August 16, 2008


The sea raises questions and answers others

Filed under: From the mouths of... — David @ 1:33 am

It’s nearing the end of our holiday and contemplation is the order of the day on Eastern Beach following a visit to see my grandfather. Daniel (5) and I are sat along with the rest of the family on the shore taking in the infinite expanse of Med stretching East over the horizon yet smoothly rolling up to within 2 metres of our toes. Whereas my eyes were firmly fixed on the horizon and wondering what’s on the other side, Daniel’s eyes were clearly far more interested on the rythym of ebb and flow that was defining the point where sea meets gently sloping sand.

“Dad…”

“Yes Dan”

“… does the water control itself?”

Summoning up my best and totally inadequate understanding I answered the question cobbling together all those unimportant facts learned at school too long ago about tides, wave action, the moon, the properties of liquids, forces. He seemed happy with the explanation. My reaction, not shared with Dan of course, combined a sigh of relief that my loosely tied string of recalled knowledge had made sense, admiration of the intellect and desire to know behind his question and questions of my own about the inevitable changes in my relationships with my boys as we get older.

For Daniel he understood a little more about the sea and especially that small corner of it where the Mediterranean starts and ends which I have been floating my thoughts upon for nearly 40 years now. His understanding (or is it his total acceptance of his Dad’s explanation?) gave him the confidence later to have a first go at a running diving from the shore, even though he is currently just stepping onto the threshold of swimming unaided. His smile at being able to go under without fear was a picture. It beamed again and again, and became wider still when I explained how to get further by timing his run and jump with the withdrawing sea.

For me it reinforced the fact that I am unlikely to ever take a space that has given me so much for granted; I’m both thankful for the chance to share it with my children and that it will shape them as it has shaped me. I’m also left knowing all too clearly that I won’t always be able to answer Daniel’s or any of the boys’ questions; the answer to how both I and they will all deal with that is out there somewhere between the water’s edge and the ever changing place just beyond the horizon, in the clear, breezy air that defines the surface or the quiet stillness beneath it.

July 10, 2008


New single from Celtas Cortos

Filed under: Celtas Cortos — David @ 5:43 pm

It’s here! at least on the website. “Retales de una vida” is their first single from their new album “40 de abril” due for release in September 08. Having heard it live a couple of months ago and before that as a semi-acoustic taster of a work in progress on RNE1 I’ve got to say I love the finished version. Judge for yourselves, my view… September can’t come too soon! Click here to listen

April 25, 2008


Listening, reading, watching…

Filed under: Celtas Cortos, From the mouths of..., Education — David @ 7:34 pm

Friday evening after another busy week. I’m playing a recording of a track which is due to appear on Celtas’s new album, Emocion, due late summer. Daniel (5) walks into the living room, stands, listens, gently turns and casually asks, “what’s Jesus saying Daddy?”; almost as if Jesus were in the room or as if he had half heard a comment made between other members of his family.

The fact that he’s lucky enough to know somebody of Jesus’s creativity and talent and so sees his lyrics as one more way to satisfy his curiosity for the spanish language is very special. But it is more than that; he also knows what Jesus it saying is worth listening to, that it has true value and that he says good things.

There is an intimacy born of being just 5 and having always had that contact with Daddy’s friend. With all the new experiences he has each day my and, evident now, his relationship with various members of the group means that ‘matter of fact’ is where we have arrived at. I’ve often used the term ‘a privilege’ when referring to Celtas Cortos - I suppose it’s “often” because I witness or live through moments like these where, with unerring regularity, they are implicated; they touch my life in a way that invariably shows me something new and I never tire of this.

Daniel is starting to learn independently. It’s amazing to see him use the vital tool his teachers have passed him with ever increasing confidence to shape his understanding of this world. He’s trying to read all the words he sees round him, he tries to read what you’re reading over your shoulder, he’ll sit and read his reading books, on his own. The more moments of smiling realisation he has when he identifies and understands a word or phrase, the more he seeks the opportunity.

Perhaps the biggest moment in his learning this week, however, was his reaction to seeing the BNP’s party political broadcast and having it’s ‘tricks’ explained. “We’ll put your family first”, cartoon like graphics and, most disgustingly, the use of a child’s ‘my home’ picture at intervals throughout the broadcast. Initially taken in by the images used, the concern for ‘us’ and the simple, storytelling voiceover, he was instantly angry when their real message and their ‘tricks’ were explained; his response - “That’s bad!”.

