Musical highlights of the year

It's been a rather surreal year, what with my partners having spent nearly half of it stuck in hospital here in West Wales. Despite this there have been  much musical pleasure that has been released in the last year, that have given me some kind of respite, thankfully. Most of the following I actually have copies of, some kindly copied for me, I do like to support musicians, the following are some of my musical highlights in no particular order.

1. Datblygu -  Porwr Trallod

2. Sleaford Mods -  Key Markets

3. Fundamental - A Philosophy of Nothing.

4. Suns of Arqa - All is not lost but where is it?

5. Asian Dub Foundation - More Signal More Noise.

6. Gwenno - Y  Dydd Olaf

7. Cosmo - Hiraith

8. Selector - Subculture

9. The Ex - The Ex live at BIMHUIS (1991 -2015)

10. Efa Supertramp - Rhyddid yw y Freuddwyd

11. Sendelica - Anima Mundi

12. Killing Joke - Pylon

13. Seckou Keita - 23 

14. Bjork - Vulnicura

15. Tinariwen - live in Paris.

All in all not a bad musical year roll on 2016. Sorry that this post was just a boring list, check the artists out, on the net, you will not be disappointed, well maybe.

Operation Cast lead remembered.

Today on December 27th 2008, Israel began an intensive campaign that would last 22 days, combined with a ground invasion which they called 'operation cast lead,' It would lead to  death and destruction and international condemnation and protests and would be met by Palestinian resistance in Gaza.
The conflict resulted in between 1,166 and 1,417 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, most of them innocent civilians.
The horrors inflicted remain  indelibilly embedded in the minds of all Gazans. Crimes against humanity were committed with the use  of chemical and biological agents, like white phosperous, leading to symptoms that medic al professionals had never seen before. Burning flesh to the bone. Also there was deliberate targetting of civilians and vital infrastructure.
Six years later, Gaza still relies on international  aid for day to day activities, including the most basic needs such as food and drink. 75% of homes  destroyed are still waiting to be rebuilt. Leaving many people still displaced. The people of Gaza  left with a legacy of poverty and economic injustice,  80% of the population lives under the poverty line. 1.8 million of people in Gaza still locked in like animals by Israels illegal blockade, that  prevents them from access to essential goods that are needed to rebuild and sustain life.
In a sense the war never ended. People still demanding justice, because without justice, peace will remain a distant illusion.

Alternative Christmas message

No apologies - stuff you Cameron , just  like Tony BLIAR before you, and all the others who mouth  about Christian values, whilst being the biggest hypocrites alive.
In the second year in succession Cameron has referred to Britain as a christian country, A privileged PM peddling platitudes to the poor with his Christmas message. He talked of the poor and homeless, the vulnerable, but forgets to mention how he punishes  the poor with cruel sanctions and delayed benefits,  or the thousands of families his government has condemned to homelessness, temporary accomodation or hostels, while new tower  blocks are built for rich speculators. He also mentioned  NHS staff and refugees, a really nauseating mixed bag . Reflecting on values  like peace, mercy and goodwill, traits that he definitely does not possess. He failed to mention  that is his government's policies that increase hunger, poverty and desperation, whilst destroying services that the poorest in society rely upon,all for the worship of money. May he heed the following words.

Luke 18: 24-34

(22 ) "  When Jesus heard this. he said to him, " You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me."

(23) When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.

(24) Jesus looked at him and said " How hard it is for the rich to get to heaven."

(25) Indeed, it is easier for a camel, to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.

So Mr Cameron may your Turkey give you salmonella,
and your Xmas lights all short,
may your presents all be socks,
and your sprouts as hard as rocks,
may your dinner guests all suffer wind,
and your quail eggs all be rotten,
let your yule log be too wet to burn,
and your sky box blow a fuse,
may you get so drunk you forget the company you keep,
and the party piece you re-enact with the pigs head centrepiece.


  

Seasons greetings.

Apologies, as  Tory government keep inflicting us daily with their inhuman policies. I truly find it hard  to understand how anyone can continue to support them. Cameron and his party's  policies, continue to be dangerous, , intolerant,and  out of touch, continuing to serve vested interests that create added burdens to all those suffereing at the present time. But maybe their arrogance and their recklessness will be what eventually brings about their downfall.
Maybe they might change direction, halt their miserly ways, I don't hold my breathe, we have to keep pushing them though.
Anyway not sure how often I will be able to use or have access to computer in coming days, so as crimbo overtakes, lets  reclaim this period for the masses, and remind ourselves that goodwill is the basis of mutual aid, let us follow the redistributive example of Kropotkin Claus,  and keep on building and creating a future that we can all share.
Oh and let  the principles of solidarity remain for life, not just for one day, so in this season, lets us embrace this reason, lets not follow the whims of those who wish to command and control, keep spreading peace and goodwill to your fellow woman /man.
Lets try not to forget at this time of year, those who have nothing to celebrate, allow them to overcome obstacles  as they face hard times that lie all around.
Thanks to all that have dropped on by, solidarity.... heddwch/peace, remember mutual aid, the gift that keeps on giving. lets forever decorate the future with equality and allow us to cherish the value of cooperation instead of following paths of greed.
Lets hope too that all the worlds disorders somehow right themselves in the coming months ahead, as we continue to spread our messages of love and hope,and gather, renew our strengths. 

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating, happy holiday's, whatever you happen to subscribe to.

