Abigail Hopkins

I saw Abigail Hopkins in a cosy concert at Malta Festival, her and another guitarist.

Sweeter than honey

Here's a funny piece on public teachers from the Irish Times.

Toast za Kaukaz

Wydawnictwo Czarne wypuściło zbiór esejów i reportaży z południowego Kaukazu, Gruzji, Azerbejdżanu i Armenii, autorstwa Wojciecha Góreckiego. Zapowiada się na niezłą lekturę, tym bardziej że przymierzam się do wyprawy na Elbrus w połowie lipca.

Manorexia, female gaze, what next?

Here's a decent look at how men's images in the media are beginning to walk down the same path that women's images have for all eternity.

Linz 39-09

Tłumaczę film dokumentalny Luka Persevala The Concealed City o Linz w Austrii, skupionym wokół tematu rozliczeń z przeszłością.

Farewell for a year

It's such a pity I felt so overworked when EthnoPort was on this year. Except for the first day, when I saw all the bands, I was compelled to rush home before final acts to be able to get up the following day. As a result, I skipped two big concerts - the Saami yoiker Wimme on Saturday and a three-piece project led by a British instrumentalist Andrew Cornshaw.

Despite these irreparable losses, bits and pieces I saw on the second and third days of the festival left me fully satisfied. The Polish band Mosaic oozed some aloofness, but they gave a solid display of traditional Eastern sensibilities. The main stage came alive when Hanggai, a Chinese rock group inspired by Mongolian rhythms, sang their coarse songs. They have become an international star, which became evident when they refused to sign their albums after their energetic show. Later, in a change of pace, Nawal from the Comoros brought in some spiritual, tender touch that resonated ideally with the audience, to a large extent undeterred even by the massive downpour that got unleashed halfway through her set.

The last day was stolen away in my mind by Motion Trio, a group of experimental accordionists from Kraków. There is something powerfully creative in this instrument thath makes it possible to squeeze mind-boggling sounds from it and enchant the audience. The band had to come back on stage a couple of times after raging standing ovations that ceased only when the leader pleaded people to move to the main stage where another performer, a true star, was about to start their gig. It was Speed Caravan, an explosive combination of French, Arabic, Gypsy and many other influences. One more band I saw that day was Fanfara Transilvania, a mad brass band from Romania.

Andrzej Maszewski, dyrektor festiwalu.

Ethno Port for a rainy day

It didn't look like it for most of the day, but last night brought pouring rain that swept the festival crowd away during one of the concerts and soured mood.

EthnoPort 2010 - looking beyond appearance

EthnoPort 2010 opened last evening with three refreshing gigs and beautiful summery weather that made everyone feel it was the joyous beginning of holiday. It's the third edition of the festival and what struck me as a regular was the number of kids running around. It feels as if EthnoPort has taken on a much more family-oriented role or as if young parents have discovered its fantastic potential.

It's a lovely, little festival, light years away from overcrowded behemoths like Open'er at the Baltic Sea, which makes an awful lot of difference in atmosphere and comfort. Late-night concerts in the tent, with the audience perched on wooden benches, listening intently to world-music gems, are a highlight of June in Poznań for me. It's here where I saw one of the best concerts in my life, by the Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen.

Each day, traditionally, the opening concert is played by a Polish artist and yesterday it was the Kashubian-Klezmer folk band Bubliczki who set the place ablaze first. With a vast set of instruments, from accordion to double bass, and a forthcoming vocalist, they showed heart and skill on stage, coming up for three long encores.

Maciej Rychły from Kwartet Jorgi, the festival presenter and its friendly spirit, said it was the most important performace of the festival. In the same sentence, he called the next band the most important band, making it clear that EthnoPort respects no labels and classifications. I love it about this festival.

Bulbliczki was succeeded Staff Benda Bilili, a truly one-of-its-kind act from Kinshasa, Congo, made up of former street musicians with serious disabilities. With the provocative motto "We're all handicapped people, ain't we?", their concert was a phenomenal display of joy and vivacity and a testament to the astonishing journey these paraplegic artists have embarked on. Going back to African roots, with strange, home-made instruments but high on unrestrained spirt, it was both a sensation and a wonder to watch them come alive. Here's a good review from their London concert.

The final act of the evening was from Bulgaria. Eva Quartet featured three powerful female voices, chanting traditional Bulgarian and Orthodox songs mixed with some more contemporary repertoire. I took the liberty of going home halfway through their programme, due to growing signs of tiredness after a long day, but I was quite pleased with what I'd seen. Minimalistic, no-instrument incantations had the power to take my mind off the workaday and deeper into the festival spirit.

More coming up today.

Cognitive Capitalism

Here's an interesting new label - cognitive capitalism.

No to co że z Norwegii

Kolejny kawałek zasłyszany u Marcela w Zapraszamy do Trójki. Pop z Norwegii.

Do morza

Fiodor Łapin o wybijaniu się w boksie: "jak wpadło się w dobry strumień, płynęło się już do rzeki i morza".

Freeganism

NYT is probably the only paper I would be willing to be charged to read if it decided to go behind a paywall. Its Sunday Magazine never fails to deliver marvellous food for thought.

Ajax academy

Here's a great NYT Magazine article on the Ajax young football talent academy.

New media

My new copywriting job is driving me deeper and deeper into the secrets of the new media. And here's a series of articles on how technology beings to change people's brains and lifetyles, prompting some of them to rethink their relationship with gadgets and applications.