New destination

Everything ready & set for a new embarkation on my next ship. It will be another 6 months of sailing "where no man has gone before". In my case it actually means few places where I have not been so far, like Marseille (second largest city in France!) and perhaps South America later.

Now, ships and places are fine - to others it sounds very exciting because most of the people live lives full of routine and I wake up every morning in a different country. "Lucky you" I hear so often " always new people and new places" like I am some perpetual tourist drinking Pina Colada here and Sangria there."You don't have to pay the rent & bills" is another ubiquitous comment that shows people on land have completely twisted idea what is my life all about.The reality is different - ships would not import workers to have them enjoying the ships but to make sure little wheels are turning 24 hours a day while PASSENGERS are enjoying.From the cleaner who sweeps the stairs full of vomit to the chef in a kitchen, from a guy in casino who deals with drunken passengers to hairdressers, waiters, medical staff, accountants, shore excursion people, photographers and beyond, everybody works their asses off and daily manage working hours that by far exceeds anything known to people on land. I am sure that we probably do double of what people on land work, daily. And that is seven-days-a-week. Month after month. Passengers of course don't realize this and they often ask (good-naturedly) "So, do you get some days off now when we leave?" No, we pack you away and receive new passengers immediately the very same day. 

Very often I start my day around 8 a.m. and work straight trough until midnight. Interestingly enough, after a while body get used to it and we usually fall apart once we get home. I have a friend who sat in her garden and got a stroke. Yes, we are lucky to have jobs and we are paid relatively decent money compared what we would probably make at home but casualty are our swollen feat, lack of rest, nervousness and exhaustion. I can't count the times I was so beyond-the-tired that I was ready to quit - specially knowing "I will sleep and rest the day after tomorrow" - somehow actually I have managed to do this for almost a decade. So, no Pina Colada but work,work,work and than some more work. And than security drills. Which are necessary but they are hard to endure if one is exhausted and half-dead from lack of sleep. Have I mention that we don't have windows in our cabins? We live in the dark,with air conditioners and under artificial electric lights and if there is any possibility to actually go ashore, we all suffer under sunglasses. I am not writing this to complain - its my choice after all - just to make it clear, to whoever might be reading this, that cruise ship life is not for everybody, is not one never-ending fun adventure full of touristic excursions and sun but a hard, sweaty work without a day off for half a year. 

Am I looking forward to it? I am a tiny bit excited to visit some previously unknown places, to be honest. Never been to South America so far, if we don't count Panama where I didn't see much besides the pier and few crocodiles outside. Will I actually have chance to see these places? Who knows? To be realistic, there is a very big chance I will be so swarmed with workload that a view from the ship might be all I will get. Deep in my heart I only hope that I will have enough time to sleep and rest because body can only take so much. But I'm going prepared mentally that it will be not Pina Colada all the way and who knows, I might actually manage just fine.

Grupa More debut LP (1974)

Truly classic 1970s pop album that definitely reserved its recent re-release on CD.

"More" (The Sea) was excellent group from Split, where many later-famous musicians got their start. On this particular album vocal duties were given to young Meri Cetinić (who was great) but she was certainly not the only one who shone as a member - if you check out their discography, you might find Oliver Dragojević, Doris Dragović and even Jasmin Stavros in a gang. 

Its a gentle,acoustic pop and dreamy, contemplative single was a monster hit - perhaps annoying a bit as refrain was mercilessly repeated just in case listener forgets what is the title of the song - music is what one would expect from a bunch of young,romantic people, soft, lovelorn and romantic.  Young Meri Cetinić in her pre-schlager fame was truly a soulful singer and she pours her heart out in some gentle ballads while the guys play really good behind her. Two very good Santana-like instrumentals are surprisingly nice touch and point at high level of musicianship - nothing to be ashamed of here, these are not just some commercial jingle hacks but really strong players who love music. Considering where Croatian music moved during the next few decades it makes one think what happened to real music like this? Very last song is "Horizont" and is perhaps the best thing on the album - combination of instrumental and wordless chorus that hums the melody after haunting flute intro is truly anthemic and unforgettable - than, splash of the waves (just like the very first sounds we heard on the album) and this beautiful little album is finished. What a jewel. 

It's an album that could only have been done by young people still passionate about the music they love - later, as they all turned into "professionals", all of these artists got into some compromises and results were predictably lukewarm. That is why this debut LP is so important, to save the memory of the beginning when inspiration was high and real music still in their veins. Even now, decades later, for many of the artists involved this is the best thing they ever did. 

Tina live in Europe (1988)

Turner had enjoyed huge and deserved success in the 1980s , well documented on this double CD (originally double vinyl LP) that has material from two tours combined into one release. One can actually see both of them as they were released on VHS tapes at the time, it was "Private dancer tour" (1985) and "Break every rule tour" (1986) - as everything else,it was masterminded by australian manager Roger Davies who used the opportunity to sell "new" live album while new studio release was still just being planned. Millions of fans around the world did not mind (me included) because it was a souvenir of exciting concert performances where Turner finally exploded into full-blown stadium attraction.

