My Own Private Revolution

Happy Birthday Greatness

2010-09-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

{NOTE: This is an RT from my NEW blog enfantdeboheme.tumblr.com I'll be updating THAT one and not this blog... Farewell blogspot, I won't delete this -yet- but as I said, updates at enfantdeboheme.tumblr.com }

So I have been a little absent, yes.

I'm not going to tell you why. Not out of egotism or privacy, but because I feel this urge to write about a few people who were born this week; some great visionary creative artistic philosophical people who painted our world with stars in their own way, and have left us the universe as a legacy.

My random Parisian reality of an artist trying to be a student is not as interesting, in my humble opinion.

(See what I mean? ^^ )

One of these great people who played with reality and transformed people's illusions [reality is easier to change than illusion], is the German Jewish Philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (6 September 1729 - 4 January 1786). An editor, a translator, a critic, he was also the grandfather of another genius Felix Mendelssohn and an enlightened human being who'd set the foundations for modern Reform Judaism, amongst other things.

On aesthetics he basically gave the world a lesson on humility and openness, by pointing out that the pleasure we get from the sublime and the beautiful is not completely intellectual nor completely sensuous.

"the unfathomable world of the sea, a far-reaching plain, the innumerable legions of stars, the eternity of time, every height and depth that exhausts us [...] sometimes make us tremble, but we still find them alluring. It is gratifying to experience them, though they confirm an imperfection as well as a perfection in us."

Moses Mendelssohn - Philosophical writings (1761)

He was so amazing that Christian philosophers of the epoch even tried to have him convert to Christianity, to which he responded with intellectual grace and passionate ingenuity :

"Suppose there were living among my contemporaries a Confucius or a Solon, I could, according to the principles of my faith, love and admire the great man without falling into the ridiculous idea that I must convert a Solon or a Confucius."

I don't want to lower the register of my discourse, but... Oh, SNAP! xD

He held on to Judaism, and mazel tov! because he is probably the first practicing Jewish philosopher who publicly stated that it wasn't right for the rabbinate to punish Jews for not observing the law from the Bible [Muslims and Christians should revolt against the establishment too, I think].

An intellectual ahead of his time, he gave the answer to many of our 21st century problems in harmoniously sharp and faithful elegant 18th century style!

"Brothers, if you care for true piety, let us not feign agreement, where diversity is evidently the plan and purpose of Providence. None of us thinks and feels exactly like his fellow man: why do we wish to deceive each other with delusive words?"

Moses Mendelssohn - Jerusalem (1783)

Lessing and Lavater as guests in the home of Moses Mendelssohn (1856) by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim.

I need to accompany all this philosophical excitement with beautiful music, of course. Ergo, I introduce you to probably the most iconic and celebrated Czech composer of all time (and also one of the birthday boys this week), Antonín Dvořák (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904).

Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 (1896)

1st movement : Allegro conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and performed by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and Chinese Cellist Jian Wang.

Dvořák is not the father of Czech classical music (that probably being Smetana, or dare I say Zelenka?), but he is definitely the proud prodigious son (or could that be Janáček?) !

Johannes Brahms, a genius himself, was a fan and supporter of his music. I find him to be one of the great examples of nationalistic romantic music [note that Nationalism and Romanticism are two concepts I don't really like being associated with, but you know I love contradictions).

Why so? Maybe because of the rhapsodic intimacy and virtuoso expression of his Cello Concerto, or the sentimental playfulness of his 12th String Quartet, or the grandeur of his 9th symphony, or the vigor and skill of his 8th, or the lyrical angst of his Requiem, or the whimsical nature and dramatic instrumental fantasy of his opera Rusalka...

Dvořák took pieces of his reality and set them to beautiful music.

Henry Purcell (10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695), also took pieces of his reality and set them to music. But we don't know much about his reality. He also helped define a national style of music. But he did it 2 centuries before the Romantics and their obsession with Nationalism. Purcell might as well be the father of English music, period. He was a man of the stage, and his complex yet light-hearted theatricality is clearly perceivable even in his purely instrumental compositions.

The greatest English composer of the 20th century, Benjamin Britten, admired Purcell and was clearly an important inspiration for him (as shown in some parts of Britten's opera A Midsummer's Night Dream and his famous The Young Person's Guide to Orchestra which quotes Purcell's incidental music for the play Abdelazar).

Birthday boy Purcell remains the most important figure in the English Baroque period, and a mysterious inspiration of sorts.

Elsa Schiaparelli (10 September 1890 — 13 November 1973) used her reality in creative ways as well. The world seems to have forgotten about her. I see her everywhere. I see her when I see a tall skinny girl in a fashion runway, when I see knitwear, and I also see her when I think I see a scarf around my neck that isn't really there.

