sexta-feira, 30 de abril de 2021

Reflexão - Helena Matos (Observador)

 

Dos cravos à ciclovia /premium

Os cravos já foram. A luta de classes também. A ciclovia lisboeta é o símbolo dos novos tempos: não é usada; dificulta a vida a todos e é imposta por pessoas a quem pagamos carro de serviço.

25 abr 2021, 07:54

 

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Quantos ciclistas utilizam as ciclovias, em Lisboa? Não estou a referir-me aos fins-de-semana ou aos feriados. Estou a pensar no dia a dia. Sim, quantas pessoas vão de bicicleta para o trabalho? Ou fazer compras ao supermercado? Ou ver o pai que está doente?

PUB • CONTINUE A LER A SEGUIR

 

PUB

 

Lisboa está atravancada por pilaretes que delimitam umas faixas esverdeadas onde, de segunda a sexta, passam algumas pessoas nas suas caminhadas, os distribuidores de take away e de quando em quando um ciclista. Não só porque os ciclistas são poucos mas também porque a maior parte deles se obstina em pedalar nos passeios e no alcatrão. Nas ciclovias é que não.

As ciclovias em Lisboa são  o sinal exterior do poder de uma casta que vive numa bolha,

Uma bolha onde se fala muito de clima mas se faz de conta que em Lisboa os verões não são arrasadores (as alterações climáticas não são para aqui chamadas!): quantos de nós aguentamos pedalar sob a inclemência das temperaturas que se fazem sentir entre Junho e Setembro, na capital?

Uma bolha exclusiva a gente que diz adorar a natureza e depois subestima a topografia da cidade com colinas e mais colinas. Gente que acha que não tem de prestar contas pela forma como gasta o dinheiro público, criando umas estruturas, as ciclovias, que não correspondem a uma necessidade mas sim a um capricho seu. Gente que não considera ser seu dever resolver os problemas reais, como são a falta de parques de estacionamento ou a fraca qualidade dos transportes públicos.

 

 

O inquérito que a EMEL leva a cabo junto dos “Homem Cisgénero, Mulher Cisgénero, Homem Transgénero, Mulher Transgénero e Outros” para apurar o que lhes desagrada no uso da bicicleta em Lisboa é bem sintomático deste estado de autoritarismo de capricho: porque não interroga a EMEL os “Homem Cisgénero, Mulher Cisgénero, Homem Transgénero, Mulher Transgénero e Outros” sobre o que os leva a andar ou não andar de comboio suburbano? Se têm ou não receio de sair na estação da Amadora à noite? Ou sobre os tempos de espera pelos autocarros?

Nada disso interessa à casta. Eles acham que os outros devem andar de bicicleta e como tal esventram a cidade para desenhar nela as ciclovias. Obviamente, elas, as autoridades, continuam a usar automóveis mas, tal como acontece com o confinamento, as autoridades afirmam-se enquanto autoridades  não pelo acerto do que fazem mas sim pelas excepções que se concedem a si mesmas. Ter poder é cada vez mais em Portugal sinónimo de viver num regime de excepções dos regulamentos e normas que se impõem aos outros.

A construção das ciclovias gera neste momento situações grotescas na avenida Almirante Reis, na avenida Lusíada ou junto ao IPO. Neste último caso, entre espaço para táxis e para as bicicletas imaginárias, aos residentes da zona resta-lhes estacionar os seus carros nas varandas das suas casas. Sim, apesar da propaganda as pessoas continuam a ter automóveis. Porque na vida real das pessoas reais, aquelas que têm de trabalhar, que têm filhos, netos ou pais a cargo, essas pessoas que carregam sacos e saquinhos, que vão a dois ou três sítios antes de chegar a casa, para elas andar de bicicleta não é a primeira opção. E, sublinho, não têm de se sentir culpadas por isso.

 

Em 2021, os cravos já foram. A luta de classes também. Agora a casta aposta no emergentismo  (somos convocados a salvar o planeta mas não conseguimos tratar dos problemas  do nosso país) nas “identidades”  (a mesma UE que patrocina o inquérito da EMEL dirigido aos Homem Cisgénero, Mulher Cisgénero, Homem Transgénero, Mulher Transgénero e Outros falhou com estrondo a aquisição de vacinas para os seus cidadãos) e na propaganda de um sucesso que  cada vez mais tem dificuldade em iludir o sabor a falhanço. A ciclovia lisboeta é um dos símbolos dos novos tempos:  imposta por pessoas a quem pagamos motorista e carro de serviço. não serve a quase ninguém e dificulta a vida a todos.

