Straalen McCallum │ Wiyathul

In this edition of Klaatu Barada Nikto I am featuring Straalen McCallum singing "Wiyathul", an incredibly beautiful song from his "A Little Faith" album.  This song literally brings tears to my eyes whenever I hear it.  It is written in Galpu, an aboriginal dialect.  "Wiyathul" has a very interesting history.  It was composed by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu who is an Australian Aboriginal.  He was blind.  Sadly, Geoffrey just passed away at the age of 46, on July 25, 2017.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Isabel Pantoja │ Así Fue (That's How It Went)

The extraordinary Isabel Pantoja singing "Así Fue (That's How It Went)", with the Juan Gabriel orchestra.  This video was recorded live at the Desde Bellas Artes, México, in 2013.  I just love this song, and Pantoja's wonderful rendition.  It's simply beautiful.  By-the-way, "Así Fue" was composed by the late Juan Gabriel.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!

My Dear Aunt Martha and I spent the whole afternoon surfing the internet trying to find something new, and different to share on Klaatu Barada Nikto.  Well, Aunt Martha finally suggested that I search for some Techno Praise music.  You see, Aunt Martha, having been a professional opera singer all of her life, still keeps tabs on all of the latest musical trends, which is something that I am really loathe to do.  I had never heard of Techno Praise but I do trust Aunt Martha's judgment.  I typed in the search term, and dozens of hits popped up.  It did not take long to find this Techno Praise version of Mark Lowry's wonderful Christmas gem "Mary, Did You Know?".  It is sung by a fresh new singer by the name of Johnny Hammer, and he is sensational.  The power, honesty, innocence, and freshness of Johnny's performance brought tears to both Aunt Martha's, and my eyes.  Johnny also has an amazing angelic presence that makes him so much fun to watch.  I predict that this version of "Mary, Did You Know?" will turn out to be a perennial Christmas favorite.  By the way, the group that Johnny belongs to is called Technopraise.  Please join Aunt Martha and I in watching this amazing video by clicking on the widget below.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Beautiful Bhutan

In my previous incarnation, I lived in the Kingdom of Bhutan.  Recently, I viewed a video of a drive into the city of Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and the sight of the beautiful Bhutanese people, mountains, and buildings, brought tears to my eyes, and melted my heart.  It brought back to me so many precious memories.  I miss Bhutan so much, and some day, I will return home.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be. 

The Littlest Angel

May your life be filled with angelic warmth and peace.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Believe

This is such a nice song.  What more can I say?  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter

I've been a fan of video games since the late 1970s.  It's one of my passions, especially vintage video games.  Needless to say my interests in video games, and video game consoles, do not go further than about the year 2007.  Modern video games just leave me cold.  It's the classic video games that really intrigue me.  Quite by accident I stumbled upon a brand new video game called "The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter", and it is probably the coolest game that I have ever played.  It has caused me to reconsider my previous aversion to newer games.  The plot of "The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter", has an irresistible evocative power that draws you into it.  Paul Prospero, a private detective with paranormal abilities, receives a strange fanboy letter from Ethan Carter, a 'tween, who is extremely aware of the supernatural, and bizarre things.  Ethan's letter brings Prospero to the Red Creek Valley where Ethan and his family lives.  Prospero knows that Ethan is missing, and begins to explore Red Creek Valley, and investigates its dark secrets.  It is a quest to find the missing Ethan Carter before it's too late to save him.  That is the essence of the game.  One might say that "The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter" is a mixture of "Myst" and "Twin Peaks", or "Myst" on steroids.  It is a first-person perspective game, so it makes you feel like you are really in the action.  As a side note, the visuals in this game are stunningly beautiful. Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

The Christmas Shoes

In this edition of Klaatu Barada Nikto, I am featuring a remarkable video called "The Christmas Shoes".  What can I say about "The Christmas Shoes" without sounding banal or trite?  It is very moving, and fills the soul with deep sentiment.  "The Christmas Shoes" is the perfect Christmas story.  My Dear Aunt Martha and I found it on the internet recently, and we could not stop crying after watching it, and we watched it over, and over again.  The Christian musical group Newsong originally released the song "The Christmas Shoes" in 2000, and since then it has grown in popularity to become a perennial favorite for the holidays.  There are many video versions of "The Christmas Shoes", but this one is the best by far.  The soundtrack contains the original Newsong version of "The Christmas Shoes".  The name of the little boy in the video is Ryan Sweatt, and Daren Sweatt, who is his father in real life, plays the part of the man who gives him the money to buy the shoes.  My Dear Aunt Martha and I felt that with the way things are going in the world now-a-days, we all need something to pick us up, and remind us that the greatest gift of all, is the gift of sharing.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Interview With Detective Joe Lum

HPD Officers Slain In The Line Of Duty, Abraham E. Mahiko (left) and Andrew R. Morales (right)

Detective Joe Lum Escorting Alfred Tai Into Court In 1963

On April 21, 1982, I interviewed retired Detective Joe Lum, at his beautiful home located on Wilhelmina Rise, above Kaimuki, on the island of Oahu. He was a terrific interview! Besides being well spoken, detective Lum was a very, very, warm person. He was born in Kohala, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, and joined the Honolulu Police Department in 1936.