Surreal, huh? She was all about Surrealism and she is the Italian fashion designer who was in vogue between the two World Wars, and who collaborated with the likes of Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. This bow knot sweater secured her fame in the 20's :

She popularised the evening suit for women and was daring, creative and innovative in her designs. While she associated herself with the surreals and incorporated surrealism in her aesthetics, I think of her as a post-romantic visionary. She always had a theme in her collections and her shows were grandiloquent and Wagnerian, mixing music, art, fashion, lighting, and other external factors to add dramatic and aesthetic oomph.

In a most romantic way, she left the fashion business in the decade after Wolrd War II, attached to a world that existed no more, where she didn't see herself creating ; she refused to conform to the new norm imposed by Christian Dior, and closed her couture house in 1954, the same year her rival, Nazi collaborator and Haute Couture icon and designer Coco Chanel made her grand return.

A collage of some of my favourite pieces by Schiaparelli.

Elsa Schiaparelli wearing herself, in a real and surreal way.

Last, I'm obliged to mention another birthday boy that I'm not crazy about but who has something creative going on. That is, Karl Lagerfeld (September 10, 1933), specifically the latter's collaboration with Coca-Cola, where he got to design the bottle of the French Diet Coke (Coca-Cola light)...

... that I own and absolutely adore!

Now, because I'm helplessly in love with the sonata form and since this post started with philosophical talk, I'm going to leave you with one of my favourite quotes and motos :

"I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world."

Socrates.

I'm also a citizen of the world. What about you?

Carpe Diem.

Mythe et politique dans L’Anneau du Nibelung de Richard Wagner

2010-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

« Il est des gens qui ne supportent pas de s'entendre dire que leur héros au cours d'une révolte fraya avec un célèbre anarchiste ; qu'il fut ensuite « recherché » par la police ; qu'il écrivit des pamphlets révolutionnaires; et que son tableau du Nibelheim sous le règne d'Alberich est une vision poétique du capitalisme industriel sauvage, tel qu'il fut révélé au public allemand au milieu du XIXe siècle par 'La situation des classes laborieuses en Angleterre' d'Engels. »

George Bernard Shaw, Le parfait wagnérien.

Pour créer sa tétralogie mythologique, Wagner a dû réunir des oeuvres des sources différentes qu'il a amalgamé en une unité nouvelle. Il s'est servi du mythe et des symboles des poèmes de l'Edda, qu'il a interprétés de façon arbitraire selon ses préjugés, ainsi que de l'histoire du couple héroïque du poème de Nibelungue-Nôt. L'Anneau du Nibelung représente pour Wagner l'abandon du drame historique au profil du mythe.

La relation entre le mythe wagnérien et l'histoire, et/ou plus spécifiquement le mythe et la politique, est d'une complexité... romantique. Après les Lumières, le romantisme apparaît comme le retrait sur les particularités nationales; la nostalgie vers les origines mystifiés des peuples, ou l'éloge du mythe au détriment de l'histoire chez Wagner.

Tout est presque symbolique dans L'Anneau, les aventures fantastiques et surnaturelles des personnages servent d'allégories. Wagner transforme sa poésie et sa musique en paradigme historique : les dieux et la suprématie raciale, la malédiction de l'or et le capitalisme. Le Nibelheim et l'industrie, les géants de Wotan et les Nibelungen d'Alberich ou l'exploitation de l'homme, le feu de Brünnhilde et l'enfer, ou les mensonges de l'État et de l'église. La critique lyrique du capitalisme et du XIXe siècle.

Prétendant faire une caractérisation de l'histoire, Wagner finit par nuir l'esprit critique des spectateurs vis-à-vis du phénomène historique glorifiant, au final, la volupté collective avec une surdose des leitmotivs (presque 200 d'après Julius Burghold!) et au moins 14 heures de présentation. Si Richard Wagner demeure toujours Lento Maestoso, sa tétralogie est pour moi plus qu'un cycle d'opéras épiques, un bouleversant et innovateur Melodramma allegorico.

L'utilisation du mythe de façon allégorique représente une sorte de commentaire social et révèle le discours politique du compositeur qui éprouvait un pragmatique et cynique besoin de reconnaissance. Cependant, le musicien n'avait pas beaucoup d'expérience dans le domaine politico-administrative, et a fini par faire plutôt de la simplification idéologique. En fait, l'esthétique du mythe politique wagnérien s'est dégradé en pure, simple et dangereuse esthétisation de la politique. Ainsi les Nazis ont utilisé le prestige de ce mythe pour faire croire qu'on ne vivait pas l'histoire mais le mythe : L'Anneau du Nibelung ersatz historique malgré Wagner (ou pas).

