A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM
Welcome to the very first edition of The Godolphin Globe 2024!
The MFL Magazine Team is delighted to be sharing our languages journal with the Godolphin community and hope you enjoy the effort and passion for the linguistic world that we have compiled into these pages. In correspondence with our chosen theme, ‘A Dolphin’s Dialect’, our articles consist of a journey across the globe, a range which stretches from Japanese aesthetic philosophy to the impact of fast fashion in Chile.
This edition would not have been possible without all the incredible efforts of Godolphin’s very own MFL Department, namely Mrs Corcoran, the various teachers interviewed in the spirit of journalistic duty and of course the student submissions we received.
We hope you enjoy!
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The MFL Mag Team Marina, Eva, Charlotte, and Jaya LVI
FRENCH BOOK REVIEW LIST! CHARLOTTE MOOG LVI
1. Short Stories in French: Nouvelles en Français. (Richard Coward)
2. L’Anglais. (Denise Bombardier)
3. Barbe bleue. (Amélie Nothomb)
4. Le brodeur. (Bianca Joubert)
5. Les carnets de Douglas. (Christine Eddie)
6. Ces enfants de ma vie. (Gabrielle Roy)
7. Clandestin. (Éliette Abécassis)
8. La concierge du Panthéon. (Jacques Godbout)
9. Robe de Marié. (Pierre Lemaitre)
10. Fatale. (Jean-Patrick Manchette)
YR12 IRP: HOW FAR IS GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ’ CIEN AÑOS DE SOLEDAD A RESPONSE TO COLONIALISM?
MARINA MAURINO LVI
Se ha argumentado que a lo largo de la novela, el tema del colonialismo forma solo una parte moderada de la trama. Sin embargo, hay varios elementos sutiles que crean la impresión de que eso no sea verdad, y que muestran el hecho de que Cien Años de Soledad constantemente combate la opresiva narrativa Occidental.
El mensaje principal del libro es que nunca se debería olvidar el pasado y borrar la historia nativa a manos de fuerzas invasivas occidentales. La manera más clara en que el libro combate esas fuerzas e ilustra el terrible olvido de la historia es a través la masacre de trabajadores de la compañía bananera y la siguiente borradura ordenada del gobierno de este conflicto - lo que se basa realmente casi palabra por palabra en la Masacre de las Bananeras del 6 Diciembre de 1928. La elección de Márquez de incluir esta matanza en una novela enriquecida por el realismo mágico sirve para documentar el horror y la fatalidad inevitable de las personas inocentes que sigue la dominación de compañías extranjeras capitalistas. Además, el autor emplea medidas más sutiles para subrayar su mensaje principal pero que todavía juegan papeles cruciales en la lucha constante de Cien Años contra el colonialismo. El uso de la antigua mitología Chibcha, que se originó de la población indigena colombiana de las Muiscas, sirve como base fundacional de todos los personajes y eventos en la trama. Marquez deliberadamente usa una narrativa pre-moderna y indigena como motor de su libro para subvertir una narrativa centrada en el Occidente, y en lugar de eso da voz a la identidad nativa de Colombia. También el uso de realismo mágico refuerza las dos caras de la moneda colonial - la opresión invasiva se puede ver a través la idea de escapismo creada por eventos raros y sobrenaturales, mientras la natura cíclica del tiempo, el derrumbe apocalíptico final y la plaga insomnia representa el peligro de olvidar las raíces propias a manos del colonialismo capitalista. El hecho de que la lucha contra la opresión occidental fue algo cada vez más clara en literatura Latinoamericana del periodo reafirma que esta fue la intención de Marquez a través Cien Años, particularmente con el boom Latinoamericano y escritores como Pablo Neruda y Carlos Fuentes.
Así que, aunque no parece a primera vista un libro completamente basado en combatir colonialismo, Cien Años de Soledad es una respuesta directa a una narrativa occidental que marginaliza la voz indigena Latinoamericana.
1. The Banana Massacre in history and book El evento de la masacre de los trabajadores de la compañía bananera es un evento crucial en la trama, no solo por su alusiones históricas pero también por el terrible olvido y silencio que rodean el evento.
En la verdadera Masacre del 6 diciembre de 1928, el ejército Colombiano abrió fuego sobre trabajadores de la compañía Americana llamada United Fruit Co., mientras hicieron una huelga contra las condiciones explotativas del trabajo. En la novela, el orden de eventos y la causa por la huelga y la matanza posterior son un espejo de lo que ocurrió en la vida real. La elección de Marqués de incluir esta pieza de historia sirve no solo como homenaje a una de la innumerable cantidad de tragedias que trajó el colonialismo en latinoamérica, sino también para construir el primer puente entre la historia colombiana y la historia del pueblo ficticio de Macondo.
Este paralelo permite a Márquez realizar su mensaje principal sobre la conciencia histórica y la necesidad de recordar la explotación
Occidental de latinoamérica, para que la lucha contra el colonialismo pueda continuar. Esto se puede ver claramente a través de la regresión y destrucción que sigue la masacre. Inmediatamente después del horror de la masacre y el olvido ordenado por el gobierno sobre el asunto, ocurre una inducción de tamaño bíblica - lo que fue llamado por la compañía bananera para subrayar el poder divino de las fuerzas Occidentales, y es una consecuencia directa de la masacre. La inundación traje una miríada de imágenes de descomposición, en animales, plantas y también en estructuras físicas como las casillas azules. De hecho, vemos un evento proverbial
que da como resultado la regresión total de Macondo. A lo largo del resto de Cien Años, los efectos del regreso bíblico aumentan - el ambiente se convierte en algo avariciosamente destructivo y la vida humana en sí se somete a la involución cuando el último Buendía (el hijo del incesto entre Amaranta Úrsula y Aureliano Babilonia) nace con cola de cerdo.
A través de la masacre de los trabajadores y su efectos regresivos, Márquez expresa la necesidad urgente de los latinoamericanos de recordar los efectos trágicos de la opresión colonial y usa su novela como ejemplo de la consecuencia del olvido.
