Lifetime Achievement Porin for Her Highness Josipa Lisac

Porin is a Croatian equivalent to Grammy and it was inaugurated back in 1993, just as Croatia became independent country. Before that, we had all sorts of awards given annually but they were mainly connected with specific magazines, festivals, etc - the most memorable detail from my childhood was that sticker on LP covers that would say "golden", "silver" or "platinum" record, which marked spectacular sales and mass appeal, in hindsight this had nothing to do with quality itself. Croatians take themselves very seriously so they surely do give a lot of awards left & right, even though the music scene is actually small and it looks like same people pat themselves on the shoulders year after year. Along with the regular awards, there is also a Lifetime Achievement Porin given this year to our first lady of Rock, Josipa Lisac who has been around since 1968. 

Now, this would all be fine and dandy if not for past February when Josipa made a bad decision to perform at the president's inauguration where her idiosyncratic performance of national anthem turned the enormous tide against her. If not for this, Josipa would have been going from strength to strength, selling our concerts and collecting awards at the grand age of 70, her legend firmly cemented and the respected well earned. Personally I am still not sure why there was such an outpour of strong hostility towards her - considering that all these decades she was very well known and indeed  celebrated for being fiercely individual - and I am actually following all of this from a distance, so I can't say for sure but I do remember that even in the days of my earliest childhood she was a highly divisive artist so perhaps this new, modern era with its social media gave a spotlight to lots of suppressed frustrations and jealousy. It was a highly controversial subject for a while, with angry discussions and arguments raging far & wide (somebody even appealed to a court to get her fined for mocking the anthem) but what is the most important is that all her hard-won respect, dignity and status infamously crashed overnight and she became a focus of ridicule. Even her most loyal supporters must have agreed that it would have been better if she never accepted the invitation for this political circus, where unfortunately she just couldn't resist to do her schtick and to play around with the melody, but that is besides the point - if we are going to threat the artists with a jail for being creative and individual, than not only this is reflection of a very conservative society but it erases everything that all her life Josipa was striving to do. 

As expected, world epidemics eventually swept that scandal away but the public anger persisted. I watched televised Porin last night, this year directed under unusual circumstances, with majority of artists participating from their living room and there were only two hosts talking in a empty TV studio. Josipa did appear herself, introduced by passionately loyal Siniša Škarica who reminded the audience that Josipa deserved her status and award ten times over but the whole affair had a sad atmosphere to it - maybe it was the empty studio with handful of people applauding, the physical distance between everybody or frail Josipa herself who did not appear strong, victorious or unrepentant but had a air of theatrical sadness about her. It actually felt as a closure of one chapter and I really regret that damn anthem from the bottom of my heart. She decided to remind the audience of gratitude and love for her late, beloved Karlo Metikoš  with this poem:

"Life and its beauty

Are opening to me

When I think of your eyes

Under this fading sky.

On this clean and wet grass

You don't hear my footsteps

They don't stop birds from singing

The Fog is already coming down

In your absence and this suffering

I love you more than ever." 

Update:

Lady herself appeared in TV interview, charming and witty as usual. Absolutely no trace of regret or misgivings. Firmly but politely she skipped the question about the anthem and insisted that she won't explain herself and her music. Best of all, there was a All Star video clip where lots of musicians sung her famous song - clear and obvious message of support and I love it. She is a classy, important and unique artist who enjoyed successful and long career, at this point she should be loved and celebrated instead of criticised. I just love her to bits.

"Zdenka" by Zdenka Vučković (1983)

In Croatian pop music we have two ladies named Zdenka - they were both born in Zagreb, both belong to same generation and were probably mingling in the same circles but could not be more different: where Zdenka Vučković had her commercial peak in 1960s and everything afterwards was a long twilight, Zdenka Kovačiček blossomed much later in her 50s and is very much active today. There is some common confusion between these two and people often assume its the same person, where in fact one was singing children songs and novelties, while the other went for rock and blues, so its definitely two very different people. 