Finalement, j'ose conclure que M. Wagner, avec sa biaisée et partielle vision de l'être humain et son avenir, reste un homme, génie de la composition, qui est mort (tout comme son dieu). Sa tétralogie lui survit, et ce mythe nous hante... Mais, quelle est sa qualité éthique? Question difficile à répondre quand on est perdu, exalté par les milliers de cellules orchestrales récurrentes, et ces cris et chuchotements...

« […] A mon opinion Wagner est un symphoniste de nature. Il a du génie, qui se brise sur ses tendances ; son inspiration est paralysée par des théories qu'il a inventées lui-même, et qu'il, 'nolens, volens', veut mettre en pratique... Mais il n'y a aucun doute que c'est un merveilleux symphoniste. »

Piotr Ilitch Tchaïkovsky, à son frère 1876.

Carpe Diem.

Sexed Up: Courtship and grinding in Venezuelan drum dance and reggaeton

2010-03-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

Caribbean drum beats have their origins in the West African traditions and customs brought by colonization and slavery. This music and the dances attached to it have evolved following the socio-cultural changes in the people and the geo-political shifts in the region. Venezuelan traditional drum dance and music (locally called Tambores or Golpe de Tambor) saw its birth with the progressive and spontaneous adoption of cultural syncretism as the national standard.

In the beginning, this dance had little to do with sex and sexuality. African slaves of Yoruba ethnicity brought a spiritual music devoted to the Orisha (deities in their religious system) which was typically danced with a more or less strict gender based code of distance and separation. It then transformed into a religious pasticcio of sorts, celebrating Catholic saints San Juan and San Pedro. Much has been said about this fact, a popular and widespread theory states that the descendants of slaves continued their ancient cult but pretended to conform to the predominant Christian norm. While this is most likely historical reality, it's relevance is, at best, debatable. Religious syncretism became the standard and little importance was given to the complexity and diversity behind it, for it satisfied both the majority of the population and the (foreign) establishment.

With the civil liberties and economic prosperity achieved in the 20th century Tambores dance changed in form and content. It became what it currently is, a fast-paced sensual dance of courtship and folk gallantry. It remains a group dance, but there is always a couple in the middle of a circle of drum-led shaking hips and twirling bodies. It is customary that the couple don’t touch any part of the partners’ body. The woman is teasing the man, and he is going after her. After some minutes (or seconds!) of this naïve yet sensual game, another person from the group intervenes and assumes the role of the person he or she made step out of the couple, in order to try to attract the partner and continue the game. The dance goes on endlessly until the drums come to a halt. At that point your heart beat is outrageous, your legs probably hurt a bit (or a lot!) and you leave the scene with a big grin. Maybe because you got to dance with a hottie or two, or maybe because you played a game that was hot and tempting but with a hint of stimulating aloofness and constraint.

Due to its very different context and roots, the dance style of the most recent and (in spite of its detractors) most popular Caribbean musical sensation, Reggaeton, differs from the older and more traditional Tambores. Sexuality is, nevertheless, a common point. It is however expressed and represented in contrasting ways.

Reggaeton was originally a low-class urban mix of popular genres in the 90’s (Merengue, Bachata, some R&B and Hip Hop, plus Reggae and Dancehall, amongst others). The signature dance style of Reggaeton is known as a variation of grinding called Perreo, even if the moves are also the result of a blend of various influences. It is almost strictly a couple dance, in which the woman has the active role. It consists of aggressive and very sexual thrusts and rubs of body parts. There is little to no teasing, it is almost the depiction of a sexual encounter with clothes on. And it pretty much ends like that. Or with sexual intercourse. If you are lucky you may leave the scene with a big grin, for you probably had a very intense and risqué foreplay. But if you’re unlucky you may be leaving the scene full of excited body parts and frustration in your head.
It is very interesting how in both of the reviewed Caribbean dances, in all their diversity and specificity, sex, sensuality and sexuality have a major and focal role. More so, the possible cultural implications of the apparent convergent duality of courtship and sex appeal.

I can see the charm to the two. There is definitely a power game of sorts and both have their share of addictiveness. It is almost impossible to not have fun while dancing to these beats. But it is the temporary effect on your state of mind what makes me prefer Tambores. To me it is everlasting fun with an abrupt end, while Reggaeton is more of an abrupt pleasure with an uncertain finale. One is most likely going to make you eventually want for more, while the other is a game with the potential of making you NEED more.

