картошка 167- Closed Until Further Notice...

Honor Blackman

2010-08-21T23:06:00.000+01:00

August 22nd- birthday greetings to a real icon and all-time heroine here at Kartoshka Towers,
Miss Honor Blackman.

Владимир Высоцкий - Почему аборигены съели Кука

2010-08-20T13:11:00.005+01:00

An incredible song by Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980). Find the lyrics here:
http://www.wysotsky.com/1033.htm?377

Joao Kartoshka has a busy life at the moment, so it is time to put the blog to sleep. Thank you for your support.

Evening in Kartoshka Towers...21:00 hrs

2010-08-18T11:22:00.000+01:00

Kartoshka- The Movie

2010-08-15T19:45:00.000+01:00

Herr Wim Wenders- director of Kartoshka, the Movie.

Well, fans, I've sent the almost finished script to Mr Wim Wenders. I don't know who's going to be playing me- most of the obvious choices are sadly no longer with us (Stirling Hayden, Eddie Constantine, Ralph Meeker), but I understand that Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Daniel Craig are possibilities.
The obvious choice for Mrs K is Renata Litvinova, but she may need to shed a few kilograms.
Mattinho is hoping that Owen Wilson will play him.
Basically a semi- documentary set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the story tells how an ordinary boy from a deprived background develops an obsession with football and Bossa Nova music that takes him on an odyssey... well, I don't want to give too much away, but he ends up living in a tiny cluttered apartment writing a blog and pitching his ideas for a chat show, guided by the ghost of Nilton Santos*.
Just for fun we've developed a potential soundtrack. There's not too much Bossa Nova. It's a bit light on bitrate.
Asteroid- Pete Moore, Penthouse Suite- Syd Dale, The Town I Live In- Jackie Lee, Music To Watch Girls By- Andy Williams, Maria Ninguem- Joao Gilberto, Baby Love Child- Pizzicato Five, Temptation- Tom Waits, Mas Que Nada- Sergio Mendes, They Talk About Us- Cindy Williams, Right Now- Mel Torme, Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart- Gene Pitney, Lady Marmalade- Labelle, Caravan- Duke Ellington, Interlude- Timi Yuro, Soul Bossa Nova- Quincy Jones, Tonight- Keith and Tex, Chatterton- Serge Gainsbourg, Something Big-Burt Bacharach,Penthouse Suite- Syd Dale, Asteroid- Pete Moore.

Here's the music:http://rapidshare.com/files/412425311/Kartoshka_Sounds.rar.html

* This part of the script requires some revision as thankfully Nilton is still alive.

Phan Văn Santos

2010-08-14T17:45:00.004+01:00

It is not my intention to be patronising here, but Vietnam is hardly a country that makes one think of footballing glory.
They are currently ranked 127 in the world by FIFA (the highest they have been in these rankings is 84th in September 1998). Whilst football is by far the most popular sport in the country, the V-League only turned professional in 2000. On a positive note they are the current ASEAN Champions (not to be confused with Asian Games champions- that's Qatar).
Over 50 Brazilian born players have featured in the V league during its first decade, Denilson being the only member of the seleção to do so.

The most remarkable Brazilian born player to feature in the V- league must be goalkeeper Phan Văn Santos (born Fabio dos Santos, Rio De Janeiro, 1977). He started his career with Vasco and moved to Đồng Tâm Long An in 2001. He recently moved to Navibank Sài Gòn (who have 3 other Brazilian born players in their squad).

A formidable 92 kg and 198 cm tall, in addition to his qualities as a stopper Fabio is also a free kick specialist, and the only goalie to have scored in the Asian Champions League . In 2008 Fabio became the first overseas sportsman to be granted Vietnamese Citizenship, meeting the residency, work and language criteria. He took the name Phan Van in honour of two of his teammates, and led Vietnam against the Brazil Olympic team in July 2008.

A further 4 Brazilians have followed Phan Văn Santos' example by becoming naturalized Vietnamese: Huynh Kesley (Kesley Alves), Nguyen Rogerio (Rogerio Pereira),Nguyen Hoang Helio (Helio da Silva), and Le Trung Son (Jefferson Valentim).

Phan Văn Santos leads Vietnam out against Brazil.

In conversation with Ronaldinho.

More info on Vietnam Football can be found here: http://www.vietfootball.blogspot.com

Style...

2010-08-13T11:20:00.004+01:00

Theme from Kartoshka...

2010-08-10T09:27:00.001+01:00

When (?) the bigshots in TV land finally decide that Joao Kartoshka is the ideal host for a nostalgia based talkshow (executives take note: the show could be made on a very low budget here in my apartment) I'm going to insist on having Penthouse Suite by Syd Dale as the theme music. I could sit here at my desk and the guests could occupy the sofa. Mattinho would be banished to the kitchen. And chain smoking would be acceptable. I got an MP3 of this, along with many other 1960's theme tunes from this excellent blog: http://cosmobells.blogspot.com/2010/01/kpm-194-sixties.html?zx=4aa6e991a74e2c1e

Revolucion Cubana

2010-08-09T09:43:00.001+01:00

As you might have deduced from some of the football posts I have a long standing interest in trading cards and sticker albums.

Despite our socialist leanings Ma Kartoshka never got me this one, though!

From what I can gather it was given away in Cuba in the early 1960's, the stickers coming free with canned fruit?

Here's a link to a website where you can view all of the images:

http://www.dropby.com/AlbumDeLaRevolucionCubana/indexEN.html

Serge Gainsbourg

2010-08-08T10:24:00.003+01:00

Serge Gainsbourg (1928 –1991)- Histoire de Melody Nelson(1971) . When driving his Rolls Royce , a middle aged man knocks a 15 year old girl off her bicycle. Naturally, in the world of Gainsbourg, this leads to seduction and romance.

Gainsbourg's 25 year old wife Jane Birkin provided the vocals for Melody, and is also the cover star.

Musical director was Jean - Claude Vannier.

Now acknowledged as Gainsbourg's most influential work, the LP was not a commercial success.

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/411546819/SG.rar

Evening in Kartoshka Towers...20:00 hrs

2010-08-07T11:08:00.008+01:00

Sherri- the next time you hear a lot of noise it's probably just another ordinary evening down here...
Clip from Diamond Hand (Бриллиантовая Pука - 1968)- with Yuri Nikulin (Юрий Никулин) and Svetlana Svetlichnaya (Светлана Светличная).

2010-08-05T06:08:00.001+01:00

Mattinho has suggested that we use this design for wallpaper in our lounge. I'm not sure that it's such a good idea...

Аркадий Северный

2010-08-04T09:36:00.003+01:00

Аркадий Северный - это псевдоним Аркадия Дмитриевича Звездина
(1939-1980гг.) - исполнителя песен в жанре городского фольклора.
Аркадий Северный пел под собственный аккомпанемент на разболтанной
семиструнной гитаре, закрепив ее гриф при помощи обыкновенной
расчески. Репертуар певца включал большое разнообразие блатных и
хулиганских песен.
В 1967 году Северный выпустил запись поддельной радиопередачи, в
которой он исполнял такие песни. Репертуар певца способствовал тому,
что многие из его слушателей были уверены, что сам Северный отсидел в
тюрьме и был настоящим бандитом. На самом деле, в годы, когда
записывались его первые концерты, он закончил институт и работал в
организации Союзэкспортлес. Слава и популярность настигли певца,
когда в звании лейтенанта он служил в рядах Советской Армии.
Творчество Аркадия Северного не было признано официально и, также как
многие его современники, он стал культовой фигурой благодаря
нелегальному тиражированию записей с его концертами.
Благодарю Mrs.K за перевод.

Arkady Severny was the pseudonym of Arkady Dmitrivich Zvezdin - (1939-1980). He worked in the tradition of Bard music, accompanying himself on a battered seven string with a comb wedged under the neck. . Severny had a wide repertoire of criminal songs. In 1967 he released a recording of a fake radio programme on which he performed these songs. Severny’s use of criminal songs led people to assume that he must have been a convict or at least a hooligan. In fact he had been a degree student and was working for the Soviet Timber Export Service at the time the recordings were made, and was serving as a Lieutenant in the Army when he achieved fame. Severny was never officially recognised as a recording artist, and like many of his contemporaries he attained cult status through the underground distribution of his recordings. Thanks to Mrs K for translation.

http://arkasha-severnij.narod.ru/

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/410783645/AC.rar.html

Evening in Kartoshka Towers...19:00 hrs

2010-08-03T16:07:00.003+01:00

日系ブラジル人

2010-08-02T19:25:00.012+01:00

One of the players who impressed me (and there weren't that many) during the recent FIFA World Cup was Japan's centre back Tulio. Marcus Tulio Tanaka was born in Palmeira d'Oeste,Brazil in 1981.His father was a second generation Japanese-Brazilian and his mother Italian-Brazilian. Tulio moved to Japan at age 15 to complete his high school studies. After graduation in 2001, he joined the J.League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Tulio made his international début in 2006, and has played 43 times for Japan, scoring twice.
Tulio is the latest in a succession of Brazilian born players to represent Japan at the highest level. Some of these players have shared Tulio's mixed heritage, whilst others have been Brazilians who became 'naturalized' in Japan.

In 1967 Nelson Yoshimura became the first Brazil born player to appear in the Japanese league. Nelson was born in São Paulo. In 1970 he became a Japanese citizen and took the name Dashiro Yoshimura. Dashiro went on to play international football.

George Yonashiro was born in São Paulo(1950). He obtained his Japanese citizenship in 1985 and played twice for Japan that year (no goals).
Ruy Ramos (born Ruy Gonçalves Ramos Sobrinho in Rio de Janeiro,1957) became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1989. He joined Yomiuri FC (now Tokyo Verdy) in 1977. He played 32 games for Japan between 1990 and 1995, scoring once.

Wagner Lopes (born Wágner Augusto Lopes,São Paulo, 1969) is a naturalised Japanese citizen.He was an important member of Japan's 1998 FIFA World Cup squad, playing 20 internationals between 1997 and 1999, scoring five goals.Alex (born Alessandro dos Santos, Paraná,1977) played 82 times for Japan between 2002 and 2006, scoring seven goals.Alex moved to Japan at the age of sixteen. He became a Japanese citizen in 2001, and represented his new country at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Alex also played at the 2006 World Cup, including a match against Brazil.

Putumayo Presents Samba Bossa Nova

2010-08-01T00:39:00.010+01:00

Putumayo World Music label, founded in 1993, grew out of Putumayo clothing company. to quote their website: the label has become known primarily for its upbeat and melodic compilations of great international music characterized by the company's motto: “guaranteed to make you feel good!”
This LP features contemporary acts.

Quarteto-Jobim-Morelenbaum -

This quartet consists of cellist-arranger Jacques Morelenbaum (who played with Antonio Carlos Jobim) his wife, vocalist Paula; Jobim's son, pianist Daniel; and his grandson Paulo on guitar.

Da Lata- a British band.

Jairzinho Oliveira- Paulista former child TV star (b 1975)

Jussara Silveira- from Salvador in Bahia, Jussara has also recorded classical music- the songs of Schubert. b 1951

Moreno Veloso + 2 (composed of Moreno Veloso, Alexandre Kassin and Domênico Lancelotti Moreno Veloso is a Brazilian musician and singer (b 1972) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He is the son of Caetano Veloso.

Jorge Aragão (b. 1949) is a multi instrumentalist working in the genres of samba and pagode.

Eliete Negreiros released her first solo LP in 1982 , previously singing with various MPB bands.. A philosophy graduate and ambassador for Brazillian music.