Not that it was the first live album for Turner who was recorded live as early as mid-1960s during those legendary "chitlin' circuit" years and beyond - interesting as those early performances were from a historical point of view, they would not attract young audience who probably could not care less for old r&b nuggets she sang way back than. Davies achieved something truly spectacular in its scope, he somehow managed to re-invent the old veteran and present her as completely new artist with a fresh material that charted and sold in truckloads. There is a certain irony that Turner is perceived as a woman who did it "on her own" away from domineering husband, where in fact it is clear her career was always led by someone else - she delivered the goods, men would arrange the business. Neither Ike no Davies could kick those legs in high hells across the stage night after night, on the other hand Turner needed someone to point the right direction. The post-divorce years in wilderness without recording contract are proof on that.

Music wise it plays on Turner's 1980s material - she was lucky enough to get completely new repertoire and did not fall into "oldies" trap. One can clearly hear her happiness attacking than-curent pop hits and leaving 1960s completely behind. Its completely other question are these bombastic top charts actually better than old stuff - "Typical Male" and "Mad Max" movie theme might shook the charts and were what audience expected & wanted but its Ike-years where her legend was cemented,if you ask me. That is perhaps why her 1980s stuff pales next to excitement and passion of second part of this "live" album where Turner finally attacks some old 1960s soul covers - pop ditties are all fine but when she tears trough covers of "Land Of 1,000 Dances" and "In The Midnight Hour" the music & audience truly erupts in a frenzy - it is also a reminder what a spectacular r&b screamer she always was in the heart, true old-school grit in the league of the classic soul greats.

All this 1980s synthesizers-cellophane and celebrity duets were perhaps inevitable compromise that did not hurt her commercial appeal - after all Roger Davies did admirable job on establishing her as a star attraction of first order. But listen for yourself all those pop ditties and than turn to something like old Sam Cooke song "A Change Is Gonna Come" (backed with Robert Cray on guitar) and tell me where Turner's heart lies. She knows how to play a game - Bowie and such extra guests are just frills and decorations, if you are not aware of this than you miss the whole point of who Turner is.

"Legend: The Genesis of civilization" by David Rohl

Exciting,interesting and informative book that I am enjoying very slowly because I don't want it to end - and can only take in small doses, since amount of informations is so huge that  I need some time to think about it. Call it "Biblical archeology" if you want. While scientists and academics usually dismiss Old Testament as a myth, David Rohl goes for kill and travels the world wondering "what if?" - he is not just some pseudo-amateur,mind you, guy has degree in Egyptology,Ancient History and has few other feathers on his cap, including being Director of the Institute for the Study of Interdisciplinary Sciences, official support of University of London and University College - his books are best sellers and he is the man behind TV documentary "Pharaohs and Kings: A Biblical Quest" - what is unusual about Rohl is that he is really passionate about his research and allows possibility that perhaps behind the myth there IS a historical truth. 

"Legend" puts the question: what if Old Testament actually keeps a memory of beginning of our civilization? He points that "Genesis" is in its original Hebrew form actually called different ("In the beginning") and that is typical for much older Mesopotamian practice of naming the text by the first words of the narrative - in other words, we might have actually look at far older documents that were eventually with time transferred to tribes of Moses. All through the book Rohl plays with the idea that true cradle of humanity lies in todays Middle East from where civilization have sprung to not-so-distant places around. The first bomb he throws at as is location of Garden of Eden: described in Bible as placed between four rivers (we know two,Tigris and Euphrat) he identifies the other two that in the meantime had changed names and places it in what is Iran today - it used to be rich valley and is deserted place today, destroyed by industrialization. 

Just think about it - whatever places Old Testament describes must have been simply a "world" of people who lived in that area way back than. When Adam and his descendants were exiled from Eden, fierce angels with swords kept the entrance of Eden protected - Rohl explains that tribes who lived in the surrounding mountains had local shamans dressed up in feathers (angels/feathers/wings?) and they would fight against any intruders who might travel to their territory. He describes great migration that eventually resulted in big cities of Sumer, archeological evidence that people moved from Zagros mountains to Mesopotamia and as they came "down from the mountain" (Eden) they built huge cities like Ur,Eridu and Uruk - catastrophic flood described in Bible moved the centre of civilization from one place to another and as people stopped worshipping old Gods, Jahwe came to be known (but in earlier times he was called Enki). The story of God cursing the builders of Babel tower might simply hide something that really happen on a different level - what was a single religion in the times before the flood, became multi-God separation that brought tribes to wars later.