Sadly, Vučković recently passed away and although she is remembered with great affection, closer look at her recording legacy shows that she was very much neglected artist who really never recaptured earliest glory days - inexplicably, "Jugoton" has never explored her 1960s hits and they were first time compiled in 2002 (!) while one LP and this compilation (confusingly using same title) are literary all that is left behind her. It seems that Vučković was very much loved as a teenage pop star but as soon as she grew up into adulthood, the success evaporated and fickle audiences lost interest. That one LP went nowhere and dozen singles recorded trough the next decade also failed to leave any great impact. This compilation, released only on cassette tape have a obligatory feeling to it, as "Jugoton" was closing a chapter - even though Vučković actually sounded better than ever as she matured, sentimental schlager ballads and international covers could only bring her so far, it really seems that with time she merged quietly into anonymous festival background - as those were less relevant, so were its performers. 

Again, the compilation failed to compile her singles but focused on various festival performances - by far the most interesting song here is actually great "Ugasi Svjetla" resurrected from B side of 1972 single (!) but the rest is reflection of a mellow MOR artist who still posses that wonderfully clear, instantly recognisable sound. For whatever reason, singles were completely ignored - and there were actually quite a few of them - so this hodgepodge of odds and ends happened to be the last project she will release in her lifetime. At her passing, there were comments about spectacular and successful career but frankly, we have to be realistic. Vučković epitomised one particular era, post-WW2 enthusiasm and energy in the 1960s - her last genuine hit was 1971 single with children's songs and after that she valiantly persisted on festivals, eclipsed by younger generation. Charming, sweet lady, though. 

"Cementna Prašina" by Stijene (1981)

Croatian rock band Stijene might have been a brainchild of leader/composer Marin Limić but more importantly, it served as a showcase for the awesome powerhouse female vocalists who one after another stole the spotlight - each of these girls had a specific, strong voice that could soar above rock guitars, they kind of sound alike and all of them had to follow in the footsteps of the first vocalist, mighty Zorica Kondža. Even though I understand this was guy's band, Limić wrote most of the material and there had to be some yīn and yáng energy going on, if you ask me, Stijene was all about Kondža - her voice commanded attention, it was instantly recognisable and seemingly there was no limits to where she could go. She might have been inspired by Janis Joplin (a subject of a 1982. hit single for the band) but this was still an individual, distinctive sound that separated her from the rest of the competition and Kondža was so important for the band that after her exit they never really recovered. Valiantly they soldiered on with one after another excellent girl singers but the success was elusive. 

Initially, I have dismissed their debut "Cementna Prašina" as pretentious, meandering prog-rock that did nothing for the band and resulted in no hits. And than, just to contradict myself, yesterday I listened it again and found it was excellent, creative and interesting because less known material now sounds fresher than hits. Yes, the sound here is deeply rooted in 1970s rock and it does kind of reflects that guys were looking backwards instead of forward, but that is part of its charm and there is a certain spirit of youthful energy and enthusiasm present here that has not been compromised by demands of industry. Even if they meander a bit, guys are fiery and determined to conquer the world - it helps that girl singer understands what they are trying to do and she perfectly embodies rebellious spirit, where somebody else might have spoiled the effect with soft touch. Back in the day, there was one particular rock ballad that got radio attention - "Ja Sam More, Ti Si Rijeka"  which is kind of re-write of their first big hit, classic "Sve Je Neobično Ako Te Volim"  and it was clear from the start that Kondža was the band. The debut was not commercial and yielded no big hits but it  did served a purpose of introducing the band to wider audiences and very next year they will come up with their most perfect work. I found that it sounds surprisingly good because these songs are not overplayed. 

"Listening to Bach’s B Minor Mass in the kitchen" by Elizabeth Burns

Finally, I’m done with the phone calls and everything else

and when I switch on the radio it feels like lying in salt water –

all I need to do is breathe: Bach will keep me afloat.

