24 setembro 2009

Deixa-me rir...

"Imagine... a warm summer's evening, by a dark flowing river, under a magical moonlit sky. A stage bathed in purple light. The audience in hushed anticipation, some awaiting the return at last of a cherished hero, others curious to experience for the first time, like me... And then The Man appears, forever stylish in his tailored suit and tie and fedora hat. His band of musicians look equally chic.

This was the scene last summer by Lisbon's river Tejo. And I had the opportunity to re-live this experience once more this summer. No warm evening. No moon. Lots of rain. Well, this was England. But it did not matter.

He performs with the same grace and humility and charisma and humour, and respect for his audience and for his fellow musicians.

His band are exceptionally artistic instrumentalists, the arrangements rhythmic, spanish, cabaret, waltz...

Not everyone likes Leonard Cohen. At least, they think they don't, or they would not, happy to accept the stereotypical belief that his poetic music sounds and therefore must be depressing. Well, he is not a pop singer. But his deep and mellow voice carries the wisdom and sensibilities of a lifetime's experiences. When he speaks he is quiet, understated, the audience captivated in his presence, clinging to his every word, like a congregation to their bishop's sermon.

LC himself makes fun of his mournful image by skipping onto and off the stage and dancing during his band's instrumental solos. He jokes that it is 14 years since he last gave concerts, when he was 60 years old, just a kid with a crazy dream. In that time he tells us that he studied the religions and philosophies of the world, but cheerfulness, cheerfulness kept breaking through.

I think these worldwide concerts have opened the ears and eyes of some sceptical people. And of a new younger generation.

[If anyone is interested to discover more, I found a very good review with excellent pictures which expresses the whole concert experience much better than I can: http://www.lauraleanalle.com/Blog/leonard-cohen-review.html ]

If you are converted, or maybe you too were present, LC has released a new double cd, Live In London, which captures perfectly the aural magic of LC and his band. I hope there will one day be a dvd to capture the visual magic.

But if you still find his voice hard to listen to, I here offer you a compromise:

one of the most magical moments of all; one of the greatest in LC's Tower of Songs, introduced by The Man as a spoken prayer before taking heavenly flight on the wings of the angelic harmonies of his backing singers. Accompanied by a harp. Spell-binding. Sublime.



The Webb Sisters are just two of many wonderful backing singers employed through the years by LC. They are English; how LC discovered them I do not know; but I imagine and hope that they will find their own solo success. I suggest you find and listen also to one of their own compositions, Baroque Thoughts.

Until the next time...

po

15 comentários:

  1. You're my hero, P! bjs. pcp

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  2. My musical hero, I mean ...! bjs. C

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  3. I'm a big LC fan too. Unfortunetly,I wasn't in Lisbon last time he came to Portugal (July, I think), so I missed what probably was his last concert here.

    I think one of the reasons people say they don't like LC is because his music takes some work to enjoy. It's not 'catchy', it's not obvious. Like Dylan (and many others), you have to really listen to the lyrics to fully understand his music. And that's something most pop music today doesn't ask.

    About the Live in London CD, 'If It Be your Will', along with 'The Gypsy's Wife' are my two favourite moments.

    Segismundo

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  4. semdo eu um leitor incondicional do blogue adeus atè ao meu regresso, fico deseludido com jb, pensei que so no algarve é que as ementas eram em inglês, agora jà os blogues o sâo, com o desrespeito pela minha linguaa lingua de Camôes e de todo o Portugu^s que se prèse, depois de 40 anos em França nunca deixei de falar Português, foi um murro no estômago que ressebi da parte de JB PINTO PARIS

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  5. Que fantástico! Agora é só para alguns.
    Confesso que em questões musicais, e salvaguardando o Gi, este blog é mais antigo que o sarcófago de Tutancamon (não sei se é assim que se escreve), mas os textos em inglês? Não estamos a ser pouco populares? Ele há gente que não domina. Outros, porém, sabem bem o que significa despite of, só não percebem o seu enquadramento.
    No entanto, esta é uma nova sensação blogista.

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  6. Não tendo eu nada a ver com o assunto, nem com o blogue, fico encantada por ver um Segismundo que faz um comentário em inglês para o autor do texto que é inglês; é uma atenção, uma gentileza, uma deferência para com quem não se expressa na nossa língua. Por outro lado, não percebo qual é o mal de ver um texto em inglês de vez em quando num blogue português: dá-lhe até um ar mais "global". Não é, ainda, um blogue inglês, que eu saiba. É português! E muito. Lá por isso então as músicas também eram todas portuguesas! Só ouviriamos fado, os GNR ou o Rui Reininho... Quando ao inglês ser só para alguns, também não percebo. Duvido que os leitores deste blogue não falem todos inglês ou o compreendam, no mínimo, bem. Não lemos nós jornais e/ou revistas em inglês? Não ouvimos inglês na TV o tempo todo? Não lidamos nós com o inglês com frequência no nosso trabalho? Fez muito bem, JB, em ter introduzido um novo bloguista, estrangeiro, no seu leque de colaboradores. Parabéns, revela ousadia e espírito cosmopolita! Porque não convida também um espanhol e/ou francês? Viva o Adeus...