Rohl explains how Noah's sons created three different lines of tribes (Japeth,Ham and Shem) that would eventually cover such diverse territories as Greece,Egypt and Assyria. He than goes in a detail about the place I never heard before - island of Bahrai in Persian Gulf where sea water mingles with river (and one can drink fresh water in the middle of the sea!) and where there are literary thousands of unexplained ancient graves spread around the desert. No one clearly knows who built them, why there are there (its a small island and never had such a huge population) and most of them were never even used. But pottery finds have engraved images of Mesopotamian God! And there are clear indications that this might have been sacred place for Sumerians who lived thousands of miles away, naming it "Dilbun" by some far older tradition that remembers legendary place in the mountains where ancestors first came from. 

Right now I am kind of half-way of the book and the story has moved to ancient Egypt where Rohl connects roots of their civilization with much older Mesopotamia - there are clear indications that some old intruders had come from far away with a ships (there are countless mysterious paintings of ships pulled trough the desert!) and brought their tradition, letters and Gods with them. Egyptians called them "people from the land of God" but in fact they might be legendary Phoenicians who introduced new technologies to the Nile valley including achitecture (high towers) and letters, not to mention Gods like Horus who was known in Mesopotamia as flood hero Atrahasis. 

Its a book I am enjoying very slowly because I don't want to finish it. I approached it with curiosity because usually I don't take seriously everything that is printed but Rohl has such intelligent and passionate way with his subject and he is obviously so well informed that I am completely under his spell Excellent book!

Teddy Bear

If you visited this blog, you probably wondered what is the thing with a little traveling Teddy Bear.

This Teddy Bear was given to me many years ago by accidental tourist, when I lived in Amsterdam and worked at hotel reception. It's probably a kind of souvenir toy one can buy at the airport, mine has a Maple leaf on its paw, real canadian Teddy. Now, I don't remember ever having a toys - apparently I had some as a small toddler but I do remember having books and making up my own toys: cities built from books, little people (kings,queens,soldiers) drawn on pieces of paper. This is not because I lived in desperate poverty but because I preferred to use my own imagination and create my toys out of nothing than to have something already made. However, this little funny Teddy found a place on my bookshelf and lived there quite nicely until I started to pack my suitcase and decided to work on cruise ships - in a spur of the moment, I decided Teddy goes with me, he will see the world finally. For many years he is my traveling companion. I have tiny room always shared with somebody and he lives on my bookshelf. Sometime I take him out with me to have a picture of him looking at the world. Apparently I am not the only one because a lot of people on the ship have their own little pets like this one. He always travel in my backpack because I don't want to risk having him lost with a suitcase somewhere. The only time ever I was afraid for him was when I ended up in hospital with Appendicitis operation and my luggage was brought in a hospital - I was in a bed with tubes attached to my arms and could not move, was wondering did they pack my Teddy in a suitcase. At certain point I couldn't stand uncertainty anymore and although it was dangerous for me to lift anything heavy so soon after the operation, I crawled out of bed and fiddled with a really heavy suitcase just to check is he there somewhere - he was!

Right now he is here, sharing my space no matter where I roam. He is a world-class traveler, had seen places like Australia, Alaska, South Africa, Caribbean Islands, Canary Islands, most of the cities along Mediterranean and Baltic coasts. Yes, we have visited Canada together. He does not have name except "Teddy Bear" and I don't sleep with him, his place is always on a bookshelf. Just as I need my own space,he needs his - kind of my little alter ego. Recently I noticed he had a small piece of cloth attached with name of the company that made him - "Maplefoot babies" - even found a picture of his little relatives on the web. For a moment thought about cutting it off, than I decided no, if he lived with it for so many years, let him have it. He is small enough to fit into palm of my hand so its not difficult to have him around and I really get a kick of taking a picture of him around the world. Probably somewhere unconsciously I think he is little me. 

Naturally my colleagues know about him - sometimes they give me other bears like presents, I am thankful and glad but they never travel with me because I can't travel around with a Teddy Bear family. He is the first and the only Teddy Bear. I am looking forward to a time when my nomadic life would finally settle in some regular dry-land routine and Teddy will finally find a real home. I am usually not attached to anything material - all my stuff is always spread around in different countries and sometimes I even buy several editions of the same book because I forgot that I already bought it, however Teddy Bear is my irreplaceable little companion, he does not harm anyone and just lives quietly, I love my Teddy Bear.

Once I get my own place, he will have the whole shelf for himself.

Birthday

On the first day of September I officially became 43 years old.

Nothing much to celebrate here - as a kid, this day was usually ignored because it happened during initial start of the school - I do remember some kiddies birthday parties but once I hit the puberty it wasn't celebrated at all. For most of my adult life it was something to mention in passing to my friends & colleagues who couldn't believe I take it so nonchalantly. I clearly remember some party I visited in Amsterdam just because I turned 30 and how I celebrated quietly with a lunch in Lisbon few years ago when I became 40. Big deal. 

This year was the same - if anything,what years have brought me is some inner confidence and realization of what makes ME happy as opposite to following the crowd. If crowd goes left, I will probably turn right. If the whole Amsterdam drinks and celebrates Gay Pride on the streets, I avoid the crowd and go out of town to enjoy museums in Hague. I learned to enjoy my solitary hobbies, relax in my own company without being bored and always have something interesting to do - even just lying down and reading without "having" to do anything. Sometimes accepting life for what it is - not some huge,strange mystery but random happenings where one can either enjoy or get stressed. Accepting that not everybody is the same and that for many people what I find normal and logical is not so. Even better - that I don't have to explain to the others why and how - let them be. I do my thing, you do yours. 