I’m mixing yeast into flour, making rolls for my daughter’s

birthday breakfast in the morning, kneading and kneading

the dough then setting it to rise; arranging in a glass

the last of the tiny pink roses with a sprig of green,

finding the blue candles and ironing the tablecloth,

the one my granny embroidered, sweeping the floor,

thinking about the hot August night of the birth,

and about the people we met on Westray last week,

and the presents I still need to wrap, and Bach himself

who is like a mountain covered in wildflowers,

and the singers in the Albert Hall who, the conductor says,

get close to godliness through this performance;

and I’m wondering, as all those voices fill my kitchen

with the Mass, if this is what he means: the sense

of time and place dissolving, so what divides us

from the past and elsewhere, and from each other,

falls away, and everything’s connected and we are all

drops of water in this enormous breaking wave.

"Legends & Folk Tales of Holland" by Adele De Leeun (1963)

This is something I have picked up in a library some time ago on a whim - the idea behind my membership was to find some material for my language lessons but eventually I got overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of material and decided to stick to my course book. However, I did took several books about the history of the place where I live now, thinking it might be interesting to comprehend little of the culture and tradition. Besides, I was planning to enjoy some fairy tales for a long time so this came handy.

As I expected, it is a very mellow, nice and comforting read. 

Most of the stories here are only few pages long so there is a feel of "reading before sleep" and this makes for a very warm-hearted atmosphere, almost makes you forget about the life around you. Adele De Leeun dedicated the book to her father who was her "friend, companion and delightful teller of tales" - it is a very moving and affectionate dedication, so naturally the collection itself lives across time and space, it is really wonderful how in a way we can make ourselves immortal trough art. Since I knew absolutely nothing about Dutch fairy tales, traditions and customs, while my knowledge of local history is fairly vague, this actually came as a nice surprise - there are lots of magic creatures behind some natural disasters (for example, imprisoned mermaid is responsible for flood that destroyed the whole town) and almost every single story is actually moral fable, where greed and cold-heartedness are eventually punished. There is also a very touching story about the besieged Leiden (here written as old-fashioned Leyden) where starving inhabitants must sacrifices their animals and Barend must give up his beloved horse just at the brink of victory - when Leiden finally was liberated and church bells rang victoriously, everybody was celebrating but poor Barend who cried for his horse. Another interesting story was about shoemaker who dreamt that he must leave his village and travel to Amsterdam where he will find his fortune at certain bridge - after many complications, he finds the place and naturally there is nothing on the bridge but a beggar who tells him HIS dream that a shoemaker in a small village has a fortune buried in a backyard. To be honest, I approached this collection a bit skeptically (because I am grown up?) but before you know it, ended up really drawn into it and time just flew before I realised that pages were turning by themselves. It is very easy read and quite enchanting, must admit. 

"Priđi mi bliže" by Vesna Kartuš (1982)

Out boredom and curiosity, I decided to check some albums from the archives of "Jugoton"  that escaped my attention the first time around. Unlike today, when production depends on re-packaging and countless compilations, back than music industry was going full blast and there was literary something for everybody, be it hardcore traditional folk, jazz, classical or latest pop star. Around the same time, "Jugoton"  decided to give a chance to two newcomers, Božica Jurić and Vesna Kartuš whose albums forever graced bargain bins ever since and who quickly disappeared without a trace, which was reason for me to have a closer look. 

