domingo, 30 de maio de 2010

SONG -A CONTINOUS ACT.PART 13.

Fado and Flamenco

While the names are similar Fado and Flamenco are two distinct music styles from the Iberian Peninsula.
Fado is the most characteristic  and traditionalist music style in Portugal and Flamenco is the most
characteristic and traditionalist music style in Spain.
These two share a few  characteristics like being born in the same Peninsula and having a difficult and obscure past difficult to track; historically speaking that is!.
Both have probably Moorish influences at the very beginning of their roots and they both share the same characteristic of blending with some other native  and ancient music styles from the Iberian Peninsula, “later i will write something about this”.
They also have their own  distinct musical instrument that could be define as their pillar-stone.
The Portuguese Guitar and the Spanish Guitar.
Fado wouldn´t be Fado without a Portuguese Guitar and Flamenco wouldn´t be Flamenco without a Spanish guitar (also called Flamenco guitar).
These are both acoustic string guitars they are very differently shaped and serve different purposes musically speaking, you see because even if this sounds a bit strange both instruments
serve different Masters with different tastes.
The Portuguese Guitar fits perfectly in the Fado music style because Fado in it´s essence is a sad,soft,humble,whaling music style that depicts sadness and the feelings of a People that are facing the Atlantic Ocean  always looking outward to the sea and dreaming with the possibility of finding some sort of lost paradise in the immense void of the sea line. 
And the Portuguese Guitar with it´s 12 steel strings provide that sort of characteristic sound that resembles a soft cry.
The flamenco Guitar fits perfectly in the Flamenco music style because Flamenco in it´s essence is a joyful, proud, loud music style that depicts the happiness and joy so very characteristic of the nomadic Gipsy people that live in Southern Spain and that are proud to be free with a sense of union and love for the land that also sprung into the very famous and infamous Art form that is Bullfighting.
A lot will remain unsaid because there wouldn´t be enough time in the world to depict these two complex music styles.
So i´ll leave you with two pieces of music, the first one is one of my favorites, it´s a music piece  named Asturias which is in fact a region of Spain and here you can listen to the Amazing interpretation of this music piece by John Williams who is a great musician and also a true searcher  (musically speaking that is), the great interpretation of Cavatina that you´ve heard before is his.
And the second one is a music piece (i don´t know it´s title) played with Portuguese Guitar by another great musician Pedro Caldeira Cabral who is also a true searcher and also a living library when it comes to  tracking the Portuguese Guitar  and it´s course along history.
So here you have two music styles and two instruments that share so much with each other and yet they couldn´t be more different just like Portugal And Spain.
How wonderful is this ?!.
I hope you enjoy and if you have any questions or comments please let me know and i will do my very best to be of service.            




sexta-feira, 28 de maio de 2010

La Cavatina


Many of you out there may remember this wonderful music piece from The Deer Hunter movie .
Over the years I´ve listened to a lot of different versions of it, however i still believe that this music piece should remain as simple as possible without adding any sort of background music.
And it should be performed in a slow motion as well, some guitar players rush the tune in a fast motion so it ends quickly because it´s so hard to play and by doing it they ruin it´s wonderful soothing effect on the senses.
And La Cavatina is a music piece to enjoy without any sort of rush.
Enjoy.

quarta-feira, 26 de maio de 2010

Pedras no Caminho... / Stones on My Path...


 Posso ter defeitos, viver ansioso e ficar irritado algumas vezes, 

Mas não esqueço de que minha vida

É a maior empresa do mundo…

E que posso evitar que ela vá à falência.

Ser feliz é reconhecer que vale a pena viver

Apesar de todos os desafios, incompreensões e períodos de crise.

Ser feliz é deixar de ser vítima dos problemas e

Se tornar um autor da própria história…

É atravessar desertos fora de si, mas ser capaz de encontrar

Um oásis no recôndito da sua alma…

É agradecer a Deus a cada manhã pelo milagre da vida.

Ser feliz é não ter medo dos próprios sentimentos.

É saber falar de si mesmo.

É ter coragem para ouvir um “Não”!!!

É ter segurança para receber uma crítica,

Mesmo que injusta…

Pedras no caminho?

Guardo todas, um dia vou construir um castelo...
Pedras no Caminho...
Fernando Pessoa

I may have flaws,live in anxiety and be upset a few times,

But I don´t forget that my life

Is the world´s greatest endeavor...

And I can avoid it´s bankruptcy.

To be happy is to realize it´s worth living

In spite all the challenges, misunderstandings, periods of crisis.

To be happy is to stop being a victim of problems and

Becoming the author of my own History...

It is crossing deserts outside oneself, but being able to find

The oasis in the depths of one´s soul...

It is thanking God for the Miracle life is.

To be happy is to be unafraid of one´s feelings.

It´s being able to speak about oneself.

It´s having the heart to face the word "NO"!!!

It´s the feeling of safety after criticism,

Even if unfair...

