Saturday, September 16, 2023

Entertainments

A Concert: Shakti's 50th Anniversary Tour

The fusion music of the group Shakti featured at a concert at our local concert space, Hill Auditorium that we attended last Thursday. The University Musical Society of the University of Michigan presents a whole series of concerts each year: this was the first of the 2023-2024 season. The Shakti musicians are: John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Ganesh Rajagopalan, and Selvaganesh Vinayakram. The opener by Béla Fleck was also great.

Béla Fleck getting ready to play the banjo. I loved his version of “Rhapsody in Blue.”

Shakti — fantastic music! It’s Indian. It’s rock music. It’s indescribable.



A New Classic Film: Barbie


When Barbie drinks, there's no water in the cup -- it's all pretend play!


 A Ghost Story: Silver Nitrate

Silvia Moreno-Garcia really knows how to write scary stories!
Silver Nitrate is fun to read. Detailed review NOW HERE.

Remembering Fernando Botero (1932-2023)

Fernando Botero, "Mona Lisa," 1979. (source)

Fernando Botero, the Columbian artist, died this week. I remember him especially for his parodies of Mona Lisa. His obituary in the LA Times said that his "depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world." (source)
UPDATE:  I posted a more detailed summary of the man and his work HERE.

 Fernando Botero, "Mona Lisa, Age 12," 1959. (source)

The NY Times described one of his early successes: 

"In 1961, the New York curator Dorothy Miller bought a Botero work, “Mona Lisa, Age Twelve,” for the Museum of Modern Art. It was a surprising choice, since Abstract Expressionism was then the rage, and Mr. Botero’s sketchy portrait of a chubby-cheeked child seemed out of place. It was placed on exhibit while the original Mona Lisa was being shown uptown, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art." (source)

Reviews and photos © 2023 mae sander.
Shared with Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz.
Shared on Monday with Elizabeth's Blog Party.


18 comments:

  1. A FB friend and author saw the movie Barbie six times before finally buying it. Some fan! Scenes were shot in or reminded her of Palm Springs, where she has a condo. What a life!

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  2. Barbie takes me by surprise in its popularity, maybe because I never grew up with a Barbie doll. I'll probably eventually try to watch it to see if I like it. You have some really different subjects from each other to read about, all very interesting.

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  3. The concert is something I would enjoy. Fernando Botero's art is quite unique and Barbie makes me think of my sisters when we were kids. They had Barbie and her mobile, it's strange to see that the movie is very popular. Have a good weekend.

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  4. That concert looks a like a wonderful and memorable experience.

    I really liked Barbie. I'm looking forward to seeing it again when it's available streaming or on DVD.

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  5. I would be interested in your thoughts about the Barbie movie. Thanks for your good wishes for the New Year and wishing the same to you.

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  6. I've seen Bela Fleck in concert, and he's fantastic. And I went to see Barbie this week. What a fun movie. I wonder how the actors managed to keep a straight face while filming? hugs-Erika

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  7. A couple of friends wanted to see the Barbie movie, so we decided to join in with the pink fun and see it. I thought it was visually amazing.

    I've heard very good things about Silver Nitrate, but I'm pretty sure that it is too scary for me.

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  8. You have managed to find varuious items to share today. I really LIKE the images created by Fernando Botero, who I had never heard of before.

    I never had a Barbie, nor was I interested in anything Barbie. I was surprised at how well this film has been reviewed. Thanks for sharing it (and your other lovely entries) with us for T this week, Mae.

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  9. Oh, I'll bet that concert was fun. I heard Bela Fleck once years ago.

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  10. Interesting array of entertainments! The shakti concert looks like it was incredible, and I wish I could have been there. I'm also kind of dying to see the Barbie movie, but have a hunch that I'll need to watch it on my own in dribs and drabs after everyone else has headed to bed. The book sounds interesting, but horror is something I try to avoid. We'll see. It does sound pretty darn interesting...

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  11. Oh I had not heard that Fernando Botero, had passed. Thanks for letting us know. I bet that was a great concert. Have a great evening.

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  12. I like the first Mona Lisa but not the child version.

    I love me some banjo!

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  13. I was presented with one Barbie and a bubble bath for her.
    She had but that one bath, dolls are not for me.
    But when one day it´s on TV I might watch.

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  14. The perfect choice of actors for the Barbie movie, I haven't seen it yet though. Happy T Day! Elle xx

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  15. I haven't seen the Barbie movie yet. Hoping it will go to one of the streaming services (I get). I hadn't heard of Fernando Botero, but the chubby Mona Lisa made me smile. Happy T Day

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  16. I have only seen Bela Fleck in TV, but he was great. I don't think I will watch Barbie! Happy T Day, Valerie

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