As 2009 is just around the corner, I thought I'd share my favourite songs of the last year. Some of these songs were released this year, others weren't, but all of them were songs I couldn't stop listening to all year.
Happy New Year!
12 meses, 12 canciones
Ya que 2009 está a la vuelta de la esquina, me gustaría compartir mis canciones preferidas del año. Algunas salieron este año e otras no, pero todas eran canciones que no pude dejar de escuchar.
¡Feliz año nuevo!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Lost Weekend
This weekend, locked up in the house as I have been, my mind began to wander and I've been swept up by a wave of nostalgia, along with not being totally sure of where I am now.
So, my soundtrack to the weekend: Carry Me Ohio by Sun Kil Moon. I'm not sure why, but I've had this on heavy rotation since Friday. It's like an aural balm, a soothing voice and heart breaking lyrics that make me think of being in a passenger seat of a car, watching the landscape slip by.
Este fin de semana, encerrada en casa, mis pensamientos han divagado mucho y me ha dejado llevar la nostalgia, junto con mis incertidumbres del presente.
Por lo tanto, mi banda sonora del fin de semana: Carry Me Ohio de Sun Kil Moon. No sé por qué razón, pero llevo desde el viernes escuchandola constantamente. Sirve como un bálsamo, una voz que alivia y letras que deja el corazón en pedazos y que me hace pensar en viajar en el asiento del acompañante y ver como el paisaje me pasa.
Sorry that
I could never love you back
I could never care enough
In these last days
Her tears
Fell on her pages found me out
On her words I don't know what
To do or say
Wading through
Warm canals and pools clear blue
The Tuscarawas flows into
The prairie land
Riding back
To where the highway met
Dead end tracks
The ground is now cement and glass
And far away
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
Lingering in
What about the sweetness we knew
What about what's good what's true
From those days
Can't count to
All the lovers I've burned through
So why do I still burn for you
I cannot say
Sorry that
I could never love you back
I could never care enough in these last days
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
Children blush
And gather round the home she rests
So poor and gold with their mid west
Moon and sun
Flashes bringing on
My open eyes the lightning storm
The tortured mist felt soft, felt warm
On my face
Craving dreams
A million miles ago you see
And the star that I just don't see
Anymore
Words long gone
Lost on journeys we walked on
Lost are voices heard along the way
Sorry for
Never going by your door
Never feeling love like that
Anymore
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Bridge to Nowhere
It's been a funny month - an Olympian all nighter of a festival, discovering and falling in love with music all over again, a hormonal low, a wee incicent involving a brief loss of consciousness, a melodica and a song later...
And now, a pyjama day, shut up in my bedroom with some music and a smile.
Long live long weekends!
Un puente hacia ninguna parte
Ha sido un mes algo raro. Un festival de 24 horas sin dormir, el descubrimiento y la reafirmación de mi amor de la música, un bajón fuerte a causa de los hormonas, un incidente en que perdí momentáneamente el conocimiento, una melódica y una canción...
Ahora, un día, en pijama, encerrada en mi habitación con la música y una sonrisa.
¡Vivan los puentes!
And now, a pyjama day, shut up in my bedroom with some music and a smile.
Long live long weekends!
Un puente hacia ninguna parte
Ha sido un mes algo raro. Un festival de 24 horas sin dormir, el descubrimiento y la reafirmación de mi amor de la música, un bajón fuerte a causa de los hormonas, un incidente en que perdí momentáneamente el conocimiento, una melódica y una canción...
Ahora, un día, en pijama, encerrada en mi habitación con la música y una sonrisa.
¡Vivan los puentes!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
La vuelta
After a dizzying few weeks back in Córdoba, I've finally gotten the chance to write something after the summer "holidays". Between looking for a flat, failing to find a flat, deciding to stay in the flat and then cleaning it from top to bottom, looking for a flatmate, finding a flatmate, starting work, spending a lot of time in work, joining a new swimming pool, catching up with friends...in short, I'm only just getting into the swing of things now.
But it's nice to be back.
Después de haber pasado ya unas semanas en Córdoba por fin logro escribir algo ya que se han acabado "las vacaciones". Entre buscar piso, no encontrar piso, decidir quedarnos en el piso y entonces limpiarlo a fondo, buscar compañero de piso, encontrar compañero de piso, volver al trabajo, pasar demasiado tiempo currando, hacerme socio de la piscina nueva, quedar con amigos y ponernos al día...en fin, todavía me estoy acostumbrando a la vuelta.
Pero me alegro de haber vuelto.
But it's nice to be back.
Después de haber pasado ya unas semanas en Córdoba por fin logro escribir algo ya que se han acabado "las vacaciones". Entre buscar piso, no encontrar piso, decidir quedarnos en el piso y entonces limpiarlo a fondo, buscar compañero de piso, encontrar compañero de piso, volver al trabajo, pasar demasiado tiempo currando, hacerme socio de la piscina nueva, quedar con amigos y ponernos al día...en fin, todavía me estoy acostumbrando a la vuelta.
Pero me alegro de haber vuelto.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Setlist
Here's the setlist from our last gig by popular demand.
1. The Wild Rover (Traditional)
2. Like a Songbird That Has Fallen (Reeltime Travellers)
3. Spancill Hill (Traditional)
4. Star of the County Down (Traditional)
5. Ride On (Christy Moore)
6. Down to the River to Pray (Traditional - made famous by Alison Krauss)
7. Jug of Punch (Traditional)
8. Lady Margaret (Traditional)
9. How Can I Tell You? (Cat Stevens)
10. July (Mundy)
11. Black is the Colour (Traditional - based on version by Christy Moore)
12. 9 Crimes (Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan)
13. She Moved Through the Fair (Traditional)
14. Whiskey in the Jar (Traditional - made famous by Thin Lizzy and, later, Metallica)
15. The Valley of Strathmore (Silly Wizard)
16. I Remember (Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan)
17. The Parting Glass (Traditional)
I'm missing some of Rafa's that he added last minute so I'll have to ask him to fill in some gaps, but most of them are here.
1. The Wild Rover (Traditional)
2. Like a Songbird That Has Fallen (Reeltime Travellers)
3. Spancill Hill (Traditional)
4. Star of the County Down (Traditional)
5. Ride On (Christy Moore)
6. Down to the River to Pray (Traditional - made famous by Alison Krauss)
7. Jug of Punch (Traditional)
8. Lady Margaret (Traditional)
9. How Can I Tell You? (Cat Stevens)
10. July (Mundy)
11. Black is the Colour (Traditional - based on version by Christy Moore)
12. 9 Crimes (Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan)
13. She Moved Through the Fair (Traditional)
14. Whiskey in the Jar (Traditional - made famous by Thin Lizzy and, later, Metallica)
15. The Valley of Strathmore (Silly Wizard)
16. I Remember (Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan)
17. The Parting Glass (Traditional)
I'm missing some of Rafa's that he added last minute so I'll have to ask him to fill in some gaps, but most of them are here.