There was something slightly anonymous about both ladies but Vesna Kartuš was actually surprisingly good. So much, in fact, that I have returned to her album "Priđi mi bliže" several times and it has never failed to lift my spirits and always made me sing along. It is a wonderfully sweet, light and breezy pop collection that was specifically tailored for younger singer by talented composers as Dejan Petković, Stjepan Mihaljinec and Arsen Dedić (Kartuš herself wrote one song which is actually not bad at all). To be honest, this unfairly neglected and completely obscure LP is genuinely much better than works by some artists who were at the same time doing routine work - for the life of me I can't understand why this wasn't bigger success or more popular. This is now pure speculation but it might have something to do with lack of promotion or the overall atmosphere where media focus was on either latest rock or hardcore folk artists - 1980s were all about loud image, big hair and attention grabbing costumes so girl-next-door image might have worked against her. However, Kartuš left handful of sunny, cheerful singles and her recordings, inconsequential as they might have been in the bigger scheme of things are very pleasant to this day - she comes across as a good natured younger sister and sometimes we are in the right mood for something that is not too heavy, music that is lighthearted and melodic as it is. "Renault - Peugot" , "Posudi Mi Tvoj Kišobran" and title song should have been hits and there is a certain sweetness and innocence that Kartuš  shares with older Zdenka Vučković - very appealing artist. 

"Weathering" by Alastair Reid

I am old enough now for a tree

once planted, knee high, to have grown to be

twenty times me,

and to have seen babies marry, and heroes grow deaf –

but that’s enough meaning-of-life.

It’s living through time we ought to be connoisseurs of.

From wearing a face all this time, I am made aware

of the maps faces are, of the inside wear and tear.

I take to faces that have come far.

In my father’s carved face, the bright eye

He sometimes would look out of, seeing a long way

through all the tree-rings of his history.

I am awed by how things weather: an oak mantel

in the house in Spain, fingered to a sheen,

the marks of hands leaned into the lintel,

the tokens in the drawer I sometimes touch –

a crystal lived-in on a trip, the watch

my father’s wrist wore to a thin gold sandwich.

It is an equilibrium

which breasts the cresting seasons but still stays calm

and keeps warm. It deserves a good name.

Weathering. Patina, gloss and whorl.

The trunk of the almond tree, gnarled but still fruitful.

Weathering is what I would like to do well.

Amsterdam 1941.

Because of Corona and the sudden disappearance of traffic, I started enjoying long walks around the city and I am thrilled because Amsterdam has a spectacular history behind it so i am constantly discovering new things. However, I don't have to look too far in the past to find very interesting stories - recently I have stumbled upon this fascinating picture from 1941. and what makes it even more immediate is that photo is coloured so it does feel as something from yesterday. The picture was taken on Nieuwmarkt square where I live today and the barbed wire was actually here to separate Jewish ghetto from the rest of the city. 

Jewish ghetto? A quick search unearthed that the whole area that is now covered with nondescript houses (and I walked here million times) used to be part of the district where for centuries Jewish citizens of Amsterdam used to live and it welcomed intellectuals, artists and scholars from every corner of the Europe. It must have been crowded, because by the law Jews had to keep to specific area but I would have love to be a fly on the wall and to see how did the streets look like. In fact, it seems that popular Waterlooplein started its life as a market in Jewish quarter, imagine that! As expected, the whole area was heavily damaged and raided during WW2, than it became empty as people were either imprisoned or hidden elsewhere and at the end the neglected houses were eventually demolished to make space for the new, modern buildings that are there nowadays. (I think that building of new underground line also resulted in demolishing of some beautiful, old houses as well) Basically the only thing left from previous Jewish area is 17th century Portuguese Synagogue and Jewish Historical Museum (which originally was on Nieuwmarkt square, where the picture above was taken). 

What is left and is very interesting, are Stolperstein markers placed discreetly on the roads in the front of the houses where Jewish families used to live. They are unfortunately all over Europe and can be found also here in Amsterdam, if you look carefully as you walk around, you might read the names of people who used to live where you stand now. 

"Amsterdam in the Age of Rembrandt" by John J. Murray

"The interiors were spotless but Dutch neatness was not always appreciated. The English diplomat, Sir William Temple, was extremely uneasy during a state dinner party because every time he spit on the floor it was wiped up. When he complained, the host said that was well that his wife was not there for she would have kicked him out of the house. To him, Dutch doors appeared studded with diamonds and "their houses they keep cleaner than their bodies; their bodies cleaner than their souls"