Signified and signifier, people saying what they mean and people hiding behind words or behind the absence of words - that’s some lesson to learn at 5 years old. Given the fact that we’ve reached the point the BNP are on our TVs, 5 can’t be too early to have that realisation and, just for a short moment, not smile. Thankfully he’s naturally questioning and is learning a foreign language… and listening to people with good hearts who say what they mean.

April 7, 2008


Cantabria Easter 08

Filed under: Photography, Travel — David @ 12:15 am

We got back yesterday; it’s amazing how every time we go to Cantabria it seems like we are there forever and yet when we arrive home it seems like we’ve been away for barely half the time. We were very busy making plans for what, hopefully, will be a happy and restful home high on a hill… time will tell but every time we drive up there it already feels welcoming.

When doves fly

That feeling of welcome and peace extends to the wider area, there’s something very special about the light there born of a seamless joining of hills and sea. It has me reaching for my camera - it’s a triangle Cantabria, light, time and it’s time there’s never enough of, till the next time. Album for the trip on www.xiberras.net/viewpics

From Oyambre towards Picos de Europa

 

February 2, 2008


A question from Joe…

Filed under: Celtas Cortos, From the mouths of... — David @ 2:50 pm

Early afternoon and I’m having a surf around my favourite MySpace sites; I inevitably end up on Celtas Cortos site. Joe (now 4 - Happy Birthday for last week!) makes a passing comment to Gabi while Skaparate Nacional is playing, “When can we go to see Celtas? It’s amazing!” You can’t argue with that. 

September 29, 2007


Gracias a vosotros…

Filed under: Celtas Cortos — David @ 3:54 pm

A word from Jesus…

“Hoy me voy a dejar de ironías porque para eso ya está Aznar dando el cayo con la publicación del “acta de Crawford” por el que él y sus amigos comenzaron esa guerra ilegal que continúa masacrando a Irak con la mirada de la locura internacional puesta sobre ella.

Sin embargo, quiero aprovechar este espacio para agradecer a todas las personas que a lo largo de esta gira nos han brindado su apoyo incondicional a lo largo y ancho de este país con su cariño incondicional que ha sido todo un regalo para nuestra autoestima y nuestro trabajo, por el reconocimiento con que nos han regalado lo mejor que nosotros les ofrecemos, que es nuestra música y la pasión con que intentamos ofrecerla a través de nuestras canciones.

Y por eso quiero mencionar la labor y el apoyo que nos han brindado desde distintos medios de comunicación, entre ellos este periódico, la tarea realizada en labores de management por parte del incombustible Eduardo Pérez y David Sanz, el esfuerzo colosal desarrollado por nuestro equipo técnico de sonido y luces dirigido por “Toca” el navarro y “Benja” el gallego, el cariño y el agasajo con que nos ha cuidado nuestro road manager “maraka”, la subvención vinatera con que nos han deleitado desde las bodegas moro y V3, la inestimable colaboración de nuestros amigos de “La hora del Gato”, Cristina Llorente y los “Lolaymon”, así como la Banda Municipal de Coca.

A todos ellos mi agradecimiento por la solidaridad, por la risa y por el esfuerzo con que han convertido esta gira en uno de los momentos más dulces de la historia de esta banda, que han conseguido hacer de ella un engranaje con un funcionamiento cercano al de un reloj suizo.

Por supuesto a todos los componentes de la banda: José L. Sendito, Goyo Yeves, Jorge Arribas, Diego Martín, Antón Dávila, Óscar García y Alberto García, así como a Juan Pedro Cornejo y Rafael Martín “Pirulo”: mi más profundo agradecimiento y respeto porque su apoyo y comprensión han hecho de mí una persona mejor y más consciente de la aventura tan preciosa que nos traemos entre manos. Desde aquí les pido perdón por los momentos bajos en que les he hecho padecer a todos con mi locura y mi ceguera y les agradezco infinito haberme enseñado a sacar lo mejor que he podido de mí en cada concierto, que es donde realmente se disfruta, desde la conciencia y desde la consciencia.