Moska /Paulinho Moska(Paulo Corrêa de Araujo), (b 1967) Singer/guitarist/songwriter/ actor/ tv presenter from RDJ. He was a pioneer of fusion of MPB with electronica.

Rosa Passos(b 1952) From Bahia. Sometimes called ‘The Female Joao Gilberto’

Rita Ribeiro (b 1966)Draws from a wide range of styles(reggae, samba, funk, as well as the traditional music of Maranhão, her home state in the interior of the country. Rita was born June 13, 1966 in São Benedito do Rio Preto, a city in the interior of Maranhão.

Márcio Faraco is a guitarist from Rio Grande do Sul who is based in Paris, France.

Here's the LP:http://rapidshare.com/files/406988053/Putumayo.rar.html

Andy Kaufman- Women's Wrestling Champion of The World

2010-07-30T22:27:00.002+01:00

Whereas Andy Kaufman (1949 – 1984) was one of the funniest entertainers you will ever see, he did not consider himself a comedian. He grew up admiring the razzmatazz of wrestling, and in 1979, as the self-proclaimed "Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World", he offered a $1,000 prize to any woman who could pin him.
A challenge from wrestling superstar Jerry "The King" Lawler set in motion an extraordinary chain of events(Kaufman getting hammered in the ring by Lawler; an injured Kaufman goading Lawler live on TV and getting smacked again, despite his neck-brace) which transpired to be an elaborate hoax in which the two had colluded.

Evening in Kartoshka Towers...18:00 hrs

2010-07-28T23:14:00.002+01:00

Brazil Classics Volume 2.

2010-07-27T14:18:00.010+01:00

Hello again! Well, in the time I have been away картошка167 has passed its first anniversary! Thank you all for your support.

Here is O Samba, volume two of the Brazil Classics series, compiled by David Byrne of Talking Heads fame...
1. A Deusa dos Orixas - Clara Nunes
2. Ijexa (Filhos de Grandhy) - Clara Nunes
3. S. P. C. - Zeca Pagodinho
4. Sufoco - Alcione
5. Formosa - Ciro Monteiro
6. Olere Camara - Alcione
7. O Encanto Do Gantois - Beth Carvalho
8. Aldeia de Okarimbe - Negunino Da Beija Flor
9. E Preciso Muito Amor - Chico Da Silva
10 Caxambu - Almir Guineto
11. Quem Me Guia - Almir Guineto
12. Ela Nao Gosta de Mim - Agepe
13. Claustrofobia - Martinho Da Vila
14. Batuca No Chao - Martinho Da Vila

15. Sarou Para Ramades - Paulinho DaViola

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/407420774/OSAMBA.rar

Mrs Kartoshka is coming!

2010-07-18T08:46:00.002+01:00

... so I'm going to take a break for a few days...

Jackie Lee- The Town I Live In

2010-07-17T12:06:00.002+01:00

Maracanaço

2010-07-16T09:26:00.000+01:00

16.07.1950

Everywhere has its irremediable national catastrophe, something like a Hiroshima. Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima, was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950. - Nelson Rodrigues

The 'Open' Championship...

2010-07-13T10:30:00.003+01:00

In 1976 Maurice Flitcroft entered the qualifying tournament for the British Open Golf Championship.
Mr. Flitcroft, a 46 year old crane driver from Barrow, had only ever played golf on his local playing fields. He bought his clubs from a mail order company. His imposture was soon recognized as he carded the worst score ever in the tournament, 121 (49 over par).

Cinzano?

2010-07-12T22:18:00.002+01:00

Who could say no to M. Jean Marais?

B.B

2010-07-10T17:58:00.001+01:00

Brigitte Bardot LP from 1964...

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/405912468/BB.rar.html

Beach Volleyball...

2010-07-08T10:43:00.005+01:00

Do you like volleyball? Look at the folks in this Bacardi advert- from 1979. They've given up on the volleyball and are about to succumb to alcoholism. If you've ever spent an hour in 40 degree heat trying to batter an old football over a saggy net, spending most of the time falling on your ass blinded by sweat and chewing sand you'll understand the temptation to reach for the bottle.
When in 1895 William G. Morgan of Holyoke (Mas.) YMCA devised Mintonette as an indoor game to rival basketball, it was rather devoid of glamour. Beach volleyball evolved in the 1920's amongst the surfers of Hawaii, soon spreading to California. (For more on the history of beach volleyball...)

This picture shows an early beach volleyball gathering in Hawaii:

Here we see actress and model Greta Thyssen with Gene Selznick and Bernie Holtzman, winners of the 1957 state beach open, Santa Monica, California.

Impromptu games resembling volleyball were a feature of Kartoshka family vacations back in the day.

In the above pic are a very young Pa Kartoshka, Maria - Bethania, one of Uncle Carlos' innumerable 'step children', and the man himself- Carlos Alberto Dos Santos, aka Uncle Carlos.
These days of course, the beach volleyball is notable for the way in which male fans turn out in large numbers purely to show their appreciation for the athletic prowess of the female competitors:

João Gilberto- Chega De Saudade (1959)

2010-07-06T21:42:00.000+01:00

I've been listening to this LP a lot recently and I've come to the conclusion that if you only ever listen to one Bossa Nova record then this should be the one.
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/405345323/Joao_Gilberto_-1959_-_Chega_de_saudade.rar

2010-07-03T21:57:00.001+01:00

Brazilian Jazz Quartet

2010-07-02T07:39:00.003+01:00

Ok, Jazz Month seems to have been quite a success, plenty of visits (our best month) plenty of downloads, hardly any feedback or acknowledgement, but such is life in the ether.Here's one for the road:

Jose Ferreira Godinho Filho aka Casé- saxophone
Moacyr Peixoto- piano
Rubinho -drums
Luiz Chaves -bass

There's a Portuguese article on Casé (The Pelé of his Instrument) here:http://www.clubedejazz.com.br/noticias/noticia.php?noticia_id=484

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/404254566/Brazilian_Jazz_Quartet_-_Coffee_and_Jazz.rar.html

Toe de France

2010-07-01T09:09:00.002+01:00

July brings us to possibly the greatest event in the sporting calender.
So they take drugs?
Surely, they would be mad not to.
In it's 107 year history the Tour de France has given us a great many stories of endeavour and fortitude; romantic triumphs and tragic failures litter its history like discarded water bottles. Something that the uninitiated often overlook is that cycling is a team sport. Whereas to win the Yellow Jersey appears to be a supreme individual achievement, the great riders also rely on hard work and sacrifice from their companions, most of whom will never become household names. Let's look at two stories concerning the French rider, Rene Vietto (1914-1988).

In the 1934 Tour Vietto was doing very well in the mountain stages, and went on to win that years King of the Mountains. However, on stage 16 , his team captain, Antonin Magne (1904- 1983) damaged a wheel and , alerted by a motorcycle marshal, Vietto rode back to give Magne his cycle, effectively sacrificing his opportunity to take the Yellow Jersey.

Vietto following his act of sacrifice...

When racing resumed after the war, Vietto had graduated to a position of greater seniority. His relationship with his juniors, however, was strange to say the least. During the 1947 Tour Vietto suffered from a septic toe. His only hope of continuing the race was to have the afflicted digit amputated on a rest day. Vietto insisted that his teammate Apo Lazarides (1925-1998) underwent the same procedure. Lazarides, who had aided the French Resistance movement during the Nazi Occupation, was so much under Vietto's spell that he went along with this.*
Later on in the race Vietto narrowly avoided a bizarre accident when an aeroplane crashed on the course, and was also said to have performed badly in the time trial because he had drunk a bottle of cider during the stage.

Vietto passes the recently crashed plane...

Vietto (who holds the record for having won most Yellow Jerseys without having been the overall winner of the Tour) finished 5th, Lazarides 10th, both limping slightly. Vietto's toe is said to be preserved in a jar of formaldehyde in a bar in Marseilles. The whereabouts of Lazarides toe is unknown.

Apo Lazarides, dedication...

*I'm tempted to call this a footnote:
Checking the details of the 1947 Tour, it appears that Vietto and Lazarides were not team mates, but it's a great story ...

Baden Powell swings with Jimmy Pratt

2010-06-28T10:23:00.002+01:00

As our Jazz month draws to a close lets ease ourselves gently back towards Brazil and Bossa...

American jazz and swing music were a great influence on Brazilian guitar maestro Baden Powell de Aquino (1937-2000).
This LP dates from 1963, when Baden Powell's collaborations with American jazz musicians were bringing him to international attention. Jimmy Pratt had drummed with a number of Jazz legends, most notably Charlie Parker.

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/402637372/Baden_Powell_-_Swings_with_Jimmy_Pratt.rar

Here is a link to some info on the recording:http://www.brazil-on-guitar.de/opus/orig/pratt.html

The Hallmarks of Sophistication...

2010-06-27T17:50:00.000+01:00

Coming from a relatively poor part of town a lot of the women I knew when I was a kid 'did cleaning' in the bigger houses on the hill. Observing Ma Kartoshka's daily rituals I couldn't figure out how they had the time to do this. Ma made the maintenance of our own modest 5 room house into a 50 hour a week occupation. The old lady who looked after me when I was little sometimes took me with her on her cleaning jobs. She was a widow and seemed delicately old (she would, I reckon, have been about 65 at the time). I would sit in the dauntingly large rooms, chilly and high ceilinged as she sped around with an antique vacuum (itself a novelty)- the bag blown voluptuously full. She looked the part, in a pink checked tabard with a scarf knotted around her head. Auntie- why can't Mr and Mrs so and so do their own cleaning?... the question seemed ridiculous to her. But I imagined that only people who were very old or very ill would need this sort of help. It was only as I got older and girls I knew began to take up such jobs that I realised. The rich were buying leisure time- in fact they were buying the leisure time of the poor...
So I'm quite ashamed to say that I regard having a cleaning lady as a hallmark of sophistication. I wonder if the Kartoshka pad would actually benefit? What good could she do, moving carefully amid the piles of clutter?

On reflection what I probably want is a housekeeper- forget the present pad- some other spacious eccentric apartment, with a matronly Mrs Hudson type installed downstairs to appear with tea and cakes at regular intervals. Elementary!

Rina Zelenaya: There's a young lady to see you, Mr Kartoshka...

Vagif Mustafazadeh (Вагиф Мустафа-заде)

2010-06-25T10:34:00.003+01:00

Впервые появившись в СССР в 1922 году, джаз стал самостоятельно развивающимся музыкальным явлением. Для советских музыкантов возможности встреч и общения с американскими джазовыми музыкантами были ограничены. Основные знания о джазе они получали, слушая граммофонные пластинки. Джаз выжил, несмотря на репрессии и критику со стороны такого гиганта пролетарской культуры, как Максим Горький. В период 'хрущевской оттепели' слушатели получили более широкий доступ к джазовой музыке. В 70-е годы джазовые музыканты из СССР начали гастролировать на Западе. Их мастерство и техника исполнения производили неизгладимое впечатление на западную аудиторию.
Вагиф Мустафа-заде родился в 1940г., в городе Баку - столице тогдашней Азербайджанской ССР. Одними из первых музыкальных увлечений для него стали джаз (который он слушал по BBC) и мейхана (особый вид музыкально-поэтического творчества). Вагиф Мустафа-заде начал играть на фортепиано в возрасте трех лет и позднее получил классическое музыкальное образование. Однако именно джаз навсегда остался его самой большой страстью. Не ограничиваясь традиционной джазовой импровизацией, он смешивал ее с элементами мугама - основного жанра народной азербайджанской музыкальной традиции. Вагиф Мустафа-заде стал лауреатом многих Всесоюзных джазовых фестивалей: 'Таллин-66', 'Джаз-69', 'Донецк-77', 'Тбилиси-78'. В 1978 году на Международном конкурсе джазовой композиции в Монако он завоевал первую премию за композицию 'В ожидании Азизы'. Вагиф Мустафа-заде скончался от сердечного приступа в Ташкенте. Ему было 39 лет. Посмертно ему было присвоено звание Заслуженного Артиста Азербайджанской ССР. *Вагиф - арабское слово, означает 'очень умный'.