Yuletide ( a poem for the winter solstice)

Today the great mother,
gives birth to the  sun king,
in the middle of winter,
the spark of life returns,
releases chords of merriment,
feelings of peace and goodwill,
threads of hope glisten in the air,
so take time, to magnify the light,
we can share between ourselves.
this earth so precious, 
rekindles, maintains the balance,
breathe in, breathe out,
love forever restores,
keep heart wildly open,
spread generosity and compassion,
open portals of survival,
on this shortest day of the year.



( happy winter solstice,
heddwch/peace)

Slipping back in time

( dedicated to the Kellingley miners)

I remember 1984,
when we fought for our lives,
when the enemy within, 
were the rulers of the land,
who took away our opportunities, 
robbed us of our jobs,
so we fought back strong,
for our communities, 
and our class.

30 years have passed,
and politicians continue to plunder,
bringing fear across the land,
aided by right wing press,
delivering austerity politics ,
designed to tear lives apart,
it's all still out of order.
as they return us to yesterday,
slip us back in time.

As miners bid emotional farewells,
after working their final shifts,
like those that walked before them,
let their struggles continue to inspire,
as the rich keep getting richer,
because of opportunist interest,
the poor get poorer,
our government turns blind eye,
tension fills the air again,
because we're slipping back in time.

And as they dismantle our sustenance,
steal our dreams away, cut our welfare state,
the ghost of Margaret Thatcher lingers,
her legacy still doing the rounds,
now is the time to seize close,
all the hope you can find,
bury the iron lady's memory,
forever deep down a mine shaft,
with strength we can move forwards,
forge a new future bright,
stop them from slipping us back in time.

Phil Ochs( 19/12/40 -9/4/76) - What are you fighting for?

Today would have been the birthday of the late great Phil Ochs. This was the gut who wrote all the political songs that people loved, that could have been written today, that people hoped Bob Dylan would write.
He did all he could to change the world in the 1960's. With his plaintive voice and passionate opinions, best known today for the many protest songs he wrote on war, the championing of civil rights, pacifism , social justice and revolution.Most of Phil's songs were very political, some humorous and some very serious. He wrote about the topics of the day Viet Nam, hungry miners, and personalities such as Billy Sol Estes, William Worthy and Lou Marsh.  In 1967 he signed with A&M Records where his first release was "Pleasures of the Harbor" in which he used heavily orchestrated arrangements for the first time. Some fans criticized this change, while others accepted it.  Phil continued to perform and to travel around the world. While in Dar Es Salaam, he was mugged and lost the top three notes of his vocal range. This event seemed to send him on a downward spiral. His last years were troubled ones. He suffered from manic depression plus an affinity for the bottle. He committed suicide on April 9, 1976 at the age of 35.  Many of Phil's songs have been covered by other artists. Some of his best known songs are: "Changes", "There But For Fortune", "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Draft Dodger", "Small Circle of Friends", Crucifixion" and "When I'm Gone".

However depressed I personally get because of social injustices, the weight of the world, life in general , his songs that could have been written a moment ago, still have so much relevence, reminding us what we can do while we are still here. 

Here was a man who while alive, did more for peace than any soldier did for war. Nearly 40 years after his untimely death he continues to influence with his beautiful haunting voice. "A good song with a message can bring a point more deeply than a thousand rallies."

The Twelve Cuts of Christmas: An Anti-Austerity Carol

As winter, takes effect, the impacts of the cuts are increasingly visible as more and more people struggle to make ends meet. The impacts of austerity on ordinary people is plain to see. Because of the tory's dangerous scroogeconomics policies, there is increased insecurity, as energy prices rise,and benefit  cuts continue to have impact on peoples lives, combined with the  the rising cost of living.
Combined with  savage attacks on our welfare state, brutal new sanction regimes, Zero hours contracts, insecure work, benefit delays, this time of the year will be very hard for many.
There has to be a better way, there is a growing movement  protesting and saying  a loud no, to this governments cruel and unfair agenda.
As Christmas descends on us again, lets not forget the fact, that poor are getting poorer, the rich getting richer, so happy crisis and a happy new fear, bah humbug. Lest us forget that the seeds of a better society already lie embedded in the contradictions of the current one
Here's  an alternative Christmas Carol  that I've posted before, that I hope will keep your sprits warm.
Solidarity.

Happy Christmas from Bethlehem - For adults only - do not share with little children.

A Silent Night this Christmas : The City of Bethlehem prepares for a scaled down Christmas celebration in the face of continuing Israeli violence.
Faced daily with a massive concrete segregation wall, that zig zags around Bethlehem, placing fertile Palestinian land on Israels, seperating Palestinian families from each other, from their jobs, hospitals, schools, churches and mosques.
My heart and soul continues to ache for the people of Palestine. The impact of occupation daily bringing it's heavy burden. In Bethlehem now peoples journeys blocked by checkpoints and thirty foot high slabs of concrete.
Nothing calm, nothing bright.

Togetherness ( for Jane)

There have been heavy rains,
but a flame is burning as the planet rotates,
togetherness is far more than just a word,
it keeps us alive, keeps us afloat,
in each sky there is a sea,
and in each awakening there is a tear,
we roll on waves of uncertainty,
looking for reason, in every season,
in unity's dance, every drop of rain,
trickles down vessels of the heart,
releasing songlines to the spirit,
to allow the glow of love within to shine,
allow the afternoon to leap,
give strength as the world turns,
storming the impossible,
with sufficient precision,
from the declivities that surround,
our paths are level, we walk in union,
sharing dreams on the crossroads of forever.


( Jane incidentally is my partner,
who has been stuck in hospital
for last 5 months)