Done (?)

I finished my M.A. paper yesterday, totally thanks to Shewara. I am graduating on the 18th, only to start more school again in August, but I can feel accomplished for now.

Maybe I will have more time to update this? Major restructuring is in the works.

Mas Que Nada

Last year, the Black Eyed Peas and legendary Brazilian pianist Sergio Mendes collaborated to produce Mas Que Nada, a samba/hip-hop fusion that was fairly popular in the US and around the world.



Mas Que Nada is one of my all-time favorite songs - but not this version. In my opinion, the BEPs completely ruined it, and it's been done a lot better both by its original author, as well as some other amateurs who've mixed up their own versions. Most Americans are familiar with Mendes' classic version of the song, produced by his band Brasil '66 over forty years ago. This version of the song is the most well-known Brazilian song in the United States.



But what most people don't know is that Mendes is not the person originally responsible for the song. That honor would go to legendary musician Jorge Ben Jor, who despite writing Mas Que Nada (as well as Taj Mahal, whose tune would later be stolen by Rod Stewart for "If You Think I'm Sexy"), is not very well-known in the United States. Ben wrote the song in 1963, and only three years later Mendes picked it up and launched his career with it. Ben's style is much more fast-paced and rhythm-infused that Mendes' piano, and in my opinion makes for much better jamming.



But what has always amazed me about this song is, despite its origins, how often it has been copied and adapted to different styles. You can solo-it real slow, like this talented girl from Hawai'i:



This guy made an even slower and more soothing version. Keep in mind no version of the song with this rhythm and flow to it has ever been professionally produced - he's just deriving it from the considerably faster and dancier versions already out there:



Or mix it up a little, like this Filipino couple:



Or hand it over to an Australian a capella group:



I think one of the signs of a great songwriter is the ability to construct a tune that will not only be remembered, but can be adapted and re-made depending on the needs and wishes of different artists. Jorge Ben has done just that with this song, and most of his other songs are the same way. Great stuff.

100 Movies of 2007: 87-100

Mission accomplished!

87. To Catch a Thief (USA, 1955)
88. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (France, 1989)
89. Marjoe (USA, 1972)
90. Don't Look Back (USA, 1967)
91. Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood for Love) (China, 2000)
92. Hairspray (USA, 1988)
93. The Simpsons Movie (USA, 2007)
94. The Kingdom (USA, 2007)
95. Knocked Up (USA, 2007)
96. Ocean's Thirteen (USA, 2007)
97. The White Cliffs of Dover (USA, 1944)
98. Balls of Fury (USA, 2007)
99. I Soliti Ignoti (Big Deal on Madonna Street) (Italy, 1958)
100. La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (The Passion of Joan of Arc) (France, 1928)

100 Movies of 2007: #85-86

Looking for Langston

(USA, 1988)

















Notorious

(USA, 1946)

100 Films of 2007: #84

Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle)

France, 1970

100 Films of 2007: #82-83

Captivity

USA, 2007
















Hable con Ella (Talk to Her)

Spain, 2002

Hell Week Is Over!

I managed to survive my week from hell. I had a conference to attend, a class to run, an exam to take, and a GRE to school - and survived it all with most of my sanity where I left it. I'm happy that now I can start to concentrate on the more important things, like the actual papers I need to write and the professors I need to email. I was actually rather proud of my GRE performance, if for no other reason than I managed to integrate my personal politics into my "present your views on a topic" portion of my essay. I know, I rock like that.

I'm also pretty excited for this weekend - tomorrow is a football day, Wisconsin vs. Michigan followed immediately by Illinois vs. Ohio State, so my two alma maters have chances to beat my least favorite two schools. That football time will be sandwiched between a trip to the St. Vinny's record sale (L and I need to expand our Mario Lanza collection), and then dinner at K's apartment at night. Then on Sunday I may see an African film or two at the Afro-Cuban film fest.