& as Spain reaches the Euro’08 soccer final lets take a look at fútbol (in Spanish).
It’s cult following has made it more like a religion in Spain. It's a passion for millions & millions of men, women and children of all ages. Spaniards can be seen bunched into local pubs to passionately cheer on their favorite soccer teams.
The country literally comes to a stand still (much like the cricket craze in India or Pakistan) whenever an important partido de fútbol (soccer game) is being played.
Soccer here being engaging passionate entertainment for the masses, the tickets are real easy on the pocket. A game being played by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla or Atletic de Bilbao, will simply keep you on you feet.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Bian Lian
And as the mind wandered, I chanced upon an ancient Chinese dramatic art form on the net - BIAN LIAN. Saw a couple of VDOs too.
Curiosity drove me to Wikipedia and I found out that “Bian Lian” in Chinese literally means “Face Changing”. The performers have vividly coloured masks on their faces and wear equally bright coloured costumes. Moving to quick, dramatic music, they change their masks within a fraction of a second, revealing completely new and vibrant visages !! Its amazing even as you see the VDOs.
Few have been gifted with true talent and skill of changing these Sichuan opera masks in magically quick succession. As they flourish their arms and twist their heads, their painted masks change over & over again.
It is said to have its roots 300 years ago, during the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795), a Qing Dynasty Emperor. At the beginning, opera masters changed the color of their faces during performances by blowing into a bowl of red, black or gold powder. The powder would adhere to their oiled skin quickly. In another method, actors would smear their faces with colored paste concealed in the palms of their hands. The colours reflected the character's mood - red representing anger and black extreme fury.
By the 1920s, opera masters began using layers of masks made of oiled paper or dried pig bladder. The masters could peel off the masks one after another in the blink of an eye. At present the masters use the full face, painted silk mask. They can be worn in layers, as much as two-dozen thick, and be pulled off one by one.
The art was technically forbidden to women. Only in 2007 was it announced that recently women had been allowed to learn the techniques and perform them publicly.
Watch this amazing VDO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEgaC7EEsoc .. took my breath away .. what alacrity !!
Curiosity drove me to Wikipedia and I found out that “Bian Lian” in Chinese literally means “Face Changing”. The performers have vividly coloured masks on their faces and wear equally bright coloured costumes. Moving to quick, dramatic music, they change their masks within a fraction of a second, revealing completely new and vibrant visages !! Its amazing even as you see the VDOs.
Few have been gifted with true talent and skill of changing these Sichuan opera masks in magically quick succession. As they flourish their arms and twist their heads, their painted masks change over & over again.
It is said to have its roots 300 years ago, during the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795), a Qing Dynasty Emperor. At the beginning, opera masters changed the color of their faces during performances by blowing into a bowl of red, black or gold powder. The powder would adhere to their oiled skin quickly. In another method, actors would smear their faces with colored paste concealed in the palms of their hands. The colours reflected the character's mood - red representing anger and black extreme fury.
By the 1920s, opera masters began using layers of masks made of oiled paper or dried pig bladder. The masters could peel off the masks one after another in the blink of an eye. At present the masters use the full face, painted silk mask. They can be worn in layers, as much as two-dozen thick, and be pulled off one by one.
The art was technically forbidden to women. Only in 2007 was it announced that recently women had been allowed to learn the techniques and perform them publicly.
Watch this amazing VDO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEgaC7EEsoc .. took my breath away .. what alacrity !!
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