Romance, Boys and Beautiful Things.

There are always new things appearing to be cherished. At times I get so angry at the nastiness of the powerful, the religious and the greedy, but I also take refuge in the beautiful things that come my way. So soothing are the messages, the art, the music and the people who a clothed in conviction and love. It is heroic to be gentle and reject hatred, violence of any form and inequality. I am an old hippy and still believe in 'Make Love not War', 'Flower Power' and just being nice.

http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/valtari/videos/

Rob Me Blind
Romance from the most beautiful minstrel Jay Brennan
https://www.youtube.com/user/jaybrannan?

Body Escape
To me he is one of the greatest photographers on Earth, whom I would like to call my friend Mustafa Sabbagh. A beautiful aesthetic soul.
http://www.mustafasabbagh.com/

Same Love
11 Million people watched this before I did so if there is anyone out there who has not seen this song I suggest you look and listen.

A 15 year old with two mothers and one great family.
This is exciting to watch and if you are like me and so many others, go get a tissue first because it is good. A great performer.

'The Rosa Song' recreated in 2011
Final scene of 1971 film by Professor Rosa von Praunheim "It Is Not The Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But The Society In Which He Lives' reviewed, rewritten and restaged.

http://vimeo.com/nemerofsky

http://www.rosavonpraunheim.de/lebenslauf/english.html

JUST FOR FUN

The Uber-Fabulous Matt Lucas and David Walliams

 with Anthony Head

Tenor August Schram does Carmen's Habanera 
like you've never seen it before

http://august-schram.com/

And On The Eighth Day God Made A Gay Man

Another Masterpiece from Woodkid

Woodkid - Run Boy Run (Official Video HD) from WOODKID on Vimeo.
And this is just Fun.    Oh Yes You Are!

Asia Pacific Triennial

Wednesday 16th January.
It is only three short years since the last Asia Pacific Triennial exhibition here in Brisbane at the The Gallery of Modern Art and The Queensland Art Gallery. http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/ This the 7th such collection in the 20 years since it was established  in 1993. It is a huge exhibition and is the largest of its type in the world and luckily runs for several months. Always more than one visit is required to take it all in. It attracts over half a million visitors and tens of thousands from overseas as well. It was so amazing to see the crowds gathered there in a mid week when I went even though it had been running for a month and a half already. Also the large number of rooms set aside for children's hands on art is impressive and also crowded with patient parents supervising. There were also huge gatherings of children both inside and outside the State Library which sits between the two galleries and they also had hands on participation. It certainly gives hope for an intelligent and appreciative future. Below are a random selection of pieces on display by over a hundred artists.

A short video on the 7th APT Exhibition

South Pacific

Tuesday 15th January and I went to the first musical I have attended in many many years. The main draw card for me was to see Teddy Tahu Rhodes and what a reward it was. His first appearance on stage when he sang Some Enchanted Evening knocked me over and I burst into tears. His voice is one of the wonders of the operatic world. Described as one of the most famous Bass Baritones on the planet he is tall, sexy and his voice booms as it resonates into your soul. We are so lucky to have him planted here in Brisbane for a month doing 8 shows a week. This is a stretch for his usual 3 opera performances a week. It is his first musical and how luck we are. The part was originally written forthe great Italian operatic Bass Enzio Pinza so it is just that we have a great singer performing the role.

The award winning production by the Australian Opera is from the Lincoln Centre in New York and has a star cast here in Brisbane which also includes the great indigenous Queensland singer Christine Anu as Bloody Mary, Lisa Mc Cune, the wonderful energetic Brisbane boy Gyton Grantley as Billis and in the role of the Lieutenant, the beautiful tenor Daniel Koek from South Australia who has returned to Australia from the premier London and UK production. Apart from the great production, singing and orchestra there was also the bonus of two stark naked boys running around the stage for a short highlight.

The awesome voice of the fabulously gorgeous New Zealander Teddy Tahu Rhodes in the more familiar repertoire of Opera. This clip from  Carmen at The Metropolitan Opera New York.

and another spectacular example of his powerful voice from The Messiah - Handel

Teddy as the extraordinarily sexy Don Giovanni

Beautiful Christine Anu and her most famous song 'My Island Home'

http://christineanu.com.au/