Having first arrived in 1922, Jazz in the USSR was an independently developing phenomenon. Soviet musicians had limited opportunities to meet with American contemporaries, and most of their learning came from records. Despite being criticised by such greats as Maxim Gorky and periods of official repression, jazz survived. In the post Stalin era Soviet audiences got more exposure to jazz music. By the 1970’s, when Soviet musicians were travelling to the west, they were astonishing their new audiences with their technical abilities.

Vagif* Mustafazadeh(Вагиф Мустафа-Заде 1940-1979) was born in 1940 in Baku, capital of what was then Azerbaijan SSR. His early musical interests were jazz (heard via BBC broadcasts) and Meykhana rhythmic poetry. He had started to play piano at the age of 3 and received a formal musical education. Jazz remained his main passion, however. Dissatisfied with improvisational jazz, he began to fuse jazz with Mugam, a traditional Azeri music. He won awards at various All-Soviet Union Jazz Festivals (Tallinn-66, Caz-69, Donetsk -77.Tbilisi-78). In 1978 at Monaco he won the first prize at the 8th International Competition of Jazz Composers for his composition Waiting for Aziza.

Mustafazade died of a heart-attack shortly after a concert in Tashkent. He was 39. Following his death he was made an Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan SSR.

*Vagif is an Arabic word that means Extremely Knowledgeable.

Many thanks to Mrs. Kartoshka for the excellent translation.

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/402079607/Variff.rar

С днем рождения! Happy Birthday Mrs Kartoshka!

2010-06-25T09:14:00.000+01:00

Advantage Mrs King...

2010-06-23T23:42:00.000+01:00

In 1971 Billie Jean King became the first woman in sport to top $100,000 winnings in a single year. In 1973 she earned an estimated $150,000 for playing a single match. At the time Billie Jean, age 29, was the worlds number one. Her opponent in this match, billed as 'The Battle of the Sexes', was 55 year old Bobby Riggs, whose time at the top of the men's rankings had come in the 1940's. The match took place in the Houston Astrodome on September 20th, 1973 in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a tennis match (30,472). An estimated 40 million watched on TV, the game being broadcast in over 30 countries. Riggs was a 'hustler' and a publicity maestro. In the lead up to the event he hammed it up in the role of a chauvinist. He had previously beaten Margaret Court, and vowed that despite his age, no woman could beat him, and he promised to jump off a bridge if he lost, although it is rumoured that he bet heavily on his opponent.
King was borne into the arena on a gold chariot, carried by five toga-clad men. True to character Riggs arrived in a gold rickshaw pulled by six young women who were referred to as Bobby's Bosom Buddies.
Billie Jean won with relative ease, a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 straight sets victory.

Eric Dolphy

2010-06-22T09:49:00.001+01:00

Whatever I'd say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of the greatest people I've ever known, as a man, a friend, and a musician... John Coltrane.

Eric Dolphy (1929-1964) , alto sax, flute and bass clarinet, considered one of the pioneers of free jazz
Dolphy was very prolific, from April 1960 to September 1961 he played on 13 LPs. He collaborated with such greats as Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane.
He died under tragic circumstances, lapsing into a diabetic coma whilst in Berlin. One version of events has it that the Emergency Room doctor assumed that as an African American Jazz musician his unconsciousness must be due to the influence of narcotics.
This is a recording of a session for
Swedish Broadcast Station, Stockholm, Sweden, made on November 19th, 1961.
Details can be found here...
Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/401471529/Eric_Dolphy_The_Stockholm_Sessions.rar

Art in the Soviet Union-Mikhail Mikhailovich Tarkhanov

2010-06-21T23:02:00.001+01:00

Abstract Composition- 193?

Abstract Composition-1932

Abstract  Composition-
1933

Mikhail Mikhailovich Tarkhanov, (Михаил Михайлoвич Тарханов, 1888-1962) was born in Ukraine.
When thinking of the art of the Soviet Union it is easy to focus on Social(ist) Realism and The Constructivists. In the early days, however, the avant garde flourished, particularly at Vkhutemas ( Вхутемас: Высшие художественно-технические мастерские), the institute in Moscow at which Tarkhanov studied.
V.I Lenin admitted that abstractions in art weren't really his thing, and doubted the ideological soundness of such work, 'but what do I know?' he quipped, 'I'm an old man'. Later regimes though, were less tolerant of this perceived decadence, and in the 1930s Tarkhanov, whilst producing officially sanctioned graphic designs , privately developed his style of abstract composition, which he called Picturesque-Textured Improvisations.

Latin Jazz Dance Classics Vols. 1 & 2

2010-06-20T21:44:00.007+01:00

Jazz is of course essentially an African American genre- but as it spread across the world it took on different attributes. Whereas in the USA it was an urban black (and therefore necessarily proletarian) phenomenon , when Jazz reached Europe it became the popular music of privileged young people (in England), the preserve of intellectuals (in France) or the subject of analysis regarding the relative merits of its proletarian yet paradoxically decadent qualities (in the Soviet Union). From the outset Jazz was open to cross pollination (fusion) with other genres , Bechet being an early example, and it was in the Latin American countries that provided a rich source for many such projects. In Latin America jazz melded into the rich traditions of dance music...

Vol One: 1. Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers - Swing Thing 2. Ray Barretto - Descarga La Moderna 3. Cal Tjader - Mambero 4. Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Guanco Lament 5. Mongo Santamaria featuring La Lupe - Este Mambo 6. Louie Bellson - Sentido En Seis 7. Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band - Viva Cepeda 8. Pete and Shelia Escovedo - Solo Tu 9. Juan Amalbert's Latin Jazz Quintet - Jackie's Mambo 10. Terry Gibbs - Kick Those Feet 11. Cal Tjader - I Showed Them 12. Mongo Santamaria - Bac
Vol Two: 1.Francisco Aguabella -Shirley's Guaguancho 2.Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers- Heat! 3.Louie Bellson and Walfredo De Los Reyes -Salsa en Cinco 4.Freddie McCoy- Spiderman 5.Cal Tjader- Manuel Deeghit 6. The Latin Jazz Quintet- Out of This World 7. Ray Barretto- Exodus 8. Mongo Santamaría- Mazacote 9. Red Garland Trio plus Ray Barretto- Manteca

Links:http://rapidshare.com/files/401073235/Latin_Jazz.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/401084874/Latin_Jazz.part2.rar

Golf

2010-06-18T11:07:00.002+01:00

(click to enlarge)

Has ever a sport done so much for fashion as golf? Being the preserve of the bourgeoisie and steeped in tradition and etiquette golf demanded smart but serviceable attire. Whereas the earliest pros would be decked out as if they were going grouse shooting on the inhospitable Scottish moors, by the middle of the 20th century golf was developing a sartorial code of it's own.
Top line:Here we see Henry Cotton sporting an Argyle sweater and plus fours.Sam Snead has a very rakish American style, the F. Scott Fitzgerald of the sportsworld, whereas debonair Max Faulkner looks as though he's just popped out of the office. Kathy Whitworth shows the move into more chic and daring styles for lady golfers in the swinging sixties. Middle line: Ben Hogan- the master of casual; four unknown gents in the thirties displaying a remarkable example of fairway dandyism; Moe Norman, a true genius of the game- this is the era when sportswear became distinct from the generic casual look- where else could a grown man wear those pants other than on the golf course? Bottom line: Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) and James Bond (Sean Connery) illustrate the contrast between the old and the new. Kathy Whitworth again- modern prints, slim waist, suntan; Kel Nagle, the Australian penchant for hats reached into the present day thanks to Greg Norman; Gary Player typifies the slim clean cut look of the sixties- the first mod- golfer.
In the next few weeks we'll see the US open and The British Open- there will probably be some remarkable outfits on display, but I doubt that any will match the elegance of the bygone days of tweed and hickory shafts.

Advice to girls...

2010-06-16T23:03:00.003+01:00

This reminds me of Uncle Carlos- he said his third wife left him when he complained that her stockings were wrinkled. How was I to know she wasn't wearing stockings? he mused...

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

2010-06-15T09:24:00.002+01:00

Art Blakey (1919 – 1990), aka Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American drummer and bandleader, one of the originators of bebop. The Jazz Messengers went through several incarnations over some 30 years, but was consistently associated with the development of young musicians who went on to forge successful careers in their own right.

The line up on this energetic LP were together from 1959- 1961.

Art Blakey- drums
Lee Morgan- trumpet
Wayne Shorter- tenor sax
Jymie Merritt- bass
Bobby Timmons- piano
Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/398716181/Art_Blakey___The_Jazz_Messengers_ANightInTunisia_1960.rar

Art in The Soviet Union-Vasili Kirillovich Nechitailo (Василий Кириллович Нечитайло)

2010-06-13T11:12:00.004+01:00

Vasili  Kirillovich Nechitailo (Василий Кириллович  Нечитайло) was born near  Rostov-on-Don, in 1915. He was an academically  grounded painter,  studying at the Surikov  Institute. During The Great Patriotic War (1941-45) Nechitailo was amongst  the artists evacuated to  Samarkand, (now  Uzbekistan) - far away from any danger  from the advancing Germans. The  rationale for this was that the Soviet Government considered these young  artists to be 'cultural assets' and desired to protect them  from  possible harm. Returning to Moscow when the tide of war turned in  the  favour of The Soviets, Nechitailo eventually graduated  in 1944. It was only  then that he  began to exhibit. Following this 13 years of formal  artistic training he  himself later embarked on an 8 year career as a  teacher at the Surikov  Institute.  Nechitailo died in Moscow in 1980.
Rather than inexpertly write about Nechitailo's style I'll just let this selection of paintings speak for  themselves.

Study of a  Man  (1949)

Lubotchka the Postlady (1958-1959)

Girl with an apple (195?)

Team Leader (1965)

Blue Shadows(1976)

Kartoshka All Stars...

2010-06-11T05:36:00.001+01:00

Lev Yashin- Soviet Union (1954-1970) there have been few challengers to his status as the greatest of all goalkeepers, Yashin was consistent- brave, an athlete and a great stopper.

Cafu- Brazil (1990–2006)** hard to beat and very dangerous going forward.
Franz Beckenbauer- West Germany (1965–1977)* (captain)- The Kaiser was solid in defence and his accomplishments as a midfielder led to him practically inventing the role of sweeper. Would win the ball and then set off on marauding runs- box to box.
Marcel Desailly - France (1993–2004)* strong, solid and stylish.
Paolo Maldini - Italy (1988–2002) the greatest of all left backs, period.

Didi- Brazil (1952–1962)** defined the modern midfielder as we know it- lethal from free kicks, combative, incisive passer.
Socrates- Brazil (1979–1986) superb ball player and an ideal fulcrum.
Zinadine Zidane - France (1994–2006)* the paragon of modern midfield play, tough, skillful and a deadly finisher.

Mané Garrincha- Brazil (1955-1966)**- Mané wasn't always glued to the right touchline- he often cut into the inside right channel and could shoot from range or deliver very telling balls into the danger area.He could head the ball also.
Johann Cruyff- The Netherlands (1966–1978) could have picked him in a number of positions, his finishing alone justifies his place at the centre of a three man attack.
Pelé- Brazil- (1957–1971)*** his range of talents and prolific scoring record cannot be overlooked.

