MisterBryans

The Atocha Bombings

On the plane ride over to Spain i was reading a history of El Qaeda called The Looming Tower, (great book) so passing through Atocha station it was impossible not to think of that horrible day in Madrid in March of 04 when so many people were killed and wounded by backpack bombs filled with nails that were set off by cell phones.

Coincidentally - or maybe not so - today the Spanish courts convicted most of the people accused of carrying out these acts. They received prison sentences ranging from 34,000 to 43,000 years.

Bringing Lenny Breau Back To Where He Belongs

Not really feeling like working much today, i wandered over to Ouimet's blog for the latest CBC blah blah, only to find myself pondering one of Canada's most celebrated jazz musician, (after Oscar Peterson) the late great guitarist Lenny Breau.

Quimet had a post about a blog called The Book of Don, by Don Young, a documentary producer who worked throughout the CBC radio network in the glory days of Peter Gzowski, Morningside and all the great things that the CBC Radio stood for in the 80's.

Don is presently in Winnipeg to pitch a doc about a group of local musicians who are trying to bring Lanny Breau's body back from LA, where he died in mysterious circumstances back in 84.

And if you're asking WHO the hell is Lenny Breau ? You've just made my point. Lenny Breau was one of the greatest guitar players ever.

Ever. 

He was our Clapton, our Hendrix. But no Hall of Fame for Lenny. Instead he lies buried in a pauper's grave on hooker row in L.A. -- dead these past 23 years.

Murdered.  Buried.  Forgotten.  Shame on us.

...............................................................

My angle on Lenny ?  Let's bring him home. 

Let's get him the fuck out of that pauper's grave and BRING HIM HOME to Winnipeg. 

I am determined to do a little film about a grassroots movement of local guitar players who are lobbying and agitating and shit disturbing to get Lenny OUT of that distant Yankee grave and brought home to be given the honour and respect he is due.

I never saw Lenny Breau play live, but when i arrived in Toronto in the 70's, his name was at the tip of everyone's tongue who knew real music. He could play jazz, country, flamenco rock and funk like nobody, but he had a troubled life (heroin) and never quite saw the success his talent promised him.

Here a Wikipedia entry

New Latino Radio Show on CIUT 89.5FM

It's called Dos Mundos, hosted by Sergio Emir of ondashispanas.com, and it airs on Tuesdays at 12 noon to 2pm.

Sergio wants his show to....

connect the dots between North and South, Classic and Contemporary and try to shine a big light on our local Latino community of artists and musicians....playing everything from Hip-Hop en Español, to Punk-Latino to Reggae, Salsa, Jazz, Cumbia and so much more.

This coming Tuesday (the 6th) is the annual CIUT fund-raiser, so tune into Sergio's new show and pledge the station some money.

it's great to see CIUT FM back in the business of promoting all the varieties of Latino cultures that exist in the mighty TO.

Interactivo in London November 8th

(Illustration by Nelson Ponce Sanchez from the H Magazine)

It's their first gig together since Cubadisco of 06.

All of Interactivo (minus Yusa) will be performing a show at La Floridita in London next Thursday November 8th.

Called the Best of the Cuban Music Awards Show of 2007, the night will feature all of the principals of Interactivo ie pianist extraordinaire Roberto Carassés, singers William Vivanco and Francis del Rio plus Telmary, along with Rodney Barreto, Elmer Ferrar and several Havana músicos whom I don't know.

Given how much influence this one gathering of musicians have had on the whole alternative music movement in Cuba, this should be an amazing evening.

You can book your tickets at the website here.

Update: I am reprimanded (gently) by Chad to point out that the above show is in London, England, not London, Ontario...which (Update#2) will make me sound less like a Toronto-is-the-centre-of-the-Universe" type person for reasons that escape me due to jetlag.

The Train in Spain

Ending my 14 hour marathon from Sevilla to Toronto in the chaos of Union Station at rush hour was an unnecessary reminder of how much better the Spanish are at transporting their citizens.

