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.