Review 2007-2008
As I work in academic and not calender years, it's time for me to take stock of the year that has been and reminisce about my favourite events here in Córdoba since October. The top ten are, in no particular order, as follows:
Como trabajo el año académico ya no pienso en años naturales, y por eso ya ha llegado la hora de recordar y contar mis actuaciones e eventos favoritos desde octubre. Los que destacan, en mi opinión, son los seguientes:
1. Refree at the Festival IDEM in the Filmoteca
It was one of those gigs that I went to with no idea what to expect. Lulling Catalan folk pop from one man, his guitar and piano, all in the wonderful surroundings of the patio in the Filmoteca (an ideal location for intimate gigs - there should be more of them). It was a magic night of pretty lyrics, sitting cross legged on the ground and sipping wine while watching the stars.
Refree en la Filmoteca (El festival idem)
Me encanta llegar a concierto sin expectetivas y salir flipada. Así me pasó cuando vi este concierto de música folk/pop que consistío en un hombre a solas con su guitarra y piano. Me sentí como si estuviese espiandole tocando en su salón. Una noche mágica de letras preciosas y de estar sentada en el suelo del patio con una copa de vino mientras miraba las estrellas.
2. Seamus Heaney Reading at Cosmopoética
This was a once in a lifetime thing - an Irish Nobel Prize winner reading here in Córdoba. A selection of poems read with bird song from the Alcazar gardens in the background and a warm breeze coming through the windows, as the murals from the Corredera looked on. I especially enjoyed the short poems and a poem about his time in Spain as the Troubles in Northern Ireland were beginning to make international news.
Dangerous pavements…
But this year I face the ice
with my father’s stick
El poeta Seamus Heaney en el Alcázar (Cosmopoética)
Unas cosas solo te pasan una vez en la vida. La visita de Seamus Heaney, el poeta irlandés y ganador del premio Nobel, es una de esas cosas. Leyó una selección de poemas con su acento sonoro de Irlanda del Norte, entre ellos algunos sobre su padre e otro sobre su estancia en España en los 70, justo cuando la guerra en Irlanda del Norte empezó a recibir la atención de la prensa internacional.
Aceras peligrosas...
Pero este año me enfrento al hielo
Con el bastón de mi padre.
3. Limousine in Automático for Cosmopoética
My first time seeing Limousine live, albeit without a full line up, and I was not disappointed. The sound was amazing as we all packed in tightly to see a perfectly performed gig of melodic perfection. Shiny and sublime.
Limousine en el Automático (Cosmopoética)
Fue mi primera vez en un concierto de Limousine, y aunque no estuvieron todos del grupo, no me decepcionó. El sonido fue impresionante y me quedé sin palabras después de un concierto brillante y sublime.
4. Cosmopoética
Poetry on the streets, in bars, on the buses. Cosmopoética was magical and more visible this year. From the big names in poetry to smaller readings by local talent there was a literary buzz about the city. I especially loved the poetry coasters in bars - cultural copas for all!
Cosmopoética
La poesía en las calles, en bares, en los autobuses. El Cosmopoética fue mágico. Desde los recitos de los grandes poetas hasta los talentos de aquí hubo un ambiente literaria por toda la ciudad. Sobre todo, me gustaron los posavasos poéticos que se encontraba en los bares - unas copas cultas para todos.
5. Zéjel in the Botanical Gardens (Festival de Música Sefardí)
In Ireland, outdoor concerts means lots of umbrellas, raincoats and Dunkirk spirit. For that reason, any opportunity I have to enjoy music surrounded by nature, without having having to find shelter under the nearest tree, is often a magical experience. However, it can only be truely magical if the music is otherworldly and Zéjel were supernatural. Ancient, exotic music as old as the trees that provided such a perfect background.
Zéjel en los Jardines Botánicos (Festival de Música Sefardí)
En Irlanda, ir a conciertos en aire libre supone un esfuerzo por la parte del espectador. Hay que llevar paraguas, impermeables y ser valiente. Por eso, intento aprovechar de cualquier oportunidad para disfrutar de la música en la naturaleza, sin buscar maneras de escapar de la lluvia. Pero la experiencia me resulta mucho mejor cuando la música sea buena y la música del grupo sefardí Zéjel fue de otro mundo. Música exotica con más años que los arboles que le hacían un fondo tan apropiado.
6. Dancing at Epigea (La Noche Blanca de Flamenco)
Unfortunately I missed the beginning of Epigea in Colón, but I did make it for the amazing DJ sessions. I danced until the blisters from my new flip flops proved unbearable and I headed home as the sun went up.
Bailando en la Epigea (La Noche Blanca de Flamenco)
Desafortunadamente perdí el principio de la Epigea en el parque Colón, pero llegué a tiempo para disfrutar de los DJs maravillosos. Bailé hasta que no podía más con las ampollas cuasadas por mis chanclas nuevas y me fui a casa a la vez que salió el sol.
7. Paul Lambe in the Corredera (El Festival de Blues)
I'm not a big blues fan, but thanks to some persuasion from a friend, I checked out this amazing harmonica player in the Corredera. You have to take your hat off to a guy who can get the entire audience to dance to the ground and stay there.
Paul Lambe en la Corredera (El Festival de Blues)
No soy muy fan de los Blues, pero gracias a las peticiones de una amiga, fui a ver a este cantante que toca la armónica de forma impresionante. Hay que reconocer el arte de un cantante que tuvo los espectadores tan hechizados que pudo conseguir que todos los espectadores se sentesen en el suelo y que se quedasen así hasta que les pidió que se pusieren de pie.
Well, I'm sure I've forgotten lots of things so feel free to remind me or let me know your favourite moments. Until September, I'll take my leave of Córdoba, but not the blog and here's hoping next year will be even better.
Es probable que no haya acordado de todas las cosas de que he disfrutado este año así que recordadme y decidme vuestros momentos favoritos. Me voy de Córdoba hasta septiembre pero seguiré escribiendo en el blog e esperando que el año que viene esté incluso mejor.
Como trabajo el año académico ya no pienso en años naturales, y por eso ya ha llegado la hora de recordar y contar mis actuaciones e eventos favoritos desde octubre. Los que destacan, en mi opinión, son los seguientes:
1. Refree at the Festival IDEM in the Filmoteca
It was one of those gigs that I went to with no idea what to expect. Lulling Catalan folk pop from one man, his guitar and piano, all in the wonderful surroundings of the patio in the Filmoteca (an ideal location for intimate gigs - there should be more of them). It was a magic night of pretty lyrics, sitting cross legged on the ground and sipping wine while watching the stars.
