Brazil’s Bestest Musician

I was going on and on about how great he is to my friends seated to my left, as I sat down in the shiney new fake leather seats at the new Bimhuis last night. I barely even took notice, in between my longwinded analysis of all-time greatest Brasilian musicians, that HE and his band had quietly taken their places.

“Which one is he?” asked my Colombian buddy, scanning the crew of four now in position to start the magic. I glanced quickly at all of them… recognized Paulo Braga.. drummer…the playful genius. And there he was, long hair and already strumming in that style that so reminds me of Bill Frisell if he suddenly turned Brazilian. I also remembered that trumpet playing percussionist from when I first saw them way back in 1998 in NYC. Can’t remember what club we were at. I just remember I liked some girl who I had gone there with, and when I arrived, excited to see her, there she was, alongside the man who she would then introduce as her fiancee. Ouch.

But fortunately for me back then, as now, there’s Vinicius. Vinicius can fix anything for me. I’m working oh so many jobs lately to push my career forward and give me some extra loot to fly to Cuba in a few months, and the music of Vinicius Cantuaria takes me away from all the websites and texts and emails that need answering. From the moment he starts off with Procissão.. Im groovin and wishing we weren’t so dutch and didn’t have to remain seated to watch music that makes one’s body want to move. Anyway you all get the point. It was heaven.

And as always, I waited around with some new friends, constantly scanning the room for him. And sure enough, in a big puffy jacket and a skull cap covering his fro, I spotted Vinicius almost alone at the bar. I came over and told him “Cada vez que vóçe toca em Amsterdão, eu venho, e cada vez é o melhor prazer do ano. Muito obrigado pelo seu trabalho.” He looked at me with gratitude and slight suprise – you’ve come to see me every year? oh man.. .thank you so much for that support. thats wonderful.

That’s Vinicius. He’s the bestest.

Shine the Spotlight on Liberians

On the Liberian national symbol thingie, it says “Love of Liberty Brought Us Here.” A shining piece of evidence of what a lack of freedom the country its founders were fleeing – The USA – embodied in the late 1800’s. And then the history books and wikipedias tell us that the republic was doing great up until 1980 when there was a coup and everything went to shit and now unemployment is at 80%. 80%! That’s alot of people just hanging out, trying to survive without an income.

And so the man who put the W in warlord, president Richard Taylor, ran off a year or so ago and is hiding out hoping the world will forget about him much like they’d long forgotten Liberia. Now they’re having elections, and despite not being a citizen of Liberia, never having been there, and not having to live there afterwards, I like the two main candidates in this election:

In this corner, from the slums of Monrovia, international soccer (or football depending on what english you speak) star and all around national symbol of success – Former FIFA player of the year and huma nrights advocate, Mr…. Geooooorge Weah.

and in this corner, direct from Harvard where she got her masters degree in economics (i think). The pride of the World Bank and City Bank where she made a name for herself, former exile and political prisoner, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

As of this moment it’s a runoff and the results aren’t clear. The word is that the voting has been pretty good, transparent, and hey – considering the state of democracy these days – thats pretty good. I’m pullin for George. Though Id love to see the continent’s first female prez, I don’t dig her banking background… last thing we need in this world is citybank pushing credit card debt on more of us. 😉

A-Ren Talks in Dreams

It has been quite some time since I’ve talked about my super-human toddler-extraordinaire nephew the A-REN. Perhaps because it has been almost a year since I last sat next to his high-chair and he threw all his toys on the floor and gave me that “pick em up uncle slaveboy from Holland.” – A look that I always obey of course, cause you can’t deny the A-Ren.

But as you can imagine, throughout the year my dear brother and my mama keep me going with plenty of photos and the occasional video of A-Ren dancing around to Portuguese music. And perhaps that and my upcoming trip to New Jersey (1 month away) that have led to some very interesting dreams lately.

Now in real life, the A-Ren is still not using the languages of the uncivilized world many of us use. Instead he has created his own language which I believe to be too highly advanced for humans, especially boring adults. Though he does humor the family by saying a few key English and Portuguese words. Yet, lately I have this re-occuring dream where my toddler nephew walks into my apartment and immediately shouts my name and runs up to me and hugs my one leg and starts talking up a storm asking me why I haven’t been to visit him lately. Im pretty sure he speaks to me in English, but the part that always blows me away is when he knows all about me and what Im doing in Amsterdam and demands that we go out in the garden and play. — A vision of the future perhaps? An acid flashback perhaps? A lack of sleep? — likely.

Oh and since one day my nephew will be reading all the old posts his uncle wrote about him — hey buddy, here’s lookin’ at you.

bicyclemark80: Beneath the Surface of Riots in France

Join me and my guest Sophie as she shares how things look within France while the uprising continues across the country. Also BREAKING NEWS about chemical weapons used in Fallujah.

AudioCommunique #80(mp3)
29min+, 80kbps, 16Mb+

Discussion Includes (for those too lazy to listen!):

Amy Goodman speech on media
Podjournalism revolution
Story breaks about US use of white phospherous – more potent than napalm
Call the media networks and demand its reported!
Americunt.com
Briefly on the West Wing
BBC series on Discrimination in France
A communique correspondant in France: Sophie of sophie-g.net
My listener map – its growing!

Another Annoying Map – Humor Me

Even though every blogger, podcaster, and their mother have one of these maps. I’m asking those of you that can stomach it, go to my reader/listener map and put yourself on there. I want to look at the amazing array of people and where you all are. So get to it.. it takes less than 40 seconds to do. A photo is bonus material.

Tis the Season to Build a Barricade

Over the past weekend I watched with great interest, and as you’d expect knowing me, great pleasure, as the masses took to the streets in Buenos Aires and danced a Tango of protest against the US president. It pretty much set the tone for the entire weekend, as the mass media offerred speech after speech with the silver-spoon president fumbling and bumbling speech after speech about how latin america loves his destructive foreign policy. Then he tried to escape to Brazil, but even there, o povo Brasileiro gave him hell everytime he stepped into the light of day. I bet he has nightmares of protestors and asks Laura everynight why the world hates him. I hope he cries himself to sleep for all the people his policies have killed, its the minimum punishment, in my opinion.

But this isn’t about attacking the easy target. This is about the wonderful landmass known as South America and how, in the past 5 years, it has awoken and stood up – time after time – against the forces that have opressed, manipulated, and murdered its people. The myths of free trade, the terror of so-called democracies, and the empty promises of a bright future as the economic, political, and social laboratory of North America.

Diego Maradona and Hugo Chavez, two men who definitely act and look as if they have circus experience on their CV’s, may not be the ideal posterchildren for a movement, but their message rings true for the marginalized majority across the continent and worldwide.

I too should have brought a shovel to my blog today, to bury that horrendous and illegitimate pact – the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas.