How great must you be, if other great men sang of you?
In the mid 1950s, a poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi changed the face of popular music forever. Though by no means is he credited for creating rock 'n' roll, it was he who made it mainstream and gave it unprecedented popularity across the United States and beyond. The white boy with the black voice, was indeed the goldmine that Sam Phillips once predicted he would be. One of the greatest singers of all time, he inspired a new generation of musicians to break out of the ordinary and be themselves.
His humble beginings in the deep south of the USA, where he never truly strayed far from, gave him much of his musical influences. These include rhythm & blues and gospel. These interspersed with the up-and-coming rock 'n' roll at the time paved the way for a style loosly termed 'rockabilly', which was Elvis' sound back then.
There was no stopping him from there on.
At the age of 42, he was gone too soon. But not before monumentally changing the lives of a host of starry eyed youth, who went on to become musical legends in their own rights.
Among those who considered him their inspiration, their idol, are giants such as Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Freddie Mercury and Brian May (of Queen), Paul Simon, CCR, Dire Straits, Roy Orbison, Bryan Adams, Jimmy Buffet, the Bellamy Brothers, the Bangles, Alannah Myles and Marc Cohn. For me (with my limited knowledge of music), these are the ones who stand out of a large crowd of like minded musicians. Each of them have written and sung songs dedicated to the life, the memory and the legend that is Elvis Presley.
The Boss is another of my favourite singers, and I came across this audio clip quite by chance.The song called "Johnny Bye Bye" was written when Springsteen had first heard the news that Elvis was dead.
The lyric "you didn't have to die" is just stunning.
The more popular "Fire" which he performed himself, was actually written with the intention that his idol would sing it. Sadly, the latter had died by the time Springsteen had sent him the demo.
Then there are those songs which are often heard on the radio;
Queen sang "Crazy little thing called love" taking much influence from Elvis' style. In the music video of this song, it's quite clear that Mercury dresses like Elvis in his signature 1968 black leather jumpsuit. Though a lovely song, it's a poor visual.
The Bellamy Brothers say it well, in highlighting the 3 names that spell American Culture;
And a haunting walk through Memphis. For those who know, the references to Elvis are delightful in this one;
The man with the side burns; the curled lip and those swivelling hips.
Don't you see? Your hand maybe stilled, but your gift cannot be silenced if you refuse to let it be. The gift does not lie in your hands! I have hands, David. Hands that can make a scalpel sing. More than anything in my life, I wanted to play. But I do not have the gift. I can play the notes; but I can not make the music. You've performed Liszt; Rachmaninoff; Chopin. Even if you never do so again, you already know the joy that I will never know for as long as I live. Because the true gift is in your head. And in your heart. And in your soul. Now, you can shut it off forever; or you can find new ways to share your gift with the world; through the baton; the classroom; the pen. As for these works, they're for you. Because you, and the piano will always be as one.
What the human body and mind can do in the face of adversity is phenomenal. The inspiration behind this lengthy quotation, from the19th episode of Season 8 of M*A*S*H titled "Morale Victory", is an Austrian Pianist by the name of Paul Wittgenstien, whose right hand had to be amputated during WW1.
He begun a long search to commission piano work composed for the left hand alone. Composer after composer turned him down, until he found French Composer Maurice Ravel. And this is the piece he composed for Wittgenstein : Piano Concerto for the left hand in D Major.
What the human body and mind can do, especially in the face of adversity is incredible. If you have been blessed with a talent; make use of it, and share it with the world. If you lose the idyllic way to bring to life the gifts within you, find alternatives.
Because there are always alternatives!
I listen to a lot of music. So much so, I'm quite convinced that my poor memory can be attributed wholly to the fact that my brain is filled with song lyrics.
There are so many that are so creative, so breathtaking, that I would get goosebumps. How do people compose so elegantly?
Paul Simon sings a song about a 16 year old Puerto Rican gang member named Salvador Agron. Convicted of the murder of two 16 year old gang members, Salvador became the youngest person ever to be sentenced to death in New York. Due to good behaviour, his sentence was commuted to life, and he was released after 17 years.
The music has heavy Spanish vibes, and a beautiful guitar passage in the middle. Quite contrary to the violent nature of the story, the song "Trailways Bus"is a gentle song, invoking feelings of compassion for a boy who hailed from an unstable home, and fell in with the wrong crowd.
In 1979, the disco sensation BoneyM released a ballad about Eleutario Sanchez Rodriguez, a legendary Spanish outlaw. Convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison at the young age of 23 for a "crime he didn't commit", El Lute was, at the time, Spain's most wanted criminal. He escaped from prison many times, and he became a symbol of the resistance to the oppression of the poor under Spanish Dicator Franco.
