When I stumbled upon the promotional article by chance, I was pleasantly surprised that a musician of such world standing would be performing right here in Latvia, and that tickets were available for a mere Ls 3. Of course, they were purchased without delay, and on Saturday evening we headed to Reņķis Garden in Ventspils. The British musician, despite his years, was just as charismatic as ever - but his voice had lost a good deal of the resonance of its younger years.
Pizzica is an appealing, highly rhythmic, and "catchy" Italian music and dance. I first heard pizzica in the art film Ne Te Retourne Pas (2009), starring two wonderful actresses Monica Bellucci and Sophie Marceau, when the heroine Jeanne, trying to remember her past and find herself, entered an Italian home where a celebration was taking place. Initially the dance was like a flirtation between an unknown man and woman, later transforming into a dance of rivalry between two women. Looking it up online and reading descriptions of the dance, it turns out this short film fragment captured the essence of the dance very well.
Bodies interweave, hurried steps pass by, endlessly past through puddles, glances that casually notice nothing. Am I alone in this city, in this world, or is there always someone watching over me? Some inner force, some light that allows the chrysalis to be reborn as a butterfly. That too can be called God. When you have found it within yourself, fallen in love with yourself, then you can lift your eyes to another and fall in love with God in the other person. Butterflies are drawn to the light, people to love.
A film for connoisseurs, in which an extraordinarily successful combination of visual and sonic imagery is revealed. It draws you in not through any particularly gripping plot, but through music, rhythms and the depiction of subtle feelings. The story exists outside of place and outside of time. This house and these people could be anywhere where they were fated to draw closer and sense a kindred spirit.
No, these are not the sand sculptures that have now become popular throughout the Baltics - this is something more flowing, more fleeting, and in constant motion. With just a few handfuls of sand seemingly scattered at random on glass and with unusually nimble finger movements, an entire painting is conjured. It tells its story, as the contours change ceaselessly and transform into a new form. Words are unnecessary here - simply watch and enjoy the video!
Flamenco music and dance contain a great many improvisational elements, which is why every performance is unique and flamenco is difficult to transcribe in musical or choreographic notation. The art of performing flamenco is usually passed from teacher to student through training and observation.
A musical instrument resembling a guitar, but its sound is saturated with an Eastern character. The only information available in Latvia about this remarkable Indian instrument is that the sitar was introduced to the Western world by Ravi Shankar and G. Harrison from The Beatles. Enchanted by a melody performed by Anoushka Shankar, I decided to explore this instrument more closely.
It is an emotional musical style, full of passion, pain, sorrow, and jealousy, but at the same time fado is distinguished by its ability to unite unbearable pain with sparkling joie de vivre, the cruelty of life with the power of love.
