudit	The wind, the cursed wind
Pleure mon cœur quand tu n'es plus là	My heart weeps when you're not there anymore
Comme l'eau, comme l'eau qui court	Like the water, like the running water
Moi, mon cœur court après ton amour	Me, my heart runs after your love
Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu	Blue, blue, love is blue
Le ciel est bleu lorsque tu reviens	The sky is blue when you return
Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu	Blue, blue, love is blue
L'amour est bleu quand tu prends ma main	Love is blue when you take my hand
Fou, fou, l'amour est fou	Mad, mad, love is mad
Fou comme toi et fou comme moi	Mad like you and mad like me
Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu	Blue, blue, love is blue
L'amour est bleu quand je suis à toi	Love is blue when I am yours
L'amour est bleu quand je suis à toi	Love is blue when I am yours

Translation by Tamar Lichtman.

Françoise Hardy, Comment te dire adieu (video clip and lyrics)

Sous aucun pretexte je ne veux
avoir de reflexes malheureux,
il faut que tu m'expliques un peu mieux
comment te dire adieu.
Mon coeur de silex vite prend feu,
ton coeur de pyrex resiste au feu,
je suis bien perplexe, je ne veux
me resoudre aux adieus.

Je sais bien qu'un ex amour n'a pas de chance,
ou si peu,
mais pour moi un explication voudrait mieux.

Sous aucun pretexte je ne veux
devant toi surexposer mes yeux,
derrière un kleenex je saurais mieux
comment te dire adieu,
comment te dire adieu.

Tu as mis a l'index nos nuits blanches,
nos matins gris-bleu,
mais pour moi un explication voudrait mieux.
Sous aucun pretexte je ne veux
devant toi surexposer mes yeux,
derrière un kleenex je saurais mieux
comment te dire adieu,
comment te dire adieu,
comment te dire adieu.

Nick Cave, Into my Arms (lyrics and video clip)

I don't believe in an interventionist God
But I know, darling, that you do
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
Not to intervene when it came to you
Not to touch a hair on your head
To leave you as you are
And if He felt He had to direct you
Then direct you into my arms

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

And I don't believe in the existence of angels
But looking at you I wonder if that's true
But if I did I would summon them together
And ask them to watch over you
To each burn a candle for you
To make bright and clear your path
And to walk, like Christ, in grace and love
And guide you into my arms

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

And I believe in Love
And I know that you do too
And I believe in some kind of path
That we can walk down, me and you
So keep your candlew burning
And make her journey bright and pure
That she will keep returning
Always and evermore

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

Pink Floyd, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (video clip and lyrics)

Shine on you Crazy Diamond (part 1)

Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the cross fire of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger,
you legend, you martyr, and shine!

You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter,
you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

Shine on you Crazy Diamond (part 2)

Nobody knows where you are, how near or how far.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Pile on many more layers and I'll be joining you there.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
And we'll bask in the shadow of yesterday's triumph,
and sail on the steel breeze.
Come on you boy child, you winner and loser,
come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!

Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here (video clip and lyrics)

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

And did they get you trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange
a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,
year after year,
running over the same old ground. What have we found?
The same old fears,
wish you were here.

Pulp, Common People (lyrics and video clip)

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge,
she studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College,
that's where I,
caught her eye.
She told me that her Dad was loaded,
I said "In that case I'll have a rum and coca-cola."
She said "Fine."
and in thirty seconds time she said,

"I want to live like common people,
I want to do whatever common people do,
I want to sleep with common people,
I want to sleep with common people,
like you."

Well what else could I do -
I said "I'll see what I can do."
I took her to a supermarket,
I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere,
so it started there.
I said pretend you've got no money,
she just laughed and said,
"Oh you're so funny."
I said "yeah?
Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
Are you sure you want to live like common people,
you want to see whatever common people see,
you want to sleep with common people,
you want to sleep with common people,
like me."
But she didn't understand,
she just smiled and held my hand.
Rent a flat above a shop,
cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags and play some pool,
pretend you never went to school.
But still you'll never get it right,
cos when you're laid in bed at night,
watching roaches climb the wall,
if you call your Dad he could stop it all.

You'll never live like common people,
you'll never do what common people do,
you'll never fail like common people,
you'll never watch your life slide out of view,
and dance and drink and screw,
because there's nothing else to do.

Sing along with the common people,
sing along and it might just get you through,
laugh along with the common people,
laugh along even though they're laughing at you,
and the stupid things that you do.
Because you think that poor is cool.

I want to live with common people,
I want to live with common people etc...

Pulp, Babies, (lyrics and video clip)

Well it happened years ago,
when you lived on Stanhope Road.
We listened to your sister,
when she came home from school,
cos she was two years older,
and she had boys in her room.
We listened outside and heard her.
Alright.
Well that was alright for a while,
but soon I wanted more.
I want to see as well as hear,
and so I hid inside her wardrobe.
And she came round four,
and she was with some kid called David,
from the garage up the road.
I listened outside I heard her.
Alright.

