Minnesota has sent a comedian to Washington DC. Yes, I'm talking about Michelle Bachmann, whose name too often is closely followed by the words "loony tunes." MPR reporter and blogger Bob Collins did some fact-checking at his blog News Cut about some recent inflammatory statements Bachmann made about the U.S. Census., and found this great clip from The Colbert Report:
Now Bob is much too professional a reporter to turn to the Dump Michelle Bachmann website for more examples of her crazy talk, but like him, I can supplement my fact-checking with the work of professional comedians: Here's Bachmann on Autotune the News!"
After the movie Buena Vista Social Club made such a splash in 1999, Cuban music lovers in the cold Twin Cities had the fabulous opportunity to see shows on tours of artists like Eliades Ochoa Omara Portuondo and Ibrahim Ferrer , the jazz group Irakere, which has been through several incarnations; I saw their 1994 tour:
But after 2003, with the clampdown on issuing visas to Cubans, the tours dried up. We could enjoy the music of Cuban musicians now living in the Twin Cities area, such as Nachito Herrera, former musical director of Cubanissimo, who plays often at The Dakota. I'm thrilled that producer Juan de Marco invited him to tour with the a "supergroup" of Cuban musicians called the Afro Cuban All Stars, uniting musicians who live abroad but are part of the Cuban musical world.
Tonight they'll be at Orchestra Hall, and I have a ticket! Here's the line up:
Juan de Marcos Gonzáles, band leader, tres • Evelio Galan, lead singer*José Gil Pinera, lead singer • Emilio Suárez, lead singer • Igort Rivas, trumpet *Yaure Muniz, trumpet, flugelhorn • Miguelito Valdes de la Hoz, trumpet, flugelhorn *Jorge Reiner Ardiles, trombone • Alberto “Molote” Martinez, trombone Alberto Pantaleon Hernandez, bass • Jose “Pepito” Espinosa, bongos, cowbell*Miguelito Valdés Aballi, congas • Calixto Oviedo, drum, timbale*Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera, piano
It's likely that the ushers will not allow dancing in the aisles, so we may have to chair dance instead, but I plan to groove.
I couldn't be there in person, and I couldn't see it live on TV, but some kind souls have already posted the TEXT of Gene Robinson's invocation from the inauguration event today. Can't find any video yet. I have to post this link to Pam Spaulding's site so you can read it, because HBO did not broadcast it. Update: here is a video, not from the "official broadcast" of the prayer
But here is this splendid video from the inauguration concert of Bruce Springsteen accompanying Pete Seeger singing ALL the lyrics to "This Land is Your Land" by Woodie Guthrie, including the angry ones. Pete Seeger is almost ninety years old, and he has never stopped, despite FBI persecution and blacklisting. So he sang for the children. Here's a clip from the documentary on PBS American Masters' series
In the squares of the city In the shadow of the steeple At the relief office I saw my people As they stood there hungry I stood there whistling
A big high wall That tried to stop me A great big sign read private property On the other side it didn't say nothing THAT side was made for you and me.
Nobody living can ever stop me As I go walking Here's Woody Guthrie's version
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