Years have been kind more or less in a sense that I had not turned into hunchback but naturally wear and tear is showing,which is not the most important thing. Waist-line is not like decades ago but eyes are still sparkling and brain still works. Appendicitis operation showed me that we can never 100% decide what will happen because body is a machine that needs occasional nurturing and care, that is why I don't bother with going out in the sun (it does not suits me) and gladly enjoy every coffee, cigarette and lunch when inspiration takes over. Nothing better than sitting in some foreign town and ordering Irish Coffee because I can. Just being nice to myself. 

I am loner by nature. Lived on my own for so many years that I accepted it as natural state of life - when I was younger I did like everybody else and tortured myself with romantic possibilities, not so much from conviction that this is something good for me,but because we are all brainwashed with magazines and movies that people need to constantly be in love. Now at this point I don't believe in it. Some people are simply born to live alone and there is nothing tragic about it. There are friends that make me laugh and enrich my life, occasional affairs that prove I am still capable of getting weak in the knees but honestly I am clear-eyed about the whole thing and need my own space. Looking around me at so many relationships where someone always pulls the leash I came to conclusion that it does not work for me - the moment when someone starts to scream for attention, I step back forever. Many times its difficult to step back without hurting the person but I never give false signals and don't play with anybody's feelings because I believe it all comes back to you - however, they are some people who drain my energy and I try not to get caught in that. It's simply not necessary. We are company because we enjoy each other,having fun, laughing or inspiring each other - if not, I am perfectly happy just writing or reading my book.

Many times I was in love but still enjoyed visiting museum on my own without a need to hold hands 24 hours a day.

Where do I see myself in the future? The health is the most important obviously - I will work as long as body permits because material possessions and career were never my priority. As for hopes and dreams, we will see,nothing can be arranged and decided definitely. I don't see myself ever raising a family because old habits die hard and I don't want obligations,sacrifices and everything that family includes - looking back at my own childhood I see how traumatizing it can reflect on a kid and I don't want to find myself in a situation that I am tired or not in the mood. If 90% of humanity raises families, there is still 10% of us who can live without wishing for it. As years go I feel more confident about what is good for me and what is not. I might drop dead tomorrow from heart attack. Or I might live some 20 years more quietly reading my books, writing my diary and simply being nice to people around me. To be honest, life really started at 30 for me so there is no reason why it shouldn't continue upwards. These last several years were spent in a brutal work on a cruise ships where I did a lot of traveling but at the same time tested the limits of human endurance because its definitely not fun working 16 hours daily, week after week and still being at work at 4 a.m. thinking "I will sleep day after tomorrow". Sometimes I think that it would be better for me to sell Hot Dog and live relaxed than to earn money like this. Than I go out for a walk somewhere in Tenerife and think life is good.

Life is good, if you know how to notice it.

Ornella Vanoni

The third in line of now-legendary italian singers of 1960s is Ornella Vanoni.

Vanoni is the oldest of them - and she started in theatre, performing Brecht and recording unusual repertoire of songs about crime,mafia and such (they call her "underworld singer" back than) which is still my favorite period of her career. These very early recordings are highly theatrical, almost cinematic little dramas where she was backed by none other than future cinema maestro Ennio Morricone, singing strange songs about prisons, police siren echoing around the streets, seedy side of life with prostitutes and pimps, brutality and reality that other singers usually skip. Her young voice was strong, full and throaty, booming from a stage like a waterfall.

Some time in 1960s Vanoni changed her music approach - her voice changed into a gentle croon, material focused on love ballads like "Senza fine" and off she went onto pop festivals, competing with Mina and Milva but there was always something intellectual about her. Even if the singles were sometimes poppy and bouncy, albums were serious affairs - she called one "Ai Miei Amici Cantautori" (My friends songwriters) and covered Jacques Brel, Gino Paoli, Charles Aznavour and Gilbert Bécaud. I particularly love the way she sings covers, because Vanoni has such incredibly beautiful, liquid voice that often brings this material into a new sphere - her cover of "Bridge over troubled water" or "Killing me softly" are perfect example of the way she spreads her own magic dust onto well-known repertoire, often sounding much more interesting than english speaking artists. 

Than there is Brazil. Vanoni always had affinity for music from Brazil and in fact one of her biggest 1960s hits was "Tristezza" that pointed at the well she would explore often. There was a huge hit "L'Appuntamento" that also had Brazilian origin (decades later used in a movie "Ocean's twelve") and finally a whole album "La voglia, la pazzia, l'incoscienza e l'allegria" where she collaborated with top composers from Brazil. Her tender croon is also well known in late-night jazz ballads and Vanoni had lot of autumnal, reflective songs in her repertoire.