2. Indigenous native Colombian mythology
Márquez usa la antigua mitología Chibcha como motor de su libro, una mitología indígena de las Muiscas, una población compuesta por varias tribus. La mitología Chibcha sustenta la totalidad de los eventos en Cien Años. La figura del gitano barbudo Melquíades que trajo sabiduría desde el mundo externo que es desconocido por los habitantes de Macondo es un paralelo directo a Bochica, el emisario de los dioses Chibcha. Bochica es documentado como racialmente distinto a las Muiscas, pero les visita de vez en cuando para traerles elementos culturales de países fuera del alcance de las Muiscas - justo como hace Melquíades a lo largo de la trama, con sus maravillosas invenciones como los imanes, las lupas y crucialmente el hielo. También, se puede ver un vínculo muy claro entre la fundación de Macondo y el mito Chibcha de Hunzahua, el primer gobernante de la ciudad de Tunja. Él comitió incesto con su hermana y por miedo ambos huiron por un viaje lungo, durante el cual concibieron un hijo, y terminó por sus muertes en el río de Bogotá. En Cien Años, Úrsula y José Arcadio Buendía son primos, y su acto de incesto está marcado como algo malvado desde el principio, por la profecía de que uno de los descendientes Buendía tendrá cola de cerdo. Ellos también huiron de su pueblo natal de Riohacha, concibieron un hijo en el camino y terminaron su viaje a un río, que fue el sitio de la fundación de Macondo. También,
el tema recurrente del oro y su importancia se basa en uno de las leyendas más famosas de las Muiscas - la de El Dorado. El Dorado se puede ver claramente en el personaje del cura, José Arcadio, que refleja los rituales baños del hombre dorado y en vez de ser cubierto en oro está en posesión del oro que escondió Úrsula. El vínculo entre el oro de la novela y la historia indigena de Colombia se ve también en los pequeños pescaditos de oro que fabrica el obsesionado Colonel Aureliano, y que están vinculados con muertes (cada persona que recibe un pescadito muere prematuramente y violentamente - p.e. Los diecisiete Aurelianos). El descubrimiento de pequeños pescaditos de oro se remonta al segundo siglo AD en una zona de enterramiento en la provincia de Quindío en Colombia.
El hecho de que cada evento es predeterminado por los mitos de las Muiscas y las leyendas Chibchas refuerza el mensaje de Márquez de que nunca se debería, y nunca se puede, olvidar las raíces propias. El papel de la mitología indígena como algo que controla las acciones y los destinos de cada personaje subraya el hecho de que la historia es el pilar de la vida, y también el pilar de la vida Latinoamericana. A través de eso, la elección de Márquez de basar toda su novela en esta mitología nativa hace claro que los latinoamericanos necesitan reclamar su historia, en vez de permitir a las fuerzas coloniales occidentales reescribirla. Márquez alude a este peligro de borradura a través del notable descenso en eventos míticos a medida que la trama se mueve de un escenario premoderno a un escenario moderno.
3. Use of magical realism in the novel as escapist writing + the cyclical nature of time, apocalypse El realismo mágico, el tema que más caracteriza la novela, es algo surreal para una audiencia Occidental pero es tratada como algo cotidiano por los personajes en Cien Años. A lo largo de la novela, el realismo mágico es manipulado por Márquez para subrayar el peligro en olvidar las raíces propias. Eso se ve principalmente a
través de la naturaleza cíclica del tiempo. Antes de la llegada de la compañía bananera, Márquez incluye pistas históricas para advertir a sus personajes de la eventual presencia de fuerzas coloniales, pero son ignoradas. Jose Arcadio Buendía, durante su búsqueda por el oro, encuentra una armadura oxidada del siglo XV - los remanentes del imperialismo Español. Esta armadura precede y presagia los soldados y ametralladoras que acompañarán la llegada de la compañía bananera. Debido a su ignorancia, él no puede entender que el imperialismo del pasado presagia el colonialismo del futuro. También, la librería que curiosamente contiene sólo libros de la Edad Media es otra señal de que tener un conocimiento de las raíces es algo crucial. Aureliano Jose es el unico Buendía que usa la librería, y es el único personaje (además de Jose Arcadio Segunda por haberlo vivido) que reconoce los verdaderos hechos de la masacre bananera, en vez de la versión oficial ordenada por el gobierno. En cuanto a eso, el realismo mágico sirve para representar el peligro de olvidar las raíces propias a manos del colonialismo.
Otro ejemplo de este mensaje crucial en la novela es la misteriosa plaga del insomnio que ocurre en Macondo. Esta plaga se refiere a la negación de los Macondianos de reconocer su historia y por consecuencia, arriesgan pedir la posibilidad de poseer un pasadola manera de comunicar. La plaga hace olvidar a los Macondianos los nombres de las cosas, y en casos extremos, el propio uso del lenguaje. Márquez dice que el pueblo cae en una “idiotez sin pasado”, y la plaga se refiere como “el tremedal del olvido”. Eso no solo representa el miedo de perder la historia indígena latinoamericana, pero también presagia el final apocalíptico de la comunidad, cuando Macondo será “desterrada de la memoria de los hombres.”
A través de su uso del realismo mágico, Márquez expresa la urgencia de guardar la historia nativa latinoamericana ante la explotación y fuerza del colonialismo, y su ‘progreso’ explotativo. La idea de progreso falso se puede ver a través de la desintegración regresiva de Macondo y la familia. El derrumbe apocalíptico de los Buendías mímica su origen: el primer Buendía había muerto atado a un árbol, y el último ha muerto devorado por hormigas caracterizadas
por su hambre prehistoria. De manera similar, Macondo es exterminado por lo que parece ser un huracán bíblico. Las alusiones al ambiente biológico y a cuentos de edades premodernos sirven a subrayar como en Macondo no habían tenido algún tipo de progreso, solo regreso hasta el final, y que eso es una consecuencia directa de olvidar la historia y confiarse en compañías invasivas.
4. Other writers combatting this
Durante el periodo de los años 60 y 70, hubo en sudamérica un fenómeno literario llamado el Boom Latinoamericano. Este movimiento tuvo un impactó increíble sobre la literatura del tiempo, y animó a los escritores a romper barreras convencionales y a inspirarse de los temas de actualidad que estaban ocurriendo. Por eso, se puede ver un vínculo muy claro entre el aumento y descenso del Boom y el aumento y descenso de la crisis de los misiles en Cuba y la dinámica entre los sentimientos liberales y conservadores. Se puede ver claramente que hay una conexión muy fuerte entre la historia de un país latinoamericano y su literatura producida durante el boom. Además, entre los temas históricos, el que fue el más popular como fuente de inspiración fue el del colonialismo. Por ejemplo, Carlos Fuentes de México escribió La Muerte de Artemio Cruz en 1961, en que el critica los efectos corruptores del poder occidental a través de la deformación de los objetivos originales de su personajes (que hacen parte de un partido político) debido a lo que él llama la “Americanización”. De una manera similar, Pablo Neruda de Chile también denunció la presencia opresiva occidental en latinoamérica a través de su poema “La United Fruit Co.”, en el cual él describe en manera muy detallada la podredumbre que traen compañías Americanas cuando explotan los inocentes trabajadores nativos y roban la tierra latinoamericana. El hecho de que las compañías americanas en el poema son describidas con un tangible desprecio da voz al sentido de injusticia muy prevalente del periodo. Se puede ver que el vínculo entre la literatura didáctica del Boom Latinoamericano y la presencia explotativa de fuerzas occidentales fueron el motor de esta
época. Por eso, decir que Cien Años de Soledad es una novela que refleja la historia colonial de Columbia es una conclusión natural teniendo en cuenta el contexto en que fue escrito y la tendencia de los notables escritores de este contexto.