PS. Chamava-se Stephanie. Tinha 49 anos. Acabava de chegar ao seu local de trabalho: o comissariado de polícia de Rambouillet, uma localidade a 60 quilómetros de Paris. Um homem empunhando uma faca e gritando “Allah Akbar” dirige-se para Stephanie. Faz-lhe dois golpes no pescoço. Ela cai. Morre pouco depois. Aconteceu esta sexta-feira. A partir daí cumpriu-se o guião para este tipo de ataques: o ministro francês do Interior, Gèrald Darmanin, declarou a sua solidariedade às forças policiais que diz defenderem os valores republicanos. Na véspera do atentado que vitimou Stephanie, o mesmo ministro declarara a sua solidariedade republicana para com os bombeiros atacados em Lille quando combatiam as chamas que consumiam uma creche. Anoitecia quando o incêndio deflagrou numa creche localizada num bairro popular daquela cidade francesa. Várias corporações dirigiram-se para o local. Aí chegados os bombeiros foram atacados. A creche ficou parcialmente destruída. O fogo era de origem criminosa.

Note-se que não há semana em que o ministro do Interior francês não se declare consternado e não expresse a sua solidariedade perante as vítimas de agressões, atentados e violências de toda a ordem. Quando há vítimas mortais Macron visita a família dos falecidos. Como é da praxe em França as cerimónias fúnebres decorrem com solenidade e frases barrocas.

Mas voltemos ao guião que invariavelmente acompanha estes casos: rapidamente surgiu a explicação da “perturbação mental”. Não há atentado levado a cabo pelos fundamentalistas islâmicos na Europa em que não apareça a tese da perturbação mental. O rumo da psiquiatria na Europa é de facto um mistério: para se desculparem os terroristas lança-se sobre os doentes mentais um estigma de violência.

 

Por fim, temos o silêncio e a menorização por parte do mundo das notícias e dos activismos. Ou mais rigorosamente por parte das redacções guionadas pelos activismos.

Onde estão as feministas? E os activistas das causas acontecidas e por acontecer? O assunto não lhes interessa.

Fora de França, a morte de Stephanie, 49 anos, mãe de dois filhos, passou quase incógnita. Já ninguém se diz Stephanie. Há seis meses quando o professor Samuel Paty foi degolado a escassos quilómetros do comissariado onde Stephanie foi assassinada, ainda houve alguma comoção. Depois fez-se por esquecer e quando em Janeiro deste ano um outro professor veio denunciar o clima de medo  e auto-censura imposto pelos fundamentalistas  naquela zona foi tratado como lunático. Agora foi degolada Stephanie. Mas vamos fazer de conta que não aconteceu nada.

Começámos por ter medo do outro. Agora temos medo da nossa própria sombra.

 


 

quarta-feira, 28 de abril de 2021

Tempos difíceis (John Cleese)

 

John Cleese mocks Simpsons actor Hank Azaria in apology to ‘white people’

Monty Python’s John Cleese has mocked The Simpsons actor Hank Azaria, issuing an “apology” to “white English people” for making fun of them. 

Azaria, who is white, apologised earlier this week to “every single Indian person” for the hurt caused by him voicing Indian convenience store clerk Apu.

Speaking on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast, Azaria said that his portrayal of The Simpsons character had contributed to “structural racism” – with criticism emerging as early as 2017 that the show’s producers had for decades relied on offensive stereotypes.

Apu was “sidelined” and Azaria announced last January that he would no longer voice the character.

“I really didn’t know any better. I didn’t think about it. I was unaware how much relative advantage I had received in this country as a white kid from Queens,” Azaria told Shepherd.

“Just because there were good intentions, it doesn’t mean there weren’t real negative consequences to the thing that I am accountable for.”

RELATED: Two Bluey episodes pulled by ABC over ‘racist’ connotations

John Cleese has mocked Hank Azaria’s apology to Indian people earlier this week. Picture: Mal Fairclough/AAP

John Cleese has mocked Hank Azaria’s apology to Indian people earlier this week. Picture: Mal Fairclough/AAPSource:AAP

Azaria said his portrayal of the convenience store clerk had contributed to ‘structural racism’. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Azaria said his portrayal of the convenience store clerk had contributed to ‘structural racism’. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Cleese was quick to mock Azaria’s apology in the aftermath of the podcast’s release, writing on Twitter that he was “not wishing to be left behind”.

“I would like to apologise on behalf on (sic) Monty Python for all the many sketches we did making fun of white English people,” he joked.

“We’re sorry for any distress we may have caused.”

Not wishing to be left behind by Hank Azaria, I would like to apologise on behalf on Monty Python for all the many sketches we did making fun of white English people

We're sorry for any distress we may have caused

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 13, 2021

The 81-year-old comedian also took the opportunity to decry “wokeism” as “idiocy”, often using his Twitter to speak out against “cancel culture”.

