There is a lot prejudices against pop artists. I was tweeting something and all of a sudden I saw that because I follow and I admire pop artists, pop singers, people says “oh, this singers are not good because they are so popular”.
So I would like to know your opinion about popularity and quality. This is very important because I hate prejudices and at the same time, I think that people are loosing a lot of love and joy that pop artists can share with us. This is my opinion, off course you can have a different opinion.
Thank you,
Paulo
DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR ENGLISH. BUT IF YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, POST IN YOUR MOTHER TONGUE (PORTUGUES, ESPANOL, FRANÇAIS, ETC.).
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I think this is just a question of taste. I like both – some pop musicians and an underground. But if the pop artists are very popular indeed, it’s thanks to their work and big efforts. They should make a compromise with producers for gain popularity and sales, but it does not mean that they don’t put soul in their work. They are worthy respect.
oh man… what a crap… sorry i start this way but it’s always about the same… pop is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad, poor quality…
but what is the good quality? everything depends on our taste/ liking. people are different, so we love / like/ listen to different music. so may say classic music (Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Vivaldi etc.)are not good. others will say rock, metal, r’n'b, soul, reagge, latin, rap, hiphop and all other kinds of music are not good because they are not keen on it.
i heard once “THERE IS NO POINT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT TASTES” and i completely agree with that.
if song or artist is popular doesn’t mean it’s wrong / bad or whateva. Artists get many different awards in several categories. they usually get them when they are popular – popular for the whole world, for the part of it or they are local (one nation / region) stars.
MICHAEL JACKSON sang POP. was his work weak/had bad quality?? all depends on one’s opinion. Discussion is open but still we have to remember not to hurt other people’s feelings. especially those who adore/love the artist we talk about.
don’t judge if you don’t want to be judged…
Some say critisism is always welcome but they claim it should have good basics… not “just because”.
besides there’s a dictum in my country (Poland) which says “the real artist is not afraid of factual / constructive knock (critique)”.
greetings
J.
“Discussion is open but still we have to remember not to hurt other people’s feelings. especially those who adore/love the artist we talk about.”
I think you should have left it at “not to hurt other people’s feelings”. Period. In a proper discussion, neither side should be hurt or made to feel that their opinion is wrong. Just because you “adore/love” a particular artist doesn’t mean that you should be treated any different than the person who doesn’t feel the same way. We all love who and what we love and that’s what matters most.
And on that note…… I hope everyone has a great day and finds enjoyment in everything they do. :-)
Hola Paulo…
Siempre me ha parecido muy interesante este tema, porque a veces las personas rechazan ya no digamos la música pop sino que consideran comercial solo por el hecho de que venden mucho o la tocan mucho en la radio o hacen grandes conciertos y dicen que prefieren escuchar cosas alternativas, sin darse cuenta como ud dice que se estan perdiendo muchas veces de buena calidad, talento y que la finalidad de todo esto es simplemente entretener.
Entonces igualmente pienso que no puedes rechazar algo por el simple hecho de ser popular o hasta comercial, finalmente el punto es entretener y salir un poco de la rutina.
Mis gustos en música son muy, muy variados y tendría que decir que lo único que no me gusta es el heavy metal pero no por prejuicios ni porque tenga una idea preformada de sus artistas sino que en mi apreciación suena muy fuerte y no me entretiene, esa sería la razón.
Pero por ejemplo de todos los demás artistas que mencionabas la mayoría me gusta mucho incluyendo artistas como Dulce Maria y Anahi quienes algún día les llamaron artistas de plástico cuando estaban en RBD, pero que están demostrando que pueden entretener a un público y con calidad…
I think pop music is like fast food for several reasons. 1) most people actually listen to it and many hate to admit they do, just like eating at a fast food place…no one really admits they eat there but the places are always full so you do the math.
2) Pop music is like fast food because it does the trick fast. Pop music gets you dancing and or singing if you like the rhythm and lyrics, and fast food takes away the hunger quickly.
3) Both only last a short time (I mean a short time referring to the individual pop songs…usually dont last very long…and fast food fills you for just aobut enough time to tide you over to the next meal)
4) Both can be suprisingly good.
well, it depends on what you define as “pop music”. i think when people say they don’t like pop music, it’s not really prejudice, but merely preference. some prefer jazz, some like rock, some dig r&b and hip hop. there are a million other types of music that people like or don’t like. i think it’s ok.
Perhaps popular is fleeting, and quality enduring . Popular is a manifestation of the desires in people, your brilliant work THE WINNER STANDS ALONE captures that. Quality is what you keep locked up, popularity is what you display.
As pessoas na GRANDE maioria da vezes fala/julgam sem saber..ignorancia sabe.logico nem tds sao bons mas se tu n gosta blz, deixa em paz quem gosta ate pq a opiniao de tais pessoas n ira mudar a dos fas.
I truly think that people, sometimes, refuse to listen to pop music just because it is “popular music”, eventhough a song can be really good and fun! We shoudn’t overthink when it comes to music, afterall a good song remains a good one, be it pop or anything else. When we worry about choosing a radio station, we are killing the true purpose and meaning of music. Music is meant to relax us and free us in ways that we have failed to grasp. We can’t control it if we liked a certain sound. Also, we tire ourselves searching for “original”, “never-before heard” artists because we want to be unique. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but when we end up shoving pop music and disgracing it, then we end up labelling ourselves in return. And there is nothing original about that. About how popularity could deteriorate the quality of work(music), i think that any person, being placed under the spotlight like that, where the world is watching his every move and making him some kind of God, he is bound to feel pressured to remain at a certain level, in order not to dissapoint the public, because he thinks he owes them that much. Now, whether he chooses to stick to his original sound, and do his work with a heart, or to become a “money machine”, from fear of losing the attention or just plain greed, we shoulddn’t let the music pay for that. Several pop artists are a walking propaganda, but they make refreshingly original music! Our ears and guts should only decide what music we want to listen to. Be it, pop or any other. We have diverse tastes? yes. But music was the only topic which we agreed on,we all love it, we never went through details when it came to music, it just brought us together. It should remain like that; we have no other hope of love and peace these days other than it.
I find that when I like a particular artist they are usually not popular. It seems when/if they become popular my interest wanes. I’m the same way with books. I very rarely read any of the Top Ten best sellers. I’m not mainstream anything, I guess. I like what I like and care very little whether others agree!
I tell people I’m glad my 16 year old girl likes the Jonas Brothers, likes to listen to what we call pop artists, not hard core rap artists that denigrate women, that she listens to songs of love, not songs of hate. Music is such a powerful force, I believe the music you listen to in your formative years shapes you, defines you. I was a big Motown fan, still am. I used to read her the lyrics to Imagine when she was a baby, there’s a beautiful childrens book with the lyrics. She tells me she has that song on her IPOD and listens to it all the time now. Celine Dion was another of our favorite singers when she was little, her song about giving wings to fly, I’m everything I am because you loved me. In fact the Sunday crossword was Geno Vanelli, I Just Want to Stop! Either my hearing was better, which it was, but pop music you can understand the lyrics without having to pay a lot of attention, that seems to be another big difference.