Today there are still a lot of original Ornella Vanoni albums re-issued on CDs and they are easy to find in music shops. She has a very distinctive & recognizable voice that is best described as a soft whispery croon as she rarely goes for kill and usually stays calm and collected in her tenderness. One of the singers on my ships told me she could listen to Ornella Vanoni all day long and I understand her perfectly because its very soothing voice with a nice,intelligent poetic lyrics and pretty melodic music. Like with so many other artists, I am not completely swept away with her work from 1980s onwards because I dislike plastic synthesizer- arrangements and re-recordings of old songs in new production. For me, the best Ornella is 1960s and 1970s one when real people played instead of machines. Check any of her beautiful albums from 1970s and that is the best possible introduction to this artist.

Milva

Writing about Mina inspired me to look back on another italian singer I loved for many years and who belongs to same category of "sacred 1960s" music legends. There are three of them: Mina,Milva and Ornella Vanoni - italians love to discuss and argue which one is better but for me its all orange and apples, each of them is special in her own way.

Milva - affectionally called "Goro panther" - belongs to same generation as Mina but her music path was completely different. Though both ladies performed on San Remo festivals and occasionally even sung same song (as it was tradition at the time that same song was performed in two versions) Milva was a true bel canto belter with a huge voice and her weapon were thunderous ballads where she would unleash that volcanic sound - she rarely sounded subdued and most of the time when you hear Milva its full-blast, fasten-your-seatbels kind of roar. Claudio Villa who is italian God of romantic music would be her only male counterpart and in fact they actually recorded for the same recording company "Cetra records". Her music idol was Edith Piaf and not surprisingly Milva covered Piaf a lot, even recorded the whole tribute album with her songs titled "Canzoni di Edith Piaf".

My favorite Milva period were 1960s - there is so much beautiful music recorded during that period that it looks like never-ending adventure just to browse that huge discography, albums, singles, festival performances, movie soundtracks, you name it, Milva was there. If at the same time Mina was doing twist and singing "Tintarella di Luna", Milva was singing highly dramatical bombastic repertoire like "Flamenco Rock", "Il mare nel cassetto" and "Tango italiano" that sound excellent even today, don't know how anybody can resist such powerful, theatrical interpretations - Ennio Morricone apparently admired her so much that he composed galloping "Quattro vestiti" for her and later even dedicated the complete album to her ("Dedicato A Milva Da Ennio Morricone"). 

Usual comparisons with Mina are truly unnecessary - if you ask me,Milva had much better, stronger voice colored with particular, recognizable sound of old red wine, wonderful and sensuous deep alto that knocks me off my feet every time I hear it. Strangely enough it seems that this particular kind of singing actually fell out of fashion at certain point because italians started to look up to US rock music and suddenly they all sounded hoarse, what Milva does is a particulary old-fashioned art of bel canto singing that not many people can follow unless they are trained.Not surprisingly in 1970s she branched into theater and Brecht repertoire, than moved to Germany where she achieved great success, got herself new audience and works in Italy only sporadically. There are interesting album collaborations with composers like Mikis Theodorakis, Enzo Jannacci, Vangelis, Franco Battiato, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Shinji Tanimura and Giovanni Nuti that shows how serious pop composers hold her in a high esteem - however the most successful collaboration is probably the one with accordion wizard Astor Piazzolla because her passionate style of singing is really best suited to Tango. 

I am enjoying her 1960s work so much that I am basically still stuck there - eventually I might move forward and hear some recent albums but so far I am perfectly happy with that spectacular music legacy. Strangely enough, in italian music shops her work is not easy to find, for some reason there is always just occasional compilation or two (usually always 1960s) but in fact lady has around 70 albums in her discography - Mina and Ornella are far better presented because their albums are carefully re-released while Milva (who is the most powerful singer of the trio) seems to have fell out of fashion. Not for me though, I think she has one of the best voices I have ever heard.

Mina

For some time I wanted to write a little essay about Mina - who is celebrating 70th birthday this year, so I might as well do it now.

Mina is italian pop goddess - there is no other word to describe this enigmatic and enormously talented & influential singer who had left huge mark on italian culture for five decades now. At first, she was a young rocker who brought new rebellious music into tradition known for sedate bel canto voices - if rockers were known as "screamers" Mina was the Queen of screamers - than in late 1960s she was the biggest star of TV variety shows, eclectic and versatile enough to spread her wings into more serious music. During 1970s Mina recorded some of the most beautiful LPs of her career and italian music in general , changed her image into icy,distant and elegant lady and suddenly decided to stop performing live concerts - from 1978 she creates music from her own studio in Switzerland, refuses live performances and releases albums annually that almost always top italian music charts. There is a whole industry of songwriters and album cover designers waiting at her door because Mina is also known as a talent scout and can recognize new potentials - she had recorded so many albums that they usually fill the wall of CD shops in Italy and it can be intimidating not knowing where to start.