I'm shamelessly nostalgic , so I'll take any criticisms of the 'retro' look of my 11 with a pinch of salt. At first I was concerned that it was a bit right sided (imagine having Cafu overlapping Garrincha!). There is also the argument that Garrincha wouldn't do much tracking back. Cruyff was also accused of sometimes neglecting the defensive aspect of total football. But the midfield has a solid look to it! and the back four is a mobile and formidable unit. If Beckenbauer moved up into midfield with the ball he was usually moving forward with intent, so any gap left at the back was academic. As I've said before- in football there is no right or wrong- only opinion- it's just a bit of fun.
Enjoy the World Cup!

The Hallmarks of Sophistication

2010-06-10T10:38:00.000+01:00

My uncle was a lover of new technology, particularly in the field of home entertainment. He was the first person I knew to own a colour television. Not all the programmes were broadcast in colour, of course. But the first time I saw the colour TV I was mesmerised. It seems hard to believe in these high definition days that the majority of ordinary people settled for monochrome sets well into the 1970's.

When was Colour TV introduced in your country? Check the list...
1950 United States
1958 Cuba (suspended until 1975 following the 1959 revolution)
1960 Japan
1963 Mexico
1966 Philippines, Canada ( Colour broadcasts from the United States were available from 1953)
1967 United Kingdom, France, West Germany
1968 Soviet Union, Netherlands
1969 Denmark, Ireland (Colour broadcasts from United Kingdom available from 1967)
1970 Sweden
1971 Yugoslavia, Belgium, Poland
1972 Brazil
1973 New Zealand
1975 Australia, Spain
1977 Italy colour broadcasts were available from abroad since 1967.
1980 Portugal, Argentina
1981 South Korea
1982 Pakistan, India
1984 Turkey

Charles Mingus

2010-06-09T11:08:00.002+01:00

Charles Mingus (1922- 1979)- a colossal figure in Jazz. This is a compilation album and features an array of fantastic musicians. I'd like to be able to highlight them all, but I'm no Jazz scholar, and plowing through the Mingus discography would be a vast undertaking.

1. What Is This Thing Called Love -8:10

2. Spur Of The Moment -3:50

3. Yesterdays -10:14

4. The Sound Of Love -5:54

5. It Might As Well Be Spring -5:31

6. So Long Eric -4:32

7. Farewell, Farwell -5:57

8. Back Home Blues -13:01

9. Four Hands -11:47
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/391916410/Charles_Mingus_The_Sound_of_Love.rar

Saul Bass

2010-06-08T15:06:00.009+01:00

Saul Bass' work is most often associated with the great Alfred Hitchcock. He worked on 3 Hitchcock movies between 1958 and 1960, the first of which was Vertigo.
Another influential design was that for Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder (1959),(the movie that James Stewart's father wanted banned!).
The poster for Spike Lee's 1995 movie Clockers is clearly based on this image. Designer Art Sims claimed this was a homage to Bass, but Bass was unimpressed.

Dream Teams...

2010-06-07T12:34:00.015+01:00

I'm breaking my resolution to avoid posts on football during World Cup month: I'll excuse myself by pointing out there are still 4 days to go...>One of the most futile, frustrating and yet inexhaustibly enjoyable pursuits open to the football lover is the selection of 'all time greatest' teams. In football there can be no right or wrong, only opinion, and it is impossible to select such teams given the changes that the game has undergone. Modern players are fitter, the ball is lighter, pitches better, they don't have to put up with the rough treatment that wash dished out in the past. Modern defensive play is better organised and I believe the general level of individual skill is greater than ever.
I'm not going to commit myself to naming my all time 11 yet, but let's look at some others.
In 1994 FIFA selected this team, which lined up in a 4-3-3 formation:

Lev Yashin- Soviet Union (1954-1970)
Djalma Santos- Brazil (1952–1968)**
Franz Beckenbauer- West Germany (1965–1977)*
Bobby Moore- England(1962–1973)*
Paul Breitner - West Germany (1971–1982)*
Johann Cruyff- The Netherlands (1966–1978)
Michel Platini - France (1976–1987)
Bobby Charlton - England (1958–1970)*
Mané Garrincha- Brazil (1955-1966)**
Ferenc Puskas - Hungary & Spain (1945–1956/1962)
Pelé- Brazil- (1957–1971)***

At the FIFA World Cup in France 1998 Mastercard got 250 journalists to select their Team of the Century.Again the formation was 4-3-3:

Yashin
Carlos Alberto Torres- Brazil (1964-1977) *
Beckenbauer
Moore
Nilton Santos- Brazil (1949-1963) **
Cruyff
Alfredo di Stefano - Argentina, Columbia, Spain (1947–1949/1949–1954/1954–1962)
Platini
Mané Garrincha
Diego Maradona- Argentina (1977–1994)*
Pelé

In the build up to the 2002 World Cup FIFAworldcup.com selected the following on the basis of online voting by fans:

Yashin
Paolo Maldini - Italy (1988–2002)
Beckenbauer
Roberto Carlos - Brazil (1992–2006) *
Roberto Baggio - Italy (1988–2004)
Zinadine Zidane - France (1994–2006)*
Platini
Maradona
Romario - Brazil (1987–2005)*
Cruyff
Pelé

Unlike the previous selections, which were quite logical and balanced, this is a crazy set up that would never work in reality. 3-4-3
3 at the back- Maldini on the right? Roberto Carlos was strong going forward but couldn't defend, Beckenbauer buried in the middle of a 3 man defence?
4 number 10's in midfield-
11 great players, but not really a team.
Anyway- Joao Kartoshka will reveal his all time 11 in the near future...

Sidney Bechet

2010-06-06T21:56:00.004+01:00

Bechet to me was the very epitome of jazz ... everything he played in his whole life was completely original. I honestly think he was the most unique man to ever be in this music. — Duke Ellington.
He was the first among the players of the barely baptized “jazz” to be identified as “an artist of genius.” Very few jazz musicians are as well known as Sidney Bechet, especially among people not particularly familiar with the music. No one has a voice more easily and immediately recognizable- Eric Hobsbawm

The autobiographical writings of Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) are now widely regarded as poetic fictions. He did however, lead a most colourful life. Born in New Orleans he was playing jazz before the term had been coined, and is recognised as the first practitioner of that staple of jazz, the solo. During the 1920's, when jazz was first reaching a wider audience via gramophone and radio, primarily in the USA, Bechet was away from the spotlight, travelling in Europe- during his time he enjoyed popularity in the Soviet Union, was deported from Britain, and was involved in a Montmartre shootout.
Bechet also pioneered the use of the soprano sax in jazz- making it his primary instrument.
His influence reaches the present day, via such greats as Coltrane down to Courtney Pine.
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/395876792/Sidney_Bechet-_.rar

Art in the Soviet Union-Robert Ivanovich Sturua

2010-06-05T11:42:00.005+01:00

I don't know much about the life of Robert Ivanovich Sturua (1916-198?). From the Georgian SSR, he is now more commonly referred to as Robert Sturua Snr, as his son of the same name is a distinguished theatre director.

Portrait of a Spouse(1946)

Elene (1960)

Saul Bass

2010-06-04T19:42:00.000+01:00

...the minimalist auteur who put a jagged arm in motion in 1955 and created an entire film genre…and elevated it into an art.
New York Times obituary-1996.

Ever dream a movie of your life?
Not the whole thing. Maybe just a few frames?
I do it all the time.
Of course, it's Noir- Eddie Constantine is playing me-João 'Kartoshka'- I walk along past brick facades criss-crossed with fire escapes- open sash windows breathe in the air-no, hang on- it's raining, the cars swish by, throwing up spray. I'm smoking. The soundtrack- maybe like Sonny Rollins' Alfie? no, too jaunty- Quincy Jones- In Cold Blood- that would've been a great soundtrack- for some other film...I digress- maybe that's the title of the film- I Digress...- here come the titles- which of course, would be by Saul Bass.

The cans containing the reels of film for Otto Preminger’s The Man with the Golden Arm, carried a note which read: "Projectionists – pull curtain before titles".

Until then,1955, nobody had been expected to pay any attention to the opening credits of a movie, but Preminger wanted his audience to see The Man with the Golden Arm’s titles as an integral part of the film.

Saul Bass (1920-1996) was a film maker in his own right- he actually claimed to have been instrumental in the direction of the legendary shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)- he was also a leading graphic artist responsible for a number of iconic logos. His legacy to the world of modern design, however, came from his work in animated motion picture title sequences and movie posters.

During his studies Bass was influenced by the Bauhaus style and the works of the Soviet Constructivists.
His first Hollywood job was designing the poster for Otto Preminger’s Carmen Jones (1954). Preminger was so impressed he asked Bass to design the opening sequence as well- and he approached this task in a truly innovative manner. The following year when Preminger released his gritty tale of drug addiction starring Frank Sinatra, Bass made his name with his contribution, again designing the title sequence and the poster.

Charlie Parker

2010-06-02T10:27:00.001+01:00

Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was a saxophone player whose influence on jazz is immeasurable. In the 1940’s Parker was central to the development of Bebop, the music of The Beat Generation, and a key phase in the conception of jazz as an earnest intellectual genre rather than just a popular entertainment.

Parker began playing the saxophone at the age of 11- one story holds that as a 14 year old he was thrown off his school band for not being up to scratch. He later told Paul Desmond that he spent 3–4 years practicing up to 15 hours a day.

It was as a youth that Parker, given morphine following an automobile accident, developed the opiate addiction that curtailed his life.

In addition to addiction problems,Parker endured financial hardship and spells in mental institutions.

I’m not equipped to write about the technical factors that made Parker’s music so significant- but I certainly can recommend listening to the records!

Here is a 44 track compilation of some of his most famous recordings.

Links:http://rapidshare.com/files/393822389/BIRD.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/393822394/Bird2.rar

June

2010-06-01T11:38:00.001+01:00

Firstly- thank you all for making May Картошка 167's most successful month to date. We clocked up over 1100 visitors per month for the first time. So, what lies ahead in June?
There'll be enough football in the media to satisfy everybody, so unless something in FIFA 2010 really blows my mind I'll leave football to the professionals. We'll feature other sports though- pool, volleyball and golf...
On the music front June will be Jazz Month at Картошка 167. I'm no expert on Jazz, but I've got a number of sides representing different schools of Jazz that I'd like to share with you.
I'll also be taking some time to look at the art of the Soviet Union, retro swimwear, Saul Bass and pulp fiction... Stay tuned and remember, comments are welcome, language no barrier.

South Africa 2010

2010-05-31T13:12:00.000+01:00

So, back in October, we undertook a journey through the history of the World Cup and have arrived at the present day. 18 tournaments, 4 continents- 7 different winners. There have been unexpected victors (1950, 1954), dubious victors (1938, 1966, 1974), but never any real surprises. In the finals in which the best teams did not win (1954, 1974) they were not beaten by rank outsiders, and even in the tournament in which the best* two sides were not in the final (1982) it was still competed by two leading nations.

*the world cup is actually a football fair; not a proper championship... more than half the matches are knockout ties, anything is possible. Merit doesn't count.Socrates on Spain 1982, interviewed in FourFourTwo (2010).

So- players to watch?

Eight months ago I'd have said Arshavin(Russia), Cambiasso(Argentina), Ronaldihno (Brazil), but they won't be there...
Messi (Argentina), Ronaldo (Portugal), Ribery(France), Drogba(Côte d'Ivoire), Villa, Xavi(Spain), Rooney(England) of course, but expect a no nonsense victory based on solid defence and counter-attack from Brazil (probably against Spain in the final).

Frank Sinatra's hobby is...

