First, David Bowie died. I was shocked when
I read the news, but not emotionally affected until I watched a YouTube video
of him singing with Tina Turner that made me weep. He was hugely influential,
and incredibly stylish; I think he made a lot with a rather limited talent. In
interviews he seems bright and funny. I feel so sad for his bereaved friends
and family. What a sad day it was that day. Remember “the day the music died?”
Then Alan Rickman and René Agnélil on the
same day.
I greatly admire Alan Rickman and his
career; he is the consummate gentleman’s actor. I have not seen a wide range in
his roles but reading Daniel Radcliff’s eulogy to him, I despaired over the
loss of a magnificent, old-school, British, capital-A acting giant.
Mr. Agnélil’s death really saddened me as I
am a Québec-o-phile and he featured so large in the careers of Ginette Reno,
René Simard and Céline Dion.
I had the good fortune to be exposed to a curated
vision of la culture musicale Québécois through l’Hibou, a cabaret in Ottawa
that was my cultural centre when I was working for the government. There, I
succumbed to singers such as Edith Butler, Pauline Julienne and the spectacular
McGarrigle sisters.
Once smitten, I started watching local
talent on TV and I melted at first sight of two kids who were introduced to
Québéc audiences on TV: René Simard and Céline Dion.
They sang hymns and folksongs from Québéc. Everyone
in Québéc fell in love with them and René Agnélil was behind them both. Céline
enraptured me with her mixture of incredible talent, awkward shyness, bad teeth
and big, big dreams. Mr. Agnélil mortgaged his home to advance her career.
I am not as much of a fan of Céline’s music
since she has became a megastar, but I still love the woman to bits. And sometimes
I cringe in her interviews. Still, I am committed to her, especially when she
sings in French. Her brother, Daniel, is also dying of cancer right now. I feel
for her and her family.
I listen to a radio station all day based
in Lyon, France. They have been playing Céline non-stop. France is grieving for
Canada’s greatest musical ambassador, whereas here in Vancouver there is greater
pain evident for the dearly departed Mr. Severus Snape.
•
Okay, I may be wrong, but I believe it’s
the coat.
On this blog I wrote a post last summer
about how creepy it is walking on the seawall due to the psychopaths who ride
in the pedestrian areas and because everybody is wearing their (what I call)
their “fuck you” face. I found it much friendlier in the trails inside the park
where people seemed more inclined to nod or say “hello.”
Well today was overwhelming. Everybody was
smiling at me and saying hello. It was the salesperson in the bakery who that
she “liked my style” that made me think it was the coat.
“My style?”
“I love your coat.”
I suspect the coat gives me a veneer of
gentility. I think it makes people feel safe. I suspect my appearance is
equated with my ethics. Regardless of the reason, I love it. It changes my
landscape very much for the better and it encourages me to dress well.
No comments:
Post a Comment