5. Counter-argument
Por otro lado, hay contraargumentos que dicen que Cien Años de Soledad no es completamente una respuesta a la legacía de la historia de colonización en Colombia y Latinoamérica.
El hecho de que hay una gran variedad de temas es algo frecuentemente aludido para combatir contra la idea de que Cien Años está centrada en el colonialismo. Los otros temas del realismo mágico, la soledad, el destino y el amor, a primera vista ocupan más de la trama del tema del colonialismo. Pero esa noción se desintegra en el momento en que empezamos a analizar la razón principal por estos otros temas. En su discurso cuando ganó el Premio Nobel, Márquez describió cómo los Colombianos fueron forzados a usar el realismo mágico para responder a la narrativa Occidental de latinoamérica estabilizada por exploradores Occidentales. Cuentos fantásticos Occidentales de seres sobrenaturales e increíbles resultó en lo que Márquez describió como “la falta de recursos convencionales para rendir la vida Latinoamericana credible”. Así que se puede ver que el realismo mágico es algo manipulado por Márquez como un arma literaria para afirmar la vida y la voz hispánica en la cara de la opresión más brutal - lo del colonialismo.
GGM:
“lo que pasa es que en América Latina, por decreto se olvida un acontecimiento como tres mil muertos. Esto que parece fantástico, está extraído de la más miserable realidad cotidiana.”
La fiabilidad de la descripción de Márquez de la masacre de los bananeros también se ha puesto en duda por su exactitud histórica. Jorge Eliécer Gaitán fue miembro del partido Liberal de Colombia
al tiempo de la masacre de 1928, y fue uno de los hombres más renombrados por su informe sobre la tragedia. El hecho de que fue políticamente motivado ha permitido a críticos poner en duda la fiabilidad de su informe, diciendo que tenía buena razón por exagerar los hechos. También, el evento no había el silencio estatal que caracteriza el evento en Cien Años, y en vez de esto, muchos periódicos conocidos como El Barranquillero, La Nación y La Prensa declararon su apoyo a la huelga y publicaron informes sobre el asunto. La influencia de estos periódicos no se debería subestimar, particularmente en cuanto al hecho de que en zonas con altos niveles de analfabetismo informes fueron leídos en voz alta en frente de grandes muchedumbres. Sin embargo, es importante reconocer el hecho de que Cien Años de Soledad no es un libro de historia. Es una novela - y lo más importante no es su exactitud histórica sino la razón detrás de sus elecciones literarias. La masacre que ocurre en Macondo sirve como una representación del alcance a que fuerzas occidentales han traído destrucción y miseria en la región. Como dice Arciniegas, un miembro de la Academia de Historia de Colombia, “Macondo es punto de referencia para la interpretación de toda nuestra historia.” Lo que Macondo sufre es una representación del sufrimiento difundido por latinoamérica a causa de la opresión colonial. El silencio que ordena el gobierno en Cien Años sirve para subrayar el acallamiento de la voz indigena Colombiano por la influencia del capitalismo occidental. También los cargos contra el ejército fueron exactamente los que incluye Márquez en su cuento, lo de una masacre que ya estaba planificada, que los cadáveres fueron tirados en el mar - y, crucialmente, que el ejército actuó en el interés de la Compañía Americana en vez de en el interés de Colombia.
I’M NOT SCARED BOOK REVIEW! JAYA DE RYCKER LVI
I’m Not Scared by Niccolò Ammaniti, translated by Jonathan Hunt, is a captivating novel that skillfully captures the innocence of childhood with the darker realities of life in a small Italian village. Originally written in Italian as ‘Io non ho paura’, this book is a thrilling and accessible read that I would highly recommend, especially for Italian speakers who can enjoy it in its original language.
Set during the infamous heatwave summer of 1978, this story unfolds in Aqua Traverse, a remote southern Italian community. While the adults seek refuge indoors, the children, free from supervision, explore the countryside. Nine-year-old Michele Amitrano, the narrator, discovers a terrifying secret in an abandoned farmhouse, setting the stage for a suspenseful and emotionally intense narrative.
Ammaniti skilfully captures the essence of childhood with remarkable precision, depicting the authentic friendships and dynamics among the children. Michele’s relationship with his best friend, Salvatore, is particularly crucial to the plot, supporting him through the story as the events unfold. The adults, though less central, are portrayed with depth and subtlety, revealing a community grappling with moral dilemmas and external influences. The novel evokes the cinematic beauty and poignant realism of Italian neorealist films like De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves, touching on the genre of unsentimental realism.
Therefore, the narrative powerfully explores innocence lost and harsh truths as Michele navigates the summer’s events. The revelation of the village’s dark secret shatters Michele’s childhood and foreshadows the community’s collapse, making this an exciting, page-turner.
Ammaniti’s prose, even in translation, is gripping and immersive. I’m Not Scared is more than just a thrilling novel; it is a poignant exploration of childhood, morality, and the passage from innocence to experience. Whether read in English or Italian, it promises to leave a lasting impression, drawing readers into the sun-scorched landscapes and haunting secrets of Aqua Traverse.
LE DEBAT EN FRANÇAIS CHARLOTTE MOOG LVI
Le tournoi a commencé (un petit peu en retard, à cause d’une équipe qui était en retard qui va rester anonyme), et j’ai suivi notre équipe dans la salle de classe, où l’autre équipe s’est assise en face de nous, en attendant nos juges. Quand elles sont arrivées, la première oratrice s’est levée, et le premier jeu est parti.
Le débat en Français consiste en deux équipes, chaque membre parle pendant deux minutes au début. Après, il y a quatre minutes d’un débat libre, où on ne se prépare pas, mais on parle librement avec l’autre équipe. Finalement, il y a une conclusion d’une minute, ou il est crucial de résumer toutes les idées de contradiction. Selon les juges, pour gagner il est essentiel de ne pas lire les notes, mais de parler spontanément, particulièrement pendant tout le temps alloué, et d’avoir les points clairs et concis pour s’expliquer suffisamment.Ces choses qui semblent plus faciles à dire qu’à faire!