2010-05-30T19:42:00.004+01:00

I'm assuming that this was pretty early in Frank's career. I gather that in later years he got his exercise in other ways...according to Robert Christgau his conquests included Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall, Mia Farrow, and the love of his life, Ava Gardner, he also went to bed with a dumbfounding profusion of starlets and prostitutes...
A dumbfounding profusion? Now, as I can hear Sinatra saying as I type these words- that sure is a lot of broads.

Summer...

2010-05-29T22:12:00.001+01:00

Well, here in the northern hemisphere summer is well and truly upon us. João is brushing down his summer wardrobe ready for the pleasures of the months ahead...

I'll hopefully get enough time away from my desk to catch some rays poolside with Mrs K.

The only problem with these snappy shorts- where do you keep your pipe? And what's the appeal of the poolboy?

Seriously though, It would be nice to see a return to the age of elegance in swimwear.

Is Wisconsin the flattest state in the Union?

Germany 2006

2010-05-27T00:30:00.002+01:00

A few players have appeared in more than one World Cup Final (Luis Monti , as we have seen, for two different countries), and Zinadine Zidane is not alone in having scored in more than one final (Vava,Pele,Breitner), but Zidane perhaps, has left an indelible mark on two finals in a way that not even the genius of Pele in 1958 and 1970 achieved.
In 1998 Zidane stepped into the void temporarily vacated by the incapacitated Ronaldo . In 2006 he was arguably the greatest player in the World- in the final he opened the scoring with a penalty and then in extra time planted his head firmly into the chest of Materazzi and saw red.

It was an ill tempered tournament-345 yellow cards and 28 red cards were shown, with Russian referee Valentin Ivanov handing out 16 yellow and 4 red cards in the round of 16 match between Portugal and the Netherlands. English referee Graham Poll got in on the act by mistakenly showing three yellow cards to Croatia's Josip Šimunić in the match against Australia. Mr Poll had a great excuse for his error- when booking Šimunić for the second time he marked him down as Australia #3 because of his Australian accent (Šimunić was born in Canberra).
Italy were very fortunate to progress against Australia via a dubious late penalty.
When I first saw Portugal's Maniche I thought that he would soon take his place amongst the all time greats, but it was not to be, although he was one of the outstanding players of 2006.
Argentina's Esteban Cambiasso scored one of the greatest ever World Cup goals...following a 25 pass move against Serbia Montenegro.

The details of the Final are overshadowed in the memory by Zidane's sending off- Italy triumphed on penalties- Trezeguet hitting the bar with France's second kick whilst the Italians got five out of five past Barthez.

Jack Kerouac on the Beat Generation...

2010-05-25T15:28:00.001+01:00

The so-called Beat Generation was a whole bunch of people, of all different nationalities, who came to the conclusion that society sucked.
- Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones)

The Beat Generation evolved in the 1940's and 1950's, headed by a holy trinity of Allen Ginsberg(1926-1997), William S Burroughs(1914-1997) and Jack Kerouac(1922-1969). It gave us literature inspired by the cadences of Be Bop jazz, spontaneous and non conformist, dealing with issues such as sexual liberation, drug use and alternative religious views (such as Zen Buddhism). There was a rejection of the materialistic ideals of cold war USA.
The phrase Beat Generation was coined by Kerouac in 1948, describing the New York scene at that time; the name came up in conversation with the novelist John Clellon Holmes (who in 1952 published an article in the New York Times Magazine titled This is the beat generation).
The movement was massively influential on the counterculture of the following decades. In Friction, 1 (Winter 1982) , Ginsberg published a summary of "the essential effects" of the Beat Generation .
Spiritual liberation, sexual "revolution" or "liberation," i.e., gay liberation, somewhat catalyzing women's liberation, black liberation, Gray Panther activism.
Liberation of the world from censorship.
Demystification and/or decriminalization of cannabis and other drugs.
The evolution of rhythm and blues into rock and roll as a high art form, as evidenced by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and other popular musicians influenced in the later fifties and sixties by Beat generation poets' and writers' works.
The spread of ecological consciousness, emphasized early on by Gary Snyder and Michael McClure, the notion of a "Fresh Planet."
Opposition to the military-industrial machine civilization, as emphasized in writings of Burroughs, Huncke, Ginsberg, and Kerouac.
Attention to what Kerouac called (after Spengler) a "second religiousness" developing within an advanced civilization.
Return to an appreciation of idiosyncrasy as against state regimentation.
Respect for land and indigenous peoples and creatures, as proclaimed by Kerouac in his slogan from On the Road: "The Earth is an Indian thing."

In June 1959 Playboy featured a piece by Kerouac on the origins of The Beat Generation (by now he was 37 and a best selling novelist).

Scans of the article from Playboy (June 1959): http://rapidshare.com/files/389348330/jk.rar

Audio files (MP3) of Kerouac's readings on the Beat Generation:
http://rapidshare.com/files/390117775/Readings__Jack_Kerouac.rar

Fiat 500

2010-05-24T16:55:00.001+01:00

Designed by Dante Giacosa , The Fiat 500 (cinquecento)was launched as the Nuova 500 in July 1957. Measuring only 3 meters in length, and powered by a 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 is considered one of the first city cars.

In 2007 Fiat launched a similar looking, retro-styled car, the Fiat Nuova 500.

Mrs Kartoshka's birthday is coming soon- all contributions in US dollars please...

Milton Banana Trio- O Trio

2010-05-23T17:49:00.006+01:00

This tight trio, led by the Bossa Nova drummer, Milton Banana, was made up of extremely accomplished and prolific musicians, all of whom had contributed to classics of Bossa Nova by artists such as Gilberto, Getz , Jobim and Toquinho. Milton himself had drummed on João Gilberto's 1959 hit Chega de Saudade (Tom Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes). He later had a relationship with Elza Soares . Banana was acording to Ruy Castro 'a mad Botafogo fan' who enjoyed a drink- his reaction at losing out to Mané Garrincha in the romance stakes is, as far as I know, unrecorded.
This is the Trio's 1968 Odeon LP.
http://rapidshare.com/files/390734521/Milton_Banana.rar

Drums- Milton Banana (Antônio de Souza 1935 – 1998)
Piano - Wanderley (Walter Wanderley 1932 – 1986)
Bass- Azeitona (any information welcome)

The Hallmarks of Sophistication...

2010-05-22T21:58:00.002+01:00

Helena Antonaccio (born March 21, 1949 in Morristown, New Jersey) was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the June 1969 issue.
Here she demonstrates conservation of momentum and energy...
In 1967 English actor Simon Prebble coined the name 'Newton's Cradle' (now used generically) for a version of the device that demonstrates conservation of momentum and energy, manufactured by his company, Scientific Demonstrations Ltd . Harrods of London stocked the model, effectively creating the executive toy market.

Cowboys # 8, Gaucho...

2010-05-20T23:11:00.004+01:00

In South America there is a local variant on the cowboy theme, namely the gaucho- the cowboy of the pampas. The image of the gaucho is central to Argentine national identity. He is seen as a tough upholder of traditional values, facing adversity in an inhospitable environment.
The seminal work of the gaucho genre is Martín Fierro ,an epic poem by the Argentine writer José Hernández. Originally published in two parts, El Gaucho Martín Fierro (1872) and La Vuelta de Martín Fierro (1879)it is a protest against the Europeanizing and modernizing tendencies of president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and the urbanization of society . The poem also acknowledges the role of the gauchos in the development of Argentina and it's independence from Spain.
Written in rural language evocative of earlier folk ballads,Martín Fierro holds a position of unparalleled esteem in Argentina's heritage and has been much analyzed by later writers including Jorge Luis Borges, who made reference to gaucho culture in a number of his stories.

The gaucho resided outside the region’s growing urban centers and farming settlements. He developed a strong sense of identity and code of conduct, traveling when and where he wanted. He willingly shared his food and lodgings with fellow travelers. When not working, he spent his time drinking maté or alcohol, card playing, and fighting.

The gaucho was the ideal soldier during the wars of independence and the civil wars that followed. This skilled rider could survive off the land, knew the terrain intimately, and was a brave warrior.
The gaucho has come to mean many things to Latin America. He is the romantic image of the past, representing freedom from colonial control and from the urban encumbrances that have come to define the Latin American experience. He could live off of the land with no need for civilization, only his horse, knife and lasso. Not unlike the American cowboy, the gaucho has become idealized and the stuff of myth. No one did so much to create that myth than José Hernandez with his poem Martin Fierro , one of the finest and best-known pieces of Latin American literature.

Scott Van Jacob- University of Notre Dame.

Frank Sinatra Has a Cold...

2010-05-19T23:00:00.007+01:00

Frank Sinatra Has a Cold is a seminal work of New Journalism written by Gay Talese for the April 1966 issue of Esquire magazine. Fans of Sinatra or lovers of good writing can read it here .

Gay Talese

The Silence of Mrs Kartoshka...

2010-05-18T22:55:00.000+01:00

As well as being a great beauty, Mrs Kartoshka is an educated woman. She has a University degree. She has lived in the most interesting of countries in the most interesting of times. She has travelled- Europe, Asia, South America, The Pacific, The Andes, The Himalayas, the shores of Kamchatka...

'But' she protests 'I am not a writer...'

I needlessly reassure her about her intellect, about her perceptiveness, about her command of English, her knowledge of Soviet and Russian culture, but all to no avail.

Mrs Kartoshka says that the one part of a woman's body on which a man should compliment her is her brain.

I trust that she knows that I am, indeed, a great admirer of that complex, intriguing organ as well as the lovely head in which it is housed.

Wanda de Sah

2010-05-17T20:20:00.006+01:00

Wanda de Sah (sometimes known as Wanda Sá), enrolled at Roberto Menescal's guitar academy at 13 . She went on to appear on the TV programmes Dois no Balanço (TV Excelsior) and O Fino da Bossa (TV Record). Wanda turned professional at 19 with the LP Wanda Vagamente (1964), one of Eumir Deodato's earliest arrangement credits. Wanda had already had a number of hits in Brazil by the time she joined Sérgio Mendes' Brasil '65 .

In 1966 she recorded this LP in the U.S.A. The record was aimed at the American audience who were being seduced by the 'new sound' from Brazil, the numbers being mostly Bossa standards - some Brasil '65 songs as well as Jobim and Getz/Gilberto compositions, would have already been familiar to North American listeners. The backing was provided by Capitol Records studio musicians, arranged by Jack Marshall and produced by David Cavanaugh, best known for his work with Frank Sinatra.

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/388521040/wanda_softly.rar

Korea/ Japan 2002

2010-05-16T16:22:00.001+01:00

Ronaldo’s glory was delayed by 4 years. After the fiasco of 1998 he ended the 2002 tournament as a world champion, and with the Golden Boot for his 8 goals, including 2 in the final, which, remarkably, was the first ever meeting between Germany and Brazil in the history of the World Cup.

France’s defence of the title was a disaster as they finished winless (this was also the last time that the champions enjoyed automatic qualification).
It was a happy goodbye to golden goals- 3 were scored.
Firsts: this was the first World Cup to be held in Asia, and the first joint hosting (FIFA will not repeat the joint hosting experiment,and both countries are bidding to host future tournaments individually).
Korea republic will always appear to have been the surprise package, finishing 4th, but they benefitted from a number of outrageous refereeing decisions on their way. Turkey acquitted themselves very well to finish 3rd, and after just 11 seconds of the 3rd place match Hakan Şükür registered the fastest ever World Cup goal .
Oliver Kahn became the first goalkeeper to be awarded the Balon D’or as most valuable player, but ironically his fumble of Rivaldo’s shot in the final gifted Ronaldo the opener. Germany only conceded 3 goals in the whole tournament.
David Beckham enjoyed some redemption when his penalty beat old rivals Argentina 1-0 in the group stage.
Ronaldo took his place in the history books with a truly bizarre haircut straight out of Tod Browning's Freaks, the result of his 2 yr old son Ronald's inability to distinguish between his father and teammate Roberto Carlos.

Mrs Kartoshka is coming...

2010-05-06T18:27:00.002+01:00

Well, Mrs Kartoshka is visiting. I'm going to try and coax a couple of posts out of her- hopefully about popular culture in the Soviet Union- fingers crossed.
Anyhow- nothing from me for a few days...

France 1998...

2010-05-05T09:24:00.001+01:00

Zoot alors! Trois zero! Apparently several children were christened
Trois Zero in the wake of France's first World Cup triumph. Pele had predicted that an African team would win the World Cup before 2000- Nigeria, the only African side to reach the knockout phase were swept aside by Denmark. But there was an African flavour to the victors- Marcel Desailly born in Accra,Patrick Vieira in Dakar and Zinedine Zidane of course had Algerian parents.
The finals were expanded from 24 to 32 teams. Laurent Blanc of France scored the first Golden Goal in World Cup history as the hosts beat Paraguay 1-0.

David Beckham, who within a few years was the darling of the media and possibly the most instantly recognisable footballer in the world, was far from flavour of the month.Having being sent off after kicking Diego Simeone in England's defeat against Argentina, Beckham became a hate figure.
Having overcome a muscular Croatian side in the semi final the French took the precaution of poisoning Ronaldo in the lead up to the final.

Ronaldo was present at the final but could hardly be said to have played- similarly his teammates were visibly dispirited following his mysterious brush with death.

France were without their captain, Laurent Blanc- Slaven Bilic having engineered his dismissal in the semi with some hideous simulation.
France had to survive the last 20 minutes of the final with only 10 men with the dismissal of Marcel Desailly, by then they were 2 goals up and still controlled the match.

So the last World Cup of the 20th century, the 16th edition, saw the seventh nation to claim the title- the first 'new' winners for 20 years.

Baby Consuelo

2010-05-02T08:55:00.002+01:00

Bernadete Dinorah de Carvalho Cidade (b1952) is a Brazilian performer who spans genres- rock influenced (she was a member of the rock band Os Novos Baianos) her work can also be categorized as samba and MPB.

Her music is suffused with energy, and the title of this album Go Crazy, is quite apt.

As a choro singer Baby was influenced greatly by 'Rainha do choro'(The Queen of Choro)- Ademilde Fonseca. Ademilde puts in a guest appearance on tracks 3 & 4. Baby's eclecticism is demonstrated by her interpretation of Bob Marley's Is This Love(É Amor track 7).

Later in her career Baby adopted the name Baby do Brasil.

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/374198810/Baby_Consuelo_Pra_Enlouquecer.rar

International Workers' Day

2010-05-01T09:37:00.001+01:00

Cowboys # 7

2010-04-28T12:47:00.001+01:00

Sanjuro- Samurai proto-cowboy.

Cowboys can crop up anywhere, not just in The Old West.

During the 1950's and 60's Western Movies began to draw on other sources. Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was particularly influential. Toshirō Mifune frequently appeared as a solitary, nameless hero upholding traditional values of justice against morally dissolute foes.

Sukhov- Red Army Cowboy.

Discussing his Soviet cult classic The White Sun of the Desert director Vladimir Motyl acknowledged the influence of Stagecoach and High Noon . He described the film as being a "cocktail" of Russian folktale and a Western. Visually, with it's stark landscapes , the film resembles the work of Sergio Leone.

This used to be a hell of a good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it...

In Easy Rider Wyatt (as in Earp -Peter Fonda) and Billy (as in The Kid- Dennis Hopper) ride through familiar Western landscapes on their motorcycles.

Mrs Kartoshka is coming!

2010-04-26T21:00:00.005+01:00

Mrs Kartoshka is coming! So I give up cigarettes for a month-starting today. It's a part of our relationship. If we travel I don't want to spend hours on a train or an aeroplane itching for a smoke, so I give up about a fortnight before, convinced that by the time she's here the craving will be 'out of my system'.

In truth I'm already looking forward to the nauseating rush of smoking my next cigarette on the 16th May.

Record Players

2010-04-25T10:14:00.002+01:00

I keep my music on hard drives and memory sticks. Thousands of LPs in a space the size of a small loaf of bread. The records themselves, once ripped, are stored away. But the magic of handling the discs, of placing them gently on a turntable and listening in anticipation to the warm hum and slight crackle before the music begins remains as exhilarating as ever...

U.S.A 1994...

2010-04-23T10:45:00.001+01:00

The 1994 World Cup Finals started and ended with dreadful penalties- the first was taken by soul diva Diana Ross at the opening ceremony, the last by Roberto Baggio in the final itself. Both sailed harmlessly wide of their target.A great tournament but a not so great final.
141 goals were scored at an average of 2.7 per match, but none in the final for the only time in World Cup history.
Bigger stadiums allowed an average attendance of 69,000, breaking records that had stood since 1950. The total attendance of almost 3.6 million remains the highest in World Cup history.
Oleg Salenko of Russia became the first player to score five goals in a single World Cup match as Russia ran out 6–1 winners against Cameroon.
Only 3 of the 15 knockout phase matches went to penalties- sadly the final was one of them.
Themed goal celebrations appeared when Bebeto marked the birth of his baby with his ‘cradle’ celebration, (along with Romário and Mazinho) in the game against the Netherlands. The Brazil players also made a memorable spectacle when they took to the pitch hand in hand.
The U.S.A v Switzerland match in the Pontiac Silverdome was the first to be played indoors in World Cup history.
Before the tournament Pele predicted that Columbia would win the World Cup , but they were a waning side plagued by domestic problems and went out at the first stage.
Maradonna made his final World Cup appearance- suspended for drug misuse he left fans with memories of outstanding brilliance and plenty of controversy.

An iconic image, taken from a blimp above the stadium, Taffarel ecstatic, Baggio despondent.

Elza Soares - Vivo Feliz

2010-04-22T09:45:00.000+01:00

I would like to dedicate this post to Niall, whose generous praise is greatly appreciated.

A happy life?
Born in a favela in Rio in 1937, Elza was raped when she was 12. Because she became pregnant she had to marry the man who raped her. Her first three children died as newborns, but she was a mother of four by the age of 25. Elza had her first taste of success on Ary Barroso's radio show when she was still in her teens. Soares became popular with her first single Se Acaso Você Chegasse, on which she sang Louis Armstrong style scat with her trademark husky voice, combining samba and jazz .
After finishing her second LP, A Bossa Negra, Elza went to Chile to represent Brazil in the festival that accompanied the 1962 FIFA World Cup. It was there that she met Mané Garrincha. Of course, we've had posts on Mané Garrincha (1933-1983) here before, and there will be more in the the future- the most talented individual ever to play football- as Alex Bellos wrote: Pelé was admired, Garrincha was adored.

According to tradition Elza entered the dressing room where the players were celebrating and embraced the naked Mané, who had made a tremendous contribution to Brazil's success throughout the tournament.

At the time Mané still lived in the same abject style as when he had been a textile worker. He was married to Nair Marques (married in 1952, they divorced in 1965), a factory worker from Pau Grande with whom he had eight daughters. He also fathered two children with another Pau Grande girl, Iraci, whom he 'kept' in Rio, as well as a son by a Swedish girl he had met whilst on tour with Botafogo. By the time of his death he had fathered at least 14 children.
Mané and Elza married in 1966; as Elza had also been married before, the Brazilian press were critical of the marriage.
The couple were harassed by neighbours in the upmarket Rio suburb where they lived; when they visited Pau Grande they were attacked. The public resented the apparent wordly influence that Elza exerted over Mané- for example he began to negotiate more just contracts with his club. In the past he had been content to sign blank contracts and allowed his earnings to rot away in drawers in his house. As Mané's famously crooked legs began to give out and he played less he succumbed to alcoholism, and their relationship became increasingly stormy. Shortly after the 1966 World Cup Mané crashed his car, killing Elza's mother. His record with cars was not good- he had previously run over his father and Elza had had some teeth smashed out in another prang* . Mané was also sexually insatiable, and had affairs. His virility, and his large penis, were the stuff of legend- in 1959 a song in his praise was suppressed because the line Mané, who was born in Pau Grande sounded very much like Mané, who was born with a pau grande, which is slang for big dick.Ruy Castro, his biographer was sued by members of Mané's family for asserting that his manhood was 25cm- the judge booted the case out- how could it be libel to say that a Brazilian man was well hung? Strangely no one took offence at Castro's revelation that Mané's earliest sexual experience had been with a goat...apparently not unusual in Pau Grande in those days.
Mané and Elza separated in 1977, when she left him after he struck her. (In the notorious psychometric testing prior to the 1958 World Cup Mané had scored zero for aggression).

Elza Soares remains active in the world of music, and she is not afraid to move with the times. There are a number of her records available to download at Loronix, from the early jazz-samba through to the samba-soul sound of the 1970's.In 2000 the BBC gave her a Singer of the Century award.
Here is 2004's Vivo Feliz album , which mixes samba and bossa with modern electronic music and effects, and features collaborations with a number of leading techno/hip-hop/ artists (I'm never to sure of the terminology for the modern stuff. Anyway- it's a great sound).
Here's the link: http://rapidshare.com/files/377788825/Elza_Soares.rar

* this bad luck with cars would haunt the family into the next generation-
In 1985 Mané and Elza's son Garrinchinha died in an auto crash on the same stretch of road on which Elza's mother had died. His son (with Iraci) Nenem, who played for Fulminense, died in a car crash in 1992. His grandson was run over and killed in Pau Grande in 2001.

The following books were invaluable in the preparation of this post:
Estrela Solitária - Ruy Castro
Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life -Alex Bellos

Goldfinger...

2010-04-20T17:57:00.000+01:00

Often cited as the best of the James Bond movies Goldfinger(1964)represents the zenith of the 1960's espionage adventure genre.
Three movies into the series the James Bond concern was becoming a complex marketing package.
The theme song was composed by John Barry (b.1933), with lyrics by Anthony Newley (1931–1999) and Leslie Bricusse (b.1931).
The definitive version that was used for the movie was recorded by Shilrey Bassey (b.1937) and produced by George Martin (b.1926).
Some trivia- Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley wrote the score of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based on the story by Roald Dahl.
Dahl wrote two screenplays that were adaptations of novels by Ian Fleming; the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Desmond Llewelyn ( Q /Mr. Coggins)and Gert Frobe (Auric Goldfinger/ Baron Bombast) appeared in both Goldfinger and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Here we have Anthony Newley's version of Goldfinger, along with the more familiar Shirley Bassey recording.

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/360709244/Goldfinger.rar

Apologies...

2010-04-20T08:53:00.001+01:00

I just noticed that the Caetano Veloso post of his 1968 album was inadvertently taken down the other day. I've now restored it...

Tarzan! Airfix style...

2010-04-17T11:00:00.002+01:00

A couple of posts ago I made reference to an Airfix battle. When I was a boy Airfix models were an important part of my life. I collected the soldiers.In fact I still have a sweet jar somewhere full of them. I was never very good at building the ships, aeroplanes, tanks etc but I did have a few.
Airfix was founded in 1939 by a Hungarian businessman Nicholas Kove,initially manufacturing inflatables. In 1947, Airfix undertook their first ventures in injection moulding, producing pocket combs. The first models,for the promotion of Ferguson tractors,appeared in 1949.The model was sold in kit form by Woolworth's .
In 1954 Airfix produced a model kit of The Golden Hind. The first aircraft kit was released in 1955, a model of the Supermarine Spitfire.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the company expanded greatly and The Airfix range expanded to include all manner of things; soldiers, knights, cowboys, animals...