The picture above, of the garden in the middle of the Atocha station in Madrid, gives some idea of not only the scale of the building but also how much care and resources the Spanish put into making public transportation a user friendly experience.

And the AVE, the hi-speed train between Madrid and Sevilla? 

Imagine the train to Montreal from Toronto (the, er...Rapido) costing about $100.00 CAD, taking 2 and 1/2 hours, sporting comfy seats and TV entertainment, and making the sound of a whisper.

Unlock your Phones!!

First of all, if you are on Telus or Bell Mobility, get out of your plans as soon as possible. Go with Rogers or Fido.

Second of all, find a local phone seller who can 'unlock" your phone. It costs between 15 and 30 dollars depending on your phone, (more if you have a blackberry). Unlocking is neither illegal, nor dangerous to the phone, all it does is change the phones internal codes (geeky stuff) to allow you to transport your cell phone from one service to the next.

it also allows you to take your phone travelling with you and get a local phone number, thus avoiding usurious roaming charges.

Fido sold me a Nokia E62 which is 'un-unlockable', so i bought a refurbished unlocked Blackberry for $100 CAD. In Spain, I got a SIM Card which gave me a Spanish phone number, with a pay as you go plan that meant that when i ran out of minutes I would go to a local store where they recard (recardar) your phone, which is the equivalent of gassing up.

Here's a local service in Toronto which explains more about unlocking.

As I was learning about this stuff before i left for Sevilla, I saw the iPhone 'live' for the first time. it's a beautiful instrument that changes forever the possibilities of a mere 'telephone' - mainly because the whole thing is a screen.

Telmary's New Video For "Que Equivica'o"

Off To Spain

I'm headed to Seville (by way of Madrid) for the WOMEX conference that starts Wednesday evening. Telmary is doing a show there on Saturday and *theoretically* all the right European agents see her, love her show, and book her in a million European festivals for 2008.

I'll do my best to post some interesting tidbits - although these types of music conferences are exhausting (non stop blah blah with 2500 people) - and the most interesting bits are often the things one cant really post on a blog.

But we will see.

Verlia Speaks

We listen

Welll....It is that time of year where we ask you, the listeners, to show your support by calling 416-598-8810 and make a monetary donation to the station.

I am asking all the supporters and listeners to call Limin' this Wednesday to show how much you love what I do every Wednesday on CKLN. Think about it my brothers and sisters.... Calypso Music, Soca Music, African People music in Toronto, Canada during the week (Wednesday), from 11am until 2pm (buh how she does keep she job???)

I am making 2 CDs this year. From the responses I got from listeners, people want a Cd that features loving and empowering African peoples. I am still struggling with the next CD. Ah get dat people want de Double Entendre thing and then I get the groovy Soca thing. I have not made up my mind on that.

Anyway, despite what second CD I make, this is about YOU showing your support of CKLN and what we do.

I also want to say that we have lost an amazing brother last week. That man's name is Milton Blake and I need to let all of you know that he was one of the reasons why I got on CKLN. His show called Musical Triangle was my inspiration of what an African Music show MUST sound like. He played reggae music from Jamaica and African countries. He played Calypso/Soca music. He played Jazz/Blues music. He played soul music. He played Hi Life, Cadance, Zouk, Salsa. And then he gave us words for us to think about for our week ahead.

I am dedicating my Fundfest show to Milton Blake on Wednesday from 11am - 2pm. Please call 416-598-8810 and pledge to show your support. Lets us show them that Calypso/Soca music is beautiful!! WE Music RULES!!

If you only have access to the inerne tplease go to CKLN 88.1FM, no probs!! Go to www.ckln.fm and make your pledge!!

See you Wednesday!!

Verlia

Adonis In Hollywood!

(Good sounding headline eh?)

Adoins Puentes has relocated to the west coast of California and is gigging there.

His Next show is on Tuesday October 23, 2007 at The King King
6555 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 Tel: (323) 960-5765 www.kingkinghollywood.com