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Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2013

Songs by Hibari Misora


A young Hibari performs in a series of movie scenes.



Hibari performs "Okawa"

Hibari performs "The Darkness of Edo Taro"


TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4
KILLING FOR COUNTRY  
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1
THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2
A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3
WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 
Available at Amazon.com!  


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hibari Misora


Sadako slept in one of the small bedrooms on the third floor of their family’s house. Sadako and Mitsue shared one futon and Kyla and Zammie shared another. Kyla was awoken just before dawn by one of the trams rolling out of the Kyobashi stop outside the window and across the street. She climbed out of the blue futon and walked over to the window. She looked outside and saw people already beginning to fill the market area down the road. It had rained during the night and the last drips from the wooden terraces along the houses were still pattering down onto the pavement below.
          Kyla looked around at Sadako’s room. Mitsue’s school books were stacked neatly on the desk. Sadako’s books were already packed into her satchel on the floor. A small black and white poster of the beautiful teenage pop singer Hibari Misora hung on the wall. She was one of Sadako’s favorite performers. 

--from Time Trip #4: Killing for Country
Available 3/29/2013!!


Hibari Misora is probably the most famous Enka performer to have ever lived. She began singing as a Kyoto teenager, in the 50's, and continued right up to her sudden death in 1989. She was only 52. She is often thought of as having comforted Japan through the difficult recovery from the devastation of the war years. Her life has become a subject of popular legend.
 -- from TechnoGirls.org


An 11 year old Misora Hibari performs in the 1949 musical Odoru Ryugujo


TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4
KILLING FOR COUNTRY  
To be released in March 2013

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1
THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2
A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3
WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 
Available at Amazon.com!  


Monday, August 6, 2012

Kyla sings "Pagsubok"

           “You want to hold her, Kyla?” asked Jane.
           Kyla held out her arms and took the crying baby. Claire looked up towards Kyla with her big, bright eyes. Her crying slowed down, but didn’t stop until Kyla began singing to her in a lowered voice. The song was a gentle, lilting melody sung in a foreign tongue that grabbed everyone’s ear.
    
  “Isip mo'y litong lito 
                       Sa mga panahong nais mong maaliw . . .”

             They couldn’t understand the words, but the catchy tune and Kyla’s sweet voice put everyone in the dripping corncrib at ease.   


                  “Ang buhay ay sadyang ganyan 

                            Sulirani'y di mapigilan 
                                      Itanim mo lang sa 'yong pusong 
                                                  Kaya mo yan”

           Within moments Claire’s eyes were transfixed on Kyla and her crying stopped. Harriet and Jane watched Kyla with astonishment. Zammie smiled with pride at his cousin.

           “That’s some beautiful singin’, Kyla,” said Harriet. “She sing as good as you, Ben.”
           “Better’n me,” said Ben.
           “What language is that you singin’?” asked Robert.
           “Tagalog,” answered Kyla. “It’s a language from the Philippines.”
           “What does that song mean?” asked Harriet.
           “Um, it’s called ‘Pagsubok’, which means . . . what does it mean, Zammie?”
           “It says that no matter how difficult your life gets or how tough your situation is, as long as you are willing work hard you can always find the strength to get through the bad times,” said Zammie.
           “Amen to that,” said Harriet.


-- Kyla sings "Pagsubok"
from Time Trip #2 (Chapter 13) 




"Pagsubok" by Aegis


TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4
KILLING FOR COUNTRY  
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1
THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2
A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3
WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

Available at Amazon.com!  

Monday, July 30, 2012

Ben Sings a Song


     “We all heard Kyla sing, but what about you, Ben?” asked Henry. “We hadn’t heard you sing in some time now.”           
     “Yeah, Ben,” said Jane. “Why don’t you sing Crazy Jane for ‘em?”           
     “You mean that silly song about you?” said Ben. He had a wide grin on his face.
     “Yeah, Ben, sing!” said Kyla.           
     “I have an ol’ banjo over here,” said Claudia.           
     Everyone began clapping as Claudia handed the banjo to Ben.           
     “Alright, let’s see if I can remember this thing.”           
     Ben strummed a few chords on the banjo to get a feel for it. It sounded a bit tinny, but it would do.
      “This is an ol’ love song written some time ago,” said Ben. “I think it kindly describes the way I felt the first time I saw Miss Jane here.” 
     He began strumming a cheery little melody that reminded Zammie of music that might be played on a children’s TV show.   
      
          “Why fair maiden in ev'ry feature,                         
                         are such signs of fear expres'd?
             can a wandrin’ wretched creature
                         as me with such terror fill thy breast?
             Do my ugly looks alarm ya?
                         am I temptin’ you in vain?
             Not for kingdoms would I harm ya,
                         alarm not then poor crazy Jane.
             Poor crazy Jane, poor crazy Jane,
                         Not for kingdoms would I harm ya.”

     When he was finished the group erupted in applause and laughter. Jane wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big kiss. Ben was a talented musician, and he was hopeful of being able to spend more of his leisure time performing now that the endless hours of working for some other man’s whim appeared to finally be at an end.
-- Ben sings a song
from Time Trip #2 (Chapter 26)


Image from US Slave 




TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4
KILLING FOR COUNTRY  
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1
THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2
A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3
WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 
Available at Amazon.com!  

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Blackbird Singing


     Zammie was slouched down on the padded bench in his school’s auditorium.  The twelve-year-old sat between his mother and a few of his teenage cousins while listening to a series of his fellow classmates performing songs and musical pieces at the seasonal Rosemont Middle School Recital Night. He was entertained by the novelty of seeing his peers performing before a full audience, but some of the music choices weren’t exactly to his liking. The violin and piano solos in particular just about put him to sleep. He had left the copy of Naruto that he was reading out in the car, and he wished he had it during certain parts of the show. 
     He quickly sat up, however, when his eleven-year-old cousin Kyla was introduced to the stage. She stepped into the spotlight in a navy blue dress with her long jet black hair styled up in an elegant sweep to the left side of her face. She was only four-and-a-half feet tall, but wearing the dress and the platform shoes she borrowed from one of her cousins made her feel like she was a giant.           
     “Yeah Kyla!” All of Kyla’s cousins yelled and cheered wildly for her as she approached the microphone. Mr. Werthers, the music teacher, plucked a familiar melody on an acoustic guitar while Kyla sweetly sang an old ballad.
-- Kyla sings "Blackbird" 
from Time Trip #2 (Kindle Locations 90-100). 




"Blackbird" performed by Paul McCartney



TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4
KILLING FOR COUNTRY  
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1
THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2
A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3
WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 
Available at Amazon.com!