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  7. Como editor e dono deste estabelecimento, gostaria de agradecer todos os comentários. Os que elogiaram esta experiência do blogue, os que gostaram do texto, os que escreveram em inglês por amabilidade, os que levaram o murro no estômago, os que acham que a música aqui publicada é mais antiga do que o faraó egípcio.
    Gostaria de agradecer, sobretudo, ao Philip que, não me conhecendo, quis embarcar nesta aventura.
    Apesar da antiguidade, dos murros, dos elogios e das críticas, continuaremos a ter, com muito gosto da minha parte, esta página em inglês com alguma regularidade. Estou certo, nesta ingenuidade que me caracteriza, de que não perderemos visitas, antes pelo contrário.
    No fundo, no fundo, tudo se enquadra na nossa boa vontade e abertura de espírito, apesar de alguma estranheza inicial.
    Obrigado a todos.

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  8. Good Lord !!!! I got 'pele de galinha' (how do u say it in english, goose skin???) by hearing the Sisters. I personally love LC, never been to his concerts, though. Thanks P for bringing him to our homes :-)

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  9. Tanks PO for your marvelous debut. I’m a LC fan not knowing exactly why…it has something to do with loving lyrics (sometimes more than the music) and original interpretations…When I hear LC, Paolo Conte comes to my mind(LC is like an anglo-saxon version of this italian “cantautore” ) – check and see if you agree : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44wqc2gbbfY&feature=related
    Rgds deA

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  10. Estimados bloguistas todos, you who replied in English, e voces que responderam na sua lingua amada portuguesa (I have my Portuguese dictionary to help me), you audiophiles who appreciated my choice of song and received 'goose bumps', e voces que sentiram a mao morta e insensivel de uma mumia egipcia, thank you for your kind and/or interesting comments.
    How can one short text in English start such a controversy...can it be the end of the Anglo Portuguese Alliance after 635 years...!?
    Coincidentally this week I discovered that maybe just one small word can be enough: in a novel by Saramago, Historia do Cerco de Lisboa, about a proofreader, um revisor de provas, which incidentally I am, who changes the history of this event by inserting one word, 'not', into a crucial sentence of the text he is checking: The Crusaders will NOT help the Portuguese.
    Well, I am NOT trying to change the nature of this wonderful and varied Blog diario...
    Regarding my musical choice, I note that the subtitle of JB's blog refers to a journey back; and surely a classic song is timeless, even one 'mais antigo que o sarcofago de Tutankhamun'; the pharaohs may be dead but we still marvel at their treasures and their civilisation.
    So, as my ancient portuguese grandmother used to say to her grandchildren, but in a friendly joking way: vai a fava. po

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  11. with such um bom portuenglish you have no desculpa for writing the next text neste new idioma At least you will não terá nenhum complaint from the old men do Restelo!
    deA

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  12. Obrigado, deA. I can only reply with my favourite portuguese word -pois! My next text/song should appear tomorrow 8 outubro but it is (mostly) in english...next time!
    PS thanks also for your earlier comment, I have heard one or two Paulo Conte songs but will check out more.
    Why do you need to be "Anonimo"?

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  13. Oh là là! Ça bouge ici! Cool!
    What's wrong with English, specially if it is so wonderfully written? Quite a nice change, I think! IMVHO I think that you should continue to do so if you feel comfortable with your text.
    Well done PO:)

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  14. Hy philip,

    Anonimo is the easy way to edit comments.
    "Pois" means you have nothing to say - I understand, Paolo Conte can be difficult if you don't understand the Piedmontese mood - love it or leave it kind of attitude!
    rgds
    deA

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  15. Hi DeA, just seen your latest comment. Sorry, I think you misunderstood my "pois", or rather I maybe used it incorrectly. I thought it could mean 'I agree' or 'what more can i add', it was not that I had nothing to say. I thought your reply in portuenglish was funny as well as the reference to the old men of Restelo, an expression I haven't heard but I think I understand. Here we sometimes refer to Mr Angry of Manchester, or Grumpy Old Men! You cannot please everybody, but some people are never satisfied...
    PS to my shame I still have not listened more to Paolo Conte but I have not forgotten! thx, po

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