Years ago, aspiring musicians Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Marvin Gaye attended an R&B workshop. While there, when they weren’t practicing their craft, they read newspapers. Problem was, with so many publications available, they had difficulty choosing the best one to read.
"Because," Pickett replied, "these are the Times that Soul Men try."
Bharatanatyam (pronounced “baha-rata-knotty-yam”) is a classical Indian dance guaranteed to drop your jaw. Its complex patterns of eye movements, hand gestures and syncopated foot steps morph into mesmerizing rhythms and dramatic delivery.
The dance, the result of arduous preparation, is accompanied by classical East Indian music and typically performed by young women clad in astonishing, colorful costumes.
Youngsters begin learning the dance at an early age and train for many years before they’re eligible for their debut (“arangetram”). Dancers continue to hone their artistry with yoga, meditation and exercise, and practice with the fierce discipline of athletes and gymnasts.
The effort is a visual marvel! If the “Wonders of the World” included dance, Bharatanatyam would be a leading contender. WARNING: Do not try Bharatanatyam after age 50.
Vincent Van Gouda, artist & critic
Kanye West didn't invent pop music. Only visionaries invent. West is an opportunistic virus who does what every virus does – reinvent a fresh swarm of bad germs.
Every generation has "bad germs." Mine did. One classmate threw paintings in fits of rage. We asked “Why?” He ranted “I was a Navy submariner! Being underwater messed my head!” That excuses bad behavior?
Another classmate crafted wooden boxes. He attended art openings with a 0.20 blood-alcohol level and puked in punch bowls. His liver died and the last box he built was his own casket.
Bad behavior is arrested development, and West, a petulant punk, knows from squat. Like a germ without a host, West, minus an audience, equals a zero. Ignore his pouts. Let him marinate in his own waste.
Vincent Van Gouda, artist & critic
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon wrote “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” a pop hit how-to for those struggling to end a doomed relationship.
“Slip out the back, Jack…Make a new plan, Stan...Hop on a bus, Gus…Drop off the key, Lee…And get yourself free.” All good fun, and a ticket for dumping the remains of a failed emotional journey.
Then along comes Ryan Jenkins, wealthy contestant on “Megan Wants to Marry a Millionaire.” Jenkins took dumping to new levels where authorities found the body of his wife, finger prints and dental work removed.
Note to future body-disposal novices: check breast implants for serial numbers – boobs tell stories just like DNA.