Hola Paulo y tod@s aqui!!!
Para mi un artista completo y bueno ya sea pop, rock, salsa o cualquier otro tipo de musica es aquel que sabe ofrecer a su publico calidad en la musica que hace, respeto y humildad en cuanto a lo personal. Creo que hacer prejuicios sobre alguien sea famoso o no esta mal pero da pena ver como muchos artistas hoy dia no son ni agradecidos con la gente que los llevo a donde estan ni tampoco respetan a su publico pues hacen miles de escandalos para llamar la atencion…algo nada valido para mi. Cuando decido elegir a alguien como mi artista favorito veo en el o ella la calidad de su musica pero tambien veo su forma de conducirse…creo que aunque son humanos capaces de cometer errores tambien deben poner el ejemplo…. yo no seguira a una persona que la note arrogante y que viva haciendo escandalos para sonar….eso lo veo muy mal de muchos artistas por eso es que creo que entre artistas populares y artistas de calidad hay una gran diferencia.
existen muchos cantantes pop muy populares pero a base de escandalos y cosas negativas, mientras que existen que aun siendo famosos mantienen la calidad musical y el respeto a un publico que los sigue, que compra sus discos, que hace esfuerzo por ir a sus conciertos y a esos es que yo particularmente sigo. La fama me parece un arma de doble filo porque aunque todos queremos gozar del reconocimiento es dificil lidiar con la adulacion de todos y mantener los pies sobre la tierra, por eso mis respetos y felicitaciones para quienes si se han sabido mantener a base de un trabajo entregado con el corazon.
un buen artista debe ser un buen ejemplo al igual que cualquier ser humano pero creo que el poder que se les ha otorgado de ser personas publicas y estar ante el ojo del mundo es para tocar a traves de sus canciones, libros, pinturas, etc…. Ser artista es un don que no es otorgado a tod@s por tanto creo que debe ser bien valorado por quienes gozan de el.
aun asi y en desacuerdo con muchos artista de hoy dia que solo buscan fama alcanzada mala manera y que aun no entienden la responsabilidad que tienen en sus manos….yo creo en artistas que usan su musica para alegrarnos y hacernos llorar, para tocarnos y permitirnos describir esos sentimientos que a veces no podemos definir…Creo en aquellos que usan su musica para dar a los menos afortunados y que saben devolver a su publico un poquito de lo que le han dado…creo en aquellos que cada dia buscan superar su trabajo y ofrecer calidad antetodo.
Felicidades a los artistas que nos hacen sonreir y nos entregan el alma en cada cancion!!!
Paulo tu eres un ser especial tambien…Gracias por tus libros y pensamientos!!
blessings!
When I studied art, my friends’ favorite movies are always the independent, cinematic pieces. And although some of them are good, some are really bored me to death (sorry!).
Now as I paved my way to be a published author, I also realized that most of my fellow writers always mentioned the serious or classical authors. Sometimes it made me rethink of the authors I love most (which mostly falls into the pop definition). Am I not good enough to be a writer? Well actually I don’t know yet, only time will tell, but the reason certainly won’t come from this.
Everyone is free to choose what they like or dislike, and sometimes the reason of dislike is jealousy. So if you’re a pop artist, I’d say just go for it!
Olá Paulo, bom dia!
Eu acho que muitos dos artistas Pop geralmente começam com obras muito boas, justamente pelo fato de serem desconhecidos e muitas vezes infelizmente se vendem ao sistema e as tendencias de mercado, o que prejudica sua arte. Claro que isso não é uma regra e existem muitos artistas pop que continuam criando coisas boas, porém acredito que muitos deles acabam se vendendo por conta de sua popularidade e comprometendo, consequentemente, a sua arte.
Abrações grandes!
Pop artists as with any other kind of artist are just doing what they do and hopefully they are doing it without any outside influence or pressures to make money. True artists can accurately reflect themselves in a way that no other person could. If an artist is criticised because they are popular its important that we realise that what has happened is that some individuatl, criticiser has failed to be inspired as intended…so move on…but find something to be inspired about.
It seems that in this case prejudices tend to spring up when we put labels like “popular” on them. Don’t take it too seriously. Its not meant to divert your thinking…be inspired (rinse and repeat).
Any kind of artist who truly inspires and makes a difference in someones life no matter how small should take that on board and continue to do his best work…
To inspire is a great gift!! Well done everyone!!!
I like what I like, and a lot of it I don’t like!
I don’t like music to be so much of an industry, it seems that people are churned out like advertising products, and for me a lot of the music lacks character or soul. They have the same pearly white smiles, the hair extensions, perfect figures and look, and I find it really boring.
But being popular has nothing to do with that, that is what business dictates.
I think that when the Beatles and sixties happened and even in the seventies and early eighties there was much more creativity, but that was before it became so commercial and quite frankly to personally boring.
Amy Whitehouse has character, I think for me she was the best thing for pop music in a long time.
Glad that you are continuing this question of the week, bravo.
Sorry Amy Winehouse ….
This is a really interesting topic as I know people say to me how can you like Abba or Billy Joel when you play classical music – or they say how can you like Boyzone they are not even a real band, they dont play any instruments. But for me I have the widest range of taste in music because of both melody and the lyrics and the associations these bring. Some times I like to rock it out other times prefer to just lie down and listen and dream…..I think people who just like and approve of one genre of music are missing out on a lot of wonder. I would on the other hand think there is for me some music that is meaningless and seems just like noise I think they call it rave or something..You hear it in these enormous dance places..but i find it is just noise and you cant really dance to it….Popular music is usually popular because a lot of people listen and enjoy….this doesnt necessarily equate that it is brilliant or wonderful music….but if people are enjoying it then it is touching someone…..So many different tastes…. love to you Paulo xxx
Hello,
This is what I think. I never know why I like a certain song or piece of music. Music is a magical thing.
One day, I was at a concert of the trumpet player Jerry Gonzalez in Clamores, that is a club in Madrid. I was doing some research in Madrid for a newspaper in Holland I worked for and enjoyed the opporunity to see Jerry and another wonderful artist perform live.
The concert started about 22.00 I think, and I stayed untill 02.00 because the next day I was supposed to interview some people and I needed to sleep that night.
The feelng of Jerry’s music was so strong, I could not leave. It caught my attention, I could hardly snap out of it.
I have had one experience like that before in my life. That was when I was at the Reina Sofia museum, also in Madrid (where I have been studying for 1 year in the 90′s). They exposed a painting of Picasso, it is called La dame en azul. I felt the eyes of the woman in the portrait so strong, I could not stop looking at her. It was also difficult to leave.
In the videoclip there is a fragment of Jerry Gonzalez playing, to give you an impression of his music. The best is though to hear him perform live.
Take it away Jerry!!!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6d0q8_jerry-gonzales-latin-jazz-stories_music
thank you so much for that
As I was listening this reminded me of the 1950′s era precisely.
I related that to watching the “Festival of Cannes” latest movies
on TV – as the film was rolling down showing pictures of La Croisette and listening to Francois Chalais’s voice.As mentioned onto dailymotion the blending of all music – one of our connection -
“Jerry Gonzalez ‘s music is a music from exile, from the uprooting, Africa (the drums) Spain (flamenco) roots and Andalusian Arabic for the guitar, Latin America (Salsa) the USA (jazz).
Jerry is a child from the Bronx, from the Latino “Barrio “: of New York,living in Madrid.
It is also a music of encounters and escapism of the common cage; the black and white, hispanic and anglo-saxon, gypsy of the qadje.
It is a music rich of all these encounters, violent and sweet, tensed and dispassionate, it is a red music.”
Shivers!
“Take it away Jerry indeed.”
i can not really say that i don’t like a person who i do not know… music, art, poem, books etc are creative matarial and as an individuell, its up to you if you like the that matarial or not… but just because you don’t like the matarial doesn’t mean that the person behind that is bad. It is like, as if your own sister paint something that you you have a dislike and because of that yyou started start to reject her as a family member…
and as a wiseman said, ” it is not the person who makes him/ her self famous, its the people”
I come from a very musical and artistic family, my father was a composer and concert pianist who also taught music and my mother is an artist. Pop music was not allowed in our house until I became a teenager and started introducing it, much to my Dad’s disapproval.
I became used to anyone – whether musician or artist – who was very popular being put down by my family regardless of the quality of their work. It was almost as if by becoming popular they had somehow ‘sold out’. For years I let it effect my own creativity because I felt that anyting I might produce would be subject to the same scathing and snobbish criticism. It’s hard to take when it comes from your own family.
There was an underlying belief that ‘real’ art belonged to those who knew how to ‘do it properly’ raher than being an expression of soul and spirit. Fortunately these days I don’t care what they think because I now know what an impoverished place to be it is. So now I paint and write regardless and I like popular. The whole point about art is that it is great way to share.
Rebecca
We can’t really measure quality in quantity (=numbers, popularity in numbers). Not all good musicians will rise the big hights, in populartity. But it is neither all musicians thrives. A thrive can be to sing, to pass on their passion and share their attitude towards life, give something good (feelings) to people, with their music. If one didn’t forget about this way, wether a musician is wellknown, popular or not, becomes a secondary issue (the thrive to be popular), if it is an issue, at all.
If a musician was from a small country and doesn’t go or at least wish to go “international”, it’s quite hard to recieve popularity from all over the world. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be popular in their own country or nearby countries.
A musician can be good in their music, but also in personality (role-model, example). If we are here talking about the musical goodness, I believe the term ‘good’ is questionable. Same thing what we talked about clothing – it’s very personal. To a person, music becomes good when they find something from it. Something g o o d.
Quality – of technical skills.
Quality – of connecting with a persons soul, emotions.
Quality – of making Yourself understood through music.
…
I’ve heard from some people that if a person is popular, then it is only because they have been lucky to be advertised the right way, have a great team behind them, possibilities etc. Really? Can a musician really only become popular from good ‘advertising’. I don’t think so… there has to be something else aswell… something in their music.
A musician doesn’t become good just by being popular aswell. Good is a very individual termin. Pop artists are also only one side/group of musicians. Maybe if a person believes that “oh, this singers are not good because they are so popular” is because they do not like pop music? Or because they may believe that this popularity is due to clever advertisement, and clever possibilities to be heard (internet, shows in different countries, national TV interviews). Which is actually partly true, because if You do not share Yourself, how should people be able to listen to Your music?
All best,
Liina
Music is a matter of the heart. There is noe good or bad. You love it or not. The problem is adults are not different from kids in school. If you want to belong to a social group you have to hear the “right” music. If you want to be regarded as “intellectual” you cannot say I like Ricky Martin. I don’t give up fighting against those prejustices in my classroom. I go now and hear my “Aha” CDs!
hi Paulo
popular vs underground, well if it is really popular that means it sells very well which means a lot of people like it. who are we to tell people if they are wright or wrong about any of their tastes?
it, s a personal thing that its totally individual, whether you like something cult and obscure or super pop.
there is an air of rightgeousness among the cult and independent people. as if their stuff is the only good stuff, and anything that becomes popular, even if it was cult before.. looses it’s purity.
many great artists were attacked by their popularity and envy from their peers, like salvador dali, wharhol, pollock even frida khalo and modigliani after their movies came out and even if they have died long ago.. .. since now it´s popular their work has no merit.. rubbish! but these artists where not afraid of the popularity arena and the bulls of criticism…
there is good and bad cult movies as in popular… but if people used the expression “i dont relate to such and such..” instead of likes and dislikes, goods and bads, i think that would be more reasonable and personal.
because good and bad is in the eye of the beholder..
it’s only a personal judgement.
i think what’s bothers me a little is when people like cult or pop music just because everyone else does.. for me thats sheep flock lazy thinking
and for me it kills individuality and authenticity.
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Hmmm interesting. About popular music I can say that some of popmusic I like, but for some reason much of the artists and songs I can’t stand.
But the Nr.1 what I heared was about you Paulo. Some time ago I haved a discussion about you and your books, and one of my friends sayed that you are to “pop” for a “serious” author. And from that time I started to think about what means popular to me and to others and thank you for this discussion. Very helpfull to answer some questions.
.. Paulo, when I think what should I answer for your today question and when I have to answer for you
I think about only one beautiful person.
He have a heart of gold. We love the King of Pop – wonderful and incredible – Michael Jackson.
Too much to say, love explain all. That big man often repeat “it’s all for love” and we will never forget him.
For us Michael Jackson still alive and He will be live forever in our hearts. Big, big respect for Him.
L.O.V.E.
As said our brazilian playwright, “All unanimity is dumb”… well I never agreed with that quote, I would agree more easily with “All prejudice is dumb”.
To me, pop art can be so good as “cult” art, in all genres. the measure of a good art is quality, all depends of the quality. There are alot of cult art that for, me is just trash. as in pop art. The prejudice of being pop comes from envy most of the time. People just can’t stand to see others being sucessfull and famous. Quality has in both sides: in pop art as in cult art. And a lack of quality too. This Prejudice occurs also with The archetypical of “dumb blonde”, while viewed as attractive and popular, has been portrayed as lacking in both common street-sense and academic intelligence, often to a comedic level. So, it’s just a matter of prejudice from pseudo-intellectuality of insecure people whom judge even before listening, reading or seeing any kind of popular art, because they are “cool” and they need to show what they are to be accepted in a certain “selected group” and so on. In summary: ignore them!
Yo no tengo problema con la popularidad, el problema es que impongan al artista y la moda con los intereses superiores o necesidades globales, me encantan muchisimas personalidades que son populares mas no todas las personalidades populares son mis favoritas, y claro que hay muchisima calidad desconosida porque no es rentable o no va con lo que esta de moda, pero taraaaaaan, existe el internet y uno tiene la libertad de buscar y escoger lo que le gusta a uno.
