Bob Dylan: Most Unseemly Nobel Literature Laureate Ever?

Even though it is undeniable that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters in the great American songwriting tradition, but does this make the “old hippie” the most unseemly Nobel Literature laureate ever?

By: Ringo Bones 

When the news first broke out that Bob Dylan won the Nobel Literature Prize for 2016, many of my “audio-buddies” immediately quipped “who will the Nobel Committee award for next year’s Nobel Literature Prize – Tori Amos, Liz Phair?” Despite of the inextricably unprecedented move, the Nobel Committee did state their justification for awarding the 2016 Nobel Literature Prize to Bob Dylan – but is Bob Dylan, despite his great musical achievements since the 1960s, truly deserving of the Nobel Literature Prize? 

Bob Dylan’s place as one of the world’s greatest artistic figures was further elevated on Thursday, October 13, 2016 when Dylan was named the surprise winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. After the announcement, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, said it had “not been a difficult decision” and he hoped the Swedish Academy would not be criticized for its choice. 

On Bob Dylan’s 2016 Nobel Literature Prize win, Swedish Academy secretary Sara Danius advised those unfamiliar with the works of Dylan to start with the 1966 album Blonde on Blonde in which she said “I’s an extraordinary example of his brilliant way of rhyming, putting together refrains, and his pictorial way of thinking.” Though to me at least, Bob Dylan’s 1975 album The Basement Tapes is the one that faithfully captures Dylan as a singer songwriter. 

Whether or not Bob Dylan is truly deserving of the 2016 Nobel Literature Prize could be down to how the Swedish Academy interpreted Alfred Nobel’s original will governing the rules of awarding the Nobel Literature Prize. Originally interpreted as embracing not only writings in the field of belles-lettres (i.e. beautiful writing of artistic merit), but also of other works provided they possessed literary merit. Given this rather still-ambiguous clarification, Bob Dylan winning the 2016 Nobel Literature Prize could be justified – but should Tori Amos and Liz Phair or other great singer-songwriters should be in the running for the Nobel Literature Prize?

Should Musicians Boycott North Carolina?

While a significant number of famous musicians already have cancelled their upcoming tours to North Carolina over the state’s controversial “bathroom bill” should others follow suit?

By: Ringo Bones 

When General Electric – the corporation that designed the Fukushima nuclear power plant and the famous porn-site xHamster is boycotting your entire state, you know you’ve done something horribly wrong. But this day and age, an overwhelming majority of us no longer tolerate the discrimination of the LGBT community – especially if its done though a “manipulated” dogma of organized religion. And this has resulted in the recent banning of local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances. 

Since April 2016, there’s a growing list of famous musicians with a very huge fan-base deciding to cancel their upcoming tours to North Carolina over the state’s controversial “bathroom bill” that only allows transgender people to use the bathroom that matches the gender of their birth certificate. The top three musicians who have decided to cancel their tours include Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Bryan Adams and more are set to follow suit.  

The top three musicians who decided to boycott North Carolina were quite surprising to those old enough to have lived through 1980s Ronald Reagan’s America because these musicians’ works were – back then – frequently played in outlaw biker bars that catered for Vietnam War Veterans. Probably the last on the list back then to give a rat’s ass about LGBT issues. That was then, but this day and age, even outlaw bikers who are into online hardcore porn and classic rock – well, most of them anyway – no longer tolerate the government and religiously sanctioned discrimination of the LGBT community. How the times have changed indeed. 

The Rolling Stones Playing In Cuba: Has “Never” Finally Happened?

Given that at the height of the Cold War it is more likely that all of humanity will perish in a thermonuclear holocaust than Mick Jagger and his fellow Stones touring past 40, is the Stones’ recent Cuba concert an “unprecedented” rock n’ roll event? 

By: Ringo Bones 

 Given that “older” Stones fans probably thought that at the height of the Cold War that it is more likely that humanity will perish in a thermonuclear holocaust compared to Mick Jagger and his fellow Stones still touring after all of them have turned 40, their concert in Cuba in the grounds of Havana’s huge Ciudad Deportiva venue is indeed unprecedented. Until about 15 years ago Cuba’s communist government had banned most Western rock and pop music and even some music from Latin American countries with a “capitalist theme” as it was deemed decadent and subversive. But Cuba has changed significantly in recent years, particularly in the past 18 months as the process of rapprochement with the United States - as initiated by the Obama administration – has quickened. 

