Aloha 2006

ALOHA 2006

It's time for our end of year bash. This is happening at Rics Bar on Tuesday 19 December. It features the Trevor Hart Quartet and my new band Bacalau.

Bacalau
Bacalau, the Spanish for a slated fish that makes some delicious dishes, is a venture into flamenco, tango and North African by myself, Andrew Veivers on Flamenco guitar and Simone Pope on percussion. Sometimes John Rodgers joins us on guitar and piano. Bacalau has a lightness in its sound and feel.

Amantes in some ways.
THQ is nearing its 10th anniversary at Rics Bar. It must be some type of record in long gig runs and I'm sure there'll be some type of celebratory event to mark the occasion early next year. THQ'll perform some new works that are counterpoint, ie each musical relates to the other and has the same importance. These new pieces are a new direction in our music and are a return to the earlier music of Amantes in some ways.

It was the best of Times...
2006 was the best of times and the worst of times. It has been such a joy and a challenge to witness the growth of our daughter, Fizzy D, from a baby to a little girl. Walking, talking, laughing and crying like all of us humans. Fizzy D represents the hopes for the future.

And truly we are living through the worst of times with ignorant US foreign policy laying countries to waste and civil war. Iraq slips into bloody civil war; a brutal US condoned invasion of Lebanon. Howard is ever the faithful Bush lackey, grotesque in his half truths (flour as a chemical agent) and lies (lest we forget:children overboard). Aloha 2006 is the title of our end of year bash for its humanitarian connotations. According to www.alternative-hawaii.com/ Aloha is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. It means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. Now Howard and Bush could do with a bit of that!

The image for the poster comes from cheap 50's Mexican graphics. I particularily like its off register screen print. Mexico has a strong history of graphics. Jose Gaudalupe Posada in the 1910-20's did some amazing woodcuts for newspapers.