the thrill of having nothing

I thought I might wile away a portion of my morning sharing some bits that have been of interest to me lately.

First, after many seeking years, I was FINALLY able to see Tony Gatlif's spectacular film Latcho Drom. The form of the film is very similar to another one of my favourite films, Baraka, in that there is no "plot" in the traditional sense... image and sound combine to tell the larger, greater story of the human experience as a whole. Latcho Drom tells the story of the Rom (Gypsy) diaspora and uses traditional gypsy musicians to trace its linage from its ancient roots in Rajasthan (northern India), through Turkey, Romania (where we encounter my beloved Taraf de Haidouks) and onward till we end with flamenco (a decidedly gypsy art form) in España. On a personal level, there is no music I adore (and devour) more on this planet than traditional gypsy music, therefore finally seeing Latcho Drom after years of pining for it was an incredibly emotional & fulfilling experience for me. So here I share a couple of clips with you. First, I have a special love of the music of the gypsies of Rajasthan. The music, like Sufi qawwali singing, has a tendency to put me in a trance. And the dancing, costumes, moustaches and showmanship are second to none. Here's a small taste:



But do have a look at this absolutely amazing clip. That is my idea of paradise.

One more from Latcho Drom. Here is one of my favorite pieces of film ever, the incomparable Taraf de Haidouks in their home village of Clejani, Romania:



While on the subject of gypsies, here are two more. First the fabulous Hungarian group Parno Graszt:



And the equally fabulous Peter Sellers:



Since I've moved to Texas, I have gained a real appreciation for traditional Mexican Mariachi & Ranchero music. Especially Ranchero... my favourite Ranchero song is this one, Cucurrucucú Paloma sung here by Pedro Infante:



On a more personal level, I have been going through a period of acute heartbreak. It is not necessary to share the details here, but it has been a most trying time. Whenever I find myself deep in the sweet melancholy of heartbreak, I am only able to listen to the Tindersticks. I have been leaning on them heavily in the past week and they continue to keep me upright. I was delighted to stumble upon this amazing video for No More Affairs:



As far as raw passion goes, I feel that the No More Affairs video surpasses even the great Nick Cave/Polly Jean Harvey epic Henry Lee. And you should know that I am hopelessly in love with the singer from Tindersticks, Stuart Staples (however he is not the cause of my current heartbreak). I have a fantasy of running into him in some dark, hidden bar in Prague, having a magickal night over cobblestone streets, one kiss at dawn, then never seeing him again.

Now for something completely different, here are the Brothers Mael aka Sparks:



I've been familiar with them for years, but since I had the distinct fortune of finding three Sparks records at the Totalfest Record Swap this year, I have been obsessed. Hell, here's another one:



I can't resist sharing this one... dear, beloved Beirut in Paris:



As someone who has actually spent some time contemplating the mechanics of morning glory vines, I found this video quite wonderful:



And, dear friends, I leave you with this gem, a clip from Werner Herzog's Auch Zwerge Haben Klein Angefangen: