Saturday Evenings: Stay In, Sit Up and Switch On

It was National Poetry Day on Thursday 8^th October and my Twitter feed filled up quickly with a wide variety of contributions. There were examples of slam poetry and sonnets, or whatever you could cram into 140 characters. There were also several links to websites and blogs that convinced me that poetry was never dead as some doomsayers keep on claiming; it was simply taking a breather.

It also showed me that culture comes in different guises and shapes. A message that our current culture secretary, John Whittingdale, ought to heed. This is the person whose job is to decide upon the future of our British Broadcasting Corporation. He is the government minister in charge of a panel that will work on the renewal of the BBC’s royal charter. The problem here is that Mr Whittingdale has very fixed ideas about our publicly-funded broadcaster.

One of the criticisms hurled at the Beeb is that it has become a ratings-chasing machine in the last few years. It is not true, in my opinion. The BBC has to compete in a commercial market with money from the public purse. In order to justify this spending it has to be seen to cater to all tastes and that is hard to do. That is exactly what programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and the Great British Bake-Off offer. I might not be a fan of either, especially the former, but when I hear of millions of people tuning in on a weeknight to watch three people compete for the top prize in a cake-baking competition, my Cuban-made, London-moulded heart skips a beat with excitement.

At the centre of this discussion is the very visible pachyderm in the lounge: culture and our definition(s) of it. Sometimes it seems to me that we cannot agree on the brow position and whether it should be really high or very low. For centuries it was the elite, both political and social who decided what was considered culture and was not. But the last sixty-odd years have democratised culture somewhat. Radio, television, pop and rock and roll, the VCR and then the DVD, the internet, the Walkman and then the smartphone have levelled the playing field. Youth tribes are not as sharply divided as they were forty years ago. The person who listens to classical music is also likely to listen to A Tribe Called Quest. Even our Chancellor, George Osborne, wants to get in on the act, declaring a hitherto-hidden love for the music of NWA.

NWA: waxing lyrical for the pleasure of her Majesty's Chancellor

Because of this diversification it is futile to ask the BBC to be more “highbrow” when it comes to culture. “Auntie” is already highbrow enough but even this very definition of “highbrow” contradicts the nature of a broadcaster whose licence fee is paid by most members of British society, from a librarian to a Tesco shelf-stacker. What if the latter likes Puccini and the former Akram Khan? Should they both not be served equally?

It is clear to me that what is at stake in the BBC’s royal charter renewal is not its role in British life but on what side of the political spectrum the corporation is. The Beeb has always been seen as too left-wing even if it gave Cameron and co. an easy ride in the lead-up to the general election. Its independence is a thorn on the side for those in government who would like to see it working, Murdoch-style, for the Tories. I have my own gripes with the BBC: too much money is wasted on “consultants” and “middle-managers” (or "bureaucrats" as I prefer to call them), it lacks a dedicated arts channel like Sky Arts and exposure to its daytime television programming might make a very ill person want to get back to work the next day even if they are on a full-body cast and have spent the night before retching their guts out. However, despite these petty grievances, every month I pay my licence fee with pleasure, knowing that there are not that many broadcasters that boast shows such as Have I Got News for You, Jools Holland and Never Mind the Buzzcocks and countless well-researched and expertly-presented nature and travel documentaries.

On National Poetry Day it was BBC Radio Four Twitter feed that gave me some of the better laughs. The biggest winner, I imagine, was culture, neither highbrow nor lowbrow, but rich.

© 2015

Next Post: “Living in a Multilingual World”, to be published on Wednesday 14^th October at 6pm (GMT)

Tiempo Libre's "Secret Radio" (Review)

Like catching the last train home after a night out on the town. That’s how you’re left feeling after listening to three-time Grammy-nominated Cuban music combo Tiempo Libre’s latest album “Secret Radio”. A warm and pleasant sensation, as if you’ve just had the best ball ever.

Coming hot on the heels of their experimental and ground-breaking “Bach in Havana”, a series of compositions by the late German musician given a Latin makeover, Tiempo Libre returns to their familiar timba sound. Theirs is a powerful mix of foot-tapping Afro-Cuban rhythms with layers of intense and sophisticated jazz. The album’s leitmotif is memory as the band members reminisce upon their adolescent years in ‘special period’ Cuba when US radio stations were still frowned upon by the Cuban government. In its eleven tracks “My Secret Radio” tells the immigrant’s story – from the homemade aluminium aerials with which youngsters tried to catch bits and pieces of music from Miami-based radio stations to the shock of starting life in a new country.

There are a few distinguished guests in the record, too. This proves Tiempo Libre’s mass appeal. The band has appeared at prestigious venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Jazz at Lincoln Centre, the Ravinia Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. No wonder the likes of Albita Rodriguez and Rachelle Fleming had no second thoughts about collaborating with the seven musicians. The former turns up on “Como Hace Años” (Just Like Years Ago), a mellow, soft little number which is a departure from the band’s emblematic, hard-hitting timba. Rachelle guests on “After the Love is Gone”, a cha-cha-cha version of the chart-topper by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Another outstanding song is the instrumental “Aceite” (Oil). This is a tribute to Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie, two of the key figures in the development of Latin jazz. Like its predecessors, “Arroz con Mango”, “Lo Que Esperabas” and the aforementioned “Bach in Havana”, “Secret Radio” boasts excellent arrangements, solid musicianship and great artistic direction. Enough to leave you with that tingling sensation you get when you come back from a concert late at night and you can’t stop humming the closing number.

© 2011

Next Post: “Sunday Mornings: Coffee, Reflections and Music”, to be published on Sunday 25th September at 10am (GMT)

Bach in Havana (Review)

We will never know if Bach would have picked up a conga drum had he been around nowadays, but we can be pretty certain that given his penchant for experimentation, the famous German composer would probably have dabbled in a little bit of Latin fusion. And just to prove this point Tiempo Libre has released an excellent record where they have mixed Bach's timeless tunes with a powerhouse Cuban sound.

What at first might look like an odd pairing soon becomes a seductive offer from a band that has been twice nominated for the Grammy. 'Bach in Havana' is an electrifying 11-track album that travels the musical diapason of that Caribbean island.

'Tu Conga Bach', the first song of the record and based on the Fugue for C Minor, starts with the brass section ushering in an array of instruments such as: percussion, bass, drums and cowbells. Maybe if Scheibe had heard this he would never have famously accused Bach of removing the beauty of harmony.

The Sonata in D Minor is reworked as a tasty cha-cha-cha. Then, on the third track, Air on a G String, the first guest appears and he is none other than Mr Paquito D'Rivera, saxophonist par excellence. He provides an exquisite solo sax that would not have been out of place in 18th century Germany.

The overall production and arrangements are exquisite and the group clearly has a great deal of appreciation for Johann's music. 'Olas de Yemaya' (Yemaya's Waves), based on the Prelude in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier book, sounds like a mournful lament blending the bata drums with the piano.

Tiempo Libre's latest offering represents not just the new generation in Cuban music: risk-taking, irreverent and experimental, but also they symbolise the endurance of classical music throughout the centuries and the ways in which it can be reinterpreted for contemporary audiences.

Copyright 2009

Next Post: 'Song for a Summer Sunday Morning' to be published on Sunday 12th July at 10am (GMT)