Her 1960s period is the young,upbeat and cheerful one - "Tintarella di Luna" was her first rock hit and she had recorded a lot of bouncy, peppy music during this time. Together with Adriano Celentano, she was the symbol of glorious time in italian culture when italian music, movies,fashion and art were recognized internationally - italian actors were winning "Oscars", italian fashion became a big deal, italian music was IN. There were some long forgotten scandals (she got pregnant by a married man, got banned from TV, audience insisted she should come back) and some old black & white TV clips from that time showing Mina as full-fledged star singing everything from bossa nova to Puccini to current pop covers. If 1960s were frantic, they were good for her.

In early 1970s Mina hooked up with some of the best songwriters in Italian music ever - cheerful little ditties were long gone and from now on Mina focused on serious,melancholic ballads reinventing herself totally as a different artist: voice became much deeper, music and lyrics more demanding (poetic), her image glamourous and     refined. Clearly she grew up and luckily the audience grew up with her, rewarding her with huge million-selling hits like "Parole,parole", "Grande,grande,grande", "Amor mio" and my own favorite "Insieme"- this is just a top of an iceberg, because she really build a brilliant discography during this time.

From 1980s onwards Mina worked exclusively from her own recording studio. That means avalanche of studio albums, released every year and eagerly awaited. The best modern production and always new songwriters - it also means a certain music meandering because now Mina did what she wanted, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Sometimes (quite often actually) these double LP albums could probably have been edited to make one good LP instead but the lady had such a loyal fan base that she could really do as she pleased, so she recorded whatever came to her mind, including tributes to The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, sacred music, jazz, traditional neapolitan folk and a multitude of covers that shows musical curiosity - she would cover Michael Jackson,Madonna or Patsy Cline on the same album, always avoiding to fall into category of nostalgia - where other 1960s artists have long stopped to be relevant, Mina continued in big style. Her son Massimiliano Pani became her producer during this time and for better or worse he is responsible for the way music sounds, some says maybe she would be better with somebody else - to me he appears as passionate about music as his mother and brave enough to experiment with unexpected.

If you ask me, for the last 20 years Mina has not really recorded anything spectacular - "Bula Bula" (2005.) was excellent  return to form but almost everything else was really kind of disappointing. I got already used to discover great Mina album and than several mildly interesting to follow - a curse of huge discography - the lady works hard all her life and its wonderful that she still wants to do it but sometimes I wonder why does she bother. Than I realize that she had long lost the interest in pop music as such and what she does is select music that sounds somehow deeper, poetic, more serious - the more you listen, the more beautiful it sounds. Her last album "Piccolino" is a perfect example - it sounds depressing at first and than slowly it starts to show all the nuances with each repeated listening. She is elderly lady now and of course the voice has changed with time, we can't expect the same sound as in 1970s - most of the time she sounds world-weary, heart broken and dead serious - but every now and than the old magic is back again and I marvel how good she sounds when she gets inspired. Give her a good song and she can still do wonders.

I salute you,Mina. Happy 70th birthday. There are not many people in your profession who continued to work with a passion, full heart and constant need for something new,like you do. I will continue to buy your albums because it's a never ending adventure and pleasure, sometimes it takes me longer to appreciate what you do, but it works,how it works. You are one of my all-time favorite music artists.

"Sorelle Lumiere" by Mina (1992)

Magnificent album cover that shows italian pop goddess profile as a part of cinema projector - her album covers had long became state of the art examples of perfect visual design but I am not so convinced with the music. The tradition of releasing double albums annually occasionally backfires because material is bound the be highly eclectic and experimental - if we skip her bouncy,happy 1960s period, Mina had actually achieved her artistic peak during 1970s with a series of beautiful, classy albums but if you ask me, almost everything of 1980s and 1990s is very spotty - double albums with no apparent focus and too much meandering.

Typical of her 1990s output, "Sorelle Lumiere" (Lumier's sisters) is another double album that could have easily been edited into strong single LP. It has 50 + old singer collaborating with younger musicians (something she was always good at) and there are some strong points here - her voice is still expressive and magical to listen to - but overall the atmosphere of the album is very dark,moody and somehow icy. Because Mina does not write her own material and depends on strong songwriters, her albums are very unpredictable - she might select some seductive, slow burning gems or strong hooks like "Figlio Unico" that sound current and modern but the very next song might be completely unnecessary off-the-wall cover of "Cry me a river" and such - obviously this is a strong willed lady and does as she pleases, which in itself is part of her eccentric charm but it does make one long and never ending album.

Highlights are some unexpected medleys: "Un Nuovo Amico/E Poi ..." merges a new song with a classic old one and it works perfectly, same for medley of "I'll Fly For You/Oye Como Va/Black Magic Woman" where Spandau Ballet somehow makes natural fit with Carlos Santana. There is also a wonderful jazzy "I Ricordi Della Sera" that first got my attention years ago and made me buy the whole album - seductive and tender Mina is backed here with a vocal chorus that creates nocturnal, nostalgic 1940s atmosphere and its truly film noir experience. My suggestion : edit double album into favorites and you get much better program.

