Django Unchained (2012)

 

I finally saw Django Unchained (it opened Christmas Day 2012). I enjoyed the movie. It was entertainment. It's a movie I could (and probably will) watch again. It was your typical man-seeks-vengeance, save-the-princess buddy movie with comedic and psuedo-superhero elements. What's not to love? Men on horses, men shooting guns, witty one-liners -- works for me.

Django (Jamie Foxx) and Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in Django Unchained

Zumbi

You like what you like. Sometimes you can't explain why you're drawn to someone, a particular show/movie, song; you just are.


A few months ago I opened Jorge Ben Jor's discography in my iTunes and let it play in the background as I worked. I already had quite a few of his songs with 5-star ratings, I workout to some, I want to do a burlesque routine to one and I've used them in some of my mixes and playlists. Now I wanted to hear everything. "Zumbi" (A Tábua De Esmeralda, 1974) struck me.

Zumbi / A Tábua de Esmeralda / Jorge Ben

"What song is this?" I wondered. It made me move unconsciously and when I listen to the layers at the end of the song I feel surrounded. It has the energy of a rally song--every time I play it I put the volume up. I have a visceral response to that song. The crescendo of the song represents all coming together. I wish the song would go on forever (or at least 2 more minutes!) Although it's in Portuguese I started learning the words. I sang along with the chorus and I knew the word "Angola" was in the song. And "Nina" and "Congo". But what exactly was I singing?

Still Cursing The Name Christopher Columbus...

So we were taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America on his way looking for a new trade route to India but went the wrong way. He got here, marveled at the land the people, spread word back to Spain and the rest is history. "America"; North, Central and South are believed to be named after Amerigo Vespucci. Ok, so far, I got the gist of it. 


Then anthropologists and Columbus haters said the land bridge between Asia and North America (Russia and present-day Alaska) is what brought the indigenous people to this continent. Ok, works for me. Human history dictates that ancient man was nomadic. We searched for food and shelter at the whim and the weather and animals we depended on for food and clothing.