Oh I want to take you home.
I want to give you children.
You might be my girlfriend, yeah.

When I saw you next day,
I really couldn't tell,
cos you might go and tell your mother.
And so you went with Neve,
and Neve was coming on,
and I thought I heard you laughing,
when his Mum and Dad were gone.
I listened outside, I heard you.
Alright.

Oh I want to take you home.
I want to give you children.
You might be my girlfriend, yeah.

Well I guess it couldn't last too long.
I came home one day,
and all her things were gone,
I fell asleep inside.
I never heard her come.
And then she opened up her wardrobe,
and I had to get it on.
Oh, listen
we were on the bed when you came home,
I heard you stop outside the door.
I know you won't believe it's true,
I only went with her 'cos she looks like you.
Oh I want to take you home.
I want to give you children.
You might be my girlfriend, yeah.

Control, A film about Ian Curtis and Joy Division

Excellent performances by all actors. Sam Riley as Ian Curtis is indeed very convincing, even Ian’s mannerisms on stage are very well enacted. Alexandra Maria Lara is an extremely sweet presence, as Annik Honore, Ian’s extramarital affair.
Some very funny and tragic lines at the end (“your confusion, my illusion”), Ian trying to convince his wife not to divorce him:

—I do not want you to divorce me
—But you are in love with someone else
—And what’s that got to do with us?
—Everything...

The end is so tragic and poetic at the same time. Atmosphere is the track that comes with it, the same way The End is the tune played at the end of the film The Doors.

For hardcore Joy Division fans this is a realistic depiction of Ian Curtis’ life and times. A great opportunity to listen to all the favourite Joy Division tunes. However, I would not recommend this film to people who are not close to Joy Division in the same way I would recommend the film The Doors.



Links
Control at Wikipedia

The Hunger with David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve

The most haunting vampire film I have ever seen (and I am not a fan of this genre) starring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve. A deeply romantic atmosphere supported by excellent choice of music: Bauhaus, Bach cello sonatas, Piano Trio in E-Flat by Franz Schubert, Lakmé by Léo Delibes.

Astor Piazzolla - Vuelvo al Sur

If there is a musical equivalent for passion, then it should be called Astor Piazzolla.



Astor Piazzolla - Vuelvo Al Sur Lyrics

Vuelvo al Sur,
como se vuelve siempre al amor,
vuelvo a vos,
con mi deseo, con mi temor.
Llevo el Sur,
como un destino del corazon,
soy del Sur,
como los aires del bandoneon.

Sueño el Sur,
inmensa luna, cielo al reves,
busco el Sur,
el tiempo abierto, y su despues.

Quiero al Sur,
su buena gente, su dignidad,
siento el Sur,
como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.

Te quiero Sur,
Sur, te quiero.

Vuelvo al Sur,
como se vuelve siempre al amor,
vuelvo a vos,
con mi deseo, con mi temor.

Quiero al Sur,
su buena gente, su dignidad,
siento el Sur,
como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.
Vuelvo al Sur,
llevo el Sur,
te quiero Sur,
te quiero Sur...

Sweet Movie by Dusan Makavejev (music Manos Hadjidakis)

I was lucky enough to see this cult movie at the age of 15. It made a huge impression to me then with its surrealist atmosphere, the amazing love-death scene of a couple immersed in sugar, the TV commercial with the girl taking a chocolate bath, the scene of non sexual penile tenderness over dinner, the vaginismus scene (a couple stuck together while making love), the chastity belt foundation scene, and, of course, the soundtrack by Manos Hadjidakis.



Full movie


chocolate ad


chastity belt foundation

Manos Hadjidakis - Dedication

If Manos Hadjidakis was alive, he would have been 82 years old now. He is the single most influential Greek composer for me. He has moved me as nobody else did with feelings of profound love and longing and a unique, Greek sensitivity.

The songs "Dedication" and "Χάρτινο το φεγγαράκι" are performed by my favourite Greek singer of all times, Savina Yannatou.

The following is from Wikipedia:

Manos Hadjidakis (Μάνος Χατζιδάκις) (October 23, 1925–June 15, 1994) was one of the most popular Greek music composers. He was born in Xanthi, Greece. In 1962 he received an Academy Award in the category of Best Music, for his Song Never on Sunday from the film of the same name. He is widely popular among Greeks and can be credited with the introduction of bouzouki music into mainstream culture.