Stones on my path?

I keep all of these, so one day I can build my castle...
Pedras no Caminho...
Fernando Pessoa

sexta-feira, 21 de maio de 2010

quinta-feira, 20 de maio de 2010

sábado, 15 de maio de 2010

Classic Garfield / includes the great song track "So long old friend".


Thankyou !
To the guy(s) that posted this on YOUTUBE and rescued a happy childhood memory, to everybody out there that love Animals and Nature as much as i do and keep fighting for it to endure,  and finally to Ninja my beloved cat for giving me so much love and "bites" over the years. :)
P.S.Not to worry, the cartoon ends well and Odie escapes the pound with Garfield.

To Green with love.

So long old friend.../ Até sempre velho amigo...

 -Ninja the cat passed away a couple of nights ago.
No big deal really,I´ve experienced far greater losses in life of Family and friends and after all, it was just a cat.
That´s what i told myself when i was about to burie him.
I placed his body in the woods under my favorite tree. You know !?- That one that resembles a slingshot whose trunk splits in two. 
But somehow i wasn´t feeling tranquil,what´s the matter ? i tought, Why do i feel so disturbed ?
I looked at the hole and placed the dead cat in it,i wanted to say a prayer but nothing came out.
I covered the hole with dirt...tears began to flow from my eyes and down my cheeks -What the hell ? Why am i dong this ? -Sissy boy,little girl, motherfucker -Stop crying !!!
Too late, beyond my own recrimination and control tears fell.
OKAY, I won´t fight this !,i´m too tired. My mind drifted 18 years back to the day i first saw Ninja.
It was just a little black fur ball, half starved and sick. He turned into a healthy good looking cat over the next few months.
He was a mean little bastard too,he loved to bite and scratch and he pissed all over the place driving me crazy.
And he lived a long life, 18 years is a long time for a cat.
Too long.
I stood up relieved and touching the split tree trunk, thanked it and asked the tree to watch over my little friend.
He will also become part of you now ! -said I to the tree.
I left, and a tune i used to love as a kid popped into my head.
So long old friend...

 Ninja 1992 -2010
-Ninja o gato, foi-se à um par de noites atrás.
Não é grande coisa realmente, tenho experenciado perdas bem maiores na vida,perdas de família e amigos e, afinal de contas era apenas um gato.
Foi o que eu disse a mim mesmo quando estava prestes a enterrá-lo.
Coloquei o corpo na mata debaixo da minha árvore favorita.Tu sabes!? - Aquela que se assemelha a uma fisga e cujo tronco se divide em dois.
Mas de alguma forma não me sentia tranqüilo, qual é o problema? Pensei eu - por que me sinto tão perturbado?
Olhei para o buraco e coloquei o gato morto neste,quis dizer uma oração, mas nada saiu.
Cobri o buraco com terra ... as lágrimas começaram a fluir de meus olhos para a minha cara, mas que inferno? Porque é que estou a fazer isto ? Panasca,menina,filho-da-puta-Pára de chorar!!! 
Tarde demais, para lá da minha própria recriminação as lágrimas caíram sem controle.
Ok, eu não vou lutar contra isto! estou demasiadamente cansado.
A minha mente retrocedeu 18 anos atrás no tempo até ao dia em que vi o Ninja pela primeira vez.  
Era apenas uma bolinha de pêlo preta, meio morto de fome e doente.Ao longo do tempo transformou-se num saudável e bonito gato.
Ele também era um bom cabrãzinho que gostava de morder e arranhar, mijava em todo o lugar e deixava-me fulo com isso.
Viveu uma vida longa, 18 anos é muito tempo para um gato.
Demasiado tempo.
Levantei-me aliviado e toquei no tronco da árvore agradeci-lhe e pedi a esta para tomar conta do meu amigo. 
Ele também tornar-se-á parte de ti agora. -Disse eu à árvore.  
Fui-me embora, e uma música que eu adorava quando era puto apareceu na minha cabeça.
Adeus velho amigo...

quinta-feira, 13 de maio de 2010

Charlie Parker - Laura


Ladies and Gentleman, here is one of my favourite music pieces ever to be played on Sax.
A small piece from the greatest Jazz musician that ever lived and probably the greatest piece of music to express love in it´s purest form.
So here is, Laura  from Charlie Parker also knowned as BIRD.

terça-feira, 11 de maio de 2010

: )

Today I was quite surprised when I found out that a lot pictures and a few of my Photos were missing from this blog.
I scratched my head and wondered what I had done wrong, and I still can´t find an awnswer for it.
So, i´ve spent the last couple of hour trying to fix the damage, but unfortunately discovered that a lot of the stuff that I used in the past was missing.
So, I guess that the bicando blog will be a bit incomplete.
For those of you that have been blogging for a longer period than me perhaps you can give me a awnswer for why did this happened.
Well anyway, I guess that one shouldn´t cry over spilled milk.
Currently it´s Nightime here in Lisbon, the weather is warm, there is a full moon and a refreshing slight breeze brings me the smell of bread from a baker store near my house.
So, to those of you who are starting the day I wish you a good day and for those of you who are getting ready for bed I wish you a good night´s sleep.
I wish a could end this small text with some sort of good advice or a deep philosophical question that would make the world ponder upon it and somehow turn it around for the better, but right now all i have is sleep.
O.K. I just remembered a very small poetry that i really love, so here goes nothing:

A puny little  fly
Will land in any piece of crap
As it will joyfully do,
In any Boss`s bald spot.

