This song from the Buena Vista Social Club was released in 1997. It was delightful then and still thrilling now. The members of the Club may be slowly disappearing but they leave behind indelible cosmic footprints.

Bliss.

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This exhibition is currently taking place at the Musée Quai Branly in Paris and covers magazines, letters, cartoons, photographs, paintings and others types of expression. The exhibition features some of the most revered names of jazz, among them, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

Some of the paintings and photographs as featured here are rather magnificent.

The painting at the top is Jazz (Variante) by Fernand Leger. The 2nd is Homage to Duke, Bessie & Louis by Romare Howard Bearden. I find these and the 1927 Josephine Baker (I must blog about Josephine Baker one day) poster quite lovely.

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I love the way some of his songs are prefixed by rap-like storytelling. Listening to ‘I Stand Accused’, approximately 10 minutes long, always makes me smile. The pathos!

‘By the time I get to Phoenix’ is also long. Approximately, 18 minutes long.

Although very similar, Isaac Hayes’s voice is not as rich and as expressive as Barry White’s. When exploring his discography however, it is clear to see that his music is very influential.

Isaac Hayes IS a soul music icon.

R.I.P.

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Over the last few months, what we have seen of Africans (mainly Kenyans and occasionally Zimbabweans) on the BBC have been people in extreme situations. The images have either been of people dying or dead, people running away from vigilante groups or the police, people demonstrating or people (and especially and worryingly, children) looting and burning. Sometimes the images have been of people doing all the above, all at the same time.

Watching the No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency based in Botswana on the BBC the other night was a relief as the story featured Africans getting on with their daily lives. Fancy that. The drama/comedy, gentle and funny, featured the utterly lovely Jill Scott as Mma Ramotswe, the detective and was lovingly directed by Anthony Minghella who unfortunately died a few weeks ago.

Credit must also go to the cinematographer who managed to capture the heat, dust, bright, vivid colours and the complex beauty of Africa. It was almost possible to taste this dust and feel the heat in far away (and wintry) London.

The story dealt with difficult issues including domestic violence and superstition from Mma Ramotswe’s point of view and here, the issue was all about Jill Scott’s amazing talent and the strength she brought to the character. Jill Scott had the Botswanian accent down to perfection and looked the part (being of ‘traditional build’). She was authentic and everything focused around her (the camera certainly loves her).

My only gripe was Jill Scott only sung once. She should have sung around the house, while driving, etc. Any excuse to hear Jill Scott sing.

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