"Ja Vidi"? What does it mean? I don't know. But what I do know is that his song (and video) by Christopher Goze captured my attention this afternoon while I was at my computer. Often, when I'm at my computer I had Pandora radio on as background music to put me in the mood. Well folks, this music definitely put me "in the mood."
First of all, don't be alarmed by the "Arabs" in the video and all those sharp scimitars. Relax folks, it's only a video. I know we're in the age where we're all supposed to be freaked out by anything "Arabic" (end of times don't you know) but the Middle Eastern culture is one of the world's oldest. The Middle East was civilized several centuries before the Germanic hordes of Europe in the first thousand years after the birth of Christ. Unfortunately, some of the more extreme religious in the Middle East are stuck in the 10th century and want to go back there by way of creating a modern day caliphate. Ain't going to happen, especially with Western cultures foothold in the world and drones but one does have to admit they have a culture that should be respected. After all that's were we have derived our writing and number system from, among many other contributions to civilized culture in this world.
 |
| Me - Halloween - Venture Inn - Philadelphia, PA - 1980 |
Remember the old "American Bandstand" show that emanated from Philadelphia in the Fifties? That was my time folks. I used to rush home from school so I cold catch the show, which broadcast live every day from three to five in the afternoon. One of my favorite segments of the show was where Dick Clark would gather some of the teens around a piano and play new music which they could then rate. Almost invariably, the mostly inarticulate teens would begin their review "It's got a good beat." Hey folks, "Ja Vida" has a good beat.
So folks, I'm not taking sides in the current world conflict between Muslin religious extremists and the Christian nations but I am saying, take a listen. Is this music (and video) cool or what? Sure does beat those that old American Bandstand music.
By the way, I don't get the symbolism of the upside down umbrellas at the end of the video. If anyone does, leave a comment an explain please.
And another "by the way", after listening to the old kinescope recording of American Bandstand and the Ja Vidi video - have we come a long way or not folks?
Viva la vida!