Refree en la Filmoteca (El festival idem)
Me encanta llegar a concierto sin expectetivas y salir flipada. Así me pasó cuando vi este concierto de música folk/pop que consistío en un hombre a solas con su guitarra y piano. Me sentí como si estuviese espiandole tocando en su salón. Una noche mágica de letras preciosas y de estar sentada en el suelo del patio con una copa de vino mientras miraba las estrellas.
2. Seamus Heaney Reading at Cosmopoética
This was a once in a lifetime thing - an Irish Nobel Prize winner reading here in Córdoba. A selection of poems read with bird song from the Alcazar gardens in the background and a warm breeze coming through the windows, as the murals from the Corredera looked on. I especially enjoyed the short poems and a poem about his time in Spain as the Troubles in Northern Ireland were beginning to make international news.
Dangerous pavements…
But this year I face the ice
with my father’s stick
El poeta Seamus Heaney en el Alcázar (Cosmopoética)
Unas cosas solo te pasan una vez en la vida. La visita de Seamus Heaney, el poeta irlandés y ganador del premio Nobel, es una de esas cosas. Leyó una selección de poemas con su acento sonoro de Irlanda del Norte, entre ellos algunos sobre su padre e otro sobre su estancia en España en los 70, justo cuando la guerra en Irlanda del Norte empezó a recibir la atención de la prensa internacional.
Aceras peligrosas...
Pero este año me enfrento al hielo
Con el bastón de mi padre.
3. Limousine in Automático for Cosmopoética
My first time seeing Limousine live, albeit without a full line up, and I was not disappointed. The sound was amazing as we all packed in tightly to see a perfectly performed gig of melodic perfection. Shiny and sublime.
Limousine en el Automático (Cosmopoética)
Fue mi primera vez en un concierto de Limousine, y aunque no estuvieron todos del grupo, no me decepcionó. El sonido fue impresionante y me quedé sin palabras después de un concierto brillante y sublime.
4. Cosmopoética
Poetry on the streets, in bars, on the buses. Cosmopoética was magical and more visible this year. From the big names in poetry to smaller readings by local talent there was a literary buzz about the city. I especially loved the poetry coasters in bars - cultural copas for all!
Cosmopoética
La poesía en las calles, en bares, en los autobuses. El Cosmopoética fue mágico. Desde los recitos de los grandes poetas hasta los talentos de aquí hubo un ambiente literaria por toda la ciudad. Sobre todo, me gustaron los posavasos poéticos que se encontraba en los bares - unas copas cultas para todos.
5. Zéjel in the Botanical Gardens (Festival de Música Sefardí)
In Ireland, outdoor concerts means lots of umbrellas, raincoats and Dunkirk spirit. For that reason, any opportunity I have to enjoy music surrounded by nature, without having having to find shelter under the nearest tree, is often a magical experience. However, it can only be truely magical if the music is otherworldly and Zéjel were supernatural. Ancient, exotic music as old as the trees that provided such a perfect background.
Zéjel en los Jardines Botánicos (Festival de Música Sefardí)
En Irlanda, ir a conciertos en aire libre supone un esfuerzo por la parte del espectador. Hay que llevar paraguas, impermeables y ser valiente. Por eso, intento aprovechar de cualquier oportunidad para disfrutar de la música en la naturaleza, sin buscar maneras de escapar de la lluvia. Pero la experiencia me resulta mucho mejor cuando la música sea buena y la música del grupo sefardí Zéjel fue de otro mundo. Música exotica con más años que los arboles que le hacían un fondo tan apropiado.
6. Dancing at Epigea (La Noche Blanca de Flamenco)
Unfortunately I missed the beginning of Epigea in Colón, but I did make it for the amazing DJ sessions. I danced until the blisters from my new flip flops proved unbearable and I headed home as the sun went up.
Bailando en la Epigea (La Noche Blanca de Flamenco)
Desafortunadamente perdí el principio de la Epigea en el parque Colón, pero llegué a tiempo para disfrutar de los DJs maravillosos. Bailé hasta que no podía más con las ampollas cuasadas por mis chanclas nuevas y me fui a casa a la vez que salió el sol.
7. Paul Lambe in the Corredera (El Festival de Blues)
I'm not a big blues fan, but thanks to some persuasion from a friend, I checked out this amazing harmonica player in the Corredera. You have to take your hat off to a guy who can get the entire audience to dance to the ground and stay there.
Paul Lambe en la Corredera (El Festival de Blues)
No soy muy fan de los Blues, pero gracias a las peticiones de una amiga, fui a ver a este cantante que toca la armónica de forma impresionante. Hay que reconocer el arte de un cantante que tuvo los espectadores tan hechizados que pudo conseguir que todos los espectadores se sentesen en el suelo y que se quedasen así hasta que les pidió que se pusieren de pie.
Well, I'm sure I've forgotten lots of things so feel free to remind me or let me know your favourite moments. Until September, I'll take my leave of Córdoba, but not the blog and here's hoping next year will be even better.
Es probable que no haya acordado de todas las cosas de que he disfrutado este año así que recordadme y decidme vuestros momentos favoritos. Me voy de Córdoba hasta septiembre pero seguiré escribiendo en el blog e esperando que el año que viene esté incluso mejor.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Leesa y Tamajon Concert 16th May 2008
Here are some photos and a little video snippet of our concert in La Sebastiana this year. Thanks again to all those who came, thanks to those in La Sebastiana, thanks to JB for writing a nice little review and thanks to N for the photos and video. Aquí hay unas fotos y un video corto del concierto que hicimos en La Sebastiana el 16 de mayo. Quiero agradecir a los que vinieron, a los de La Sebastiana, a JB por habernos escrito una crítica favorable ;) y a N por haber sacado las fotos y haber grabado el video.This Week I've Been Mostly Listening To...Iron and Wine
In my experience, my MP3 player has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. I can go wherever I like with all my music. No more tears shed over the agonizing decision of which CDs to pack in my meagre 20kg luggage allowance. No more Discmans and having to foretell what you'll want to listen to hours in advance of leaving the house and then realising that you really aren't in the mood to listen to any of the CDs you brought along.
Having said that, shortly after purchasing my MP3 player I noticed the development of a worrying phenomenon. I quickly ripped my music collection and those of all my friends. All of a sudden, I was faced with more new music than I could possibly process and I have got many albums that I have never got around to listen to. This problem always comes to the fore whenever I accidentally stumble upon a great song or album that had been tucked away in some cobwebby cranny in my player for months or even years.
