Kentucky Derby

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Jolie Blon

Here we go with the "I Gotta know" mania and it is all because of a Mary Chapin Carpenter song, "Down At The Twist and Shout" and all things cajun, Louisiana, and in the news.  In the lyrics one verse says:

Bring your mama, bring your papa, bring your sister too
They got lots of music and lots of room
When they play you a waltz from 1910
You gonna feel a little bit young again
Well you learned to dance with your rock'n'roll
You learned to swing with a do-si-do
But you learn to love at the fais-so-do
When you hear a little Jolie Blon

Now I did square dancing so I know about a do-si-do, but what is "fais so do" and "Jolie Blon"?  It turns out that a fais so do is a cajun dance party and Jolie Blon is the Cajun Waltz.  The oldest known recording of Jolie Blon is in 1929 but its roots go much deeper into the past.  The links hee take you to some truly interesting reading about the historical roots of the Acadians who moved from Canada to Louisiana in the 1700s. Now Louisiana has two great musical traditions of the Acadian folk music and Jazz that grew out of both free and slave blacks.

If you haven't been watching the HBO series Treme (pronounced Tre May) you are missing out on some fantastic music, a great story of memorable characters about a city rising from disaster. Now years after one tragedy still mired in politics, Louisiana confronts a new disaster as oil moves in to the Delta.

5 On Friday - Mark Knopfler

Trav at Trav's Thoughts has a Five on Friday meme on his blog where you pick five songs to share with your friends. You can choose a theme or just pick random songs. Create a playlist at Playlist.com or use any type of media.

This week I'm featuring Mark Knopfler.  He is not only a great guitarist who can play any genre from the rock of Dire Straits to the country duets with Emmy Lou Harris, but a great songwriter of sensitive and interesting lyrics.  Here is just a small sample.

Sometimes Something Wonderful

All Bloggers tend to be people who are comfortable wandering around the internet looking for stuff and nonsense.  They blog; they are on Facebook; they have an acount on You Tube; and they TWEET.  One of the nice things about Twitter is that the famous mix with the hoi paloi that they may or may not follow. Have I lost you yet with the follow or not follow?  Well today, David Tennant let the twitterers know that Grat Performances has posted Hamlet on line.

Now David Tennant is best known in the US for several seasons  as the tenth Doctor Who, and I will admit to being an addict to Doctor Who though the Eleventh seems to be turning out well.  Today on Twitter he showed his chops as an ACTOR and why he was so good as Doctor Who with a little number for the Royal Shakespear Company as the title character in HAMLET on PBS Great Performances shown on Wednesday and now on line for several years at:  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/hamlet/watch-the-film/980/

You will now be able to bring your children to see Shakespeare as Shakespear was meant to be done even in a modern setting with  17th century language.  If  you want to see some of the more sensational scenes go here http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/28/david-tennant-patrick-stewart-hamlet/

Either way or either link ... The slings and arrows await not to mention sleep perchance to dream or shuffliling off the mortal coil ....Go get greatness.