Between 1966 and 1968 NBC produced a TV series of Tarzan, in which Ron Ely played the King of the Jungle. There was, however, no Jane, but Diana Ross did make a guest appearance as a nun!

The series was filmed in Mexico and Brazil, but for those fans who wished to re enact the drama in dense jungles of their own back gardens, Airfix came up with the following set:

Ron Ely

Various Africans

Scenes of mild peril...

Good guys...

Cheetah and Jai

No idea

Rolling Stone Brasil- Top 100 Albums

2010-04-16T10:00:00.004+01:00

A statement of the obvious: Brazilian music is a big part of life here at Kартошка 167. I'm sure that we all have our own idea of what the greatest recordings are. In October 2007 Rolling Stone Brasil published a list of the top 100 Brazilian LPs- a good reference list to check off your collection against or maybe as a guide as you go through the various blogs devoted to Brazilian music in order to assemble a collection.
I was going to post just a list of the records, but then I got to thinking- wouldn't it be good to compile a list of links to blog pages where you could download these LPs (one of the blogs on the list actually seems to present the entire top 100- but that was not my object- I wanted this to be as much about the international blog community that is devoted to Brazilian music as about the music itself).
Many links are to blog pages in Portuguese - if you don't read Portuguese don't let that put you off- you'll recognize the titles and artist names. You might get a pleasant surprise if you try and read the text- it's not a hard language to read.

The ultimate respect of course to the original authors of the various blogs who ripped the music, uploaded it, created the images and shared their views with the world. Also to the artists themselves.
All the links appear to be safe (according to McAfee) and all were working as of 16.04.10.
So here is the list and the links:

1. Acabou Chorare - Novos Baianos (1972) - http://bigfatsatanist.blogspot.com/2008/12/os-novos-baianos-acabou-chorare.html

2. Tropicália ou Panis et Circensis - Vários (1968)-http://tandemictextures.blogspot.com/2009/04/tropicalia-ou-panis-et-circenses-1968.html

3. Construção - Chico Buarque (1971) -http://flageolette.blogspot.com/2009/07/chico-buarque-construcao-1971.html

4. Chega de Saudade - João Gilberto (1959)- http://originalpinheirosstyle.blogspot.com/2009/02/joao-gilberto-chega-de-saudade.html

5. Secos e Molhados - Secos e Molhados (1973)-http://loronix.blogspot.com/2007/04/secos-molhados-secos-molhados-1973.html

6. A Tábua de Esmeralda - Jorge Ben (1972)- http://loronix.blogspot.com/2008/05/jorge-ben-tbua-de-esmeralda-1974.html

7. Clube da Esquina - Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges (1972)-http://www.mediafire.com/?ywmzmqwyn20

8. Cartola - Cartola (1976)-http://loronix.blogspot.com/2006/06/cartola-1976-brazilian-samba-main.html

9. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes (1968)- http://depredando.blogspot.com/2008/04/os-10-melhores-dos-anos-60-04.html

10. Transa - Caetano Veloso (1972)- http://notasagudas.blogspot.com/2008/09/caetano-veloso-transa.html

11. Elis & Tom - Elis Regina e Antônio Carlos Jobim (1974)- http://kartoshka167.blogspot.com/2010/01/elis-tom.html

12. Krig-Ha Bandolo - Raul Seixas (1973)- http://umquetenha.org/uqt/?p=2479

13. Da Lama ao Caos - Chico Science & Nação Zumbi (1994)- http://www.almascorsarias.com.br/2009/11/chico-science-nacao-zumbi-da-lama-ao.html

14. Sobrevivendo no Inferno - Racionais MC’s (1998)- http://hardcore-pedradanacara.blogspot.com/2009/06/racionais-mcs-sobrevivendo-no-inferno.html

15. Samba Esquema Novo - Jorge Ben (1963)- http://kartoshka167.blogspot.com/2009/08/jorge-ben.html

16. Fruto Proibido - Rita Lee (1975)- http://vinil-velho.blogspot.com/2008/07/rita-lee-tutti-frutti-1975-fruto.html

17. Racional Volume 1 - Tim Maia (1975)- http://www.sanpasquale.net/2009/12/ti

18. Afrociberdelia - Chico Science & Nação Zumbi (1996)- http://manguebeat.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/chico-science-e-nacao-zumbi-afrociberdelia/

19. Cabeça Dinossauro - Titãs (1986)- http://umquetenha.org/uqt/?p=1993

20. Fa-Tal - Gal a Todo Vapor - Gal Costa (1971)- http://blog.desequilibrio.com.br/2009/10/disco-gal-fatal-todo-vapor-1971.html

21. Dois - Legião Urbana (1986)- http://burningaquarium.blogspot.com/2010/04/legiao-urbana-legiao-urbana1985-dois.html

22. A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Desligado - Os Mutantes (1970)- http://oblogdovictor.blogspot.com/2009/11/mutantes-divina-comedia-ou-ando-meio.html

23. Coisas - Moacir Santos (1965)- http://br-instrumental.blogspot.com/2006/03/moacir-santos-coisas-1965.html

24. Roberto Carlos em Ritmo de Aventura - Roberto Carlos (1967)- http://explorandoamusica.blogspot.com/2009/11/roberto-carlos-em-ritmo-de-aventura.html

25. Tim Maia - Tim Maia (1970)- http://flabbergasted-vibes.blogspot.com/2008/07/tim-maia-tim-maia-1970.html

26. Expresso 2222 - Gilberto Gil (1972)- http://bigfatsatanist.blogspot.com/2009/02/gilberto-gil-expresso-2222.html

27. Nós vamos Invadir Sua Praia - Ultraje a Rigor (1985)- http://hookfiles.blogspot.com/2009/06/ultraje-rigor-nos-vamos-invadir-sua.html

28. Roberto Carlos - Roberto Carlos (1971)- http://greathitslist.blogspot.com/2009/12/28-roberto-carlos-roberto-carlos-1971.html

29. Os Afro-Sambas - Baden Powell, Quarteto em Cy e Vinícius de Moraes (1966)- http://shhhpeaceful.blogspot.com/2010/01/baden-powell-vinicius-de-moraes-os-afro.html

30. A Dança da Solidão - Paulinho da Viola (1972)- http://originalpinheirosstyle.blogspot.com/2010/02/paulinho-da-viola-danca-da-solidao.html

31. Carlos, Erasmo - Erasmo Carlos (1970)- http://sacundinbenblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/erasmo-carlos-carlos-erasmo.html

32. Pérola Negra - Luis Melodia (1973)- http://sacundinbenblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/luiz-melodia-perola-negra.html

69. Samba Esquema Noise - Mundo Livre S/A (1994)- http://ouro-de-tolo.blogspot.com/2008/04/mundo-livre-sa-samba-esquema-noise-1994.html

70. Getz/Gilberto Featuring Antônio Carlos Jobim - Stan Getz, João Gilberto e Antônio Carlos Jobim (1963)- http://purple-treasurebox.blogspot.com/2009/06/stan-getz-joao-gilberto-getzgilberto.html

71. Noel Rosa e Aracy de Almeida - Aracy de Almeida (1950)- http://loronix.blogspot.com/2009/04/aracy-de-almeida-cancoes-de-noel-rosa.html

72. Jardim Elétrico - Os Mutantes (1971)- http://www.sombarato.org/node/1194

73. Angela Ro Ro - Angela Ro Ro (1979)- http://toque-musicall.blogspot.com/2009/01/angela-ro-ro-1979.html

74. Õ Blésq Blom - Titãs (1989)- http://mundoundergroundnet.blogspot.com/2010/03/titas-o-blesq-blom.html

75. Tim Maia - Tim Maia (1971)- http://umquetenha.org/uqt/?p=4289

76. A Bad Donato - João Donato (1970)- http://br-instrumental.blogspot.com/2006/03/joo-donato-bad-donato-1970.html

77. Canções Praieiras - Dorival Caymmi (1954)- http://www.vo2ov.com/Dorival-Caymmi-Can-es-Praieiras-1954-REPOST-_354295.html

78. Gilberto Gil - Gilberto Gil (1968)- http://loronix.blogspot.com/2007/08/gilberto-gil-gilberto-gil-1968.html

79. Álibi - Maria Bethânia (1978)- http://singersaintsrecords.blogspot.com/2008/02/alibi-maria-bethania.html

80. Gal Costa - Gal Costa (1969)- http://hellobazounga.blogspot.com/2009/06/gal-costa.html

81. Psicoacústica - Ira! (1988)- http://casaderocknacional.blogspot.com/2009/07/ira-psicoacustica-1988-download.html

82. O Inimitável - Roberto Carlos (1968)- http://poeiraecantos.blogspot.com/2007/10/roberto-carlos-o-inimitvel-1968.html

83. Matita Perê - Tom Jobim (1973)- http://umquetenha.org/uqt/?p=583

84. Qualquer Coisa/Jóia - Caetano Veloso (1975) http://loronix.blogspot.com/2008/02/caetano-veloso-qualquer-coisa-1975.html http://loronix.blogspot.com/2007/10/caetano-veloso-joia-1975.html

85. Jovem Guarda – Roberto Carlos (1965)- http://poeiraecantos.blogspot.com/2007/10/roberto-carlos-jovem-guarda-1965.html

86. Beleléu, Leléu, Eu - Itamar Assumpção e Banda Isca de Polícia (1980)- http://sombarato.org/node/108

87. Verde Anil Amarelo Cor de Rosa e Carvão - Marisa Monte (1994)- http://theblues-thatjazz.com/en/latin/373-marisamonte/664-rose-a-charcoal.html

88. Nada Como Um Dia Após O Outro Dia - Racionais MC’s (2002)- http://nacao-hiphop.blogspot.com/2009/08/racionais-mcs-nada-como-um-dia-apos-o.html

89. Carnaval na Obra - Mundo Livre S/A (1998)- http://sombarato.org/node/250

90. Quem é Quem - João Donato (1973)- http://greathitslist.blogspot.com/2009/03/90-joao-donato-quem-e-quem-1973.html

91. Cantar - Gal Costa (1974) -http://tuttsifruttsi.blogspot.com/2009/06/gal-costa-cantar-1974.html

92. Wave - Tom Jobim (1967)-http://tandemictextures.blogspot.com/2009/06/antonio-carlos-jobim-wave-1967-and-nova.html

93. Lado B, Lado A - O Rappa (1999)-http://www.mp3mp4mp5players.net/cd-o-rappa-lado-b-lado-a.html

94. Vivendo e Não Aprendendo - Ira! (1986)-http://www.mp3mp4mp5players.net/cd-o-rappa-lado-b-lado-a.html

95. Boces Bárbaros - Gil, Bethânia, Caetano e Gal (1976)-http://greathitslist.blogspot.com/2009/03/95-caetano-bethania-gal-gil-doces.html

96. A Sétima Efervescência - Júpiter Maçã (1996) - http://blogdogabbagabba.wordpress.com/?s=J%C3%BApiter+Ma%C3%A7%C3%A3

97. Araçá Azul - Caetano Veloso (1972)- http://musicadaminhagente.blogspot.com/2008/01/caetano-veloso-ara-azul-1972.html

98. Elis - Elis Regina (1972)-http://flabbergasted-vibes.blogspot.com/2009/03/elis-regina-elis-1973-320-kbs-aka.html

99. Revolução por Minuto - RPM (1985)- http://somdoroque.blogspot.com/2009/06/rpm-revolucoes-por-minuto-1985.html

100. Circense - Egberto Gismonti (1980)-http://jossa-blog.blogspot.com/2009/12/egberto-gismonti-circense-1980.html

Русская Венера

2010-04-14T00:38:00.008+01:00

Whenever I post pictures of women on this blog Mrs Kartoshka becomes agitated. Why? It's not jealousy - not one of them can hold a candle to her. It's because they are usually brunettes. Mrs Kartoshka is a blonde. The contempt with which blondes regard brunettes is monumental.