Un abrazo, Cristina
When I was a film studies student I was faced with a similar kind of prejudice about films. To the film student, a film isn’t worth watching unless it is a cinematic masterpiece. I use to hate watching films with other students because we would pick over the bones of a film instead of just enjoying it. I realised that I love watching big budget trash and great cinema with equal measure. (someone is going to slaughter me for using the word ‘trash’ here)
It is not good just to watch the popular stuff and ignore the really great low budget films around but it is also really silly to ignore something because it’s popular. I guess also it is silly to equate ‘popular’ with poor quality – I would hate to have missed out on reading ‘The Alchemist’ just because so many other people had read it before me.
An interesting question/conflict popular vs. the other. My thoughts are that when seeking out art, whether it be musical, visual, or literary, so much depends upon what one wants to find. To seek the unique and unusual, perhaps deeply thought provoking or subversive, (one might say challenging) it clearly requires a trip off the beaten path into what might be characterized as “cult” or “indie” forms. On the other hand, it seems that if one wants something pleasant, fun, enjoyable, and perhaps somewhat predictable, more often than not, that will be the more popular and well-known sources of expression.
My experience has often been that challenging art is not mass produced…lyrics about politics (Ani DiFranco), musicians who experiment with sounds and rhythms and instruments that are less typical and often breaking with current trends (Sting), artists who use mediums and/or subjects some find disturbing (Body Worlds), or writers who take on unique ethical dilemmas and/or protagonists (Paulo Coehlo, anyone? LOL) truly stand apart from the output of art that one finds typically. That’s not to say that the unique subversive artist doesn’t acquire a following…they do…thankfully there are enough people who want a challenge and appreciate the experience for what it is.
That being said, there is a pleasure to be found in more popular forms as well. Pop art and “challenging” art do not need to be mutually exclusive. That’s like saying one should meditate all day and never laugh…there has to be room in life for both…some art is work; some play. Some art is an epiphany; some an expected treat. Some art makes you think deeply; some makes you feel warm and fuzzy and you forget about it five minutes later…I guess what I think is most important is whether or not the experience, profound or silly, brought the audience some extra measure of awareness of life…art that doesn’t achieve that may be missing its mark…but popular or unique, if one is touched in some way, does it matter if the person nextdoor saw it/heard it/read it already?
As some posters have mentioned, it does seem that artists who move from obscure to mainstream sometimes change to fit their new and expanded audience…and that could be perceived in both a negative or positive light. (I agree that the idea of Bob Dylan singing a Christmas album is somehow bizarre on many levels) I guess what I would hope for the artist in question is that he or she never sell out the soul of their creative work for the exchange of profits. The art should change and grow and mature with the artist, not with the contract for the record deal, the gallery, or the publisher. If an artist has talent and muse and creates something genuine out of those gifts it should not be compromised just so that it appeals to the masses…if that’s the sacrifice, then the artist has to make the call and decide if it’s worth it. Maybe that depends on what the art means to the artist to begin with….
Thanks, Paulo, for an interesting topic to think on…
The following letter was sent to me — as you think about this week’s blog, perhaps you can help me answer this teacher’s letter.
I have a dilemma, and being a veteran teacher of theatre, I thought perhaps you could help me with this problem. There are eighteen very talented students in my exclusive, theatre performance class (Advanced Theatre) – Five of the students already have received handsome scholarships at major arts schools and universities across the U.S.
I have worked hard to develop a program where students can have the opportunity to succeed and move on in the arts. However, the way things are going this year, (and we are only a quarter of the way through,) I don’t know whether I want to continue. The student’s attitudes about each other are changing for the worst. I cannot believe how “dog eat dog” they have become — Especially the five with scholarships. They must have not learned the lessons I have tried to teach them through the years.
When these five extremely talented senior students were freshman, they were close – as we would say in America “tight.” They wanted to accomplish so much together – become triple threats in major musicals; become classical actors by doing full out Shakespeare; become a comedy troupe by doing comedia del’arte; become playwrights by writing short plays, long plays, and musicals. They were “gung ho” all of the way until this year. What is interesting is that they have done all of these things above except complete the musical – it is close to being finished.
This last summer, two of the five have turned against one of the five. The child that has been “put out of the group” is such a natural on stage. He dances like no other, he molds and takes on any acting part to perfection, (a director’s dream,) he sings, (has perfect pitch,) and plays quite a few instruments, and he writes music and musical scores for local plays. (He wants to score music for movies) The people of our area and the Universities in our area have been knocking at his door for over two years now. This kid is going far and will be known in the world of celebrities – without a doubt. I think the two who are turning against this boy are doing so because of jealousy and fear. Now the other two are every bit as talented in their own ways. One excels in singing, acting, directing, and writing / editing / producing movies – the other excels in singing, dancing, writing plays, and scenic lighting design. These two will have many opportunities to become celebrities too – just like the student they have turned away.
I have tried so hard to make sure that these five were chosen equally for “lead” parts in the plays that we have performed over the last three years. Last spring the three mentioned above were given bit parts and a junior actor was placed in the lead. The three showed their true acting spirits and didn’t miss a rehearsal for our play. They told me that they quite enjoyed being walk-ons for a change. They were there to aide this junior actor and help him in any way. I was pleased with this support and told them so. They all agreed that this was a good experience for them because that is how it is in the real world.
My dilemma — the two are now trying to turn the rest of school against this very talented boy because of his celebrity in our city – yes people come to plays and musical events to see and hear him — yes, he has the main role in the play we are rehearsing now, and he is excelling in the part as he always does. As a teacher and as a director, this boy is a dream. He is always pleasant and is so willing to do anything to change his performance/music for the benefit of the play. His enthusiasm is wonderful – adults love him. Why does he have to suffer friendships, new acquaintances, basic life – because of his celebrity and his talent?
Help me to help him, the other two of the group, and basically save our theatre program. Anything you could suggest would help. THANKS
Hi elaine !
that talented young boy will have to learn to live with others feeling jealous of him, specially those who were on ‘same platfom’ in formative years. only or rtaher best way for him would be to see things as they are i.e. the two are turning gaint him out of jealously, he will have to be firm against them, without being impolite, if he looses his cool he looses it all. looking by how that chap has been decribed, he is smart enough to know this himself. as for those two – nothing better than a straight talk in a compassionate atmosphere, ending with that famous story about akbar and birbal ( these fables have a way of being present in most human cultures, setting and charecrets may be diffrent but the theme remains same ). legend has it that once the great king Akbar ( in India there have benn many many kings but only two are called as Akbar the Great and other was Asoka the great ) asked his courtiers to draw a line on the wall, a stright line about 1 foot long, everyone drew. then he asked them to shorten this line without touching it. now everyone was perplexed except …. his wise counseller birbal, he let them sweat for a while, went to teh wall and made another line slightly bigger than the prvious one. without touching it he has shortened the old line. that is teh only path, and sooner those two pay heed to this, the better for them and everyone concerned.
celberity status comes a t a price tag, while it is not that difficult to pay the bills associated with celebrity status enough money pours in, the emotional price is something ……… remember Michel Jackson.
love
aditya
a few words about the tpoic -
I don’t know about this prejudice, although the pop artists do seem to behave diffrently from the crowed like diffrent clothes, diffrent lifestyle etc, but is tehir any prejudice, i don’t know.
