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| Thursday, 25 November 2004 |
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New centre for foreign artists and researchers in France The corridors of the 17th century Paris convent, Les Recollets have come to life in recent months as a leading Indian scientist, Russian painter, Japanese chemist, Uruguayan pianist and Moroccan architect have taken up residence.
After years of construction work, the convent, which has served many and varied purposes over the centuries, has been converted into an international centre for artists, researchers and academics from all over the world. The opening of this new scientific and cultural centre in February 2004 is part of the Ministry of Culture and Communication's recently adopted plan to help foreign artists who "make a decisive contribution to France's international influence" train and live in France. The idea is to cut through some of the red tape to make it easier for these foreign artists and professionals to take up temporary residence in France and to provide them with better working conditions. The formalities for visas, work permits, residence permits and social security registration have all been simplified. Other measures will improve and expand the range of cultural training on offer: grants and accommodation for young people; internships in cultural industries, museums and public establishments such as the Paris Opera, the Cite' des Sciences et de L'Industrie and the French National Library; and the hosting of resident artists. France has also sent a memorandum to Brussels on the place of culture in the European Union. One of its fifteen proposals is to promote the mobility of artists and cultural professionals in Europe. There are currently some 25,000 foreign artists, writers, film makers, architects and technicians living and working in France. The convent of the religious order of Les Recollets (a mendicant order living solely on alms) was founded by Marie de Medicis in 1604. Its chequered history covers a whole host of building and demolition work, extensions and conversions. Requisitioned during the French Revolution, it served in turn as a barrack, a spinning mill, a hospice for the elderly, a hospice for the incurable, and then a military hospital for over a century before seeing its first "artistic" assignment as a school of architecture from 1970 to 1990. The building was subsequently squatted for two years by an artists' collective calling themselves The Angels of Les Recollets. They left behind a number of examples of their work (drawings, graffiti and paintings), some of which have been incorporated into the centre's decor, giving the new residents an otherwordly perspective on life. The 6,800 square metre centre boasts 81 individually designed furnished flats and artist's studio lofts ranging from the 25 square metre flatlet to the 150 square metre artists's studio loft to lodge artists and researchers for a period of one month to two years. The government-appointed Paris Property Services Board is responsible for fitting out and managing the hotel-like accommodation. This accommodation is rented out in association with "sponsor" institutions (universities, polytechnics and research, events and cultural promotion organisations) which book space for their guests. Each institution, whether French or from one of the countries sending residents, is free to decide on the financial support it grants to the person it sponsors. The first occupants of the centre represent some thirty different nationalities and almost as many professions ranging from double bass player through film critic, photographer, civil engineering teacher and cardiology, neurobiology, genetics and political sciences researchers to astrophysicist. The centre's official inauguration even turned up a somewhat unexpected "resident" in the arms of a young researcher: a three-week-old baby born in the "convent" who seemed totally oblivious to all the excitement. It took nearly four years to restore and convert the building. Even though its facade, stairway, roof and chapel are on the register of listed buildings, it had been left to go to rack and ruin for years to the great displeasure of the neighbourhood's inhabitants who lobbied to save it. The neighbourhood has now been granted 250 square metre cultural space in the centre to cultivate relations with its surrounding area, the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The convent's chapel with its beautifully preserved wooden barrel vault ceiling may well form the setting for these events. The new centre is also home to another cultural body: an Architecture Centre set up by the Association of Paris Area Architects now occupying 1,200 square metre in Les Recollets. The association intends for the Architecture Centre to open to the public to debate the city, town planning and the role of the architect in society. New CD from Sam The Man
