Tag Archives: Music

Posts from the road

Greetings from East Anglia!

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(Cambridge, England, U.K.)

Having indulged in most of my sports interests (especially hockey and skiing) already during this year of travel, I decided that it was finally time to have a music-themed trip.

I’ve always enjoyed reading British music journalism and, as a result, have followed some prominent British musicians who don’t have as large a fan base in North America.  Alas, the economic realities of the music business mean that relatively few British musicians are able to tour anywhere near my home in Kingston.  If the music wasn’t going to come to Kingston, I would have to go to the music!

I've seen a lot of airports this year but haven't taken many pictures in them. This is the long walk from the terminal to the Heathrow baggage claim.
I’ve seen a lot of airports this year but haven’t taken many pictures in them. This is the long walk from the terminal to the Heathrow baggage claim.

London is the epicentre of the music world here in Britain and I’ll be spending some very intensive days there at the end of this trip. However, I’m easing into things by spending a few days in the famous university town of Cambridge.

I wanted to see one of the ancient universities in England, so it came down to a choice between Oxford and Cambridge. They both had a lot to offer but Cambridge was closer to the location of the Paul Carrack concert that I mentioned in my previous post. My wife and I intend to see some more of England in the future; if I enjoy the Cambridge experience, we may include Oxford in one of our future itineraries.  Or maybe we’ll come back here!

Cambridge has a historic core...but there is also an upscale shopping mall in the middle of it.
Cambridge has a historic downtown core…but there is also an upscale shopping mall in the middle of it.

I only arrived in Cambridge at 3:00 p.m. today so I didn’t have a chance to see much of it by daylight.  After a nap, I went for some Indian food…I am forever searching for a chicken dhansak that rivals the wonderful one I had in Chester, England, back in 2005 (I really like the version served up by Darbar back home in Kingston too).  Tonight’s dhansak was good but not spectacular. The search continues!

After dinner, I walked around the city a bit.  It feels safe and comfortable here; the huge university population also supports a terrific variety of ethnic restaurants.  I had assumed that I’d be eating a lot of Indian food here but I saw too many other interesting places to restrict myself to dhansak (however tempting that might be).

"The Cow" - one of many historic buildings in downtown Cambridge
“The Cow” – one of many historic buildings in downtown Cambridge

Tomorrow, I’m taking a tour of Cambridge’s ancient university colleges and will finally see the city by daylight.  I’m looking forward to sharing some daytime photographs!

Posts from Base Camp

Who is Paul Carrack and what does he have to do with this trip?

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

This post includes some additional pictures from my recent visit to Ottawa.  However, the main purpose of this post is to let you know about what’s happening next.

Later today, I will be leaving on another intercontinental flight.  Here’s a long story about one element of the trip…ending with the theme and location of this exciting journey.

In 2003, I saw Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band perform live at Casino Rama (just outside Orillia, Ontario).  It was the first and only time I had seen the ex-Beatle in concert but he was not the most impressive musician in his band that night.  That honour went to Paul Carrack, an immensely-respected vocalist and musician who has remained relatively unknown because his biggest successes have never been in his own name.

End of the Rideau Canal (closed for the winter) in Ottawa, Ontario
End of the Rideau Canal (closed for the winter) in Ottawa, Ontario

His first big hit was with a band called Ace and a song called “How Long”. The title may not be familiar but the song is immediately recognizable once you hear it.  While it’s by no means my favourite Carrack track, it’s a concert mainstay.   Here’s a 1974 performance of How Long from the legendary Midnight Special television show.

El Tucan restaurant in the Vanier area of Ottawa
El Tucan (a.k.a. “Tukan”) restaurant in the Vanier area of Ottawa

After Ace, Paul Carrack was a member of Roxy Music and then joined the legendary Squeeze as a keyboardist and vocalist.  My favourite song from this era is the classic track “Tempted”.   This clip is from the earliest days of music videos;  the video may not have much flash but I always thought that the composition and performance was ahead of the pack.

Paul Carrack is probably best known as the vocalist for Mike and the Mechanics.  Another mainstay of his live shows, and certainly one of his most emotional lyrics, is “The Living Years”.   There is rarely a dry eye in the house when he performs this live; here is the promotional video for it.

A delicious "pollo en mole" (chicken in a chocolate/chile sauce) at El Tucan in Ottawa
A delicious “pollo en mole” (chicken in a chocolate/chile sauce) at El Tucan in Ottawa

Carrack also writes many songs for other performers.  One of his most-heard compositions (“Love Will Keep Us Alive”) was recorded by The Eagles; here is Carrack’s version.   As for songs released as singles in Paul Carrack’s name, some of you may be familiar with “Don’t Shed a Tear” or “I Need You“.

U.S. President Barack Obama apparently bought some cookies at this Byward Market bakery in 2009. They're still milking it!
U.S. President Barack Obama apparently bought some cookies at this Byward Market bakery in 2009. They’re still milking it!

So what does all this have to do with today’s journey?  Musicians in Ringo’s All-Starr Band are generally restricted to three songs of their own.  As Carrack stole the show with his three well-chosen performances, I have always wanted to see a full-length solo Carrack show.  Alas, since he is most popular in Europe, he rarely tours solo in North America (although he recently completed a tour with Eric Clapton).   In this year of special travels, it only made sense that I try to see Paul Carrack live…and, as a result, one of my activities on this trip is seeing Paul Carrack perform in a small concert hall on the English coast.