Heureusement, les réponses aux débat de notre première équipe étaient tellement positives — Natasha a dit que “c’était plus tranquil que ce que j’ai pensé, mais vraiment stressant”, et Franny était d’accord; “c’était bien”, elle disait, “mais les autres débatteurs utilisent un autre style pour parler”.
Après les deux jeux j’ai changé d’équipe pour observer notre deuxième groupe d’orateurs, et je suis arrivé juste à temps pour les entendre débattre leur argument le plus difficile.
Le débat en Français est une façon merveilleuse d’améliorer votre confiance en (parlant) Français, et bien sûr, votre habilité à vous exprimer dans un sens très clair et convaincant, deux compétences qui sont essentielles pour une bonne performance dans un oral.
Mais aussi, le débat dans une autre langue n’est pas juste pour se préparer à un examen: c’est un environnement sûr afin d’utiliser les pouvoirs dans une autre langue, et d’essayer une autre manière (et un autre niveau) où le but est de progresser et d’apprendre, mais surtout une opportunité que l’on n’a pas toujours.
Par ailleurs, le débat en Français force à penser en Français, beaucoup de fois sans notes, et contre les autres étudiants de notre âge. Même avec de la préparation, il y a eu quelque problèmes imprévus, bien placés par Eva, quand elle a dit « on avait des conflits d’intérêts avec une étudiante qui été à Godolphin and Latymer mais maintenant elle est à Kings, et on devait débattre sans problèmes ».
Pendant notre conclusion, nous pouvons respirer un petit peu, et attendre les conseils du juges et aussi apprendre qui a gagné.
Selon les juges, la performance de notre équipe était très impressionnante, considérant les sujets difficiles qu’elle a débattu, même quand le juge a dit qu’elle les trouvait difficiles. Cependant, notre équipe était formidable et relevée.
Après que le tournoi soit fini, les deux équipes se sont serré les mains et ont pu se relaxer. Selon Alegra, « c’était mieux que ce que j’avais espéré, même un petit peux amusant, mais pas terrible », et Milan était d’accord; que c’était « très stimulant ».
Finalement, comme Alegra a dit, “fais le débat en Français!”
IN PRAISE OF SHADOWS: THE DELICACY OF DARKNESS IN JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE MARINA MAURINO LVI
As LVI exams finally drew to a much-awaited end, I spent my highly coveted day off absorbed in Junichirō Tanizaki’s enchanting 64-page essay, In Praise of Shadows. Writing in 1933, Tanizaki manipulates this short but thoroughly elegant composition in order to make evident the main difference between the construction of Japanese life and that of Western life: the prioritising of darkness over light. Through this crucial difference, the reader is able to understand how a Westernised style of architecture, incentivised by the need to brighten and whiten, renders the entirety of tasteful and sophisticated 1930s Japan garish and plain. In this way, In Praise of Shadows is Tanizaki’s meticulously crafted love letter to the Japanese practice of centering architecture around the beauty of darkness, rather than the Westernised notion of eradicating all shadows in favour of light.
To begin with, one must understand the manifold definition of Tanizaki’s ‘architecture’ - although it is used to refer to architectural structures (offices, homes, temples, ect), the best way to define it in the context of Tanizaki’s essay is to substitute it for the word ‘construction’. This allows the reader to appreciate the way in which the beauty of shadows and darkness is an aesthetic philosophy which permeates the entirety of Japanese society - the construction of material buildings, the construction of theatrical costumes and staging, the construction of beauty standards and even the construction of food dishes and of Tanizaki’s own narrative style (the flow of non-specific musings which have now developed into the Western term ‘stream of consciousness’, a narrative style which characterises Modernist novels, such as Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and Italo Calvino’s La Coscienza di Zeno).
Physical Architecture and Westernisation
In terms of physical structures, Tanizaki transports the reader on a tour of what he calls the ‘Japanese house’ or the ‘Japanese room’, a space which is characterised from the essay’s very first line by the “pains the fancier of traditional architecture must take when he sets out to build a house in pure Japanese style”, in which the battle
to somehow force electric wiring, gas pipes and water lines to harmonise with the “austerity” of Japanese rooms is made evident. Throughout the essay, the conflict between the industrialised modern and the premodern is a discourse which permeates the very walls and fissures of both Tanizaki’s essay and his ‘Japanese room’. The repulsed rejection of the ‘snarl and bulk of an electric fan’ indicates how the Japanese room is one of silence and dim lighting - a space whose beauty is rendered more evident through the elegance and subtlety of darkness. A part of Tanizaki’s ‘Japanese house’ which particularly struck me was that of the toilet, and its stark difference to the Western design. The description of the Japanese toilet as a space “surrounded by tranquil walls and finely grained wood”, in which the user is able to “listen to the sound of softly falling rain…raindrops falling from the eaves and the trees…chirping of insects or the song of birds” serves to identify the Japanese toilet as one which aids the harmony between the material and the natural world. Its deep ambience is somewhat destroyed when an architect attempts to dress it in the borrowed robes of a shining and brilliant, white-tile Western toilet - whose separation from the natural world is advertised through its sterile blankness. Similarly, Tanizaki also discusses the importance of shadows in creating the very beauty of a Japanese house. For example, the unmatched, refined, sombreness of dark lacquerware, it’s ornamental gold flecks glinting with subtle charm in a room dimly-lit, will turn suddenly “unsettlingly garish and altogether vulgar” when placed in an environment not suited to it - one of abundant and glaring light. The crucial role darkness and shadows play in the architecture of the Japanese home are said to derive from “the realities of life”, in which “our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows, ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty’s ends”.
Through all this, Tanizaki asserts how if Japan had not, as he states, “chosen to mimic America”, the aspects of architecture essential to a modern house, such as electric wiring and gas pipes, would have been “designed with a bit more consideration for our own habits
and tastes,” and how these developments would have “suited our national temper”, rather than cause a snag in the harmonic fabric of the 1930s Japanese architectural aesthetic. Tanizaki also extends this to the architecture of music, in which the loudspeaker and the gramophone are “well-suited to the Western arts”, but butcher the artful silences and pauses which render the character of Japanese music so special. In this way, In Praise of Shadows demonises the application of Western architecture by exacerbating how it was not crafted to suit aesthetic philosophies outside of its birthplace.