Lainee,
i agree with aditya on ‘that talented young boy will have to learn to live with others feeling jealous of him’. i know nobody would deserve this kind of thing but unfortunately it happens…but anyway, i admire these talented people (pop artist also) because they are courageous. oh, but i do not really like those people who like comparing artists. for example, when kissin (a gifted pianist) was young, he was often referred as young horovitz or young richter. i found those discussions empty. i think every artist is unique.
and for the two boys, at some point, it is good to have an open talk with them. when she has a chance to talk with them, it might be a bit helpful if she could let them think about what it is that they really want in their lives.
my favorite painter said in an interview (you can find it on youtube. type in ‘agnes martin interview’. it is only ten min. interview and i think it is good for everyone.)
and whenever i feel confused about my paintings, i remember her words because they seem to put me back on the original point. she said something like this in this interview.
‘…there are so many people don’t know what they want…in this world, that’s the only thing you want to know…exactly want you want…’.(sorry i could not figure out some words)
i think it is true. and i think it is true for everyone.
i also agree with you saying ‘progression in accepting and loving all…’.
well, i hope these students will come back as they used to be.
love
chieko
Yeey Paulo… You’re here!! :D
I believe artist become popular for many different reasons, the talent has to be there, but besides that, it’s perhaps being in the right place at the right time, connections, looks, personality, mostly marketing, but ultimately the people must like the artist.
I don’t think it good to compare talent. Everyone is different and has their own style. I think the people who say that because they are popular they are not good, they are probably thinking that they got to the top the easy way, through connections rather than hard work. Even still, the artist most probably had the love for it and was following their dream.
Not every pop artist is trained extensively like say an opera singer, but each artist brings something to the people, and as long as we enjoy it, that’s what’s important.
xxoo
Hi Paulo, it is a pleasure to see you again, I thought this week we shouldn’t see you in web.
Basically i don’t know what to think about some artists, because it happens like actors, you can fall in love with a character and not in the person with his faults and virtues who interpret him.
Many singers don’t compose their songs, but they have the gift of perform this song and make them vibrate in the world.
I interpret that is best to be musical taste, i can like a song or not (ex: I do not like Britney Spears, but I must admit that I liked one of her song) but it is true that some people would give them ashamed to admit it, for as is the artist in person or what he does, or simply out of envy.
Also, I guess not all artists have the same audience, some are for teens, others for a very specific people,etc ,etc, the issue is to accept it and if you do not like, just say that to you : there are many colors for many tastes.
“Prejudice Is Ignorace”
Of cource we can’t only call Michael Jackson: Pop Star. If you have red the book: Dancing The Dream, you know what I’m talking about.
Bad times is in everybodies life. If we understand the sentece above, we know there’s no time for prejudice.
paulo, please anwer me.
dear S.A.
sorry, i am not Paulo…but
i agree on ‘prejudice is ignorance’.
i have to admit that i sometimes say bad things about some artists but now i realized that i did it because i did not get it. so i have something to reflect on…
thanks for sharing your idea.
love
chieko
When I was younger I often did not like the same artists as other, because they were popular! But this last year I have changed this point of view. Of course, this does not mean that I now like everything! There are still some music I just don’t like to listen too. But I when I hear a song that I before said I did not like, I ask myself, is it the song I don’t like or is it simply because everyone else like it or don’t like it? And in many cases I have realized it the second reason. This has really opened my music-taste, and I have found a lot “new” favorite music and artists :) I have also asked myself this question in other parts of my life, and discovered a lot new food, clothes, etc. and even friends! =)
I believe it can be dangerous to always follow other peoples thoughts and point of views. One would miss many great stuff doing this. Listen, taste, and make your own decision! Thats my advice.
Yes, for some with cultural capital, who define themselves to higher quality ‘fine culture’, you can see a derogatory view on popular, contemporary culture. Isn’t this just snobbish and stiff?
Pop music we see on the hitting the top-twenty-lists, certainly have the quality of giving joy to many peoples lives, which gives anybody into it, some great musical experiences.
There is one thing I have to question though…Why do all popular singers have to release their own Christmas albums? I admire Bob Dylan’s music… but Christmas Carols by Bob Dylan. No way! It sounds horrible!
Hi heart anyone who feels superior to others, the superiority compex as some call it are actually suffering from inferiority complex, the truly superior find no point in pointless comparisons, specifics may be needed at time say if a lod is to be lifted, one needs a person with strong body, a piano is to be play4ed, somewith with nimbele fingers. but teh comaprison is situation specific and not a judgement on teh whole person or race !! my views !!
love
aditya
PS : How unintelleigent is to pass judgements on others, when we can never really know others fully, forget about others, when trying to know oneself fully itself is such a wol effort, once u know thyself u know all.
Grande Paulo,
acho que o popular é visto como o mais óbvio, mas nem por isso menos sábio. A arte de vender e escrever tem o preço da popularidade que o torna sábio por um lado e óbvio por outro.
A qualidade entra no quesito subjetivo e de responsabilidade pessoal, conheces o valor de seu trabalho, seus números só crescem.
A insegurança da trilha é comum a todos, nem por isso paramos, diminuímos o passo e ajustamos o ritmo.
A popularidade e a qualidade são valores independentes.
Ser popular te oferece a possibilidade de ajuda ou de manipulação, influência ou hipinose e chegamos na roda Ying e Yang….
Cara, sou seu fã e gostaria de pedir que falasse um pouco dessa entrada da era de aquarius – fim de era de peixes e os valores espirituais acoplados a tal eventos.
Siga com a voz ativa!
Se tiver curiosidade em outras loucuras segue um blog que comparto com amigos da epoca de movimento estudantil do fim dos anos 90
http://www.multiuniversus.com.
Forte abraço.
P.Bala – RJ/Barcelona
blog interessante. Mas meus pais sempre diziam que os Beatles eram uma droga, o que podia ser para eles, mas nao para mim
Talent is not bound by popularity. Some very talented people are basically unheard of while others are on the tip of every tongue. The flip side of the coin is also true. Some people become popular more for their appearance than their talent. Talent is also in the eye of the beholder. Picasso had talent but not everyone enjoys his creations. The Rolling Stones (Mick, Keith, et al) have talent but not everyone enjoys their music. The same can be said about Stevie Wonder and Stephen King (personally I cannot get into anything by Stephen King although I enjoyed the movie Shawshank Redemption). Rachael Yamagata is talented although she is not that well known. And I never heard of Herta Muller before she was awarded the Nobel Prize. talent and popularity do go hand in hand but they are separate at the same time. I also understand that the strains of popularity can hamper creativity and destroy lives. When I was younger, I used to believe that certain entertainers did not have talent but over time my errors have been corrected. Talent has staying power. Talent really is in the eye of the beholder. I think that I will watch an Akira Kurosawa film tonight.