Mina & Celentano (1998)

One-off and long overdue collaboration of two giants who probably know each other for decades.

Celetano's street smart charm and Mina's icy glamour are not an obvious fit but they create magic together and it works so well that it makes one wonder why it took them so long to get in the studio. Both started at the early dawn of 1960s as young punks ready to shake the world and endured long years in business to the point that they became living legends. If somebody had put them together in way back than, who knows what explosion that might have been, with young Celentano roaring and Mina answering in her energetic style - however at this point they are middle-aged people comfortable with slow-to-medium funky ballads. 

Both artists have huge following so it was natural that this album soared to the top of italian charts, as it should have - modern production,nothing nostalgic here, strong melodies and voices blending naturally. It's kind of mild funk one might hear in italian coffee bars graced with top-notch than-current production and first few songs are truly classy pop that shows everything was taken seriously and nobody thought about artists as being old or over the hill. Most of the music here are duets but both artists have also a solo spot - Mina does her usual slow-burning rock ballad on "Io Ho Te" while Celentano raps on "Dolly". There is even a comical "Che T'Aggia Dì" acted as argument between husband and wife who demands more bedroom attention or else she won't cook anymore. (It's almost a parody on Mina famous "Parole parole") 

Nice pop album that shows old foxes still having power, however it does make one wonder how they might have sounded together some 30 years ago.

Josipa Lisac "Live" (2001)

At the time of this release, one journalist called it "triumph of swelled narcism" (or something like that) and obviously Josipa Lisac has always been acquired taste, even more so as with time she consciously focused even more on her trademark vocal mannerisms - it is a brave decision and probably natural artistic growth but I have always wondered is it actually a hindrance, since it cost her certain commercial appeal. After all, artists need the audience and sometime it seems as Lisac pushes it just a little too much for her own good. But she is still selling out the concerts at the age of sixty eight, so who am I to say.

"Live" finds this indestructible veteran revisiting highlights from her very impressive and respectable songbook, mostly written specifically for her by late Karlo Metikoš who was her Pygmalion and who encouraged her unrepentant style that in the later days sometimes seems too excessive. Judging by this recordings taped trough several evenings in Zagreb, Ljubljana and Maribor, audience welcome is heartfelt and sincere, though personally I have problem with her live renditions that too often stretch listeners patience - most of these old pop classics are now transformed into dirges and when taken too seriously, seems they lost the joy of their original incarnations. At this stage Lisac is determined to give master classes in singing and though she is surrounded with brilliant young musicians, I suspect things might work better if she tones it down slightly just a notch, instead of twisting each song beyond recognition. To me it sounds like Al Jarreau and although lady would probably take it as compliment, I have this gnawing feeling people would accept her more if only restrain herself a little. 

"Memphis Monday Blues" by Bobby Bland (1998)

Bland was 69 at the time of this release but boy,he had recorded album full of swagger - the very opening "Im Bobby B" could easily come from Bo Didley songbook and it just gets better from there. Sure he is much older than in the golden days and the voice is thinner but the spirit is still here - definitely - what is surprising is that after a several slow-burning blues albums he had kicked with something so lively and uplifting, its almost a party album. Snort is still here but if you have ever heard Bland before, this is what you came to expect and perhaps even anticipate - is he going to snort again? - ah yes, he does. Music is fine - typical good time blues even when lyrics can be downbeat but its finely moving towards centerpiece "Memphis Monday Morning" that comes along like some giant, slow wave of the blues. Bland spreads tender magic around what is basically worn-out cliché (my baby has left me) and the world stops during these 9 minutes - truly unexpected wonder from an old fox who plays around the cracks in that worn-out voice, really wonderful. 

"You Left Me With The Blues" has Bland surrounded with modern production and some vaguely echo-sound effects which is all fine, good to hear Bland still sounding contemporary though his roots go back in the days when these producers were probably not even born. And than for finale, he snarls (and snorts) his way trough "Lookin' For Some Tush"  rocking and leaving years in the dust behind him. It does wonders for me to hear this old man swaggering like a peacock and its truly uplifting - makes me feel good to hear my old favorite still getting it up and roaring. I love Bobby Bland.

Josipa Lisac

The very first person I wrote about on this blog was the big idol of my childhood and a huge influence/inspiration during my formative years, croatian rock queen Josipa Lisac. 

Today I will write a little more about her as I recently saw her live in concert after almost 17 years and memories started flooding back. 

When I was a kid growing up in than-Yugoslavia,music scene was huge according to the size of the country - we had music,genres and stars coming from different parts of the country, big competition and variety of sounds, things that were mainstream and things that were cool. Josipa was always cool. I remember little me collecting newspaper clips about her, being totally fascinated with this strange witch-like siren with seductive, deep and sensual voice that didn't belong to our reality - while other pop stars were smiling,relatively ordinary people that one might meet in the street, Josipa epitomized glamour and other life - trough the years she had changed like chameleon but always kept her unmistakable and recognizable sound (kind of mannered vocal stylings that irritated a lot of people and attracted the others) and the very first I saw her on TV she had just returned from living in USA, looking totally fashionable,modern and "american" while her colleagues were still obviously singers from East-European territory.