Y evidentemente, gracias al abrazo cálido de todo el público que se ha asomado al fresquito de nuestra sombra, porque de ellos está hecho el reino de nuestros cielos, y que han sido cientos de miles en ofrecernos su cobijo.

La gira se ha terminado de repente y ahora tenemos que saber encarar cómo echar el freno a un ritmo frenético que nos ha devuelto a casa. Gracias a todos.”

FIN DE GIRA

Jesús Cifuentes

De lo mejor que ha escrito Jesus, digo yo. Todo un detallazo sus palabras por los componentes del grupo - me han saltado las lagrimas, beautiful.

De mi parte vivir lo que he vivido en fechas varias de esta gira, junto a mi familia en algunos momentos, conociendo nuevos amigos en otros y siendo abrazado tan carinosamente por la familia Celta, ha sido todo un sueno que aun me sostiene dia en dia en este espacio tan lejos (en kilometros por lo menos) y mientras se acerca el invierno gris y inerte que ofrecer Manchester. Y es que ese sueno se manifiesta como un rayo de sol que no me permite dejar de sonreir.

Thank you Celtas Cortos - No nos podran parar

September 13, 2007


Todo es entenderse

Filed under: Celtas Cortos, From the mouths of... — David @ 11:13 pm

Todo es ponerse… si senor! :D Acabo de ver este video de Celtas en el foro (www.celtascortos.com/foro), muchas gracias mundodeimposibles por colgarlo, y me di cuenta…

Es que el otro dia al volver a casa con los peques al terminar el trabajo el mas joven, Joe (3 anos), me dice ‘papa quiero mis botas de goma para salir al jardin a jugar’ y le digo, ‘ pero Joe las botas estan en casa de Michelle (la senora que le cuida cuando estamos en el trabajo) no es posible ir a recogerlas’. Y me dice ‘pero las quiero!!!!’ Y no es que lo necesita ya que esta seco el cesped (aunque no lo creas Paulita!) y no es nada conveniente ir por ellas y hace sol y la vida es buena… y no entiendo porque Joe quiere ponerse las botas de goma..

Al ver el video de Todo es ponerse ahora si lo entiendo, ‘quiero billete de avion a bcn!’

August 19, 2007


Watch your balls…

Filed under: From the mouths of... — David @ 8:17 pm

Fabian (13) to Dan (4) ensuring he had the vocab for a joke he was about to tell him…

Fabian:   “Do you know what a cannibal is?”.

Daniel:   “Yeah!”

Fabian:  ”Are you sure!?”

Daniel (with total confidence):   “Of course! it’s a ball that’s fired out of a cannon!”


Something they’re not telling me about Spanish cats

Filed under: From the mouths of... — David @ 7:56 pm

Early evening after a day on the beach, Dan (4) comes running into the living room from the balcony:

“Daddy, Daddy I saw a cat in the bushes!…and it wasn’t dead!” I laugh and he insists, “but it wasn’t dead, it was alive, it was moving!”. I’m not the only one who’s confused, his older brothers are in stitches; must be the sun.

August 12, 2007


Hopkins: ‘Golden voice saved me from alcoholism’

Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 2:49 pm

Found the short piece below on Yahoo! entertainment (click here for source). I’ve always been an admirer of Hopkins since I was lucky enough to see his King Lear in 1986 (or was it 87?) but never realised he had a 12 year head start on me with this non-drinking thing (wouldn’t have descibed myself as an alcoholic though). Article follows:

Former alcoholic Sir Anthony Hopkins stopped drinking after he was rescued by a ‘golden voice’ from his subconscious.
The Oscar-winning actor, admits quitting alcohol in 1975 was a lucky escape.

He says, “For me, giving it (alcohol) up was finding the airlock, the escape hatch. It all happened one Monday morning in 1975. It was as if a voice said, ‘Ready! Go!’ It was that clear, the voice of gold. The best part of myself, my subconscious, came to rescue me. I don’t know how. I had no religious connection or a connection to what I thought was God.

“And then that Monday: Boom. And it was over. It was like a great pilot light was lit. No explanation except, I guess, I was open, willing and ready. When I look back I think I was so lucky to get out of that one. It was all about fear and horror. Definitely the horror - going down the plughole.”