During his incarceration, he learned to read and write, and earned a degree in Law. He also became a published writer. After continuously arguing his innocence, he was pardoned and released at the age of 39.
Kate Barker and Grigori Rasputin were also immortalized by BoneyM in a similar vein.
Then there's this, by Alannah Myles. The legend that inspired this one really needs no introduction, does he? :-)
Soon after returning from a 2 week trip to Kenya in 2006, a dear friend of mine said "They say that once you travel to Africa, you leave a piece of your heart behind. Is that true?"
It's so true.
My earliest memories are of Nigeria. My father was stationed at a maternity hospital in Katsina, which was part of the (then) Kaduna State in Nigeria way back in the early 1980s. But then in the fall of 1983, we returned to the Emerald Isle.
But I have retained certain African influences from my time there;
I have always liked Cottage loaves. Nigerians eat their bread sweetened. Thus the bakeries made sweet bread. So the Sri Lankan and Indian communities got together and asked a bakery to please make unsweetened bread for us. But I do recall how my mother used to offer a few lumps of sugar along with the bread that she gave to the poor people who came begging for food.
Sugar cubes is another. I love sugar cubes. It's got something that a heaped teaspoon of grains just can't match.
Long bananas. Perhaps they didn't have the rich variety of bananas that we have in Sri Lanka...but all I recall are long bananas. And they remain my favourite.
Not that Boiled corn on the cob with butter is an alien concept to Sri Lanka, but I learnt to love it thanks to Africa.
But here are the most significant ones.
The people. I love African people. They have the most amazing voices, and the most gorgeous accent! I love the way they talk...and perhaps due to how late the British people left them, they speak flawless english.
They love Sri Lankans.....which works really well for me.
Their clothes. Their clothes are loud and bright, and boy can they pull off ANYthing! As a whole, we have lighter skin...but we often think that unless you're very fair, you simply can't pull off colours like red, yellow and orange.
But in Africa, they wear the brightest colours, not only in clothes, but also in make up and accessories. And they never look gaudy. They are magnificent.
While in Kenya, I tried out a beautiful pink outfit. The mirror did all but faint. I looked like an puffed up flamingo with black hair. So much for my fair skin huh?
Much of their jewellery is made of beads, big and small. Ok, now that I could carry off. But I still ended up buying safe, conservative colours and motifs.
The wildlife bears a special significance. The great African Elephant never fails to impress me. You see one in the wild, and you're truly in the presence of greatness. Having had a personal encounter with a wild hippopotamus in the wee hours of the morning in the Masai Mara, I then developed a fascination for these foul tempered behemoths. I could feel it's size and power right down to my very core, terrifying me so much that, for what felt like an eternity, I couldn't even move.
They have some outlandish game that come to your dinner plate as well. During my visit to Kenya, I sampled crocodile meat, camel meat and ostrich meat. There's a restaurant in Nairobi called The Carnivore which apparently served even more unusual meats (I seem to recall Lion meat, but can't find reference to back that up right now). Due to recent Government regulations however, they have had to reduce the variety on their wild game menu. This is a good thing, of course.
And then there's their music. Those drums, those voices, those chants! Let's leave aside the fact that most of the popular music we know today, jazz, rhythm & blues, gospel, rock & roll, they all have their roots in Africa. But what of the stuff that is still belted out of the continent?
You think you don't listen to African music? Check this out ->
Lebo M. comes from Soweto, in South Africa. He is a composer, songwriter and singer. He has composed most of the songs and music you hear in the Lion King, both on screen and on stage.
This song is composed, written and sung by an Irishman. However, the influence is entirely African. Listen carefully, you will notice that there are only drums and human vocals. Fantastic stuff.
And finally, the lady who put African music on the map. Miriam Makeba. Mama Africa. This is a clip from Paul Simon's Graceland tour, when he performed in Zimbabwe. He is, no doubt, the one with the higher number of chart toppers and record sales. But, he's the one who's lucky to be standing on the same stage with her. ->
Swahili is a gorgeous language. Spoken predominantly in Kenya and Tanzania, this is a song often played on our own airwaves. It is possibly the single most popular song to have come out of Africa, and reached every corner of the planet ->
I want to go back. I need to go back. Africa holds fascination like absolutely no other group of countries can. In spite of all it's manmade flaws, it remains the most well endowed continent in the world. It is rich in oil, gold, diamonds, copper, wildlife, history, culure, arts and crafts.
But Africa is expensive for the traveller. So, for now, I travel through my obsession with African music.
