INTRODUCING JOHN REX REEVES – By Des Kelly First, of course, there was his uncle, “Gentleman Jim”, who sang may a sad Country song, but sang them so well, he did become the favourite Country Artiste of a few million “fans” around the World, especially among the “girls”. Then, Jim, like a few others of that particular era, unfortunately died in a plane-crash, but luckily for all his adoring fans, his wife Mary kept releasing Jim Reeves recordings as the years went by, recordings that would probably would have been “lost” were it not for Mary, so thank you Mary Reeves for keeping all of us “in touch” with Gentleman Jim. Many have tried to emulate or imitate Jim Reeves, just as they have done with Elvis & other legends of music. I, myself, have recorded an album featuring all Jim Reeves songs, but firmly believe that although ...
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A-Z By Des Kelly A wonderful “title”, if I may say so, myself, for this man named “ANTON” Karas, who provides the “meaning of life” on an instrument, rarely heard of, related closely to the Harp, and piano, the “ZITHER”. The harp, an absolutely beautiful instrument, more or less, a “Grand-Piano” without it’s huge structure of a walnut frame complete with ivory & ebony “keys” is generally used in Orchestras, but nowadays as a solo instrument which is very much smaller, enabling the harpist to carry it around much more conveniently. It is my personal observation that the harp looks much better played by a beautiful woman (depending, of course, on how well she plays it), but, it was a man, strangely named after the instrument, also better known a a comedian brother of “the Marx-family”, Harpo Marx, who was reputed to be the BEST Harpist in the World. He ...
Aug 19, 2018
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PORTRAIT OF A KING (Parts 1 & 2) – By Bernard VanCuylenburg Introduction to the article by Des Kelly……. He is just a little tardy, on this subject, but peruse, as I might, I could not find a song dedicated to King Dhatusena, the “Warrior King” of ancient Lanka. Instead, I have chosen a song by Keerthi Pasquel, about the “Portugeesi-karaya”, who invaded Sri Lanka long after Dhatusena had achieved Nirvana (hopefully). Keerthi Pasquel would have to be one of the finest Sinhalese Vocalists in Sri Lanka right now. He sounds superb, no matter what he sings, writes his own songs, also plays bass, lead & rhythm, probably has some Royal blood in his veins, and as far as I am concerned, might even be a direct “Descendant of Dhatusena” Who knows ?, but read Bernard’s article folks. As usual, it is superbly written. Bernard’s ancestors, the Dutch, took over ...
Aug 19, 2018
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MUSICAL EXCELLENCE – By Des Kelly The Greek meaning of the word (arete), also perfectly fits the name Aretha (the Queen of Soul) as everyone calls her, died on the 16th of August, 2018, aged 76, of cancer, diagnosed eight years ago. Aretha Louise Franklin, was born on the 25th of March, 1942,in Tennessee, her father known simply as C.L. was a Baptist Minister, but her talent did come from her mother Barbra, who was also musically minded, but died while Aretha was still very young, leaving her dad to look after her. This, he did, and naturally the bond between father and daughter was very strong indeed. Aretha started her musical career with dad’s help, singing Gospel music, in Detroit, went on, from there, singing for anyone who would listen to her, and listen, they did, in rapture, hearing this obvious “Star” in the making, singing everything from Gospel ...
Aug 18, 2018
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LOVE & FRESH AIR – By Des Kelly A favourite “quote” of mine, necessarily stated many times, as we go through life, for the simple reason that, one cannot expect the niceties of everything around, gratis. To get something, anything, “for free” nowadays would really have to be “Great Expectations”, as written by the great Charles Dickens, and good luck to those who do, but, although money is the root of all evil, as the famous song goes, we still do need it from time to time, to pay for the various necessities of life, e.g. paying taxes, “living”, no matter, how frugally, and then, “dying”(God rest our souls). To be born, in the first place, costs money, especially when, like this writer, one is born in a “lying-in-home” in Maradana, Ceylon. My mother, dear soul, though she was, panicked so badly, that, if she was ...