Detective Lum was the lead investigators on the case of the two murdered Honolulu police officers, Abraham E. Mahiko, and Andrew R. Morales, who were massacred in Kakaako, on December 16, 1963. This was a very tragic case, and Detective Lum spoke at length about it and presented meticulous details about the subsequent investigation, and apprehension of the culprits who committed these heinous crimes. This case bothered him, and I knew that he felt compelled to speak out about it. During that part of the interview, I shut up and let him speak freely. Even though I recorded all of this over 36 years ago, my recent revisiting of the audio tape has haunted me, and some how, I knew that I must eventually share the complete interview with everyone.  This information can not be lost, as it's an important historical document. The deaths of those two police officers, marked a dark day for the Honolulu Police Department. Retired Detective Joe Lum passed away on May 13, 1984.   As fate would have it, within hours of my posting of an excerpt from the Detective Joe Lum interview, I received an email from one of the daughters of the slain Honolulu police officers (Abraham E. Mahiko and Andrew R. Morales) .  She was doing a Google search on her father's name.  That is something that she does from time-to-time, and bingo, my blog post about her father popped up.  Even after all those years, she still had unanswered questions about her father's untimely death while serving in the line of duty.  Her mother was pregnant with her when her father was slain, and because of this, throughout the years, his death has haunted her. She requested a copy of the complete interview.  I was reluctant to give it to her, as it was very, very graphic in its detail.  I told her about my concerns, but she insisted, despite my apprehensions and misgivings, that she needed to have a copy.  The wives of both officers, incidentally, were pregnant at the time of the murders.  Well, I know that I am an old fool, but I wept when I was editing the interview.  I wept for the slain officers and their families.  This recording has important life lessons for all of us.  In the photo above, Detective Lum is shown escorting Alfred Tai, one of the murderers of the slain officers, to court in 1963.  Tai was paroled in 2014 at the age of 72, after serving 51 years in prison.  Kenneth Lono, the other shooter, died while incarcerated in 2003.  Please click on the video widget below to listen to the complete Detective Joe Lum interview.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Bruce's Birthday Party

Beverly and Bruce

A slide show of my nephew Bruce's 5th birthday party that was celebrated at The Care Center of Honolulu in 2014.  This is was where my sister Beverly Lind spent the last two years of her life.  The video features her grandsons Bruce and T. K., who she loved dearly.  Beverly died on the morning of December 3, 2014, at 6:30 am.  She was 60 years old.  I miss Beverly so much, and I think of her every day.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

João Pedro │ The Lost Fadista

In this edition of Klaatu Barada Nikto I am featuring the incredibly talented João Pedro, who is also known as the "forgotten fadista".   As some of you may know, I am an aficionado of Fado music, and I am also very fond of João Pedro's voice, and his superb singing style.  João Pedro was the winner of the prestigious 1996 "Bravo, Bravissimo!", music competition that is held annually in Italy.  His career started out with a bang, and shortly afterwards, he just vanished without a trace from the terra de Portugal.  How, may I ask, can someone just disappear off the face of the earth at the peak of his career?  I have done a massive search on the internet looking for information about about João Pedro, but did not have any meaningful success.  The mystery of João's absence continues unabated, and lingers on as an enigma.  Lucky for us though, that some of his music has been preserved on YouTube.  In the video below his sings the beautiful "Lenda da Fonte (The Legend's Source)", that was composed by Domingos Silva.  By-the-way, João Pedro was the first young fadista to ever do a cover of this song.  I find it truly remarkable that one who is so young, can sing with such maturity and passion.  Take notice of the intense right-hand gestures, and finger motions that João makes when he sings "Lenda da Fonte".  It's really quite interesting and evocative.  João sings with his whole body and soul.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

 Lenda da Fonte

Maria do monte, nascida e criada
Na encruzilhada que fica defronte para a fonte sagrada
A lenda é antiga, mas há quem a conte
Que descia o monte uma rapariga
P'ra beber na fonte

E aquela hora por ela marcada de noite ou de dia
O Chico da Nora na encruzilhada esperava a Maria
Seguiam depois, bem juntos os dois, ao longo da estrada
Matar de desejos, a sede com beijos
Na fonte sagrada

Mas um certo dia, como era esperada
Na encruzilhada não veio a Maria à hora marcada
Seus olhos divinos p'ra sempre fechou
Aldeia rezou, tocaram os sinos
E a fonte secou