Theatrical Architecture
Tanizaki also touches on the significance of darkness in Nō theatre - a major form of Japanese dance-drama performed since the 14th century - in which the Nō actor “wears no white powder”, a custom which allows the beauty of the Japanese complexion to be “set off to such advantage” through the harmony created between the “brownish skin with a flush of red that is so uniquely Japanese” and the deep green cloak and robe, “interwoven and embroidered with gold or silver” he wears. In this way, the Nō theatre and its
beauty is depicted as superior to that of Kabuki theatre because of the absence of makeup - though the Kabuki actors are, of course, distinguished by their own unique beauty, “it is, after all, made-up; it has nothing of the immediate beauty of the flesh”. Here Tanizaki accentuates the relationship between the premodern, natural world and beauty, and the way in which the subordination of light and artifice enhances beauty. He also comments on the Nō dress sleeves and masks, which cover the actor so that “what little flesh can be seen creates a singularly strong impression.” In this way, darkness is communicated as the act of concealing and hiding flesh, an idea also discussed in relation to Tanizaki’s observations on women and the aesthetic philosophy of the unseen - something this article will dissect further. The author complains of the way in which “the distinct world of shadows can today only be seen on the stage”, whilst in ancient times, the illustrious grandeur of Nō theatre must have been echoed and amplified in the daily life of the everyday Japanese, an atmosphere where the shadows and darkness of the natural world enhanced in quotidian beauty. Similarly, the Bunraku puppet theatre’s custom of being lit by lamplight is said to be “far more richly suggestive” than the harshness of modern lighting, whose indiscriminate electric torches scare away any and all of the elegant softness shade provides to the shows.
The Architecture of Women and Purity Culture
The way in which the aesthetic architecture of Japanese culture settles upon women and the idealisation of chastity is extremely interesting in Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows. He talks of shade and the relationship between darkness and the unseen as an integral part of ancient Japanese women’s lives. The way in which the kimonos of the Bunraku female puppets entirely concealed all except the hands and face is labelled by Tanizaki as the “epitome of reality” - as in the past, Japanese women did indeed “exist only from the collar up and in the sleeves out” as the absolute embodiments of modesty. A woman pertaining to the middle or upper classes seldom left her house, and used the “dark recesses of her palanquin” to shield herself from the gaze of others when she did. In this way, Tanizaki comments on the differences between the ideal female physique in ancient Japan and Western body standards prevalent at the time of In Praise of Shadows’ publication, by theorising a Westerner would find unattractive the “curveless” and “lean” suggestion of a Japanese woman’s body through her kimono. His defence of this physique reveals the wider societal focus on the repressive ‘purity culture’ of the past, and the way in which darkness and concealment enforced even such intangible concepts as forces
for the oppression of women, evident through his phrase “our thoughts do not travel to what we do not see”. To this extent, there is a connection to be made between the assertion of a woman’s chastity and the aesthetic philosophy of darkness.
Additionally, the use of clothing and fabric as a concealing force also served to blend women into the darkness by which they were surrounded, an idea made evident through the “astonishingly severe dress” donned by women of the aristocratic class, whose sombre colours contrasted to the more vibrant dress of men. In this way, all attention was drawn upon the main visible part of the feminine figure - the face. Bordered and overwhelmed by dark hair and dark fabric, women’s faces were rendered a shockingly pale white in comparison, something which Tanizaki renders distinct from the “limpid glow” with which he characterises the “whiteness of white races”. On the other hand, the ‘whiteness’ of Japanese women is distinguished by a quality rather like smoke - as being “tainted by grey shadows”, which gives the female face her ghostly and almost eerily magical pallidity. In this way, the ancient practice of Ohaguro, in which women would blacken their teeth, is described by Tanizaki as “an attempt to push everything except the face into the dark”, and was a common indicator of beauty amongst the aristocratic classes. Similarly, the habit of wearing shaved eyebrows and green, iridescent lipstick are also identified as “device[s] to make the white face stand out”. Tanizaki exacerbates the ethereal effect of such practices with the following description:
“I know of nothing whiter than the face of a young girl in the wavering shadow of a lantern, her teeth now and then as she smiles shining a lacquered black through lips like elfin fires. It is whiter than any white woman I can imagine.”
Through In Praise of Shadows’ account of female beauty, the significance of darkness in enhancing what were deemed as attractive qualities in that time period further reinforces the way in which the focus on darkness and shadows is evocative of beauty in Japanese aesthetic philosophy.
In In Praise of Shadows, the “magic of darkness” which permeates all aspects of Japanese society is inherently guided by Tanizaki’s assertion that what is beautiful is what mimics nature - which immediately provokes the question: can beauty be artificial?
We’ll leave the answer to that for the Philosophy department’s ‘The Thinker Magazine’ to discuss…in the meantime, In Praise of Shadows was definitely a productive and stimulating way to shake off the exam stress.
THE ATACAMA DESERT VS FAST FASHION
INES ESCOBAR YEAR 10
As if fast fashion hadn’t already dominated the landscape of enough high streets across the world, used and unsold clothes have now piled up in enormous heaps among the sand dunes in the driest desert on the planet: Chile’s Atacama. These mountains of discarded clothing, which are visible from space, are located at the outskirts of Alto Hospicio. In this hardscrabble city, the clothes do more than dirty the desert’s incredible geological formations. They tell the story of how modern fast fashion is flooding every corner of the globe.
Unbridled consumerism in the clothing industry is disproportionately affecting the 130,000 people living in communities closest to these graveyards of fashion. Inhabitants of Alto Hospicio are enduring burgeoning levels of pollution caused by the industry in which inexpensive, low-quality clothes are mass produced for the sake of keeping up with trends. The waste caused by the phenomenon we call ‘fast fashion’ has been termed an “environmental and social emergency” by the UN. Pamela Poo, whose organisation works to educate Chileans on how to buy clothes more sustainably, thinks “people are just used to the idea that there are second-class Chilean citizens. And that’s really outrageous”. Something has to change.
Because of the relatively lenient regulations on importing second-hand clothes into Chile and the tax-free commercial zone on the western coast of the desert, Chile is the No. 1 importer of used clothing in South America. Some of the clothing is bought by Santiago’s clothing merchants and much of it is smuggled into other countries. However, the quality of the clothing is often so low, and the quantity so unmanageable that after some of it is resold in shops and stalls, at least 39,000 tonnes of fast fashion’s casualties are doomed for the desert piles every year. The garments containing synthetic materials or treated with chemicals can take 200 years to biodegrade. During this time, the clothes (which are
as toxic as abandoned tyres or plastics) release pollutants into the air. Pamela Poo says “people have no idea that when they see a tag that reads ‘polyester’, in the end you are putting on a piece of petroleum”.
A further ongoing struggle of Alto Hospicio’s residents is putting out fires set intentionally at the dumps. In June 2022, a fire burned 100,000 tons of clothing and took 15 days to extinguish, according to community-based environmental organisation, Desierto Vestido. This type of blaze, which occurs annually, releases black clouds of toxic gas that locals directly inhale.