A collection of favourites of yesteryear, set to very soft background music provided by his band, is ideally suited at sunset when the lights are low and meant to relax the listener. "How the concept of making this CD came to my mind, is by itself an interesting story," says Sam. "Late in the evening one day, I was walking down the beach at Mount Lavinia when suddenly I realised that I was all alone. So I started humming 'A stranger on the shore' and that was how it all began. "It must have been close to a Poya day because a bright yellow moon appeared in the sky and so I thought of 'Sail along Silv'ry Moon' and far away I could see the 'Harbour Lights'. "As I kept on walking and humming these tunes a sea gull flew across and it reminded me of a Spanish favourite 'La Golandrina' or as we call it in English 'The Swallow'. The internationally famous French song 'La Mer' which I sing in English is 'The Sea' and this is followed by 'Pearly Shells', 'The Breeze and I' and also 'Love Letters in the Sand'. "I remembered the reef close to the Dehiwela station, where we would swim up to, in our school days and so it was 'Beyond the Reef'. "My walk ended at the entrance to the Mount Lavinia Hotel where you can see a beautiful statue of 'Lavinia' with the fountains playing on it. Naturally it had to be 'Three Coins in the Fountain'." 'It's only a Paper Moon', 'Stardust', 'I'm in a Mood for Love' and 'My way' are a few of the other songs in this CD. "It's really strange," says Sam the Man "because everything I see around me brings back a song to me." Sam has now made 3 CDs together which has around 100 songs of yesteryear which makes an ideal gift for a music lover this season. In April this year, 'Sam The Man' did his first international 'Sing along' concert in Los Angeles, USA which was a complete sell out. Sam is now in the process of learning a lot of songs in German because his next international concert will be in Luneberg, Germany in May next year. He will be accompanied by his band on this tour. At home, his next Sing-along will be held at the BMICH in Colombo on Saturday 11th December. 'Ushering in Christmas Breeze' It was on the first of December last year that Isaac Kulendran's Mathura Strings, consisting of his violin pupils made their debut with their novel Christmas programme, 'Ushering in Christmas Breeze'. Although the string players, ranging from 9 years to their twenties, merely wanted to usher in the breeze of Christmas, they, in fact, took the place by storm. There were raving and enthusiastic comments from the congregation, who were from the CSI Church at Wellawatte. It far exceeded the teacher, Isaac Kulendran's expectations because his plan was to have a simple church programme to remember the dedicated service rendered for the betterment of church music by his mother the late Mathuram Kulendran. The ensemble is named after her. There were numerous and repeated requests for another programme this year in response to which another programme will be held at the same church at 17, Frances Road, Wellawatte, on November 30 at 7 p.m. This year's programme is being held under severe constraints, mainly because some promising pupils have stopped learning the violin in view of the O/L examination. Undaunted, Isaac Kulendran decided to start individual practices from June onwards, with his loyal pupils and recruited some of his relations and friends of the family to augment the string ensemble, and they are all in full form, waiting to usher in the breeze. Last year there were professional musicians who performed on invitation to brighten up the programme. This year Isaac Kulendran is confident that there are future professionals in his ensemble, so the focus will be on the juniors. The star players will be Rebekah Peries and Ramesh P. Ganohriti on the violin. To out-do them will be six-year-old Anjali Visvalingam, who will sing a solo song and also Sashika Anandappa, with another solo song. A violin solo by Rosana Kulendran with piano accompaniment by Premila Perinpanayagam is also expected to brighten up the proceedings. The unfamiliar carol 'See amid the winter's snow' played con sordino was such a raving hit with so many people that it is being repeated this year too. The other items are a secret to keep the congregation in suspense. The music loving public is welcome to attend, so are the music critics, but all are kindly requested to bear in mind that it isn't a professional concert programme, but a simple worship of praise in keeping with Psalms 150 verses 1-4. The Passion of Christ Clearly, the word 'passion' has many meanings. But when it is referred to Christ, it was the predominate mental agony and suffering he endured at the unfair trial and judgement. In this context the movie 'Passion of Christ' has nothing controversial and thus it does not provoke any mix reception for the viewer. If there were some shortcomings, they behoves on the Producer and Director of the movie. Plainly, the true "Passion of Christ" was His arbitrary arrest, unfair trial and resulting judgement He endured in the hands of the vicious Jewish Senedrin Council who hated His clear teachings. These degenerated High Priests, priests, Pharisees (an ethnic group) and masters of the Mosaic Law (who had no iota of knowledge of the ordinary Roman Law) were hell-bent to inflict punitive measures and plot His untimely death by hook or by crook. Obviously, these matters surged and frozen Him helplessly. His arrest and unfair trial was a stark error of judgement which even now horrified the legal profession. What crime did He commit for His arbitrary arrest? Did this unhandsome, yet flawless man admit His guilt? Did He asked His countrymen to breach the then existed Mosaic law or not pay taxes to Caesar? Another point, were there genuine witnesses against Christ at the trial presided by the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate? Did the members of the Sendrian Council unbiased or unprejudiced on this lonely figure? Did the weak-knee, spineless Governor observed the widely known and respected Roman Law of his country over Christ's death? His prentendious statement 'I am blameless for His death' was an eye-wash to appease his painful wife (over Christ's death), prevent a showdown and protect his costly govership post. As such, this unfair trial and death penalty became the greatest 'Passion of Christ" - stark miscarriage of justice and mockery in the annals of the common law of any country. - H.L.D.E. Perera |
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Sam The Man has produced yet another CD of golden oldies called 'Sunset
with Sam'.
