Monday, October 16, 2023

Unity, Strength, Resistance: 1968 - 2023


On this day in 1968 during the 200-meter race at the Mexico City Olympics US Olympic Team member Tommie Smith won the Gold Medal and his teammate Dr. John Carlos placed third.  After receiving their medals on the podium and standing for the US National Anthem, they both raised their fists — creating an iconic moment of political activism. 

The athletes were protesting the abuse of human rights in apartheid-era South Africa while displaying a show of solidarity with the struggle for civil rights in the United States. Organized as part of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, Smith and Carlos wanted to bring visibility to the oppression faced by many across the globe. The clenched or raised fist has often been used as a sign to express unity, strength, and resistance. 55 years on, Dr. John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s iconic protest remains a powerful call for social justice. Their message still resonates today. Let’s keep the dream alive and work towards the change they dared us to imagine all those years ago.



Glenn Kaino and Tommie Smith
With my Fist Raised High

Artist Glenn Kaino has collaborated with Tommie Smith to create several works of art using his iconic fist, which has ignited and sparked change throughout the world


Friday, October 13, 2023

Bono and The Edge: Tiny Desk Concert


I was a bit busy in March, so I missed this wonderful Tiny Desk Concert.
Catching up now -

Robin Hilton | March 17, 2023 It's hard to overstate the kindness and good-natured humor Bono and The Edge brought to the Tiny Desk. When they first arrived at the NPR Music offices, Bono spoke on an imaginary phone, "The talent's here! The talent's coming through," poking fun at their own fame, while carrying The Edge's guitar. (The Edge called Bono the best roadie he's ever had.) The two never stopped beaming, like two overjoyed newcomers thrilled at the chance to play for someone. The performance was a preview of U2's new album, Songs Of Surrender, featuring stripped-down versions of songs from across the band's catalog. To help pull off several reimagined songs from the 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, Bono and The Edge invited a teen choir from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., to join them. During rehearsals, Bono told the students to think of "Beautiful Day" as the kind of "post-drinking" singalong you'd bellow with friends after leaving a bar. He then quickly realized none of them are old enough to drink, before feigning a heart attack. Traveling without bassist Adam Clayton or drummer Larry Mullen Jr., Bono and The Edge made the trip from Ireland to the States specifically for the Tiny Desk, arriving in D.C. after five days of rehearsals at Bono's New York apartment. When they settled in for the performance, they treated the office to four songs, including a deeply emotional version of "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," written for the late INXS singer Michael Hutchence, and a reworked version of "Walk On," which Bono said was inspired by and dedicated to the people of Ukraine. SET LIST "Beautiful Day" "In a Little While" "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" "Walk On" MUSICIANS Bono: vocals The Edge: guitar, vocals Duke Ellington School of the Arts Choir: Petra Munter, Ayan Yacob, Kirsten Holmes, Jayla Norwood, Dyor Taylor, Jaylyn Pickney, Jevon Skipper, Joshua Jennings, Jordan Freeman Patrick Lundy: choir director Special thanks to: Sandi Logan (principal/HOS), Isaac Daniel (assistant principal) TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Bob Boilen Director: Joshua Bryant Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin Series Producer: Bobby Carter Editor: Maia Stern Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel, Michael Zamora Audio Assistant: Alex Drewenskus Production Assistant: Jill Britton Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galván VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann #nprmusic #tinydesk #u2 #bono #theedge

Cassiel's Song - Nick Cave


For obvious reasons - I have always loved this!