Thousands of Rolling Stones fans have shown up in the Ciudad Deportiva venue on March 25, 2016 after Mick Jagger and his fellow Stones have been granted approval to play there for free, granting the long awaited wishes of Cuban Stones fans. Even Mick Jagger joked that U.S. President Barack Obama was their “opening act” after his state visit earlier this week. All of which is very fortunate indeed that The Rolling Stones and the rest of humanity managed to outlive the “thermonuclear Sword of Damocles” of the Cold War. 

But the “revolution” that paved the way for “The Rolling Stones Live in Havana” happened almost 16 years ago. During the 20^th Anniversary of the murder of former Beatle John Lennon, John Lennon Park or Parque John Lennon – a public park located in Vedado district in Havana, Cuba - was unveiled back in December 8, 2000. A John Lennon bronze sculpture sculpted by Cuban artist José Villa Soberόn with an inscription from the line of Lennon’s song Imagine – allegedly viewed as the former Beatle’s “fascination” with Marxist Leninist Socialism.    

Malawi Prison Band: Unlikeliest Grammy Nominees Ever?

Even though its kind of hard for them to pay their dues touring the bar band scene because they’re in prison, are Malawi’s Zomba Prison Band the most unlikeliest musicians to get a Grammy nomination?

By: Ringo Bones 

Malawi’s Zomba Central Prison, the maximum security prison had gained notoriety because it is old, unsanitary, overcrowded and housed Malawi’s most dangerous murderers and rapists. But it will soon get the unlikeliest image boost ever after its prison band got nominated for the 2016 Grammy Awards. The makeshift studio where 14 prisoners and two guards recorded an unusual album of songs about the lessons of loss, sin and forgiveness which as luck would have it is now shortlisted with the works of other well-known performers slated to win a Grammy for the World Music category that finally allows the small, impoverished nation of Malawi its first chance of winning a Grammy Award.

Music producer Ian Brennan discovered them a few years ago and was surprised by the prison band’s talent given that the music program of the prison is only supposed to be as a means to relieve the tedium of prison life. Surprisingly, most of the Zomba Prison Band members had only discovered their musical talents after enrolling in the prison’s music program given that it is by so far the most interesting activity to do inside the prison. 

Even if they win a Grammy or not, proceeds of their album sales goes to fund the legal representation of the band members. AIDS remains a problem among the staff and inmates at the Zomba prison, which was built in 1895 during British colonial rule and houses 2,400 prisoners, about triple the facility’s capacity. Malawi’s most hardened criminals are incarcerated here, but there are also inmates who never received proper legal representation or who are simply lost in Malawi’s overburdened justice system. 

Music for Cats, Anyone?

Given the healthy Kickstarter support and satisfied early customers, will “Music for Cats” soon be topping the Billboard Singles and Download Charts?

By: Ringo Bones 

Yes, folks, it is actually a thing and basing on the Kickstarter support during the past few years and satisfied early customer testimonials, it seems like the New York Times actually got it right when it called Cat Music as the number one idea of the year 2009. Music for Cats was born out of cellist David Teie’s scientific theory on the fundamental nature of music appreciation by mammals. He contended that every species has an intuitive biological response to sounds present in their early development. Felines establish their sense of music through the sounds heard after they’re born – i.e. birds chirping or their mother’s purr. With this premise, Teie composed Music for Cats, incorporating feline-centric sounds and their natural vocalizations with respect to a cat’s frequency range of hearing. An independent study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and published in Applied Animal Behavior verified that Music for Cats resonates conclusively with its target audience – namely cats – and writing that “cats showed a significant preference for and interest in species-appropriate music.” 

Cellist David Teie was born into a musical family, spanning three generations of professional musicians and a long line of musicians, composers and professional instrumentalists. Since 2014, Teie has been the conductor and music director of Washington D.C.’s premier chamber orchestra – the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra – and currently serves on the faculty at University of Maryland’s School of Music. His career has spanned performing as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra under Russian maestro Mstislav Rostropovich, acting principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony where he performed as cellist on Metallica’s 1999 album S&M. His research has been published in the Royal Society Biology Letters and in Evolution of Emotional Communication. 

According to Teie, cats were our first choice because they’re widely kept as pets, allowing us to easily share music with them. While the most mellifluous of Debussy’s compositions seem to be largely ignored by cats – i.e. most human-centric music seems to be ignored by cats and raising the volume only drives them away. Testimonials by those who already manage to purchase the CD or download the music and tested Teie’s Music for Cats on their own cats say that it has a relaxing and calming effect on their cats, making them less hyperactive and more able to adapt in the indoor domestic environment. Will there soon be hi-fi audio gear specifically designed to please cats?