Dear Reader
Things can’t be all that bad if Bob Dylan, Frank Ocean and Dua Lipa are still releasing new music, can they? How was your weekend? Did you stay sane? Me, just about. I’ve been running to the hospital where my friend is, just to stand outside — a safe distance away — and send him good energy and tell him about all the messages people have been sending to the Facebook page his brother set up for him. I also send little messages of thanks to the medical staff who are looking after him. It’s really hard not to be able to visit someone you love while they’re in the hospital. That very act of being present - physical presence, in whatever form, for whatever function - is something I am grieving, as I know a lot of people are. But I also want to thank you for the wishes and positive vibes you’ve been sending too. It warms my heart to know that even people who don’t know Stevie are wishing for him to make a speedy recovery. And good news — he is relying less on the oxygen from the ventilator than he was at the beginning of the weekend. So let’s keep the good energy up!
Here is today’s list of entertainment options for this horrid time:
1. Bob Sinclar has been on a streak — a 13-day long “Lockdown” streak. Today, Monday, he’ll be at it again, but this time for the Sennheiser #DontStopTheMusic online series. I hope you read this in time because it’s nice and early New York time, 8am, and super early LA time 5am, 12pm GMT.
2. ‘Step inside’ the American Museum of Magic and peruse a collection of posters, illustrations and adverts that follow the evolution of magic performances from early street performances to the greats of Howard Thurston and the Harrys, Houdini and Blackstone.
3. Montreux Jazz Festival wants to cheer you up so they made over 50 concerts from the festival available to stream for free. Ray Charles, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Carlos Santana and more? I’m cheered up already. All the deets here.
4. I think this documentary was made free to stream before all this happened, but now would be a good a time as any to get lost in the creative process of trailblazing Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki in the 4-part doc series, 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki. Thanks to Akemi Nakamura for bringing this to my attention.
5. The first publication I ever wrote for was The Big Issue. I remember driving around Cape Town trying to find a red traffic light so that I could stop and buy a copy of the magazine from one of the street vendors. If you’re not familiar with it, the magazine was created as a way for people, many of whom are homeless or living in vulnerable circumstances, to sell. Today they’re releasing their first subscription and online-only mag, in an effort to still support the vendors who are now no longer able to sell on the streets. And if you needed another reason to support the mag, Sir David Attenborough is on the cover!
Thank you for reading and subscribing and sharing. And for sending suggestions to me (even if it’s via Instagram or a text).
Have a wonderful WFH week!
Stay safe, stay sane
Your neighbour
Nadia
Thanks for this Nadia, I always follow you closely (except of course when you're running). .. Wasn't the first publication you wrote for, the SA Rock Digest??