Things that inspire me, a Brooklyn-based musician • designer • nerd who plays Brazilian & Portuguese music and loves Black women.
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Marvelous performance. Bebo Valdés’ extraordinarily simple, spacious playing is a perfect foil for Diego el Cigala’s fiery voice. The instrumentalists complement Diego perfectly, without trying to fight fire with fire (which seems to be the aesthetic of traditional flamenco— although I love that too!).
“El Niño” Josele’s guitar solo is also a remarkably beautiful example of flamenco-style improvisation in a non-flamenco setting.
Bebo’s son Chucho Valdés did a similar, and equally exquisite, collaboration with Afro-Spanish flamenco singer Buika, “El Último Trago.”
Diego el Cigala & Bebo Valdés, “Obsesión” (from “Blanco y Negro en Vivo”)
A Sino-Arabic calligraphic panel by Yusuf Chen Jinhui, date unknown. This panel features the Arabic text al-hamdu li’-illah (praise be to God) in Sino-Arabic brushpaint (zhong-kai style), with the Chinese translation and the artists’ name and seal on the left. (via)
Tremendous energy… like a hurricane. I just finished reading Eric Nisenson’s “Ascension,” and it has really deepened my appreciation for Coltrane and jazz.
John Coltrane, “My Favorite Things” (live, 1965)
John Coltrane (ts), McCoy Tyner (p), Jim Garrison (b), Elvin Jones (d)
RIP Cesária Évora, Diva dos Pés Descalços.
Cesária Évora, “Sodade”
Dance meets ink painting. This is really cool.
Reminds me of Yves Klein’s “Anthropométrie,” but more genuine and less pretentious.
Want. This. Right now.
Recent discovery: Modern dance really activates my beginner’s mind. Works like this, I find beautiful in a way I can’t describe— I literally have no words to communicate or analyze what I’m seeing.
Compañia Nacional de Danza, “Duende” (choregoraphy: Nacho Duato)
I wish I could find a larger size of this spread from, of all places, “American Way,” American Airlines’ in-flight magazine. The photo of Mariza is quite sharp, and I like the combination of colors there. Some nice editorial design happening on the opposite page, too— including the subtle hint of the Portuguese flag.