Enhorabuena Paulo por decidirte a seguir haciendo tus videos que son tan interesantes y nos propones debates y temas a compartir. Esto hace un centro de reunión.
Admiro a las personas que llegan a ser famosos y populares y se sienten agradecidos con el mundo que les apoya y hacen cosas por los menos favorecidos aprovechando su situación, sean cantantes, actores, escritores etc.
Admiro a las personas sean de la clase que sean sin pensar que unos son más importantes que otros.
En el mundo de los gustos no hay nada escrito y la popularidad la da tener un montón de seguidores pero se dice que a las masas se les conduce más fácilmente que al individuo y existen muchos estudios de Marketing que hacen que una canción tenga éxito pues eligen acordes y notas parecidas a las que ya han tenido éxito.
Yo elijo mi música dentro de lo que me están ofreciendo, se que hay muchos buenos músicos por ahí que no son conocidos y son muy buenos.
Cada persona tiene su tiempo y a lo mejor si ahora no son apreciados luego puede llegar un tiempo en el cual no haya mucha calidad de música y entonces como dice el refrán “En un mundo de ciegos el Tuerto es el Rey”.
Un beso Paulo, me gustó verte no nos faltes a la cita.
in my opinion it serves noone to hate anything not even
these bad things like prejudices. anger, frustration,
hate..are projected unto likes and dislikes to feel a
bit released..but in truth of course love and joy is
lost in experience this way. thank life, there are better
ways. but i think somehow you already know this,
although that could be another prejudice.
trust & patience and a bit tiredness, doris
Pienso que tendríamos que definir primero qué es lo que admiramos en un artista, si es su obra o su vida privada.
Su obra, su trabajo, su desempeño como artista lo podemos conocer, percibir, evaluar, analizar y decidir si nos gusta o no.
Su vida privada, nos es absolutamente desconocida, a menos que estuviéramos entre el círculo de sus más cercanos, entiéndase familia o amigos íntimos.
Por lo tanto, personalmente admiro mucho el trabajo de muchos artistas que muchas veces han sido señalados por los medios de comunciación como drogadictos, locos, homosexuales, etc., sin que yo esté de acuerdo con su forma de vida.
Hay muchos artistas que su trabajo fuera del espectáculo es conocido porque son filantropos, ecologos, servidores sociales, etc., pero su talento artistíco no me gusta, no puedo admirarlos como artistas, sólo como miembros responsables de una sociedad.
Yo, a Paulo Coelho, lo admiro mucho como escritor, porque escribe cosas que me llegan al alma, también como persona que ha sufrido persecución y no ha claudicado, sino al contrario ha seguido adelante, pero no puedo admirarlo más allá de eso, porque no convivo con él :) (ya quisiera yo, je je)
Un abrazo desde Guatemala!
The problem with celebrity people is that all the admiration that they attract toward themselves causes envy and jealousy, or maybe they just don’t like them. I agree with you on this, people loose so much of the love that they can give to us and that happens because they are too busy on envying than seeing what they should be looking at. It is such a pity. I really feel bad when I hear people around talking about a certain artist and making comments on his personal life for example. Even if those facts were true, so what?
They are people like us and have a life, make mistakes. Why should we care about that instead of looking at the good that they try to give us.
Unfortunately it happens that peoples eyes are blinded by the light of their desires. Attending the top, like those artists have.
Why should those artist taking care of their background all the time, being afraid of being judged and that their work is gonna get lost because of their mistake’s fault.
Popularity doesn’t make an artist less good. If he/she is popular it is because a lot of people likes them. You better say you don’t like them, it is more honest.
I feel upset too when I hear such commentaries and I feel the desire to shut them up and tell them what I think on this, but it is needed more to stop prejudices.
As a jazz drummer, I would have to say if a pop act brings joy to the masses then let it. You will always have those who will seek and find the alternatives. It is quite possible to walk around with to-day’s technologies etc. and not have that type of music impinge too much on you if you do not wish it do. Anyway, it is no bad thing to have a pop sensibility.
Shane.
Paulo,
After reading the Valkaries I am even more suspicious of what’s out there. I take your book is a narrative of what you’ve experience as a human being. I cannot isolate my children from the rest of the world but I do have to teach them to think for themselves and have faith in God and not follow like sheep.
On the other hand I love certain pop bands like U2, I feel their existence has added meaning to life. Bono is a very positive individual and has utilized his fame to do very good deeds.
You are right, we should not judge based on the fact that they are popular; on the other hand there have been instances where groups become popular and they think the world owes to them and these are the people I cannot have respect for. They forget too quickly who put them in the pedestal where they are at.
Dear all!
I hate prejudices! But we can’avoid them at some points of our lifes. Music, like any other art, is optional: you like something or you don’t like something. That what you don’t like, respect. But, also, there is quality: how to recognize one,… It’s hard to talk about quality because we all hve our own vision of quality. So i will stop now :)I like good music that lifts me up or conforts me or… makes me feel it.
If someone is popular, it doesn’t have to mean it’s something quality, but it, also, doesn’t have to mean it’s somethig bat.
So everything is optional…
love,
Ivana
When we face this question (and it happens frequently), I think we have to concentrate in the work of art and forget the artist for a while.
Popularity isn’t a matter of quality, it’s not even a matter of art, it’s about behavior, and sometimes money.
Nevertheless quality can be mixed with popularity, because an artist makes art, and quality is a matter of personnal judgement.
Prejudice will always be a stupid thing.
By the way people always feel smarter when they don’t think like others, even if they end up thinking stupidly.
Hi… Think of the joy we get from music and songs. We all have our favourite songs that relate to some part of our lives. Having a favourite popstar is part of everyone’s teenage years.. (i can remember that far back!). Maybe the prejudices come from jealously.. It’s not possible to like all the pop artists but that doesn’t mean we wish them any harm. Also I think newspapers use stories about them for sensationalism to sell their papers. Live and let live…. Now on t.v. every week we have “THE X FACTOR”, where artists compete to become a popstar. It’s a gruelling competition. Sometimes the judges are very critical of these young singers. I don’t think I could cope with it if I was a 17/18 year old. Keep rocking….. and rolling…. bye..
I think when all is said and done, its impossible not to fit in somewhere. Even people who decide to avoid mainstream music and culture have made a choice that carries with it a certain style, way of behaving etc.
Freedom in this instance is to be able to enjoy whatever comes your way if it is there to be enjoyed.
Some of my friends don’t listen to much pop music because they say it all sounds the same. Good pop musicians never sound the same twice though, and they endure.