Meanwhile, fast fashion is overrunning Alto Hospicio’s market stalls, meaning that cheap, mass produced clothing drowns the city, which would otherwise display more of the vibrant cultural individuality of the large number of migrants in the city. “Alto Hospicio is the fastest-growing city in the country,” according to Pablo Oroz, who worked with the Alto Hospicio government until 2022. He says that the growth is of “people who are highly vulnerable, people with very low economic resources”. The industry is having a direct impact on the dynamic in Chilean communities, with many people becoming dependent on finding sellable items in the dumps. As people move towards these sites, the natural environment is receding.
Finding a permanent solution to an issue as widespread as fast fashion is far from simple. Having said this, recognising the extent of the industry’s harmful impacts is one necessary step that each of us can take. Avoid buying products containing toxic substances when possible. Ask yourself before you buy, ‘how many times will I wear this?’ and ‘can I find something similar on Vinted or Depop?’ Scroll past the clothing haul videos on social media and research where to spend your money responsibly.
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An aerial view of a mountain of clothes in the desert [photograph by Tamara Merino]
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com/n/16395851-14b5-48da-b9df-3f3b94bc0bd4/ MM9940_220519_0802.jpg?w=1272&h=848
Manuela Medina, 70, and her son Alexis Carreo, 49, search for goods for her clothing business
[photograph by Tamara Merino]
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The remains of a pair of trousers burned in one of the fires [photograph by Tamara Merino]
DON QUIXOTE BALLET REVIEW EVA ELLIS LVI
Don Quixote is one of the most renowned novels in the history of Spanish literature, considered not only a founding work of Western literature but also one of the greatest written novels of all time. Miguel de Cervantes’s work continues to maintain its legacy and spans not only the written world but has influenced the arts, infiltrating its way into plays and ballets. Carlos Acosta recently brought the novel to life at the Royal Opera House.
Published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, the plot of the novel revolves around Alonso Quijano, a low member of the nobility (a ‘hidalgo’), who becomes so engrossed in chivalric romances that he believes himself a ‘caballero andante’ — a knight errant — and wills to serve his country under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. His chivalrous adventures, which are accompanied by his faithful squire Sancho Panza, are recalled in the novel. Don Quixote is initially presented as very much distant from the real world, guided by delusions and fantasy, however as the story progresses these illusions decline into reality.
The ballet version of Don Quixote tends to focus on one of these adventures, given that the novel is over 1000 pages long, and typically it explores how Don Quixote and Sancho Panza help to bring together a vivacious young couple, Kitri and Basilio. The deluded Quixote, on a quest to serve his imaginary lady, encounters Kitri who is desperately in love with a poor barbour, Basilio, but is hindered by her father’s wishes forcing her to marry a nobleman, Gamache. The enamoured couple run away together to get married, while Quixote and Sancho Panza pursue Kitri’s father, Lorenzo, and Gamache, during which Quixote notoriously mistakes a windmill for a monster. The final act of the ballet shows Kitri imploring the help of Quixote, who then forces Lorenzo to bless the two lovers, erroneously convinced to believe that Basilio is dying.
The ballet was so compelling, driven forward by the live music which intensified the drama of the plot by being very vigorous and
lively, notably reflecting the characters’ emotions. Ballets are often difficult to follow but this one was set out very clearly and as I mentioned the music really helped to clarify the narrative. I also thought it was very well cast, with the young couple being together in real life (Mayara Magri and Matthew Ball) making their love pursuit more real! The most striking scene was undoubtedly the well-known pas de deux in Act 3, which I think was highlighted most strongly by the red-white colour change in their costume. There was also a very strong sense of community throughout with many scenes involving the majority of the cast, especially those in Act 1. Carlos Acosta, a Cuban-British ballet director and dancer, was able to consistently maintain the Hispanic vibrancy via this feeling of togetherness and the visual, emphasised idea of emotion throughout.
Therefore I would highly recommend the ballet, it unfortunately isn’t showing anymore at the Royal Opera House but there are lots of clips of certain dances online which help you get a feel for such a strong story! I have not read the book given its length but it is one of the most eminent novels of all time if you’re up for a challenge!
PLEASE ENJOY THE SPANISH MUSIC PLAYLIST
ON SPOTIFY!
CHARLOTTE MOOG LVI
TEACHERS’ TRAVEL: GODOLPHIN’S CRAZIEST TEACHER TRAVEL STORIES
MARINA MAURINO LVI
Tired of scrolling through endless spirals of travel-inspo TikToks? Sick of the staple half-term Instagram posts featuring rainy London days and unsatisfactory single-digit-degrees? Desperately in need of some comedic divertissement to distract from the gloomy British blues? Look no further. The MFL Magazine Team has taken it upon themselves to deliver readers with the inside scoop of the staff body’s craziest travel stories. From getting caught in electric storms to wearing leech socks, boy have our teachers seen some rough days. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the following compilation…
Mr Carrol
“Gosh…I think it would have to be going to Cape Town on a Dulwich College Rugby tour.”
A somewhat underwhelmingly tame beginning. But, as diligent Godolphin students, we decided to refrain from ‘judging the book by its cover’ and gave Mr Carrol the opportunity to salvage the static beginning of what we were sure would become a highly captivating memoir.
“I was seconds fifteen backs coach - which basically means ‘spare person who doesn’t know anything about rugby’” (the selfdeprecating joke did, we admit, bring forth a slight chuckle, so bonus points for that) “And we flew into Cape Town, landed, got to the “hotel”, we’ll call it a hostel. And then me and another guy, a teacher, promptly got into a taxi on the same morning we’d flown in, to Table Mountain. Taxi broke down in the middle of the route, and then we had to get another taxi — which I later found is not a wise move in Cape Town.
At this point we humbly confessed we couldn’t quite understand the problem of getting two taxis in a row, to which he heartily
laughed and corrected: “No, no to get a taxi in the middle of nowhere!”
Apologies for having misunderstood the evidently clear meaning. The memoir continued undeterred.
“And then we did get one, we were alright, got it to the bottom of the mountain and then we walked up the mountain having flown up 2 hours previously…Just because we wanted to go up Table Mountain.”
Truly, Mr Caroll’s limits know no challenging - all those meticulously planned CYL weeks clearly have given this teacher the transferable skills needed to tackle a myriad of difficult situations: from handling Godolphin girls (no easy feat!) to battling South African taxi malfunctions.
Taj
“What do you mean, travel story? What do you mean, craziest? I haven’t been on holiday for a while…I’ve got to think about this.”
“Craziest travel story…uhh…I don’t have any.”