This is precisely what happened with Iron and Wine. I was vaguely aware of having an album of his but as I was walking to work the other day, listening to my MP3 player on random, Boy With a Coin came on and I've been listening to The Shepard's Dog ever since. It's such a beautiful album and I'm in awe of Sam Beam's finger picking and plaintive voice. Here I've posted two of my favourite songs from the album.
The first is Boy With a Coin itself. I also really like the video. I dance sevillanas just like this (well, no, not really. I've about as much grace and arte when I dance flamenco as an elephant with club feet.)
The other is Carousel. One thing that struck me about Iron and Wine is his sparse use of choruses and the ability of his songs to immediately worm their way into your subconscious even without them. He's also got the richest and most haunting voice I've heard in a long time. No matter how often I listen to this song it still gives me shivers. He's also got a legend of a beard!
En mi experiencia, la compra de mi MP3 fue una de las mejores cosas que he hecho hasta ahora. Puedo ir donde sea y llevar mi música conmigo. Ya no lloro a la hora de decidir qué discos quiero llevar cuando me dejan solo 20 kilos de equipage. Ya no hay Discmans y la necesidad de predecir qué discos quiero poner horas antes de salir de casa y luego la sensación de frustración cuando me doy cuenta de que el único disco que quiero escuchar es precisamente el único que no tengo.
Aúnque haya dicho esto, noto un problemilla desde que lo compré. Puse toda mi música y la de mis amigos también en el reproductor. De repente, tuve más música de lo que podía escuchar lo que significa que todavía tengo muchos discos y canciones por escuchar. Me llama la atención este problema siempre que encuentro una canción maravillosa que puede haber pasado meses o incluso años escondida en un rincón oscuro de mi reproductor.
Fue precisamente así como descubrí Iron and Wine. Estaba algo conciente de tener el disco pero, cuando estaba en el camino hacia el curro, escuchando canciones al azar, tropozé con la canción Boy With a Coin
y desde entonces no paro de escuchar el disco The Shepard's Dog. Es un disco precioso y el punteo y la voz de Sam Beam me dejan sin palabras. Arriba se puede ver mis caniciones favoritas del disco.
La primera es Boy With a Coin. Es más, me encanta el video. Bailo sevillanas así yo (es broma. Tengo el arte de un elefante que padece de pie equinovaro.)
Un muchacho con una moneda
Un muchacho con una moneda que econtró en las malas hierbas
Tanto como balas y revistas de la bolsa
Estaba al lado de un coche que se quedó boca abajo
Cuando Dios abandonó el suelo para circunnavegar el mundo
Una muchacha con un pájaro que econtró en la nieve
Y que luego entró en su falda volando y fue así como supo
Que Dios le había hecho los ojos para llorar al nacimiento
Entonces abandonó el suelo para circunnavegar el mundo
Un muchacho con una moneda que embutió en el bolsillo de los vaqueros
Y entonces pedió un deseo y la lanzó al mar
Caminó hacia un pueblo al que todos nosotros prenden fuego
Cuando Dios abandonó el suelo para circunnavegar el mundo
La otra canción es Carousel. Lo que me impacta de Iron and Wine es la falta de estrofas en sus canciones y que, aún así, te pegan en el subconsciente de una forma inmediata. Además, llevo mucho tiempo sin escuchar una voz tan sonora. Y su barba me mola.
Tiovivo
Casi estaba en casa
Cuando tropozé con la última escalera
Te estabas trenzado el pelo canoso
Que te dejó crecer tanto
Desde que me había ido.
Y las muchachas perfectas
A lado de la piscina, solían protestar
Con collares de cruces colgados de sus cuellos
Pero nuestros hijos están en el extranjero
Y todos nosotros sabemos de la colmena y las abejitas
Casi estaba en casa
Llevaba una rama de olivo y una paloma
Estabas sacudiendo la alfombra persiana
Y tenías la Biblia y tu alianza escondidas
En el mueble TV
Y soplaba un viento helado
Y cada padre de la ciudad se cayeron
del tiovivo provincial
Mientras los perros comían la nieve
Todos nuestros hijos se habían hundido en un baúl de ropa de Noé
Casi estaba en casa
Nos perdimos en nuestra calle nueva
Mientras vuestras hijas que estaban haciendo el duelo murieron mientras dormían
Y por eso nadie les daba de comer a los perros
Un gran sueño de huesos en un montón encima de la cama
Y a las polís les daba igual
Cuando el yonki construyó el barco
Y dijo - Por favor, antes de que me vaya,
Que sea el hueso único y honrado el parentesco
De los críos y la brigada antidisturbios
Having said that, shortly after purchasing my MP3 player I noticed the development of a worrying phenomenon. I quickly ripped my music collection and those of all my friends. All of a sudden, I was faced with more new music than I could possibly process and I have got many albums that I have never got around to listen to. This problem always comes to the fore whenever I accidentally stumble upon a great song or album that had been tucked away in some cobwebby cranny in my player for months or even years.
This is precisely what happened with Iron and Wine. I was vaguely aware of having an album of his but as I was walking to work the other day, listening to my MP3 player on random, Boy With a Coin came on and I've been listening to The Shepard's Dog ever since. It's such a beautiful album and I'm in awe of Sam Beam's finger picking and plaintive voice. Here I've posted two of my favourite songs from the album.
The first is Boy With a Coin itself. I also really like the video. I dance sevillanas just like this (well, no, not really. I've about as much grace and arte when I dance flamenco as an elephant with club feet.)
The other is Carousel. One thing that struck me about Iron and Wine is his sparse use of choruses and the ability of his songs to immediately worm their way into your subconscious even without them. He's also got the richest and most haunting voice I've heard in a long time. No matter how often I listen to this song it still gives me shivers. He's also got a legend of a beard!
En mi experiencia, la compra de mi MP3 fue una de las mejores cosas que he hecho hasta ahora. Puedo ir donde sea y llevar mi música conmigo. Ya no lloro a la hora de decidir qué discos quiero llevar cuando me dejan solo 20 kilos de equipage. Ya no hay Discmans y la necesidad de predecir qué discos quiero poner horas antes de salir de casa y luego la sensación de frustración cuando me doy cuenta de que el único disco que quiero escuchar es precisamente el único que no tengo.
Aúnque haya dicho esto, noto un problemilla desde que lo compré. Puse toda mi música y la de mis amigos también en el reproductor. De repente, tuve más música de lo que podía escuchar lo que significa que todavía tengo muchos discos y canciones por escuchar. Me llama la atención este problema siempre que encuentro una canción maravillosa que puede haber pasado meses o incluso años escondida en un rincón oscuro de mi reproductor.