Your books are very popular Paulo. Do these same people think they should stop reading you because your message is reaching millions now? Popularity is just another sign of like souls joining together I think. These things that connect us all, music, film, literature, art, are things I cherish.
I agree with Thomas, it’s a process of maturing. There does seem to be a human tendency to break away from those around us, an attempt to define ourselves as unique and individual, followed by a return and acceptance of our sameness.
With love, Daniel
Hello Mr. Coelho,
I believe that popularity to a large extent suffocates talent. A person would start playing or singing for the joy that music brings, for the ability to give an expression of his feelings or beliefs, for himself only. I think that dreaming to perform in front of a crowd is not a wish for fame, but a wish for recognition, for understanding. Maybe it’s a need to know that there are others being able to speak the same specific and gentle language of art, just as the artist himself does.
If the dream to play in front of people is fulfilled and you are to be acknowledged as interesting and talented, although the happiness it certainly brings in the beginning, eventually it bends you, it changes you. Or so I believe, I couldn’t know for sure because I have not experienced such a situation myself. Anyway, the reason for this change that probably occurs is, I think, the very fans themselves. Once you’ve gone out in the public space you clash with things such as reputation, rivalry and stress. You have to keep an image that will be fancied by you admirers in order not to bring them down because they were the very ones who understood your art and, of course, the ones who pay for your productions. You have to be good enough to keep their interest on you but not on any of the thousands of other artists out there, to work harder and harder in order to outrun yourself. All this and many other factors such as the lack of personal life, the busy schedule etc. cause stress.
You’ve probably noticed how the first songs of an artist are oftentimes much better than the latest ones, how older tunes have lived through years, while modern ones are forgotten for a month or two. In today’s days competition and stress are tremendous. Not many people are able to keep being productive and producing qualitative material in such conditions.
You are right, the danger is in trying to create an image of him/herself. But besides that, popular singers as as good as cult ones
So true Kristina. A friend of mine is a talented singer and composer, but she rarely plays. She suffers severe asthma and quite often when she has gigs booked her health fails and so her vocation literally suffocates her. We once had a conversation about the fact she does not get as much enjoyment from her singina as she used to, and we talked about buskers letting loose and just enjoying their music. I asked if she would get out her guitar and busk at a local market just for fun and she said she couldn’t because she was a professional artist and its not the done thing, and she commented that I didn’t understand because I’m not an “artist”. And here’s me thinking being an artist is being free, following your dreams and letting the child inside you shine out through your eyes. Hopefully she will find the spark.
Ah you’re back!;)
Well I agree with you.The thing is that we are letting us influenced by media,and by reading paparazzi magazines(oh I hate them!),gossips and all.We forget about the person who is behind so often.It’s not because one is popular that it is not good.Yes I have heard that too.Some people would look for underground artists instead of popular ones almost cause it’s fashion to do so.I think talented people are everywhere.Some are popular,some are not,some sings in the streets(they are so many so talented out there).If someone has something to say and is being himself/herself then we should listen what she/he has to say.Even though we might not agree.Not just think about her/his name but dig behind it.
For example,Placebo is popular but they are damn good!:)
Love
Candie
Faz tempo que o homem nao é livre. tem coisas que somos impedidos de gostar para pertencer a um determinado grupo social. por isso alguem diz nao gostar de “pops” : para o grupo desejado por ele ser pop foi convencionado como sendo cafona. C’est interdit !
Esta semana escrevi no meu facebook que eu adoro o Fabio Junior. E confesso que tive que quebrar muitos paradigmas e enfrentar um monte de medos para fazer isso. Sim, senhores, por mais que não seja convencional da minha entourage, eu posso sim gostar do cantor pop Fabio Junior. Cada um que descubra o porquê. Me sinto um pouco mais livre.
Sugestão de leitura : Bourdieu, Pierre – “La Distinction”.
Popular art vs the underground? That’s a hard one. Personally I think that it takes a certain degree of maturity to base your judgement of an act not upon the majority’s judgement. I swore to be underground and I always have supported the underground drum & bass scene, hip hop, metal, punk… But I grew up and now I basically don’t care anymore, if I dig it I dig it. Still the thing I set out to look for in music was subversivity (elvis shaking his hips too sensually, Jerry Lee Lewis burning a piano, Beatles records being burned, the sex pistols being arrested for singing god save the queen on a boat on her birthday, Jimmy Hendrickx playing the star spangled banner, country joe having thousands spell fuck) and I had more than my share. But if one of those artists early on makes it big and goes from deep existentialistic musings too hey hoo throw your hands in the air I don’t feel betrayed, and I never did. I love it when antiheroes make it big. Still for younger people looking for an image and a group to relate to it’s kind of a letdown when suddenly even people you don’t like suddenly start pumping the record. I saw it happen with Therapy? and the offspring and many more and I used to feel “betrayed”, but ten+ years later I don’t anymore. I now know that the underground is in your heart and that it means not caring about any limitation upon your taste. I now know that it’s truly underground to be indifferent to the public’s judgement and that a true fan always wants his heroes to do well.I base my reputation upon how I treat people now and not on what obscure band they might happen to know, it’s part of the process of maturing.
I agree with you all, everyone in this case ‘pop’ artists began from somewhere, and that somewhere was a small place where they were unheard of. Then they become ‘pop’ular. As long as they don’t sell out or sell their souls for the wrong cause (promoting drugs etc)…and not let popularity diminish the quality of their work and the message in their music.
Indeed, they are for if they are popular there is a reason for the to be – if they weren’t good they wouldn’t gain popularity at the first place.
Maybe I didn’t express my opinion very well. What I meant was not that they lose their talent or that they aren’t as good as the ones before them, but that in today’s situation it’s much harder to preserve yourself, or your muse if you’d prefer to call it that way.
I believe that an artist(whether a musician, painter, writer etc.) has a large emotional capacity, a very gentle and sensitive heart. He tends to be very romantic. But we live in a quite material world and finances are and urgent element of it. And having in mind the fact that public see not just you art, but you yourself, you have to, regardless of whether you want to or not, keep an image that will admired by them. That is if you want for your products to keep selling and it’s very likely you do, because as I mentioned you’d probably like to preserve the attention and appreciation that makes you satisfied with yourself. Not to mention that you are probably going to be pressed by your manager, producers and of course the media.
For a person not to get demotivated when having to come with this, he has to have a strong heart and a brilliant talent. It’s hard to balance in such a uncertain atmosphere. And as a result that might breed a drop in your performance.
Of course my opinion is not absolute nor do I think there are no exceptions, it’s just my incomplete point of view since I haven’t been through it and I can just assume what popularity is like for an artist.
Who are your favorite pop artists, Mr. Coelho? Do you see an artist just for his music or you take in mind his reputation and image in front of the world? And if you do, have you ever considered that this might not be what he exactly is but what he tries to present himself as?
