First video of 2008

Trieste, 3:15AM, 1st of January 2008. Cinematic!
Someday i'll learn how to lower the volume on my videos so you can actually make out what's going on. I could also try to learn how to keep a camera straight while i'm drunk, but that would be hoping for a bit too much.

The more things change, the more they are a meme.

Location: Home, Sofa. The phone rings.
Me: Hey.
Him: Hey R., what are you doing tonight?
Me: It's funny you should ask. I was indeed planning on drinking myself to partial insanity. I was going to do it alone and already have a head start but you're most welcome to join me if you are so inclined.
Him: Um, well, actually we were going out with some friends and wanted to know if you want to come with us...
Me: Can i bring my beers?

2'48" in Guča

Sorry, had uploaded this two weeks ago but forgot to link it here. Original text so you don't have to go over to its respective youtube page (and so i can finish this and go off to a party in time):

Recorded on thursday, August 9th 2007 at 22:48, at the trumpeter monument of Guča. Clearly visible are Sandro, Johannes, Dave, a glimpse of Derf, and Chuketti's hat.

...is off again.

Once again, i'm leaving. Once again, to a festival. Once again, to a festival like no other.
And it also seems that in each of these festivals i have and will show a different face. In Rototom Sunsplash it was the face of the translator and bon viveur. At ItaliaWave it was that of the webeditor and music enthusiast (and, surprisingly, of the good team worker). In Guča, it will be that of the anthropologist and drunkard.
If you've clicked the link, you should already have seen that the previous sentence is thoroughly justified. However, it is my pleasure to leave you with this 1951 recording made by Alan Lomax during his travels through Serbia:
Library of Traditional and Primitive Music - Frula Duet(Serbia) (128kps mp3, 1.5Mb)
I dare you to figure out the tempo, especially in the final section. Anyone who succeeds wins a prize.

So, anyway. I'll be away for a week or more. This time i can't promise updates, because who knows when and where i'll be finding an internet connection. What i have done is to put a twitter update on the sidebar. I'll try to update that (from my cellphone) just to reassure people that i'm still alive.

Update attempt

Once again, i'm going to try to write an update while i pack my bags and prepare for Greater Things. There's quite a lot to say so i'll proceed with bulletpoints, which are instrumental in hiding the fact that none of the things we'll be talking about have any connection with each other whatsoever.

• So, what's going on? Simple, i'm leaving for four days of rest and relaxation at Rototom Sunsplash. I don't have to interview anyone, i don't have to translate anything, i just have to chillax.
• Why the Sunsplash? Well, i was invited. A former employer of mine works there and offered me free entry and stay. Of course i couldn't refuse.
• What did you do for this guy to make him display such generosity? The guy in question is Alberto Castelli and what I did is translate a book for him. Yes, that's what sort of kept me from blogging in the first four or five months of the year.
• A book? What book? The book is called Solid Foundation - An Oral History of Reggae, by David Katz. It's a great book, in that it relies on voices of the genre's authentic originators to tell it's history. The italian title is Raccontare il Reggae - La storia del reggae narrata dai suoi protagonisti, a title which may or may not have been chosen by yours truly, i can't really remember and can't be bothered to check my email archives. But we'll be hearing more about this when the book comes out.
• And when, pray tell, is it coming out? This Thursday! Alberto, David Katz and myself will be presenting it at the Sunsplash, within a series of lectures called Reggae University. Please note that my participation to the event will very probably be limited to waving my hand from the front row if and when my name is mentioned.
• Can I come? Well, sure, if you feel like buying the ticket to the Sunsplash. It's no big deal, really. I'd like it more if you just went ahead and bought the book. In italian.
• In italian? Ugh. Well yeah, in italian, although i'll be the first to tell you the english edition is closer to reality, has a richer vocabulary and the beautiful colorful expressions of the interviewees. If you buy the italian edition though, people might take notice of the bloke indicated as translator on the second page and give him more jobs. Or not, but you can let me dream in the meantime.
• So, what was it like to translate this book? It was fun, hectic, tiring and taught me to cope with my deadlines. Ok, it tried. The main thing is that for all my life i've been complaining about poorly translated books, so this was my chance to start setting things straight. I hope to have many, many more such chances. Plus working on a topic which interests me was fantastic, translating the chapters on ska and rocksteady was a ball. There are all kind of interesting tidbits in this book, such as Don Drummond's nutritional habits, how Max Romeo became a singer, and the real reason Bob Marley's so important.
• Cool! Can you tell me? Nope, buy the bloody book. Ok, i'll copypaste some of the funny bits in future posts from time to time, just to keep some hype on the publication. i'm such a sell-out.
• So, now you're going to the festival and then you'll be back home and everything's back to normal, right? Nope again. A night's rest at home on saturday, and then i'm off to Italia Wave, where i'll be working as a sort of web editor-like animal thingy. And seeing loads of bands. And delivering a brief lecture at the WaveCamp. And cheering Trabant for their main stage appearance. But we'll talk about all of those things when i'm back, i'm sort of busy packing right now and it feels like there's still a grillion things to do.
• Ok, see you later I guess. I'll be trying to update the blog with things i've seen or heard around the festival as much as possible. It's gonna be fun and i hope to share some of that fun with my readers. Reader. Whatever.

Ok, i've got about an hour before my bus to Udine leaves, so i'd better cut this nonsense out. Just have to pack the tuna, have a bite, and i'm out.
Oh, i'll have a little present when i get back. Stay tuned.

A splendid time is guaranteed for all...

Here's that announcement i'd mentioned... All readers are invited, of course. We'll make up an excuse for celebration on the way up. Over forty people are already expected, so feel free to pop by.
Tnx to Chuk@Tea for creating the flyer!

Old and familiar faces 4 - Derf

Time: late january
Place: Here.

Her: Robin, can i ask you a question?
Me: (sensing danger) Sure.
Her: You always used to hang out with Fred, didn't you?
Me: Yes, that's true.
Her: (shyly) Well...why don't you hang out with him anymore?
Me: I think that would have something to do with him studying and bartending in Oxford now.
Her: Oh.

Coincidentally at the exact same time, in Oxford:
Time: Morning
Location: A pub where Derf is bartending.

Customer: I have a terrible hangover, give me a double whisky.
Derf: Are you sure that's a good idea?
Customer: No, but if i add this aspirin...

(Both are true stories. Aren't they all? Derf will, however, be returning to these lands later today -and had already been here in spring- and an interesting announcement from both of us is forthcoming.)

Final quote of the night

Him: I slept too much, i need to go to drink.
Me: ...
Him: No wait, it was the other way around.