Many have (probably) begun a proclomation with these five words at one point or the other. In his address to the US Congress, which was broadcast over the "Voice of America" during the Second World War, Sir Winston Churchill said "It was his Majesty's fervent wish that I should seek the assistance of the United States to sweep the Nazi hordes from Europe. This I will strive to do with all my heart and soul. I will not rest until I achieve this great endeavour - a task I have already begun." American Politician Maria Cantwell promised "We will not rest until the wooden stake is punched through the heart of the Enron lawsuit against us". According to the famed Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, "The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until is has gained a hearing." Radiant beauty, talented acress and dedicated humanitarian Audrey Hepburn has been quoted as saying "I will not rest until no child goes hungry. All is possible." - a goal which she sadly couldn't reach in her lifetime. More recently, someone vehemently proclaimed "I will not rest until I get a pantry!!" **Author raises eyebrow in confusion** "I work for a multimillion dollar company," he continued. "I refuse to rinse my lunchbox in the washroom! I demand the dignity of a pantry; andI will not rest until I get one!!" Aren't quotations the most fabulous things?
The Honolulu International Center (known today as the Blaisdell Center) hosted a concert titled "Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite" on this day. Elvis Presley was at the prime of his musical career, having finally given up on his mediocre movie career which spanned close to a decade in the 1960s. While his 1968 Comback Special truly signalled that "Elvis is back", the "Aloha from Hawaii" concert is perhaps his most iconic live performance.
The pressure of capturing this live telecast had been so great, that a complete, untelevised rehearsal concert was held in front of a different audience on the 12th of January. The two shows were expected to raise USD 25,000 for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund. Tickets carried no face value. Instead, audience members were asked to pay whatever they could afford. The two audiences raised more than USD 75,000.
This haunting song, written and composed by Kuiokalani Lee, who died of lymph gland cancer at the age of 34 was performed at this show as a tribute to him;
This was the first television entertainment event by a single performer that was broadcast live, across the globe and at USD 2.5 million, it was the most expensive entertainment event held at the time.
The one hour show, which began at 12.30am on Sunday, 14th January 1973, was estimated to have been watched by 1 - 1.5 billion people worldwide, and was beamed live to more than 40 countries.
Charles Manabharana Herat Gunaratne.
From what I've been told by many in my family, he was a giant among men; and a giant in every way possible.
He stood 6feet 2inches tall. He was dark and handsome. He was thought of as being the brightest in his family of bright people, and he was also probably the kindest.
But what sticks the most with me are all the amusing anecdotes that I have been told of him.
He was a lover of dogs. His wife (and also, my grandmother) wasn't. She had put her foot down and said "Either children or dogs. Not both". He had gone off and got himself 2 Pekingese Dogs.
My grandparents were the wonderful parents of 5 amazing children. My grandfather supposedly bathed the 3 youngest children one after the other, and finished his chore by bathing the two dogs as well.
He was an Anaesthetist by profession. Having access to the gasses, he had one day given Nitrous Oxide to the dogs. They had indeed been in stitches.
On another occassion, on a day of great joy in the family where they had plenty of bubbly flowing freely in celebration, he had got the dogs to share in the festivities by giving them a taste of champagne as well.
They were in era where air travel was not very common. En route to UK to follow his postgraduate studies, my grandparents were aboard a cruise ship where one night there was a fancy dress ball. He won the competition for best costume for having shown up as the Queen of Tonga.
A daughter of one of his elder brothers was to be married off to someone who she really did not want to spend the rest of her life with. Seeing that no amount of direct conversation would convince her father to change his mind, it turns out that my grandfather and his younger brother had sent this elder brother anonymous letters bad mouthing the proposed suitor.
It worked. She instead married a wonderful man and lived happily ever after. And to this day, she remains grateful for the anonymous letters that they sent her father.
Then there were the episodes of the good doctor being a patient and being warded at the General hospital. According to my grandmother, she had one day gone to answer the doorbell to find "this man standing in front of me saying he wants the food that I cook. I got the shock of my life!"
On yet another occassion, he had attempted a daring escape along with his aforementioned younger brother (himself a consultant no less!). Upon seeing his physician approaching, the duo had quickly hidden themselves in the lift!
Subsequently, he had given up on his plans of escaping, and had instead decided to get his eldest son to fetch him hoppers and katta sambol from the nearby Bake House. Such was the need to avoid consuming hospital fare.
And the tales go on. But I'm sure this should suffice in illustrating the interesting character that he was. I am certainly lucky to be able to call him my own grandpa. I am equally unlucky to have never met him.
But the greatest people die young. Probably too good for this earth.