See you !  :)

segunda-feira, 10 de maio de 2010

Goodbye, Frank Frazetta. 1928- 2010

   Frank Frazetta was the most influential Artist of the 20TH Century.
BIRDMAN by Frank Frazetta

Goodbye old Man, i hope you folow the Eagle´s path.
You will surely be missed.
Thank you for the Dreams.
A Fan from Portugal.

sábado, 8 de maio de 2010

Working to protect vital Iberian Lynx habitat

Iberian Lynx PART 5

  The second of the first two cubs to be born in the Silves National Reproduction Centre died last weekend.
You can read the following story over HERE.

A segunda cria de Lince Ibérico nascida no centro Nacional de Reprodução morreu no fim de semana passado.
Pode ler parte desta história AQUI .
Right now I feel too sad, too depressed,too angry to make any sort of comment; except may be for this:
 

How long will we keep taking nature´s gifts for granted ?



quarta-feira, 5 de maio de 2010

One "CLICK" a Day... / Tiny Samurai

-A few days ago, I was taking a stroll in the woods (I do that sometimes, to avoid a bit of the stress caused by the city, and I don´t know about you, but I´d rather look at trees that cars and Buildings all day) and I found this little guy staring at me with a rather menacing look on it´s face.
It kept waving it´s claws at me, like it wanted to challenge me to a martial arts contest.
I laughed, and picked it up unafraid of the challenge (because size really matters) and the little Praying Mantis looked back at me with a rather uncertain look on it´s face probably thinking if I wasn´t too much for it to chew.
I took a few “shots” of it with my digital camera and placed it back in the small tree where I found it.
Going back I couldn´t help but to thank God that this little dude wasn´t my size...it was about the size of my pinky finger.
A scary thought...
DOUBLE CLICK TO ENLARGE
DUPLO "CLICK" PARA AUMENTAR

PT -Portuguese translation .
-À poucos dias atrás, estava a dar um passeio na floresta (eu faço isso, às vezes, para evitar um pouco do stress causado pela cidade, e falo apenas por mim, mas prefiro olhar para as árvores que para carros e edifícios durante todo o dia) e achei este tipinho a olhar para mim com um ar bastante ameaçador.
 Este acenava as garras para mim, como se quisesse desafiar-me para um concurso de Artes Marciais.
Eu ri, e peguei-o sem medo do desafio (porque o tamanho de facto importa) e o pequeno Louva-a-Deus olhou para mim com um olhar de incerteza, provavelmente pensava se eu não era muito para ele mastigar.
Tirei algumas "fotos" deste com a minha câmera digital e coloquei-o de volta na pequena àvore, onde o tinha encontrado.
Ao voltar ao meu caminho não pude deixar de dar graças a Deus por aquele gajito não ser do meu tamanho...tinha para aí o tamanho do meu dedo mindinho.
Um pensamento assustador...

segunda-feira, 3 de maio de 2010

Para ser grande, sê inteiro / To be great, be whole

To be great, be whole;
Exclude nothing, exaggerate nothing that is not you.
Be whole in everything. Put all you are
Into the smallest thing you do.
So, in each lake the moon shines with splendor
Because it blooms up above.
- Fernando Pessoa

Para ser grande, sê inteiro: nada
Teu exagera ou exclui.
Sê todo em cada coisa. Põe quanto és
No mínimo que fazes.
Assim em cada lago a lua toda
Brilha, porque alta vive.
- Fernando Pessoa

sábado, 1 de maio de 2010

Hawaiian Flower

I ´ve decided to begin the month of May by introducing you to a great Blog that belongs to a great Human being.
However, I feel a bit awquard and sad that my knowledge of the English language isn´t good enough to introduce someone with so many wonderful  qualities as Toi Pua La`a .
Where should I begin ?
How can one describe a woman who is a true Artist, a gentle soul and a fierce warrior all in one package?
She is a teatcher, a healer,a dancer, a acrobat, a Martial artist, an ecologist,a Humanist, and she also posesses that wonderful quality that few with half the talent should cherish above all things -She is humble .
What still remains the truest and most beautiful quality of a Genuine Master.
And above all things, I´m also proud to say that she is my friend.
So please, take a stroll around her blog and say Aloha to her.I guarantee that it won´t be a waste of your time.