Fue precisamente así como descubrí Iron and Wine. Estaba algo conciente de tener el disco pero, cuando estaba en el camino hacia el curro, escuchando canciones al azar, tropozé con la canción Boy With a Coin
y desde entonces no paro de escuchar el disco The Shepard's Dog. Es un disco precioso y el punteo y la voz de Sam Beam me dejan sin palabras. Arriba se puede ver mis caniciones favoritas del disco.
La primera es Boy With a Coin. Es más, me encanta el video. Bailo sevillanas así yo (es broma. Tengo el arte de un elefante que padece de pie equinovaro.)
Un muchacho con una moneda
Un muchacho con una moneda que econtró en las malas hierbas
Tanto como balas y revistas de la bolsa
Estaba al lado de un coche que se quedó boca abajo
Cuando Dios abandonó el suelo para circunnavegar el mundo
Una muchacha con un pájaro que econtró en la nieve
Y que luego entró en su falda volando y fue así como supo
Que Dios le había hecho los ojos para llorar al nacimiento
Entonces abandonó el suelo para circunnavegar el mundo
Un muchacho con una moneda que embutió en el bolsillo de los vaqueros
Y entonces pedió un deseo y la lanzó al mar
Caminó hacia un pueblo al que todos nosotros prenden fuego
Cuando Dios abandonó el suelo para circunnavegar el mundo
La otra canción es Carousel. Lo que me impacta de Iron and Wine es la falta de estrofas en sus canciones y que, aún así, te pegan en el subconsciente de una forma inmediata. Además, llevo mucho tiempo sin escuchar una voz tan sonora. Y su barba me mola.
Tiovivo
Casi estaba en casa
Cuando tropozé con la última escalera
Te estabas trenzado el pelo canoso
Que te dejó crecer tanto
Desde que me había ido.
Y las muchachas perfectas
A lado de la piscina, solían protestar
Con collares de cruces colgados de sus cuellos
Pero nuestros hijos están en el extranjero
Y todos nosotros sabemos de la colmena y las abejitas
Casi estaba en casa
Llevaba una rama de olivo y una paloma
Estabas sacudiendo la alfombra persiana
Y tenías la Biblia y tu alianza escondidas
En el mueble TV
Y soplaba un viento helado
Y cada padre de la ciudad se cayeron
del tiovivo provincial
Mientras los perros comían la nieve
Todos nuestros hijos se habían hundido en un baúl de ropa de Noé
Casi estaba en casa
Nos perdimos en nuestra calle nueva
Mientras vuestras hijas que estaban haciendo el duelo murieron mientras dormían
Y por eso nadie les daba de comer a los perros
Un gran sueño de huesos en un montón encima de la cama
Y a las polís les daba igual
Cuando el yonki construyó el barco
Y dijo - Por favor, antes de que me vaya,
Que sea el hueso único y honrado el parentesco
De los críos y la brigada antidisturbios
DELTA Done and Dusted!
A big hip hip hurray to F on completing the nine months of hell that is a Distance DELTA. We celebrated in style - champagne, lethal cocktails, copas and nibbles - in a variety of places (from well-heeled wineries to communist cultural associations that are fined for having too many tables on their terraza - Damn the Man!). It was a night of stiff entries, nuns carrying roses, imperfect small men, highbrow conversations on the cultural importance of Jet from Gladiators and moving renditions of Abba's I Have a Dream by J. But enough of the mungo jumbo and congratulations once again to mi niña de ay.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Feria 2008 - How was it for you?
Top 5 Super Things about Feria
(in no particular order)
1. The Portada - Gaudy and unnecessarily huge as it may be, there is something magical about the portada, especially when lit up at night.
2. Rebujito - Sherry and lemonade mix that's a May staple here in Cordoba. It goes down very easily, is lovely and cool and makes you extremely giggly and mellow. Thus far, I haven't experienced a rebujito induced hangover, although I'm sure it exists.
3. Trajes de gitana - Looking at the ladies and little girls all dressed up in their flamenco dresses is one of the simple pleasures of feria. Spotting the most hideous can be fun but even better yet is looking out for the pretty ones and making mental notes of patterns and colours for when I can eventually fork out the 600 euro or so it will cost me to get my own.
4. Coming together - No matter what your walk of life, be you pijo, friki, moderno or whatever else, for ten days differences are put aside to congregate on the same piece of wasteland and do irreversible damage to your liver. You may go to different casetas but there's a common purpose and, for a brief time, peace and love among Cordobesans.
5. Work? But it's Feria! - The entire duration of Feria is accompanied by a festive feeling, whether you're actually at the site or not. So even if you are working, you're doing feck all. And then there's the work night out on Wednesday...
Top 5 Shite Things about Feria
(once again in no particular order - although the first thing I mention is quite a stand out)
1. Toilets - Anyone familiar with going to the loo in Cordoba knows that it's not a pleasant experience and is best done with armed with your own supply of tissues and the will to repeat "esta ocupado" constantly due to bar owners' belief that locks on bathroom doors are a expendable luxury. Well, feria makes you nostalgic for all of this as you are faced with holes in the ground, portaloos that don't flush and, as the queues get longer into the night, trips to the Guadalquivir riverbank. You now things are bad when you come out excitedly exclaiming that there's a sink in the toilet. Worst culprit so far is the Federacion de Penas Cordobesas toilet...
2. The Sand - A stroke of planning genius. Cover the ground with sand with the same dying power as turmeric. Just add water and all sorts of Glastonburyesque scenes follow. If it's hot and dry half the crowd have to wear World War style gas masks to counteract their allergies and, like, breathe. No matter what the weather's like it's a mess. Surely there's an alternative...
3. Being sober at Feria - If you're under the age of 13 being sober at Feria is great. You have loads of rides, candyfloss and balloons to distract you. Anyone above that needs to become inebriated just to handle the sordidness of the whole thing, especially at night. Without a few copas you notice the messy puddles of, what you hope is, drink, the smell of a lot of people crowded into tents and the shite music. I have decided that sober Feria nights won't be repeated next year.
4. Let's go to Feria. Well, what else can we do? - Being Cordoba's most important fiesta everything closes down for the second half of Feria. This is great in one way(a few days off work) but bollocks in many others. The city centre is deserted and if you don't fancy Feria all your favourite haunts are invariably closed. The only solution - get out of Cordoba.
(in no particular order)
1. The Portada - Gaudy and unnecessarily huge as it may be, there is something magical about the portada, especially when lit up at night.
2. Rebujito - Sherry and lemonade mix that's a May staple here in Cordoba. It goes down very easily, is lovely and cool and makes you extremely giggly and mellow. Thus far, I haven't experienced a rebujito induced hangover, although I'm sure it exists.
3. Trajes de gitana - Looking at the ladies and little girls all dressed up in their flamenco dresses is one of the simple pleasures of feria. Spotting the most hideous can be fun but even better yet is looking out for the pretty ones and making mental notes of patterns and colours for when I can eventually fork out the 600 euro or so it will cost me to get my own.