Daniel, I think it takes a very strong personality and courage for a person that has proven himself to leave behind the need for acknowledgment and go back to playing for himself only. In the end we are social beings and we need to interact with others and everyone wants to be liked. Maybe you can say they probably grow addictive to it or that we need others to tell us how good we are, so that we’d know there’s a point of what we’re doing. Being able to let go of that need is not a easy thing to do because maybe in an aspect it’s like choosing loneliness, like diving into yourself.
While my summer vacation in a city by the see, I met a person who was standing at the middle of the street with his guitar and playing. People would pass him by but he went on playing. I went to him and asked him why he was there, was he from that town and doesn’t he feel bad seeing how people don’t seem to pay him any attention. It turned out he was from a city in the other part of the country but he’s came to the seaside just to take a risk, to see how it is to travel playing. Back home he had a settled life, he taught people to play the guitar. And yet he was there in the middle of the street playing, not caring about what others would think and if they’d even notice his presence. He told me that he canceled some gigs in a bar just that he could come, sit on the street and play because it brought him joy. The smile didn’t go away from his face the whole time and his eyes were happy.
I think that what made him smile was the fact he couldn’t disappoint anyone, he could play awfully and yet come back to the same place the next day. He didn’t try to impress anyone so he couldn’t possibly be hurt by being disliked. Maybe that is some kind of freedom, to be able to stand in front of all these people and not care how they find you. I admire that person for his courage. I also think he had another great talent but music – the ability to use what scares others(the performance in front of an audience) as an inspiration, not as some kind of test. He didn’t fear to fail because he’d start over tomorrow.
There’s also the fact that these people, after all, did not know him. While if you’re popular you have to stand against a crowd of people who know you and have some kind of expectation for you, you must try not to fail and you can’t afford yourself to make an awful performance because you might lose their affection and it would be hard to get it back. To have worked towards becoming popular, it means that their opinion most likely matters to you a lot, so… Some kind of a vicious circle forms.
I recently watched Star Wars 3 and I was impressed by something Yoda said to Anekin – “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side”. In other words being afraid of losing something you cherish troubles your heart and peace :))
Agree sis. I cannot stand remakes of pop music. The original version is the best.
Love & admiration,
Heart
Wise words Kristina, thank-you!
With love, Daniel
You are welcome Daniel :)
great point
Aditya,
Thank you for your thoughts and the truthful fable. I will pass it on to this teacher. Having seen this very talented boy on stage, I can see why she is so upset at how jealousy and fear can cause a prejudice. She has always been able to develop students who have an understanding about the workings of show business or we could say fame. I have been envious of her and her program at times. We all (celebrities included) have our moments. We are all beings on this planet. After my experience with death and the other side, I see that it really doesn’t matter about a person’s standing in society; it’s about their progression in accepting and loving ALL on this planet.Right?
Thanks again for the advice. My friend will be very appreciative.
Love and warm light,
Lainee
Don’t interfere with another person’s personal legend,– be it celebrity or common man. It is their life — let them live it. That is unless the person is being harmed. Right? Other than that, let it go. You don’t have to listen to the song or style. Move on and not let the negative screw with the positives in your body and spirit which equals your soul.
Peace, happiness, love and warm light,
Lainee
But why Paulo !
are we made up of, are our opinions made up of such unreal stuff that it can tolerate a strong dose of opposing point of view. i personally find it unaesthetic to be using abusive language ( ceratinly no fights ), but i understand when someone spits on Buddha’s face, buddha too understands, for he smiles.
have we become siisy’s that we can not tolerate someone bing hurtful. we should stand where hurt is a thing of the past, this happnes when compassion downs.
least i have hurt u or someone else, just realx, these are my opinions and i am no authority on anything !!
love u all great souls !
aditya
Right lainee !1
how can u be wrong, one who has seen both sides of the coin. come to think of it for all the marvels of science we cannot see both sides of teh coin simultaneously,, we can use mediums like photographs, mirrors etec etec, but that ain’t same as seeing. those who are destined for pouplarity and greatness will have to quickly come to terms with effects of jealously and they will also have to feel sympathtic towards those who don’t make it, or else they are in for a surprise surprise ….
wink wink to your freind and specially to that very talented young actress, earlier when i replied i somehow missed that it was a she. now that i know wink wink…
love
aditya
Love to you Aditya and Chieko!!! :-)
Thanks for the story, Marie Christine.
I by the way have to admit that I never thought of mr. Gonzalez as an idol, or popualr person, or something like that. I just felt hypnotized by his music. It is what he puts into it, although I don’t no what that is.
In the same show, he also started to drum on his bongos, and it had the same effect on me: I could not stop listening.
Thank you Lucrecia.
I had never heard of Jerry Gonzalez either, it is a discovery.. A good one.
The painting is called Mujer en azul instead of (dame en azul), see the link below:
http://www.spanisharts.com/history/del_impres_s.XX/arte_sXX/imagenes/picasso_mujerazul.html
Thanks Aditya and Chieko,
Again, I will pass on your advice to this admired teacher. I did pass the fable and the other advice from Aditya. She thanks you. New information on this dilemma– there is a mother involved in all of it. (I guess you could say stage mother :-( It started when she told one of the two boys that she wouldn’t come to see him in any more plays unless he had a decent part worth her time to sit in the audience. This supposedly sparked the rest of the toppling of the theatre department.
i feel so bad for my friend. This is ripping her apart. Aditya and Chieko, your advice will help. I am just wondering how much a mother’s/father’s prejudice plays in the pop star craze — on both sides of the coin. Look at Brittany Spears, lindsey Lohan, Michael Jackson, Ashley Simpson, etc. Their parents were most interesting with the developmental issues of their children. Also do not forget the parents/guardians of the common children who worship pop artists. We parents have been given the charge to help our children become responsible beings on this world. As selfish way to look at it is that the kids now will take care of us later. Common, let’s not slack in our duties as parents. Our future is at stake.
Something to ponder,
Lainee
ya lainee !
these ‘uneducated’ parents !!!!??? anyway better not pass judgements against anyone ! but feels sad to hear a sad saga begin because of ‘greed/ambition/….’ of someone who herself is not a direct player ! but then such is life, and no one ever promised us that life would be fair !
love
aditya
Lainee,
it really seems to be complicating…
also it reminded me of something, which was not directly related to your comment… i heard some mothers who realized they were doing something to their own kids that they did not like when they were small. is it human nature? i hope not because i do not want to be satisfied with something less…i mean it would be sad…
well, i just hope those talents are going to flourish…
love
chieko
Beautiful dear friend Catherine Martinex. Wonderful voice and your photo and eyes are amazing.Thank you.
Never be discouraged of … critics!!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Just had a listen and LOVED your music!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your story and music Catherine. I have grown up around musicians, the arts … and do understand hurt feelings, because another is being critical. Although each has his own taste and is also important, your gift, is precious to your heart.
And a beautiful gift you have. I hope that you will keep right on singing (please do not worry about critics)!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um9KsrH377A&feature=related
Perhaps you will find this interview of interest (there are 2 parts) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPuY320gOrA
Thanks again Catherine, Love and Best of Luck, Jane : )
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