Upon being told this was an insufficient answer, Taj quickly asked for some examples of previous teacher’s answers, to which we put forward Mr Caroll’s brave taxi conundrum, and received the swift, incredulous retort: “That’s not crazy! A taxi breaking down - that’s not crazy at all.”
Clearly what this teacher has faced puts Mr Caroll and his rugby tour to shame. Eager to extract such rare inside information, the interview pressed on.
“I would say, second year of uni, me and a couple of mates, we decided we wanted to go on holiday but we didn’t book anything. So we rocked up to the airport with a bag, and went to an airline desk and
said ‘What’s your cheapest flight to Europe?’ and we got a flight to Budapest, and then stayed there for a week.”
An adventurous spirit like no other — Taj viciously and unapologetically steals the spotlight from Mr Caroll.
Ms Joseph (#muchmissed)
“Oh my god - I don’t have a crazy…I don’t! No - I don’t! Hang on, hang on, let me think. Craziest? What do you mean - GASP - oh no…”
This netball star had evidently seen our faces light up with curiosity at her involuntary gasp. After vain attempts to deter us, she realised that it would be impossible to come between a Godolphin girl and her bloodhound-like instinct for journalistic opportunity.
“I went on holiday to Jamaica” (“Oh — was this after your wedding?”)
“Oh no, no, no, this is years ago - this is NOT after my wedding! I’m a married woman now!”
Spoken like a true ex-party girl. Serna van der Woodsen would approve.
“So, in the summer I went to Jamaica, and I went to a pool party, and um- you know those mobile phone holders, that allow you to go into the pool and your phone stays dry? I gave my phone to my friend that I met, and he lost it. He was obviously very upset that he’d lost my phone - so I climbed onto the stage where they were performing and singers were singing, and I grabbed the mic from the singer! And I announced to everyone in the pool party to stop dancing, stop enjoying themselves, for everyone to duck their heads under the water to look for my phone - and someone actually found it. And it still worked!”
Moral of the story? Don’t trust fellow party-goers with your phone, particularly in liquid environments. Honestly, we are thoroughly impressed with Ms Joseph’s ability to get an entire pool party to follow her instructions - evidently this teacher has never had a problem getting classes to focus.
Dr Goodall
This interview took place in the depths of the terrifying staff room, during which many judgy/inquisitive looks from teachers passing by were received. Not a place for the weak-hearted.
“Once I went back country skiing around Crater Lake in Oregon! And we stayed overnight in the snow, for a few days.”
We thought we misheard her - “You stayed…INSIDE the snow?!”
“Yeah - we dug into the snow and slept there, with a little tent above.”
Commitment to history evident here - but as the old saying goes: to teach the course you must experience the course. Evidently Dr Goodall’s lessons about troops faring miserably through harsh Russian winters must have a thoroughly personal outlook now. Respect.
“Yes, it was really cold - don’t do that. I was twenty-five.”
Mr Corish
Unable to secure an interview with this elusive teacher, we assigned the investigative task to a trusted member of his class and received the response by email!
‘He and his 3 friends cycled from Ireland to Budapest at 18, and only took one tent.’
We looked it up. It’s 2,591 km. We predict his legs still ache to this very day.
Dr Badger
Another elusive teacher…however, our infallible team managed to get the goods again via email (#shoutoutIT).
“So many to choose from! Probably…scuba diving with a school of hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos islands. Just an amazing experience, particularly as the day before we had been to the same location and seen absolutely nothing. Also, nothing can quite prepare you for how giant those giant tortoises are in the wild!”
Ms Whitby
“Oh! Ooh…I mean it’s not crazy! Um…this is a hard one - give me a second! I mean, when you say crazy…? I mean, I’ve got crazy, like crazy ‘cool’?”
Don’t worry Ms Whitby - all of Sixth Form already think you’re cool. Just keep those Form Time breakfasts coming and we’ll ensure your ‘cool’ label stays put. However, cease to bring hot chocolate and croissants…well, you’ve been warned.
“I spent three nights in the middle of the Borneo rainforest in the summer. No internet, no electricity, no phones, none of that. It was planned, me and my partner went. There was like, a hut in stilts that we stayed in - We had to wear leech socks! We saw lots of spiders, lots of snakes, loads of frogs - loads of really cool birds! You could see them flying over the top.”
Mrs Andrade
The question had barley left our lips when this physicist’s eyes shone and she exclaimed excitedly:
“Oh my god, I know! So, when I took a train from…um, it was in India, it was an overnight train - oh no! That’s not even the craziest story!”
An evident quick story-change here. She held us, spellbound, in momentary silence, then continued…
“Ok, so this is when I was a student in university and I went backpacking around Europe with a group of friends. There are a couple of stories here…the craziest is probably the first time we went on an Italian sleeper train - the cheaper version, where you just pull the seats out and they just form one big bed. Oh yeah. No privacy there. No privacy. Very communal.”
We shuddered - but, alas, the worst was yet to come.
“Four girls, we were probably about nineteen, and then two REALLY, REALLY overweight old men came in to join us. That was REALLY not pleasant, because they also had a few…hygiene issues…And that was overnight, so that was really pretty grim. Probably, that’s my funniest. We were all just trying to huddle closer together, away from them, and they just thought that was greatyou know, so they just kept spreading out more! So the more we sort of squished over towards the window, the more they were like - ugh. It was just awful.”
Awful is indeed the way we would describe that particular experience. Will be avoiding Italian sleeper trains in the future.
“On that same trip we ended up in Monte Carlo (sounds glamorous, I know) and there was a lovely hostel called the Princess Caroline
Hostel, very cheap. But we had no food - so we went to the local market and they felt so sorry for us because we were so bedraggled that they gave us all this free bread and cheese. So that was really nice.”
All’s well that ends well, for this brave explorer.
Ms James
“I reckon mine would be…I was in Athens last Christmas and we’d just been for dinner and we were walking back from the main square, and there were all these men with like, balaclavas, just dotted around the place - it was a bit dodgy!”
Note to reader: if you see numerous men in balaclavas surrounding the main square of a foreign city…perhaps it’s time to make your way back to your rooms.
“And I was like “Hmm, we should probably go.” So we started to walk. But then the person I was with said ‘No let’s stay - what if something crazy happens! We should be here, experience it firsthand.’” (?!?) “I was like: ‘I’m not sure this is a great idea’ but at this point I’d probably had some wine, so we stayed and watched what was happening for a little bit.
Right. This worryingly echoes the beginning of many dystopian/ horror movies…enthralled, we urged the philosophy teacher to continue.