4. Coming together - No matter what your walk of life, be you pijo, friki, moderno or whatever else, for ten days differences are put aside to congregate on the same piece of wasteland and do irreversible damage to your liver. You may go to different casetas but there's a common purpose and, for a brief time, peace and love among Cordobesans.
5. Work? But it's Feria! - The entire duration of Feria is accompanied by a festive feeling, whether you're actually at the site or not. So even if you are working, you're doing feck all. And then there's the work night out on Wednesday...
Top 5 Shite Things about Feria
(once again in no particular order - although the first thing I mention is quite a stand out)
1. Toilets - Anyone familiar with going to the loo in Cordoba knows that it's not a pleasant experience and is best done with armed with your own supply of tissues and the will to repeat "esta ocupado" constantly due to bar owners' belief that locks on bathroom doors are a expendable luxury. Well, feria makes you nostalgic for all of this as you are faced with holes in the ground, portaloos that don't flush and, as the queues get longer into the night, trips to the Guadalquivir riverbank. You now things are bad when you come out excitedly exclaiming that there's a sink in the toilet. Worst culprit so far is the Federacion de Penas Cordobesas toilet...
2. The Sand - A stroke of planning genius. Cover the ground with sand with the same dying power as turmeric. Just add water and all sorts of Glastonburyesque scenes follow. If it's hot and dry half the crowd have to wear World War style gas masks to counteract their allergies and, like, breathe. No matter what the weather's like it's a mess. Surely there's an alternative...
3. Being sober at Feria - If you're under the age of 13 being sober at Feria is great. You have loads of rides, candyfloss and balloons to distract you. Anyone above that needs to become inebriated just to handle the sordidness of the whole thing, especially at night. Without a few copas you notice the messy puddles of, what you hope is, drink, the smell of a lot of people crowded into tents and the shite music. I have decided that sober Feria nights won't be repeated next year.
4. Let's go to Feria. Well, what else can we do? - Being Cordoba's most important fiesta everything closes down for the second half of Feria. This is great in one way(a few days off work) but bollocks in many others. The city centre is deserted and if you don't fancy Feria all your favourite haunts are invariably closed. The only solution - get out of Cordoba.
My Essential Music: The National - Alligator
Alligator was an album I stumbled upon by accident and all because of it's cover. A simple black and white, out-of-focus photo that transmits a sense of melancholy which permeates the entire album. I knew nothing about The National, but the album cover spoke to me so forcefully that it immediately went on my Christmas wish list.
I wasn't disappointed. It's hard to classify The National. A mixture of alt-country, rock, pop and topped off with Matt Berninger's lyrics. Self-deprecating, self-loathing, caustic and beautiful all at once, he's a rare lyricist who can have you grinning and crying from one line to the next.
This album reminds me of a very particular time in my life and the song Baby, We'll Be Fine became a nightly ritual, the opening lines pinpointing exactly what I was going through.
I have yet to see The National live. Ironically, the friend who gave me the album for Christmas, and in so doing discovering The National himself, has seen them twice (P - I'm very jealous). The following video for the song About Today isn't from the album, but just goes to show why I'm dying to see this group live. Fingers crossed that they'll visit Spain soon, and when they do, they'll head south.
Descubrí Alligator por casualidad, y a través de la portada del disco, una foto sencilla de blanco y negro, desenfocada que transmite una meloncolía que caractariza el disco. Me impactó tanto la portada que, sin saber más del grupo, le pedí el disco a un amigo como un regalo de navidad.
Y no me decepcionó. Es dificíl identificar que tipo de música hace The National. Hay algo de country, de rock y lo que más destaca, las letras de Matt Berninger. Se ríe de sí mismo y habla con amagura y rencor pero a la vez con ternura y belleza. No se puede comparar con ningún letrista actual. Son pocos los que te hacen reír y llorar en la misma canción.
Este disco me trae recuerdos de una época dura de mi vida. Sobre todo, la canción Baby, We'll Be Fine me ayudó superarlo, las primeras lineas en particular me hablaban.
Nena, Todo Saldrá Bien
Toda la noche tumbada en mi almohada rezo
que mi jefe me pare en el pasillo
que ponga mi cabeza en su hombre y que me diga
Hijo, de tí escucho buenas cosas
Me despierto sin aviso y voy corriendo por la casa
Flipando, con una rabia causado por el sauvignon,
Me ducho por cuarenta y cinco minutos y beso el espejo
Y digo, mírame
Nena, todo saldrá bien
Sólo tenemos que ser valientes y amables
Me pongo un jersey y una sonrisa
No sé como se hace esto
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
Nena, ven a mi casa, necesito que me entretengas
He tenido un día forzado y artificial
Recuestame y díme algo bonito
Recuestame de nuevo donde quiero quedarme
Sólo díme algo perfecto, algo que pueda robar
Di mírame
Nena, todo saldrá bien
Sólo tenemos que ser valientes y amables
Te quito los vaqueros, y derramas el Jack Daniels y coca cola encima de mi cuello
Me derrito como una bruja y grito
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
No he visto nunca a The National en directo. Se puede ver en el video de About Today, que por cierto no aparece en Alligator, como tocan y me dan muchísimas ganas de verles en concierto. Espero que vengan a España pronto, y cuando vengan que vengan al sur.
I wasn't disappointed. It's hard to classify The National. A mixture of alt-country, rock, pop and topped off with Matt Berninger's lyrics. Self-deprecating, self-loathing, caustic and beautiful all at once, he's a rare lyricist who can have you grinning and crying from one line to the next.
This album reminds me of a very particular time in my life and the song Baby, We'll Be Fine became a nightly ritual, the opening lines pinpointing exactly what I was going through.
I have yet to see The National live. Ironically, the friend who gave me the album for Christmas, and in so doing discovering The National himself, has seen them twice (P - I'm very jealous). The following video for the song About Today isn't from the album, but just goes to show why I'm dying to see this group live. Fingers crossed that they'll visit Spain soon, and when they do, they'll head south.
Descubrí Alligator por casualidad, y a través de la portada del disco, una foto sencilla de blanco y negro, desenfocada que transmite una meloncolía que caractariza el disco. Me impactó tanto la portada que, sin saber más del grupo, le pedí el disco a un amigo como un regalo de navidad.
Y no me decepcionó. Es dificíl identificar que tipo de música hace The National. Hay algo de country, de rock y lo que más destaca, las letras de Matt Berninger. Se ríe de sí mismo y habla con amagura y rencor pero a la vez con ternura y belleza. No se puede comparar con ningún letrista actual. Son pocos los que te hacen reír y llorar en la misma canción.