“Started out as a good idea – ‘Let’s be nice to people’ – and finished up as a humourless, censorious, literal-minded, posturing idiocy,” he wrote in response to a fan.

RELATED: Neighbours star’s ‘unbearable’ treatment

Azaria announced last January he would no longer voice The Simpsons character Apu.

Azaria announced last January he would no longer voice The Simpsons character Apu.Source:Supplied

Initially, The Simpsons producers tried to laugh off complaints, which were sparked by the documentary The Problem With Apu by Indian American comedian Hari Kondabolu.

But in February this year, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening told BBC Radio that he was “trying to make it better”.

“Bigotry and racism are still an incredible problem and it’s good to finally go for more equality and representation,” he said.

Show producers are now in the process of recasting all of its people of colour characters who are currently portrayed by white voice actors.

– With Shannon Molloy

Here’s all the ways you can find news from news.com.au

Séries - Terra alagada

 






segunda-feira, 5 de abril de 2021

Música - James Blake (When we're older)

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw-iSZZdAfE

Filme - Aznavour por Charles

Um film d'Aznavour avec des petits films qu'il a fait au long de sa vie. Vraiment incroyable, comment on peut, pas seulement avoir une vie comme la sienne, mais aussi avoir tout une perspective tout à fait diférent et trés trés personel. Et puis la mettre, de cette façon dans l'écran.








sábado, 3 de abril de 2021

Diogo - ICMP (entrevista)

 

Interview: Diogo Melo de Carvalho

Our alumnus Diogo Melo de Carvalho has led an exciting musical life since leaving our classrooms, as a performer, educator and now executive producer. 

From studying drums with ICMP as part of our BMus in Popular Music Performance, he's played all over the world in various bands including his latest project, Al'Fado

His latest venture is with musiversal, a new company aiming to unite session performers with music creators. The company are offering ICMP students one month free on a musiversal Studio subscription (worth $99 or $199). The links to claim this offer are here for the Essential Plan (subscription of $99 per month: 5 recording sessions per month) and Pro Plan (subscription of $199 per month: unlimited recording sessions per month). 

One lucky student who subscribes may be selected for a free strings session with our Budapest Strings Orchestra, to realize one minute of music. 

We caught up with Diogo to learn more about the business and his tips for any aspiring entrepreneurs...

How did musiversal start out?

Musiversal started back in 2016 as a Kickstarter campaign, created by founder André Miranda. He was trying to find a way to make orchestras accessible to his fellow music makers. Back then, if you wanted to record with an orchestra, you’d have to fork out $20k for three hours of their time - plus staff and studio hire fees. Recording with an orchestra just wasn’t possible for many. So the status quo was just to settle for virtual instruments and sample libraries. 

After stewing on the problem for a while, André discovered there was a way to make it work: what if you were to hire an orchestra for a full day, and only charge composers for the actual time they needed the orchestra for? 

That way, he could make each recording session perfectly ergonomic and affordable, and maybe even draw a profit from it at the same time. This was the moment the musiversal “Shared Sessions” model was born and the Kickstarter campaign took off.

The model for orchestras was a success - However, due to the nature of hiring 30+ talented musicians and staff for a session, there was still a limit to how affordable these sessions could be. This was where the musiversal product that we see today was born. 

How does it work? 

It’s really simple. Imagine having every session musician you could ever need on speed dial, and that you could book a recording session with any of them with the click of a button. That’s how it works in a nutshell! 

We call it the musiversal® Studio. You enter a monthly subscription and get a certain number of sessions depending on the tier you choose. For example, our entry tier gives you five recording sessions per month for $99. Or you can pay $199 and get unlimited sessions! With any option, you get to book any of our session musicians, and all of them are among the top session players around the globe.

Right now we have 25 session musicians on the platform, as well as a host of other bookable services like mixing, mastering, beat making, transcribing, arranging and many other production services. Everyone is employed on competitive salaries, and we’re growing the musician community and services every week.

What challenges are you hoping for musiversal to overcome? 

Probably the biggest challenge we face is to create an industry that really works for everyone.

There’s the famous expression “you can’t please all of the people all of the time”, and perhaps that’s a foolish game to play, but it’s something we’re committed to taking on step by step."

Firstly, we’re creating stable and well-paying jobs for session musicians. At the same time, we’re trying to remove the barrier to entry for music creators, which means creating a really affordable price-point. Providing both at the same time is something that is often met with skepticism. There’s a cognitive dissonance which leads some to believe that what we’re doing must be unfair or with a hidden agenda. So we often find ourselves swimming against the tide and have to keep reminding ourselves to be resilient, persevere and keep pushing on with good spirit!