So- I have selected this picture for two reasons: because like Mrs Kartoshka she is a blonde, and because like Mrs Kartoshka she is a Russian Venus. I should point out however that Mrs Kartoshka is about 50kg with her hat and coat and boots on, whereas this lady is more generously built.

The painting is Русская Венера (Russian Venus) by Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev (Борис Михайлович Кустодиев:1878– 1927).
Kustodiev, who was known for illustration, stage and graphic design as well as his paintings, provides the link between traditional Russian realism and the classically influenced realism of the Soviet era. He studied under the great Russian painter Repin, who wrote I have great hopes for Kustodiev- praise indeed.
Kustodiev's political awareness was awakened by the 1905 Revolution, and he produced satirical works in response to those troubled times.
Themes of traditional Russian life filled his work, indeed the times that Kustodiev spent away from Russia (he studied in France and Spain and later went to Switzerland for medical treatment) strengthened his love of his homeland.
From 1916 onwards Kustodiev was paralyzed from the waist down by spinal tuberculosis.

Dave Pike plays Joao Donato-Bossa Nova Carnival-1962

2010-04-12T10:36:00.000+01:00

Dave Pike is a Detroit born vibraphonist.

He started out as a drummer, but taught himself to play vibes and marimba. He has made a number of albums influenced by Brazilian and Latin music.

Joao Donato is a Brazilian pianist/composer who has been active in the Bossa Nova genre from its earliest years.

As you can see the record also features trumpet legend Clark Terry and guitarist Kenny Burrell, both of whom were prominent practitioners of bebop .

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/372829381/Dave_Pike.rar

Italy 1990...

2010-04-09T16:28:00.003+01:00

Probably the worst, most tedious, bad-tempered Final in the history of the World Cup… Brian Glanville The Story of the World Cup.

The 1990 tournament had the lowest goals-per-match average of all World Cups. There were 115 goals, an average of 1 goal every 42.7 minutes.There was only one match where both teams scored more than one goal.
Defensive play dominated- The Republic of Ireland, for example, reached the quarter-finals despite scoring only 2 goals. They also did not win a single match outright. Both semi finals were decided on penalties.

Other features of the tournament were the high number of sendings off- 16, and a record number of penalty awards. Even the opener in which Cameroon defeated the holders Argentina was most memorable for the brutal play of the Cameroonians who were reduced to 9 men by the end.

The rules of the game were changed largely in response to this cynical, unpalletable fare- back passes to the goalkeeper were outlawed (ROI's game against Egypt, possibly one of the least interesting ever, saw goalkeeper Packy Bonner keeping the ball for 5 minutes),as was the tackle from behind.
The final was truly dreadful- Argentina didn't seem to want to play and the Germans, playing their third successive final, reacted theatrically to physical challenges. The crowd were hostile towards the Argentinians,who had defeated Italy in the semi final, and as the national anthem was jeered Maradonna could be seen muttering 'sons of bitches' in response. In the 65th minute, Argentina's Pedro Monzon was sent off for a foul on Klinsmann (who threw himself around like a fish in the bottom of a boat). Team-mate Gustavo Dezotti received the second red card of the game with four minutes left, by which time Brehme had scored the only goal of the game from the spot after the referee had awarded a soft penalty when Rudi Völler went down.

Away from football the early nineties were times of great change, and this tournament saw the last appearances of West Germany, USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
Italy discovered a hero in Salvatore ‘Totò’ Schillaci – the Juventus striker made his debut as substitute in the opening game against Austria and finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals- he only scored one further goal in his international career.

Cowboys #6 - The Bills

2010-04-07T09:51:00.006+01:00

In the colonial era when DR Congo was known as Zaire , Kinhasa as Leopoldville, a surprising youth culture emerged. There was racial segregation in the city, and most of the Africans were denied a decent education or any opportunity of improving their lot. In the late 1950's cinemas became very popular in the African quarter. Youths were inspired by Westerns, Buffalo Bill in particular because of his similarity to hunter heroes of Congolese tradition, and Charlton Heston especially for his portrayal of Bill in Pony Express.
The Bills, as they came to be known, were gangs of youths who adopted Western style dress and gave their patches names with a Western flavour, such as Santa Fe or Texas.
The photographs are by Jean Depara(1928-1997), an Angolan who cronichled many aspects of life in Zaire.

The Hallmarks of Sophistication...

2010-04-06T16:45:00.005+01:00

Back in the late 1960s I had some relations whose home was far more like the homes that you saw on TV or in the movies than our house was.
They had a colour TV, a 'studio couch' (without arms- coarse brown plaid fabric), dynamic looking lightshades, a 'hi-fi' with seperate loudspeakers (we had a radiogram), an aquarium, a shaggy rug, ice cubes...
I took all of these things to be the hallmarks of sophistication, signs that these people had somehow escaped from the austerity in which my branch of the family seemed terminally stuck.
But of these trappings the one that I have the strongest memory is the soda siphon.

Theirs was dark green (the model above dates from 1965). Funnily though, I don't think that anybody in the household drank. My cousin and I would play with it, shooting fizzing jets of disapointingly bland and dusty water into sturdy green pimpled tumblers. Other than that I don't think it ever got used.

We collected the empty gas capsules though, and employed them in our Airfix armageddons as weapons of mass destruction, which we ominously called Doom Bombs or Blockbusters.

Caetano Veloso (1968)

2010-04-03T11:57:00.003+01:00

During the course of his 43 year 30 plus studio album career Caetano Veloso has released 4 eponymous LPs (and one entitled Caetano). This 1968 record is an early example of Tropicália ,of which Caetano was one of the main originators. The music is an eclectic blend of bossa nova, Bahian music and more psychedelic influences such as Indian music.
Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/371471819/Caetano_Veloso.rar

Mexico 1986...

2010-04-02T10:54:00.008+01:00

I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came... I told them, Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it… Diego Maradona.

Who remembers the sinister star shaped shadow that haunted the centre circle of The Azteca stadium during June 1986?
In June 1974 FIFA chose Colombia to host the 1986 World Cup. However, in November 1982 Colombian authorities declared that they could not afford to stage the tournament, and Mexico was selected on 20 May 1983 as replacement , becoming the first nation to host two World Cups. In September 1985 A severe earthquake struck Mexico, but the World Cup went ahead as planned.
The final between Argentina and West Germany was the last World Cup game to be watched by a crowd of 100,000 plus.
As 1986 had been declared the International Year of Peace by the United Nations, the advertising boards of all the stadia displayed the FIFA and United Nations logos along with the legend "Football for Peace - Peace Year".
Three of the quarter finals were decided on penalties (shootouts having being introduced in 1982).
The fourth produced the remarkable sight of 1.65 m Maradona out jumping 1.85 m England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to punch the ball into the net. A few minutes later Maradona scored a goal that is often cited as the best ever. At the time I was convinced that the final touch had actually come from an England defender.
Manuel Negrete of Mexico scored an equally memorable goal:

Appearing in his second tournament Zidane scored his first World Cup goal…not Zinadine but his uncle, Djamel Zidane, who netted for Algeria against Northern Ireland.

On the world stage it was goodbye to Socrates and Zico, two players who will always rank amongst the greats.

Muriel?

2010-04-01T11:06:00.004+01:00

Fans of Tretchikoff might want to check out these stunning murals. Here's the Surface View blog. That's Wayne Hemingway there...Wayne is an English designer, founder of Red or Dead and author of Just Above The Mantelpiece: Mass-Market Masterpieces.

Cowboys #5

2010-03-31T09:02:00.001+01:00

Westerns, of course, were not only made in the USA. So, what comes next, a feature on Spaghetti Westerns? Later perhaps, but here is a strange Soviet/ Cuban collaboration from 1972.
Всадник без головы (The Headless Horseman)was based on a novel by the Irish-American adventure writer"Captain"Thomas Mayne Reid (1818 – 1883). The novel was an adaptation of a South Texas folk tale.

The movie was filmed in Cuba- local actors (dubbed from Spanish) playing the Hispanic carachters and the black slaves. The Caucasians and Native Americans are played by Soviet actors. Leading man (and Soviet heartthrob) Oleg Borisovich Vidov was born in Moscow in 1943. In 1985, he defected to the U.S. You'd have to go a long way to find a more handsome cowboy.

The past is a foreign country...

2010-03-30T09:01:00.004+01:00

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there
This is the opening line of The Go-Between ,a novel by L.P. Hartley (1895 – 1972), published in 1953.
I've decided to drop the Bossa Nova reference from the title of the blog because it was becoming misleading. There will still be Bossa Nova posts on here, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to source music that is not widely available on other sites (Loronix for example). This is not to suggest that Joao Kartoshka's love of Bossa Nova genre was insincere or fleeting, but rather that it was the tip of an iceberg in terms of his fascination for popular culture of the recent past.
I would hesitate to call this a nostalgia site, as we must remember
the development of new ideas and the quest for change is a positive force in life.

Time out...

2010-03-17T19:39:00.001Z

Spring is coming.

I'm off to see Mrs Kartoshka.

Sadly I don't think the weather will allow me to wear holiday threads like those modelled here by The Duke.

Spain 1982...

2010-03-17T19:36:00.001Z

If 1978 was about Mennoti and his cigarettes 1982 was, thanks to Enzo Bearzot, the year of the pipe.

Italy triumphed in the final against a lacklustre West German side despite missing a first half penalty. The Italians had overcome dire treatment from their press (accusations included players being involved in gay love affairs) and emerged from what is considered to be the original 'Group of Death' (second round group C saw them matched with Brazil and Argentina).

Most neutrals would have favoured Italy over a West Germany team who had introduced kung fu to the tournament in the shape of Schumaker's assault on Battison, and who in the opening phase had been involved in the darkest episode in World Cup history. In a match known as The Shame of Gijón West Germany and Austria colluded in providing a result that ensured they both progressed at the expense of Algeria.
Algeria had beaten West Germany 2–1 on the opening day, becoming the first African team to defeat European opponents at the World Cup. Now, when West Germany took a 1-0 lead against Austria, both teams gave up playing and spent 80 minutes aimlessly punting the ball to and fro.

El Salvador had a desperate time. The country was ravaged by civil war, and they arrived in Spain just 72 hours before their opener with Hungary. They had to borrow footballs from the Hungarian camp in order to train. Their manager advised them to take the game to Hungary. On this occasion attack was not the best form of defence, and they got on the end of a 10-1 defeat When Luis Ramírez Zapata (nicknamed El Pelé) had pulled it back to 5-1 his teammates were annoyed with his joyful celebrations, worried that the Hungarians would , in their anger, step up a gear. Their fears were realised to some degree when substitute Laszlo Kiss netted a seven minute hat trick.

Zico and Socrates featured for Brazil, two of the greatest players never to win the World Cup.

Stowaway...

2010-03-15T23:00:00.001Z

The blue-and-silver Walkman TPS-L2 (the first commercially available Walkman) went on sale in Japan on July 1, 1979.

This magazine ad comes from June 1980 (in the UK the Walkman was known as The Stowaway).It was not cheap (around £100, with a second set of headphones costing around £15 extra- the average weekly wage in the UK in 1980 was £110)