Biography

His very first work was the tune for the song Paper Moon (Χάρτινο το Φεγγαράκι), from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire staged by Karolos Koun's Art Theatre of Athens, a collaboration which continued for 15 years. His first piano piece, "For a Small White Seashell" (Για μια Μικρή Λευκή Αχιβάδα) came out in 1947 and in 1948 he shook the musical establishment by delivering his legendary lecture on rembetika, the urban folk songs that flourished in Greek cities, mainly Piraeus, after the Asia Minor refugee influx in 1922 and until then had heavy underworld and cannabis use connections and were consequently looked down upon. Hadjidakis focused on the economy of expression, the deep traditional roots and the genuineness of emotion displayed in rembetika, and exalted the likes of composers like Markos Vamvakaris and Vassilis Tsitsanis. Putting theory to practice, he adapted classic rembetika on his 1951 piano work Six Folklore Paintings (Exi Laikes Zografies), which was later also presented as a folk ballet.

At this point he started pursuing a double-track career of sorts, writing immensely popular "pop" songs and movie soundtracks, alongside more serious works, such as 1954's The C.N.S. Cycle (O Kyklos tou C.N.S.), a song cycle for piano and voice recalling the German lied in its form, if not in style. In 1955 he wrote the score for Michael Cacoyannis' film Stella, with actress Melina Mercouri, a close friend of his, singing the movie's trademark song "Love that became a double-edged sword" (Agapi pou 'gines dikopo mahairi). Hadjidakis always maintained that he wrote his serious pieces for himself and his less serious ones to make a living: nevertheless his melodic talent was so abundant that one can hardly distinguish a quality gradient between the two.

In 1959, Hadjidakis met Nana Mouskouri, his first "ideal interpreter", a shy but superbly skilled vocalist who shaped the sounds of his music with her uniquely beautiful voice. It was 1960 that brought him international success, as his score for Jules Dassin's film Never on Sunday (Pote tin Kyriaki) won him an Academy Award, with The Lads from Piraeus (Ta Paidia tou Peiraia) becoming a huge worldwide hit.

In 1962, he produced the musical 'Dream Street (Odos Oneiron) and completed his score for Aristophanes' Birds (Ornithes), another Art Theater production which caused an uproar because of Karolos Koun's revolutionary direction. The score was also used later by Maurice Béjart's 20th Century Ballets. He also wrote the music for a song which Arthur Altman added English lyrics to and gave to Brenda Lee. The song was "All Alone Am I".

In 1965, his LP "Το Χαμόγελο της Τζιοκόντας" (Gioconda's Smile) was released on Minos-EMI. In 2004, it was re-released, digitally remastered as an audiophile LP and a CD in the EMI Classics collection.

In 1966 he travelled to New York for the premiere of Ilya Darling, a Broadway musical based on "Never on Sunday" and starring Melina Merkouri. He did not return to Greece until 1972, mostly because of opposition to Greece's military dictatorship. While in America he completed several more major compositions, including Rhythmology (Rythmologia) for solo piano, his famous orchestral compilation Gioconda's Smile (produced by none other than Quincy Jones), and the pinnacle of his musical achievement, the song cycle Magnus Eroticus (Megalos Erotikos), in which he used ancient (Sappho, Euripides), medieval (stanzas from folk songs and George Hortatzis' romance Erophile) and modern (Dionysios Solomos, Constantine Cavafy, Odysseus Elytis, Nikos Gkatsos, Myrtiotissa, George Sarantaris) Greek poems, as well as an excerpt from the Old Testament book "Wisdom of Solomon". His LP "Reflections" with the New York Rock & Roll Ensemble contained several of his most beautiful songs, either in orchestral form or with English lyrics written by the band - a record that preceded fusion trends by several decades.

Hadjidakis returned to Greece in 1972 and recorded "Magnus Eroticus" with singer Fleury Dantonaki, an opera-trained dark-toned alto who proved the consummate interpreter of his music, and singer Dimitri Psarianos. Following the junta's overthrow, he became active in public life and assumed a number of positions in the Athens State Orchestra (KOA), National Opera (ELS), and the National Radio (ERT). In 1985 he launched his own record company "Seirios" (Sirius). In 1989 he founded and directed the Orchestra of Colours (Orhistra ton Chromaton), a small symphonic orchestra.

He was to assume the role of score composer for his friend Federico Fellini's films, following Nino Rota's death, but the collaboration never materialized because of Hadjidakis' mounting health problems. He died on June 15, 1994, of heart disease and diabetes.

Musical Scores (incomplete)

• Adoulotoi Sklavoi - Unsubdued Slaves - US title (1946)
• Kokkinos Vrahos (1949)
• Dyo Kosmi - 'The Two Worlds (1949)
• Nekri Politeia - Dead City - US title (1951)
• O Grousouzis - The Grouch - US title (1952)
• Agni Tou Limaniou - Lily of the Harbour - US title (1952)
• Pote Tin Kyriaki (Ποτέ Την Κυριακή) - Never on Sunday - US title (1960)
• Το Χαμόγελο Της Τζιοκόντας - Gioconda's Smile (1964)
• Reflections (1969) - Performed by the New York Rock & Roll Ensemble
• Sweet Movie (1974)
• Reflections (2005) - Performed by the Raining Pleasure Special appearance by Meriam performing KEMAL
• Amorgos(2006)