Este disco me trae recuerdos de una época dura de mi vida. Sobre todo, la canción Baby, We'll Be Fine me ayudó superarlo, las primeras lineas en particular me hablaban.
Nena, Todo Saldrá Bien
Toda la noche tumbada en mi almohada rezo
que mi jefe me pare en el pasillo
que ponga mi cabeza en su hombre y que me diga
Hijo, de tí escucho buenas cosas
Me despierto sin aviso y voy corriendo por la casa
Flipando, con una rabia causado por el sauvignon,
Me ducho por cuarenta y cinco minutos y beso el espejo
Y digo, mírame
Nena, todo saldrá bien
Sólo tenemos que ser valientes y amables
Me pongo un jersey y una sonrisa
No sé como se hace esto
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
Nena, ven a mi casa, necesito que me entretengas
He tenido un día forzado y artificial
Recuestame y díme algo bonito
Recuestame de nuevo donde quiero quedarme
Sólo díme algo perfecto, algo que pueda robar
Di mírame
Nena, todo saldrá bien
Sólo tenemos que ser valientes y amables
Te quito los vaqueros, y derramas el Jack Daniels y coca cola encima de mi cuello
Me derrito como una bruja y grito
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
Siento muchísimo todo
No he visto nunca a The National en directo. Se puede ver en el video de About Today, que por cierto no aparece en Alligator, como tocan y me dan muchísimas ganas de verles en concierto. Espero que vengan a España pronto, y cuando vengan que vengan al sur.
Summer Holidays
Finally, a few days off work and an opportunity for me to escape Cordoba! A mixture of a holiday and farewell trip, we packed up after a heavy night of Feria (for some)and headed for Ronda.
First impressions as we arrived at the station weren't good as an overwhelming smell of pee hit us upon descending the train. Things got significantly better though. As soon as we freed ourselves of our luggage in our lovely little hotel, we headed to the old town to check out the sites for which Ronda's famous: the bull ring, the bridge and the views of the gorge.
Everything in Ronda's pretty spectacular. Wandering around the town you frequently stumble upon pretty viewing points, white buildings and little cobblestone alleyways. It's not so good for those afraid of heights and there's a frequent sense of dizziness as you realise just how far up you are. It's also very touristy and it was very entertaining to be treated as a tourist once again. This also lead to foot in mouth moments as we remembered that our catty English comments about sunburned guiris could be understood (and also a bit of karma as we ourselves caught a little sun).
The entertainment for the holiday included a trip to the Museo del Bandalero (Bandit Museum), where I got to appreciate an interesting array of sideburns and we learnt that many bandits came from Cordoba (it all makes sense now!). G and F got more than they bargained for when they went to play pool and realised that in fact it was a French billiards table. We visited an organic winery, drank some very nice red wine and were told all about the workings of the winery by the very pleasant staff. And we bowled while drinking copas.
We arrived back in Cordoba exhausted, but what a way to begin the send off to the most magnificent threesome of niñas guiris Cordoba has ever seen.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
My Essential Music: Blue - Joni Mitchell
Many people will say they like Joni Mitchell's later, jazzier stuff and in an attempt to impress you they´ll say that The Hissing of Summer Lawns is her masterpiece and Blue is Joni Mitchell-lite. They may have a point but I know which one I´d rather listen to.
When I first listened to Blue I was rather underwhelmed. It seemed to just past me by, a wave of sound without an undertow to pull me in. I persevered, determined to understand what made this album seminal. Then, one evening, while listening to it on my CD Walkman (remember those!?!), I finally got it. It was like a sudden eureka moment and the intricate charms of the album unveiled themselves to me.
To me, Joni Mitchell is three things. First of all is her lyrics, deceptively simple and disarmingly effective, honest and succinct. She is equally adept at narratives and more stream of conscience style lyrics and she was the first female singer songwriter who showed me that being feminine didn´t equate to being weak and saccharine sweet. Then there´s that voice, peaking, dipping and swooping, plumbing the depths of the words and gleaning their full meaning. Finally, there´s the music. Anyone who has ever been foolish enough to attempt to play one of her songs on the guitar has soon realised the inventiveness of her tunings, the strange eastern quality to her chords which is further emphasised by her use of the dulcimer. Apart from these and the piano the instrumentation is usually sparse. There´s no hint of manipulative, lavish string arrangements. She knew the power of her songs needed no embellishment.
This is one of those rare albums where I don´t ever skip a track, but when pushed against a wall, the title track is my standout. A song so evasive it can be about anything or anyone, never tying you down to one interpretation and ultimately it´s significance for me has evolved over the years. So too has my love of this album, which is a little bit like wine - I warm to it more and more as I get older.
When I first listened to Blue I was rather underwhelmed. It seemed to just past me by, a wave of sound without an undertow to pull me in. I persevered, determined to understand what made this album seminal. Then, one evening, while listening to it on my CD Walkman (remember those!?!), I finally got it. It was like a sudden eureka moment and the intricate charms of the album unveiled themselves to me.
To me, Joni Mitchell is three things. First of all is her lyrics, deceptively simple and disarmingly effective, honest and succinct. She is equally adept at narratives and more stream of conscience style lyrics and she was the first female singer songwriter who showed me that being feminine didn´t equate to being weak and saccharine sweet. Then there´s that voice, peaking, dipping and swooping, plumbing the depths of the words and gleaning their full meaning. Finally, there´s the music. Anyone who has ever been foolish enough to attempt to play one of her songs on the guitar has soon realised the inventiveness of her tunings, the strange eastern quality to her chords which is further emphasised by her use of the dulcimer. Apart from these and the piano the instrumentation is usually sparse. There´s no hint of manipulative, lavish string arrangements. She knew the power of her songs needed no embellishment.
This is one of those rare albums where I don´t ever skip a track, but when pushed against a wall, the title track is my standout. A song so evasive it can be about anything or anyone, never tying you down to one interpretation and ultimately it´s significance for me has evolved over the years. So too has my love of this album, which is a little bit like wine - I warm to it more and more as I get older.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
My Essential Music: Sweet Jane - The Velvet Underground
I first started listening to The Velvet Underground when I was about fifteen having found out that they had been a huge influence on REM. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for when I picked up the innocuous looking CD with it's jolly banana cover. The Velvet Underground and Nico took me from the safety of my bedroom and plunged me into the murky underbelly of New York in 1967. The light years that separate The Velvet Underground and Nico from the other seminal album of that year, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, are many and how lyrics and music of such ferocity emerged at the height of the Swinging Sixties remains, to me, an anachronistic mystery. This album is no time capsule from the summer of love, it's a primal scream from a never ending winter. By the time a friend of mine lent me his copy of Loaded, the Velvets's fourth album, I was a confirmed fan. However, without John Cale's drones I knew this album wouldn't be the same bitter pill as the first two. Even the cover, with it's marshmallow pink smoke seemed like a visual move in the MOR direction.