“TORNADOS FROM TEXAS” by Des Kelly A Mexican band which featured Freddy Fender before he “wasted days & wasted nights”, much to the delight of his many friends & thousands of fans, myself included. Freddy always had his unique “style” when singing. Often, he would bring in his one-word, Mexican “chale-chale” to great effect and, considering the fact that there were so many non-Mexican “Country” icons around, at the same time, Freddy Fender always managed to pull his audiences into the palm of his hand. Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerto in Mexico, 1936, He, like so many young Mexican guys, was always interested in music & “showbiz”, worked with various bands in the Tejano District, but was immediately “recognised” as a “Country- favourite” after recording & releasing the top-hit, “Before the next teardrop falls”. In addition, he recorded about a dozen other albums which made it to ...
Aug 12, 2018
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Tagged Baldemar Huerto, Freddy Fender, The Texas Tornados, wasted days & wasted nights
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“THE PUSSYCATS” – By Des Kelly Image Source: Herald Sun I have never been a sports-person. Played a bit of ping-pong in the good old days,but that was it. Memories flood back. I wonder how many of my readers remember the Y.M.C.A. in central Colombo ?, this was where billiards and ping-pong were regularly played and I would enjoy a game or two with a cousin of mine, Eardley Demmer, who, in addition to handling those little table-tennis racquets very well, was also a top musician (pianist), studied under one of the very well-known piano-teachers in Ceylon, by the name of Mary Pestongee, came to Australia during the 1950’s, like so many of us, and pursued a career in music in Melbourne, as well. Eardley ended up as the band-leader at the Ascot Vale hotel in Melbourne, contracting his band, Lee Demmer & the Rhythmaires, and, also like ...
Drought Relief – By Des Kelly Australia, a wide, brown land, our “home away from home” to thousands of migrants and refugees from Sri Lanka, alone, is right now in big trouble caused by one of the biggest droughts in it’s history. This is common knowledge, made worse by the fact that there seems to be no end in sight, animals like sheep and cattle, bred for human consumption, are being wiped out at an alarming rate, the tinder-dry conditions becoming the biggest fire-hazard, for a very long time, threatening even more catastrophic situations in this wide brown land, we now call home. ...
“TRAINING OF MEGHAN” by Desmond Kelly The newest member of Britain’s Royal Family, for the 1st time, an American ” beauty rose” instead of an English one, has been “accepted” by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the 2nd, after marrying one of her favourite grandsons, Prince Harold, better known as “Harry”, 2nd “bluey”(in Aussie terms), to the heir of the British throne. Meghan, just like her famous Grand-dad, Prince Charles’ beautiful ex-wife Diana (God rest her soul), will have to learn many lessons on Royal protocol, and riding on the Royal train, with her “grand- mother-in-law” is simply one of them. In writing this introduction, I cannot help but remember the old “kuchu-kuchus” of Ceylon’s C.G.R., plus the old “red- rattlers” of old Melbourne town, which, believe it or not, had air-conditioning. If you wanted to be cool, you simply wound the old windows down, as you were ...
“THE FINGER/S” – By Des Kelly He has photographed many things, this Sri Lankan photo-journalist. They say “a picture speaks a thousand words”, how true ?. These candid photographs are supposed to be “shot” at a political debate. Possibly as boring as the debates (debated) in Australia. It seems to me that these P.D’s are all the same. Debated thoroughly, until the rest of their audiences are thoroughly bored and practically falling asleep, and then what ?!, Absobloodylutely nothing done, about them, until the debate, following, when they go through the whole procedure again. A Because I do not wish you to fall asleep reading all this, I will explain to all my readers, my reason for the title of this story. The final photograph shows the subjects of this particular session extending their digits in salute to the photographer. They might be sleeping, but have not forgotten the ...
