PASIÓN DE BUENA VISTA

Ever since hearing the trumpet playing of Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros in NYC in my youth I have been partial to a little cuban music now and again. Some 50 years after the Buena Vista Social Club closed it's doors in Havana, that far sighted and entertaining musician Ry Cooder in partnership with Nick Gold travelled to Cuba and recorded an album with Cuban musicians that reflected the glory days of the Buena Vista Club in 1950's Cuba. This went on to become a world wide known album and a few years after the album release the German film director Wim Wender, made a documentary film of the Buena Vista Club performers.

Tomorrow night (Sunday 28th Feb) at the London Palladium the Pasion De Buena Vista is visiting and putting on a show. Now this has little to do with the original line up of the Buena Vista Club. After all a number of those musicians might well have died since that album was recorded. But none the less the show features musicians and dancers from Cuba and it's got to be a reasonable night out, surely? A dear friend of mine has secured tickets and I look forward to attending.

The good folk at Clerkenwell

Just up the road from the HQ The Knights Hospitaller under the Order of St John in Clerkenwell, on every Thursday evening the Islington Folk Club meets from 8pm prompt, at

The Horseshoe
24 Clerkenwell Close
London
EC1R 0AG

Nearest tube is Farringdon.

I've never been but tonight I shall give it a go. After all if it gets too boring I can but have a 20 minute walk or so and be in my club.

Tonight's offering is Potato, Potato Never heard of them, neverless heard them. But I'm game to give something new a whirl.

A Broken Middle East: a wasted decade of war on terror

Did you know that almost every day in London there is an interesting lecture to which you, and I can attend. This one caught my eye and I would suggest that for any sane person with an interest in this current so called, 'war on terror' that you get out and attend this one. It is on tomorrow evening at the LSE.

A Broken Middle East: a wasted decade of war on terror

Department of International Relations inaugural public lecture

Today’s Middle East is broken. The crisis of prolonged authoritarianism and failed economic policies have caused chronic poverty, pervasive corruption and the rise of extremism in Arab societies. A wasted decade of war on terror has reinforced widely held perceptions that the West is waging a crusade against Islam and Muslims.
Fawaz Gerges is a professor of Middle Eastern politics and international relations at LSE.

Speaker(s):
Professor Fawaz A Gerges | talks
Chair: Howard Davies | talks

Date and Time:
10 February 2010 at 6:30 pm
Duration:
1 hour 30 minutes

Venue:
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
London School of Economics
London
WC2A 2AE

Entry is free and is on a first come first served basis.