What is the Eurovision Song Contest? Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open Continue Reading
Music
Road to Eurovision 2018: Week 4 – Australia, Denmark, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Malta
What is the Eurovision Song Contest? Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open Continue Reading
All the ghosts in her machine: Annie Lennox RetroSpective
When it comes to pop artists with a brilliantly, brashly (in the best possible sense) distinctive personality, a mesmerising grasp on their own musical artistry, stellar ability as a singer and songwriter and a willingness to give it all (almost) up and devote most of their time to campaigning Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2018: Week 3 – FYR Macedonia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Switzerland
What is the Eurovision Song Contest? Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open Continue Reading
Taking things literally: Movie scenes paired with word-perfect songs
There are some amazing soundtracks out there. Meet Joe Black, The Shape of Water, Call Me By Your Name and Mission to Mars are but a few of my favourites, and of course, anything by John Williams, Hans Zimmer or Alexandre Desplat instantly provides the most amazing mood and Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2018: Week 2 – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland
What is the Eurovision Song Contest? Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open Continue Reading
Now this is music #105: Loma, Django Django, Jesse Saint John, Becky & The Birds, Bonsai Mammal
Do not be one of the great banal unwashed. That should be the creed for every last one of us, but as we know all too well from the swelling ranks of conservative, unthinking herds around us, not everyone wants to push that envelope, avant that garde and sit Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2018: Week 1 – Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium
What is the Eurovision Song Contest? Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open Continue Reading
Cinema sounds: My three current favourite soundtracks (Black Panther, Call Me By Your Name, The Shape of Water)
Soundtracks are knitted into the soul of every movie you see. Often well done, sometimes not, but where they work, and work superbly, they add immeasurable depth, breadth and spine-tingling, soul-stirring emotion to a film, augmenting stellar performances by the cast. elevating key plot points and ensuring that, Continue Reading
All aboard! What’s happening with Eurovision 2018? (update 2)
Time is tick-tick-tocking on with the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 less than 2 months away! Preparations at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, where Portugal will host its first ever Contest after Salvador Sobral won with the exquisitely-beautiful “Amar pelos dois (Loving For Both of Us)”, are well under way as Continue Reading