At the age of 12-13 I did my homework research and found out that Lisac actually was already a big star long before I had discovered her. She belonged to 1960s beat generation, left a pop band to go solo at the age of 18. and was shocking sedate festival audience with her looks, clothes, hair and music for many years until around 1973. she was finally established as a first croatian female rock singer with a stunning debut LP where she was backed by all-star band. Because rock music was always associated with all kinds of scandals, Lisac herself had a bad reputation and lots of gossips always going on around her but it was basically based on provincial opinions of the people who never even met her. As a teenager I loved everything about her - she was a vegetarian who dressed up like a creature from another planet, was opinionated and open in the interviews, was singing everything from jazz to classical and back, her concerts were sensational and her voice usually put everybody else to shame. I still believe had she been born elsewhere, she would have international career because she is that good.

For many years Lisac was my all-time favorite but as it usually happens my musical tastes expanded and with all my travels and living abroad I checked her out only sporadically, from a distance. 

Usually I was glad and delighted to find out she is still active (basically the only one from her generation), had survived ups & downs, got widowed but honored the memory of her late partner with traditional concert homages to him and finally achieved status of living legend showered with awards. Because she is over 60 now and still active in rock music there is not much understanding for the artist of this age and sometimes I was afraid would she turned into "crazy lady from the attic" caricature of her younger self but it seems that people realize she is doing this because she honestly loves music,its her life and purpose. The ones who don't get it I don't even want to discuss this. Pop scene is full of young,half-naked wannabes who fall sideways every day and Lisac is still here some 40 years later. She is a legend.

Recently I saw her live. She actually sounded better than ever before - that huge,massive voice floating above the crowd who obviously dug and loved her. I mean kids were dancing with their hands in the air and middle-aged people were listening with eyes clothes. The backing musicians were excellent, all of them young punks full of energy who twisted each of the classic gems into another dimension and everything sounded somehow fresh and different - not one song was similar to original recorded version and that was good as well,because it showed Lisac is still artist who loves to play around with her repertoire instead of just repeating herself. To be honest,I actually love the original versions because I listened to them for almost all my life but I understand it must be agony for somebody to play same notes night after night so Lisac chose different path. She does Bossa Nova here, latino there and it all somehow makes new and unexpected listening. 

I don't know how long she will continue doing this because there are many odds against her (age being one) but long might she rule and for me she will always be nr.1.

Jasna Benedek

Jasna Benedek belongs to very early generation of croatian pop singers from 1950s - after Ivo Robić paved a way with his example (but he started even before WW2) others followed, notably Zvonimir Krkljuš, Bruno Petrali and Rajka Vali. Sometime in late 1950s completely new generation of new singers came along ready to take their place on the stage, usually starting in amateur contests at the than-famous "Variete" and if somebody spotted them there, they would hopefully proceed to famous pop festivals that were covered nationally. 

The very first time I heard her name was during interview with Zdenka Vučković who mentioned her with great affection - in the late 1950s Vučković was just a kid and a few years short of her big break but she clearly modelled herself somehow on Benedek's example, following similar innocent voiced approach. Not much is known about Jasna Benedek and she appears to had just a short little twinkle of career, long forgotten now - most of the people would probably not remember her now because later it became norm that stars would have long careers - only occasionally colleagues would lovingly mentioned her name so it seems she did left a warm spot in many hearts.

This cute little four-song EP recorded in 1959. is a historical document now of a time long passed. Just as the cover photo shows a young girl fresh from a school, her voice is a sweet, tender and sentimental but with a personality. Ubiquitous Mario Kinel wrote lyrics for two covers and other two songs are originals - its all light swing with a romantic touch and Benedek sounds like a darling, probably inspired by movies with Doris Day. "Srcem svim" is her croatian version of than-famous pop hit "Gondolier" that Petula Clark recorded as "With all my heart" and "Bezimena ljubav" surprisingly sombre version of the theme from a movie "Barefoot contessa" that might be a highlight of the whole recording. Two croatian originals are sweet but somehow clumsy compared to international hits - "Susret pod kišobranom" has a story about meeting in the rain where two protagonists fall in love under the umbrella (how innocent and appropriate for times,but it does sound a bit strange today) while "To je moj ples" has Benedek singing from a point of the girl who is ignored on a dance. The latter song was written by somebody with name Korbar and I have to do some research here because the song actually surfaced many decades later on the album of another croatian singer, Višnja Korbar who might have remember it for sentimental reasons. 

Sweet little recording with fresh-voiced singer who fell in obscurity soon afterwards - Benedek might be found on several pop festival LPs of the early 1960s and than every trace of her disappears. Every information about her is welcome.