Many people consider Los Angeles a city without a culture. I love Los Angeles and the chance it has given me to appreciate so many cultures from around the world. In Brazil, where I was raised, there are many African -Brazilians, there are Dutch-Brazilians, and even French-Brazilians, historically speaking. Going south you will find a cosmopolitan city, São Paulo, where people of Syrian and Lebanese, Japanese, Italian , Swiss and German origin live. Like in Los Angeles, the rich live in gated neighborhoods, the poor iin favelas. I assume you know what favelas are.
However, Brazil is united in its language despite regional accents or expressions. Even in the south, it is Portuguese that is spoken. Unfortunately, the days of the conquering almighty Portugal are gone. Brazil, Portugal and a few former colonies are the only countries speaking Portuguese.
Here in Greater Los Angeles I have had the opportunity to pick up some phrases of a few of the 163 languages spoken here: Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, Chinese ( Mandarin ), Russian, I am still trying Korean and Armenian. People like it when one shows interest in their culture.
Music is a language in its own. I felt slightly concerned when I glanced at the news about Bob Dylan in B 12 Partners Solipsism. http://www.b12partners.net/mt.
Right now I try to make up for my fears listening to Blonde on Blonde. That is a perfect combo of music and words. Bob Dylan, fluent in at least two languages!
See you tomorrow. Remember to click on the photo to fully enjoy it. It's the spiralesque (?) Guggenheim in NYC.
Blonde on Blonde one of the best albums ever. When I owned it on vinyl, I always skipped the last song though, the Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. In fact, I guess I didn't convert it into iTunes, which I should rectify right now. It isn't that bad of a song and this evening, I feel like a completist.
Posted by: Seth Anderson | August 24, 2006 at 06:57 PM
I will always go back to the 70s when I hear this song. My friends used to play it on the guitar and we'd sing the lyrics off a Dylan songbook. Do get it. It's one of the most beautiful ones he's written ever.
Posted by: tina harris | August 24, 2006 at 08:35 PM