In the end, I cannot help wondering what do we really want out of a sensual dance? What do we need? Are we trying to please a forgotten god with the vibration of our limbs? Are we trying to turn sex and human interaction more artistic and creative with the sweat from a drum beat? Are we trying to change the world with racy moves and mundane flings?

I have more questions than answers, but since every question has a tone… I will try to enjoy the dodecaphony of my song.

Photo by Sebastian Fritzon

Carpe Diem.

A modest recap

2009-08-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

For the last few years, I’ve been going through a personal yet ecumenical struggle for a better world. From the pictures you’re about to see below it may seem as if struggling is a lot of fun… and sometimes it is!!!

This state of universal empathy is not an easy one to explain. I’ve got many fruits out of my very personal and peculiar attempts at doing something meaningful for greater good, and some scars too.

The incredible voyage that started years ago has shaped me into the citizen I am. Every tear protected my skin, every laugh was a song with a theme, every spat was a splash of humanity, and every human I met helped me learn.

Let’s now look at the past with a smile as we build a better present for an even better future.

I was 18 years old and just had wonderful lunch with the governor of Miranda State, Venezuela and a dozen of international journalists, artists and intellectuals I was assisting.

Same year (2004) this time with Mrs. Bernardine Dohrn

2005 now at the World Festival of Youth and Students

Same, after a meeting with Angolese students

2006 now during the World Social Forum where I participated as a delegate with my short-lived association UJEI / YAFEU (Unión de Jóvenes por el Entendimiento y la Igualdad / Youth Association For Equality and Understanding)

With Venezuelan intellectual and writer Luis Britto García

Here after a workshop with the people from Share International, they are fighting poverty through spirituality. As an example they shared seeds of nutritious plants and fruits for everyone to take and share.

With the (former) Minister of Culture of Venezuela in the 3rd World Poetry Festival in Caracas 2006

It was the 4th World Poetry Festival (2007) and I was the personal attaché

of world famous Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko. I took this picture of him with Syrian poet Adonis and Palestinian poet Nidaa Khoury

And last but definitely not least, a picture of me and a friend during the Gay Pride Parade 2009 in Paris, France (it's my 5th!)

I have a feeling 2010 is just a wink away... The world is definitely not the same it was 5 years ago. I am not the same neither. Moving to Europe has helped me broaden my horizons and get back in touch with my creative side. I'm still struggling for a better world, but I feel I can do it better now and in a much more creative AND practical way.

I'm looking forward to all new experiences...

Here's something Aldous Huxley said about that:

"Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you."

So yeah! I'm ready to make a whole lot with whatever's coming! :D

Are you?

Carpe Diem.

Ser y Parecer : Parece ser

2009-07-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

En un mundo lleno de etnias y diferencias / diferentes etnias / etnias diferenciadas / diferencias étnicas y los otros conflictos existenciales contemporáneos, nos preguntamos con relajada ansiedad e ingenio ¿qué soy? Incluso, en esta era del email / del IM / de la 2.0 / de GlobalVoices / de independencias arbitrarias / de la revolución democratizada, empezamos a pensar en cómo los robots cuestionarán su identidad en el futuro. Es la versión 2k del dilema de Shakespeare "ser o no ser". ¿Ser por querer ser? ¿Ser por los otros? ¿Ser o parecer ?

Mis experiencias sociales me permiten reflexionar al respecto, desde afuera, y vivir/sufrir el dilema, desde adentro. La aparente respuesta colectiva parece ser, entonces, parecer. Es una suerte de salida / de salida fácil / de facilismo intelectual / de intelecto superficial, de inmadurez emocional.

Ser gay y parecer hétero. Ser light y parecer integral. Ser cerrado y parecer abierto.

Descartes vivía en la República Neerlandesa (1581-1795) cuando dijo "je pense, donc je suis". ¿Habrá alguna vez pensado "soy católico y parezco protestante"? La obsesión con parecer más que ser oculta una intensa y profunda angustia, que azarosamente se expresa con una genialidad creativa de ámbito universal ; pero que casi siempre me hastía como un ejemplo más de la insoportable levedad del ser.

¿Ser arrogante y parecer humilde? ¿Ser falso y parecer genuino? ¿Ser miserable y parecer feliz?

Los parisinos / los venezolanos / los humanos estarán condenados a una terrible decepción si no logran aceptar-se. Hay cosas que nunca cambian, afortunadamente otras si. Pienso que el verdadero reto y dilema es ¿qué hacer? Para aquellos que decidan hacer parecer, les dejo una cita de Kurt Vonnegut de su libro Mother Night:

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."

Carpe diem.