Could you talk a little about your time at ICMP? What led you to study with us? 

I had the best time of my life when studying at ICMP. I took the BMus in Popular Music Performance (class of 2011), and it was such an outstanding learning and growing experience!

The positive and engagement environment created by the student community itself was probably the most important aspect, as a lot of classes implied a band type of work and to continuously improve one's musicianship with colleagues was paramount. It was about making music with peers and growing with them, like being part of a musical family.

ICMP caught my eye in a drum magazine back in 2010. I always wanted to have a living experience outside my home country, and having the opportunity to do so while studying music was a dream come true! I visited the facilities before starting the course, and was sold by the quality of the course syllabus, the overall staff and the proximity to the music industry that ICMP provides.

alfado_1.jpg

How did you find your time? What were the most important things you learned while studying at ICMP? 

"Time" was indeed one of the most important learnings I got from studying at the ICMP. How to better manage my time; what to do with my time; what programs and classes to dedicate my time and attention to; etc. Because the structure and abundance of materials and things to learn/study can be overwhelming, time management played a crucial role in my success.

Then, being among my colleague musicians was truly inspirational. To learn from them on a daily basis was one of the most powerful drivers for my personal growth as a musician. Keeping an open mind for diversity also played a key role, as we were a cohort of students from all around the world.

Lastly, I must say that making myself available to help in any shape or form opened the doors to so many new opportunities. Every time I volunteered for something, something else extra happened! For example, I volunteered to help with drumming at other group classes like Live Performance Workshops, Songwriting BMus, Higher Diplomas, etc, which led me to know dozens of musicians and performing in way more scenarios than what the original plan was if I would stick to "being in my own head". I also volunteered to  be one of the early ICMP studio student engineers, which led to later using the studio to create my own music. And so many more examples...  Putting myself out there helped immensely with my overall musicianship skills and networking.

How was studying in London? 

Doing anything in London is like doing anything elsewhere, but adding an exponential factor to it. London means more, bigger and faster - except for the tube, of course...😊

Studying in London felt like being at the centre of the world's music scene. I was constantly bombarded with gig opportunities, auditions, networking events, etc, coming from both the ICMP as well as my own personal efforts."

This led me to expand my horizons in a way I was not expecting to happen, both musically and personally.

Studying and living in London gave me opportunities that I would not have had anywhere else. Namely, playing at the Barbican with 100 fellow drummers, playing on a TEDx talk, taking part of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games as one of the 1,000 pandemonium drummers, playing at KOKO and one every other smaller music venues/pubs with dozens of artists, recording at RAK studios, writing and producing my own music with musicians from all over the world … all of this you do in London, not anywhere else.

(Question of crazy dad - So, why did you left London?...) :)

How have your experiences been since leaving us?

Ever since leaving London and coming back to Portugal I've been performing with multiple bands and nationally acclaimed artists, touring every weekend across the country and playing in the most diverse stages from big sized venues to small events. Most recently, my band Al'Fado  released its debut album 'Nasimiento'.

We’ve also toured Israel, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland. After taking my Masters in Music Education I also became a full-time music teacher, and have taught music to kids 6-15, for over five years. And lately I've joined musiversal in the fall of 2019, to help make anyone a music creator!

For any current students or entrepreneurs looking to study with ICMP, what would you advise them? 

Do it. It's worth it! Your expectations will be far exceeded, and you will want to grab every single opportunity that passes in front of you. Learn how to manage your time and your energies as the city and its opportunities can be overwhelming. Network with honesty and the commitment to connect on a meaningful level. Ask questions. Show up. Be punctual, professional and passionate. Everything else will come naturally as ICMP will provide you with great tools and challenges, and the city is vivid with music life!

What does the future look like for you and your project? 

The future is up for creating! As long as there's health and good will, almost anything can be done. There’s a lot to be done and achieved both at musiversal and in my musical life as a performer. I can't wait to unveil the next chapters.

Visit musiversal.com to find out more.

The music business is an incredibly competitive environment – and over the last 30 years, ICMP has developed and refined a cutting-edge degree that now focuses equally on entrepreneurship. We’re the first music school in the UK to recognise that you need to understand not just marketing, management, finance, digital, creativity and all the structures and quirks that make the industry unique, but also how to forge your own path, create your own job, and change the future for the better. With access to ICMP’s fully equipped music facilities, exclusive industry events, masterclasses and a peerless contact network, we have it all covered.

 Comment of crazy dad - (With a kid like this one, and another like the other BE, I mean, do I need anything else in this life??... :)