“They’d started this big fire in the middle of the square and then some police came in with the big, plastic, whats-it-called…Oh-the batons! And they came running in. Suddenly, all these other people with balaclavas came off the rooftops and started throwing glass bottles and stuff! Everything was smashing! All the police were coming in, and STILL my friend was like ‘No, we should stay! Let’s see what happens next…’”
In the nicest possible way, Miss James - PLEASE do not go travelling with this friend again…
“And then there was a certified gunshot, at which point we were like ‘Yeah, maybe probably time to go’ -So she just sprints off! Leaving me behind, and I’m not a very quick runner, so I was clamouring behind her, and I’d had a massive moussaka and a couple glasses of wine…and then in the end we were fine. I googled it and there was no coverage online or anything. Really weird…”
Ms Brown
“Oh, I can’t really think of any…I’m quite organised so my travelling usually goes to plan!”
#organisedQueen. That’s what we like to hear.
“Hang on, we were chased by an electric storm - like thunder and lightning!”
Quick interjection here to debate whether the term ‘electric storm’ had ever been used before. Ms Brown adamantly insisted it had. We subtly suggested she might be using it to help emphasise the dramatic effect of her story. Ms Brown denied all accusations of embellishing her story and bravely continued in the face of our ignorant criticisms.
“Anyway, we were hiking in Slovenia - I was with Adele actually, who used to work here. We went on holiday together two summers ago. We were hiking hut-to-hut, carrying all our stuff on our backs, and rather than camping you stay in these surface huts.” (“So like, a DofE X Slovenia crossover?”) “Yeah - that’s exactly it! And it was like, really freakishly warm weather - that means obviously, on the
mountains, that all the clouds gather and there’s a storm coming in. So we got up ridiculously early the next day - we wanted to climb the highest mountain in that range, Grintovec, but we knew that the storm was coming at some point that morning. We got up at like 5am, managed to get to the top of it, did some Via Ferrata, it’s like…wire that goes round mountains so you can clip in with a harness, it’s like rock climbing but safer…”
NOTHING
about this story feels ‘safe’…
“We managed to get up the mountain, down the other side, got to the hut, sat down in the hut, cracked open a beer - and then the storm just like, erupted.”
Truly, this experience as investigative journalists has left us with not only a newfound respect for many of our brave, adventurous teachers, but also with the sensation that we simply have not been crazy enough in our own travels…something to keep in mind when planning our post-A-Levels summer…
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION IN SRI LANKA RACHEL SILVA YEAR 9
Also known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a small tropical island paradise brimming with picturesque beaches, beautiful Buddhist temples, rural villages, a rich cuisine and an even richer history. Above all, however, it is my hometown. Below, I hope to explore the aspects I find most unique about my heritage as well as providing an insight into its unmatched culture.
For us here in the UK, Christmas and New Year is a vital landmark in our calendar. As we have just celebrated the new year of 2024, how do Sinhalese people mark the start of their year? Although many do acknowledge January as the start of the year (the academic year, for instance), the celebrated Sinhala and Tamil New Year is not until April 13/14th. Now as one of the main events of the year, this is a valued time for special food, meeting with family, fireworks, singing and performing.
Games are also a crucial part of the festivities. Usually, schools, local communities and even families hold “Avurudu Kreeda” (New Year Games) which encompass a series of traditional and fun activities played specifically at this time. I have taken part in a few, both with family back in Sri Lanka and here in a children’s cultural society I attend. The games are always extremely enjoyable and a great way to bond with friends and relatives. Certain shows on television in Sri Lanka even stream these competitions, which are fun to watch as a family, and to get into the New Year spirit! A few games include:
“Ankeliya” - Two horns are tied together and a rope attached. Both teams pull the rope and see which horn breaks first, “Olinda keliya” - a strategic board game similar to black gammon “Pancha keliya” - a board game with small seashells instead of dice
Next, the New Year food. Every year, a table is set with a diverse variety of “Avurudu Kewili” (New Year Food) which includes milk rice, coconut toffee, milk toffee, sweet foods like aasmi, bananas, kokis (a type of biscuit) and more. The first meal of the day is eaten all together as a family.
For every renowned event in a calendar, certain traditions always exist, whether it’s hunting for coloured eggs or icing a gingerbread house. On the morning of New Year, Sinhalese people follow a set of pre-written orders/instructions that accentuate auspicious timings, colour of clothing, customary actions to take and even a specific direction in which to look. These New Year rituals often start with cleaning the house, lighting an oil lamp and then boiling fresh milk. If we were to do this at home, we would place a pot/ saucepan on the hob and wait for the milk to boil and rise up, spilling over the top of the pot. In Sri Lanka, wood would be
placed on the floor (we did ours on the kitchen floor) and a clay pot of milk would be set to boil on a proper wood fire (facing a certain direction) to symbolise good luck and prosperity for the new year.
THE ULTIMATE ITALIAN ROCK PLAYLIST
LA CULTURA DELLA
MUSICA
MARINA MAURINO
LVI
The year is 1977. The electric melody of Alan Sorrenti’s worldwide hit Figli delle Stelle can be heard drifting out into the sky from an open window, whilst the bustling chatter of day-to-day business hums below. Bright colours, flared jeans and impractical hairdos decorate the cobbled artisanal streets. The delicious aroma of innumerable desserts and dishes wafts through the array of Vias, dominating yet not entirely hiding the distinct undertone of hairspray and perfume. Italy in the 80s was nothing short of paradise. Shining sun and glittering seas boasted proudly the Mediterranean’s newest up-and-coming scene of rock music. With the birth of technological revolutions such as ‘lo Sharp’ - essentially the Italian version of America’s ‘boombox’ - and the infamous Walkman portable cassette player, a cultural explosion of bands, artists and musical movements overwhelmed Italy. Afternoon aperitivo? Let me grab my Walkman for a sufficiently spring-filled-step journey. Beach trip? Make sure you’ve packed lo Sharp for extra ambiance! Struggling with gift ideas for Valentine’s day? The newest Zucchero cassette should do the trick! My Italian mother confided in me that she often placed her Walkman higher up on her bring-to-the-beach priority list than sunscreen…an incredibly scandalous discovery, considering as a child I was never allowed more than two seconds in contact with direct sunlight before I was whisked away and painted white with Boot’s finest 50+ spray bottle of sunscreen. From timeless icons like Gianna Nannini to Francesco de Gregori, rock music throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s paved the way for a redefinition of Italy’s music, a revolution which made its mark with an unapologetic strum of the electric guitar and a rebellious donning of leather studded jackets.
To celebrate this truly legendary age, the lucky reader will find below a carefully-curated selection of some of Italian rock music’s finest tracks. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the Godolphin Globe’s very own Ultimate Italian Rock Playlist…
Front cover by Ines Escobar