E aquela hora por ela marcada de noite ou de dia
O Chico da Nora na encruzilhada esperava a Maria
Mas oh santo Deus, escureceram- se os céus, finou- se a beldade
E diz- se no monte que a velhinha fonte
Secou de saudade


Mas oh santo Deus, escureceram- se os céus, finou- se a beldade
E diz- se no monte que a velhinha fonte
Secou de saudade

Climbatica │ Климбатика

 

Climbatica (Климбатика) is an incredible Gothic rock group from Orenburg, Russia, a city located about 1,478 km southeast of Moscow, and very close to the border with Kazakhstan.  The group was started by Alex Belov and Wang Chaos in 2006, and since then they have been a cultural mainstay of the Russian Gothic music scene.  The music of Climbatica moves me greatly.  Even though the musicians and singers of Climbatica are quite young, their music has an unusual maturity and intensity.  It invokes all kinds of feelings on the part of the listener if you pay close attention to it.  In this edition of Klaatu Barada Nikto I am featuring Climbatica singing "Я не боюсь (I Am Not Afraid)".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Found │ Gavin Brown

Scott Schirmer's horror masterpiece "Found", starring Gavin Brown, is the movie to watch in 2018, though it is very hard to find.  Gavin Brown is sensational as "Marty".  He is so good that even though this is a horror flick, he makes it feel like a coming-of-age movie.  I watched it on my iPod, intending to watch only a few minutes of it, but instead, I was mesmerized, and watched the whole thing in one sitting.  It is one hour and forty-two minutes of extreme cinema. I don't know why, but "Found" was never released theatrically.  Instead, it has be shown in various film festivals throughout the United States, and has won numerous awards.  Since it originally came out in 2012, it is unlikely to ever be coming to your neighborhood theater any time soon. You can download, or listen for FREE, the complete soundtrack from the movie "Found", by clicking on the widget below. This music, and movie, is simply out of this world.   It is a must have for all of you who love Gothic horror, and coming-of-age movies.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu, Barada, Nikto, wherever you may be.

Empty Chairs │ Gilberto Martinez

My personal anthem is "Empty Chairs", composed by Don McLean.  I first heard this song in 1972 at a Harry Belafonte concert, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki.  Belafonte sang it with only Sivuca, the late, great Brazilian guitarist backing him.  It was Sivuca's accompaniment that touched me so much.  I just had to learn it.  After the concert I went backstage to talk to Sivuca.  I asked him if he had the guitar arrangement for "Empty Chairs" written down.  Sivuca said no, and that he had created it completely by ear.  Well, over the next several days I became Sivuca's tour guide in Honolulu.  On his last day in Hawaii, Sivuca taught me the accompaniment for "Empty Chairs".  Mind you, it was only the accompaniment, and I had to figure out a way to insert the melody over it.  Well, I did manage to do just that, and it is the the best arrangement that I ever did for the classical guitar. The first opening measures of "Empty Chairs" are so poignant, so beautiful, that it still touches me deeply, forty-six years later. This performance was recorded live at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, Hau Tree Lanai, located on Waikiki Beach, in the summer of 1987.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

L'Envie d'aimer │ Valentin, Rémi, Madeleine, Enzo, and Oliana

Valentin

 Rémi

Madeleine

Enzo

Oliana

In this edition of Klaatu Barada Nikto, I am featuring one of the most beautiful songs in the whole world.  It's called "L'Envie d'aimer (The Desire To Love), and it is from the incredible French musical, "Les Dix Commandements (The Ten Commandments)".  This song was composed by Pascal Obispo, and Lionel Florence who have had several number one hits in France, and Patrice Guirao.  "L'Envie d'aimer" is one of the biggest selling singles of all time in France, and was also a hit in other Western European countries.  Valentin, Rémi, Madeleine, Enzo, and Oliana who were the finalist from the first season of Ecole des Stars, were invited back to the program to perform this magnificent encore during the finale of the show.  I can listen to this song over and over again and it still brings tears to my eyes.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

A Moment Of Peace

A moment of peace from Klaatu Barada Nikto.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.

Si Seulement Je Pouvais Lui Manquer │ Vox Angeli

In this edition of Klaatu Barada Nikto, I am featuring a fantastic group from France called Vox Angeli.  In the video below they sing the beautiful "Si Seulement Je Pouvais Lui Manquer (If Only I Could Miss Him)", that was popularized by Calogero.  It was actually co-composed by Calogero, his brother Gioacchino, Michel Jourdan, and Julie D'Aimé.  "Si Seulement Je Pouvais Lui Manquer" tells the story of a man who wishes that he had a good relationship with his father, who was absent in his life.  In 2005, this song was awarded "Original song of the year" at the Victoires de la Musique.  The members of Vox Angeli are, Lola Beris, Iris Lambert, Claire Conruyt, Étienne Girardin, Louis-Alexander Désiré, and Mathis De Ruyver.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Klaatu Barada Nikto, wherever you may be.