Stay tuned for not only the Carrack concert, but some even bigger surprises on my self-guided music tour of Southern England!

Posts from Base Camp

More Fun International Music!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Several months ago, I posted some links to videos for songs that I have encountered while traveling.  This time around, I’m including links to fun songs I first heard in Canada but would likely be categorized as “international music”.

The first clip is from a brilliant, brave and highly respected South African musician named Johnny Clegg.  He formed his first band (“Juluka”) with another musician named Sipho Mchunu and became a thorn in the side of the Apartheid regime.  Juluka was racially integrated at a time when the separation of races was actually legislated in South Africa.  Clegg went on to form the band “Savuka” and also recorded under his own name but he always maintained racially-integrated bands.  He has produced an impressive body of work in both the Zulu and English languages (generally in the same song)…and he also has a Ph.D. in Anthropology!

My wife and I have seen him (and met him!) in concert twice.  Attending a Johnny Clegg concert is like going to the best university seminar ever, as Clegg provides intelligent commentary on his music and his home country.  Although he enjoyed some commercial success in the 1980s (most notably with “Scatterlings of Africa” from the movie “Rain Man”), I think his latest album “Human” is his most diverse and interesting work yet.   Here’s a track from that album called “Asilazi”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpn85PlORt4&spfreload=10

If you lived through the 1980s, you undoubtedly remember a song called “Africa” by Toto.  It was a huge hit although Toto’s connection with Africa remains somewhat unclear.  I recently came across an unusual cover version of “Africa” – it is by a band called Tukuleur that has roots in Senegal.   There are two important twists to the cover version:  the verses are rapped and all of the lyrics are in French.  The lyrics and video (filmed in Senegal) are quite positive; check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Vvx3WdYOo

Senegal has a rich history of music.  Youssou N’Dour was one of the first to be heard in North America but Baaba Maal has also enjoyed some success here.  I was unsure whether a song described as “Senegalese salsa” would work, but it does!  Here’s Baaba Maal’s “African Woman”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV38a-xlB0k

I bought a CD called “Rock Peruano” on my last night in Peru.  I was looking for a compilation of Peruvian rock/pop music and a helpful record store employee in Lima said that this CD would provide a good cross-section of music from the 1990s.  I bought it without listening to a single note.  When I got home, I found the very first track to be the most compelling.  The Spanish lyrics are about Peruvians who have moved to other countries but it is not necessary to understand the lyrics to enjoy the song.  Here is a link to “Cuando Pienses En Volver” by Pedro Suárez Vértiz:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF9h2i3YDvI

It may seem strange to categorize music from Los Angeles as “international music”.  However, the songs of Ozomatli arise from a collision of musical influences from around the world.  Many of Ozomatli’s songs contain both Spanish and English lyrics, while at least one is in Spanglish!  Unfortunately, they don’t necessarily make videos for their strongest songs, so I’ve selected an odd song in Spanish about poultry.  Here’s “La Gallina”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyOs50NE8u4

My last major trip is just over a week away and I’ve decided to include one more clue:  I’m going to a place where the weather is almost guaranteed to be horrendous!  It definitely won’t look like the photo at the top of this blog…which was taken two summers ago on the Baltic Sea near Helsinki, Finland.

Posts from Base Camp

Discovering New Music on the Road

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Today’s blog entry is a little different.   I’ve decided to share some music that I’ve encountered while travelling in Europe.   No photos and no detailed commentary…just some YouTube links that you can check out if you are interested in some fun music from other countries.

While it is tempting to sightsee as much as possible while travelling, some down time is inevitable.  Whether it is on account of bad weather or simply because I need to take a break, I occasionally take it easy by watching the local music video channel.  As a former radio broadcaster, I’m intrigued by seeing how things work in other countries (the cover” photo for this post is from a museum in Rome – it is a recreation of a vintage television studio at RAI, the state broadcaster).   However, watching local music video channels is also a great way to hear music that I haven’t encountered at home.

A couple of years ago, Italy’s RTL station played a soulful and unabashedly retro song called “Moneygrabber”.   I never thought I would discover an American group (“Fitz and the Tantrums”) on Italian television, but that’s exactly what happened.  Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbNKKDTBNA

Italy has been a good source of new music for me.  Last year, RTL played a fun Italian-language track by a singer named Max Gazzè.  See if you can figure out what this song is all about by watching this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0ME8xdiF8

An English-language single that I never encountered in Canada is “Jungle Drum” by Emiliana Torrini.  She’s from Iceland but I first saw the quirky video when a Swiss friend shared it on Facebook:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9vkd7Rp-g

You may remember that I picked up a Croatian new music compilation when I visited Split.   I wasn’t expecting to find a ska-influenced song that was punctuated with some interesting passing chords.  Here’s “Savršen Film” by the unusually-named “Justin’s Johnson”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLJPJ7uhv7w

Reggae seemed to be lurking in the background of a few Croatian songs this year.  Is Dalmatian Reggae the next big thing?   Perhaps in anticipation of such a craze, here’s a baffling (a donkey and a seagull?) video by Jasmin Stavros called “Reggae Dalmatino”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysYYrc3mdgk

All of this music flows nicely into the final hints about my next destination.  I will be visiting a very musical island that has produced an impressive number of traditional and popular musicians.  I also have high hopes for music shopping while there.  Find out this weekend when I publish my next post!