The first song, Who Loves the Sun, was a pleasant Nico-less I'll Be Your Mirror but it was what came next that won Lou Reed's place in my eternal esteem. From the first notes of Sweet Jane my pulse began to race and a feeling of bliss spread through my veins, a warm wash of guitar and reverb that sounds like liquid sunshine. For me the perfection of the song lies in those first 16 seconds. The amazingly effective simplicity of the rest of the song, to my mind, is elevated from the ordinary by the intro's aural nirvana. I couldn't help but repeat the song over and over again, sometimes just listening to the intro. It became an obsession. And then, I had to return the CD after a falling out with my musical donor. I had copied the album, but to a cassette that got lost in one of my many moves. So, I forgot about Sweet Jane and the fix of absolute euphoria that the intro gave me.
That was until just before Christmas, while in a bar I let out a squeal of delight mid conversation when the DJ put it on and I was listening to it with new ears. It sounded just as good as the first time round and once I arrived home I sought it out and the obsession returned with renewed vigour.
Not a day goes past now when I don't listen to Sweet Jane. I can rely on the intro to bring me out of even the worst of bad moods and it's ironic that the thing I like most about the Velvets (their dark, sinister and uncompromising music) is absent from my favourite song of theirs.
Listen to the most perfect 16 seconds of music here :)
http://www.reasontorock.com/audio/sweet_jane/intro.mp3
On Being Neighed At...
Having been on the receiving end of many the interesting come-on since being here in Cordoba, myself and F were still taken aback by being neighed at, at length, by a waiter in the Corredera. We are still wondering whether neighing was a compliment, i.e. you girls are so pretty that ye merit my best horse impression. Whatever he meant by it, we had to give him kudos for the most surreal form of flattery we have come across thus far.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Feria 2008
So, once again, that time of year has come. The time of year when all Cordobesans go mad and head to a wasteground next to the river in order to drink, dance and wear crazy costumes. And I....join them. Because it's fun and you can't argue with tradition, no matter where it may spring from! La Feria de Nuestra Senora de la Salud has been celebrated in Cordoba, in one form or another, since the 1300s. Despite the name, it now has very little to do with religion, like most Andalucian fiestas, and it wraps up a mad Cordobesan May of partying with a bang. The women get gussied up in their best trajes de gitana and the men sport hats and funny trousers, but all of this is optional. Lots of people choose to dress as normal but drink as if all the sherry in the province were going to run dry.
So, with muchas ganas, I descended on Feria this year, a day late due to the incredible electrical storms and my fear of rain (I'll melt if I'm exposed to it, of this I'm sure). No matter how often you've seen it, or even if you've watched it being assembled over the past few weeks, the entrance ( portada) to the Feria never fails to impress. Never to be outdone, and always trying to get one up on Seville, the Cordoba portada, at 140 metres long and 45 metres high, is the biggest in Andalucia. Seeing it looming large in the distance is enough to make you all giddy and it's especially pretty at night when lit up by thousands of twinkly lights. So under the portada we went.
After a few free beers, a very tasty but very expensive lunch (every time I remember the figure it causes an involuntary twitch - must remind myself to only eat at feria once a year) and a jug of tinto de verano (red wine and lemonade - seriously, it's great) we saw some little girls flamenco dance to the strains of a very talented guiri guitar player and then the madness ensued.
Feria often means a lot of horses. There are processions every day and they wander up and down the feria carrying their traditionally dressed riders (many texting on their mobiles as they trotted past - very achronistic). Having begun chatting to some of the riders I happened to mention that I had been on a horse a couple of times before... Before I knew it I was astride a beautiful, but very headstrong, horse called Caprichoso, wearing a traditional sombrero cordobes. What a little bit of red wine and lemonade can do!
When I thought things couldn't get any more interesting we headed off to the other side of the feria. Like most things in life, there are two sides to the feria. On one side you have the casetas, civilized little houses with bars, food and dancing and, on the other, you have the funfair where things become infinitely tackier and, inevitably, scarier. Here you can win yourself your mini motorbike in an exciting game of bingo, eat your weight in candyfloss and lose limbs in all sorts of dodgy rides. Once again, I found myself (nobody ever seems to have control over their own actions at feria, you just find yourself doing things that in other circumstances seem totally insane/life-threatening...alcohol has some part to play in all this, but feria is akin to the twilight zone)mounting a ride which I later discovered involved me hanging upside down for a protracted period of time. Having drunk so much tinto de verano it made me very giggly and hicuppy.
Things wound down to a very calm close as we threw shapes on the dance floor of a communist caseta, sipping rebujito (sherry with lemonade - I'm telling you, we Irish just don't mix enough things with lemonade!). Day 1 of the feria down, just 7 more to go!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Here's to Navel Gazing
So, I've decided to give this blogging thing a try... Just what I really need! Another forum for airing my thoughts and, subsequently, analysing said contemplations.
Basically, I've no clever idea or arc for my blog, just a way to keep a diary of my goings on while living here in Cordoba, Spain. Recurring themes are likely to be how great it is to live here, how shite it is to live here, music (and trying to find it here), cinema, linguistic schizophrenia and just general observations from a Dubliner living in Cordoba.
Bueno, he decidido lanzarme al mundo de escribir blogs. Lo que me faltaba. Otra manera de expresarme y luego darle vueltas a lo que pienso.
Mi blog no tiene nada de otro mundo, solo es una manera de organizar mis pensamientos mientras vivo aqui en Cordoba, Espana. Es muy probable que los temas se repitan: que genial es vivir aqui, que mierda es vivir aqui, la musica (y la busqueda de ella en Cordoba), el cine, mi esquizofrenia liguistica y las observaciones generales de una dublinesa que vive en Cordoba.
Basically, I've no clever idea or arc for my blog, just a way to keep a diary of my goings on while living here in Cordoba, Spain. Recurring themes are likely to be how great it is to live here, how shite it is to live here, music (and trying to find it here), cinema, linguistic schizophrenia and just general observations from a Dubliner living in Cordoba.
Bueno, he decidido lanzarme al mundo de escribir blogs. Lo que me faltaba. Otra manera de expresarme y luego darle vueltas a lo que pienso.
Mi blog no tiene nada de otro mundo, solo es una manera de organizar mis pensamientos mientras vivo aqui en Cordoba, Espana. Es muy probable que los temas se repitan: que genial es vivir aqui, que mierda es vivir aqui, la musica (y la busqueda de ella en Cordoba), el cine, mi esquizofrenia liguistica y las observaciones generales de una dublinesa que vive en Cordoba.
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