France -- Big Cactus internet country radio

 Johnny Da Piedade at Craponne, 2008. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

Here's a link to Big Cactus Radio -- an internet country music radio in France.

The team is headed up by Johnny Da Piedade -- a French country DJ and conoisseur whom I have met at the great Country Rendez-vous festival at Craponne in southern France. Says Johnny:

Mon truc, c'est le mode de vie à " l'Américaine ", tout ce qui touche à la musique et à la radio !! Mon passe temps préféré ? C'est toujours le même depuis des lustres : Faire découvrir de la bonne musique autour de moi et le meilleur moyen pour y parvenir c'est de le faire à la radio ! J'ai d'abord commencé, comme tout le monde. J'adorai faire écouter mes découvertes discographiques et partager mes émotions avec mon entourage. J'ai eu des boulots " normaux ", bien loin de la musique et du spectacle… J'ai longtemps travaillé dans l'industrie agro-alimentaire, chez Pepsi, puis, je suis devenu commercial. Pendant ce temps là, j'accumulais des disques : 5000 Vinyles, 3000 CD, (que j'ai tous achetés) j'ai dépensé énormément d'argent dans la musique. Essentiellement de la musique Anglosaxone. J'ai collectionné presque tout des années 70 aux années 90 : du Rock'n'Roll, Classic-Rock, Hard Rock, Rock Sudiste, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, West-Coast, un peu de Soul et surtout du Country Rock. A partir des années 90, je ne me suis spécialisé "Country". Je suis devenu un mélomane spécialiste en musique US. En fait, c'est ma passion pour la musique qui m'a amené à devenir d'abord, présentateur de festivals, puis DJ Country. Un jour j'ai gagné un concours à la radio et ça été le déclic ! Depuis, J'ai travaillé dur et j'ai ainsi pu présenter de nombreuses émissions de radio, en France, Suisse, Angleterre et en Europe…
Je suis devenu producteur, animateur et réalisateur de programmes radio conçus pour promouvoir la musique Country en Europe et ce depuis 1989. Aujourd'hui, mon "travail", mes vacances, mes loisirs, mon style de vie, tout tourne autour de la musique, la radio ou le spectacle. J'adore mon job. Je fais parti de ceux qui ont la chance de ce dire chaque jour "Je ne vais pas travailler, je vis ma passion à chaque instant". Donc si j'ai un conseil à donner autour de moi, c'est bien celui-là : Croyez-moi !! "Suivez vos passions, vous irez au bout de vos rêves!!

Virtual Wild West -- Red Dead Redemption

 

Rockstar's new wild west video game Red Dead Redemption, which I have posted about before, gets a great review from GameDaily. It gives lots of details about the storyline, graphics and, yes, emotions evoked and also provides sample pictures and video.

Rockstar took the basic go anywhere, do anything foundation and reenergized it with gorgeous scenery, phenomenal attention to detail and a plethora of entertaining missions that combine to form a journey that will not only please gamers searching for their next fix, but also history buffs looking to see the world through hero/outlaw John Marston's eyes. It's a land of fortune, crime and death, and we love it.

I'm not a gamer myself, but this looks good!

This is, without question, the ultimate cowboy experience. You'll break wild horses, work on a ranch, become a bounty hunter, evade the law, skin animals and rob trains while gaining valuable experience that'll make you a champion of the people or one of the government's most wanted fugitives, depending on your actions. Meanwhile, the story never disappoints, as Marston runs into an eclectic mix of memorable characters in the pursuit of a former friend and the goal to provide a better life for his family.

Britain -- Fascinating Web Site on the History of Country Music in the U.K.

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

I've just run across a fascinating web site that tells the story of country music in the U.K. -- including the saga of the big country music festivals at Wembley, from 1969-1991. There are great photographs and other memorabilia.

It's the blog of Stan Laundon, who was the host of "Country Time" -- a legendary show on BBC Radio.

The programme "Country Time" was a huge part of my life during the 23 years I spent at BBC Radio Cleveland. Initially, the show ran for just 25 minutes and was first broadcast on New Year's Eve, December 31st, 1970. Six weeks later, due to popular demand, it was increased to 45 minutes, with a 'special' concert featuring recorded music by The Hillsiders from Liverpool

Over the following years, the show was transmitted at various times - Fridays, with a repeat on Sundays for one hour, then on to 90-minutes and, for many years, running for two hours "live" every Sunday afternoon.
The very first edition of "Country Time" was broadcast at 7.05pm. The first record played was "Alabama, Louisiana or Maybe Tennessee" by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. There was recorded music from the Liverpool band, Western Union.

Country Eastern -- More on Kareem Salama Tour

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

ABC News runs an informative piece from Damascus about the current Middle East tour by the Oklahoma-born Egyptian-American country singer Kareem Salama.

On stage he mixes English and Arabic, joking with the audience and introducing his bandmates. Through their guitar solos and his lyrics to songs like "Picnics and Sunshine" he conveys a uniquely American sound and a Southern ease. In another song called "You Are Me," he pulls a common thread through two cultures. "Middle Eastern man, do you know who I am? I'm a God-fearing man, and I love my land," he says, then roughly repeats the line in Arabic. The song ends with a riff mixing "Hallelujah" and "Hamdullilah," the Arabic religious phrase of giving thanks.

France -- Imaginary Wild West videos from Alsace

 

Carrying on the French thread..... here's a link to a collection of videos on the virtual Wild West in Alsace, France. Click HERE

France -- Wild West Theme Park

 


By Ruth Ellen Gruber

I just found out about this Wild West Theme Park in southern France, the OK Corral -- located between Marseille and Toulouse. It seems to have everything typical for a European Wild West town -- including a new "urban area" called Silver Dollar City.... the map of the park (above) shows  a range of attractions, from a rodeo ring to various rides, a general story and the "Mountains of the Grand Canyon." It all seems geared to "family fun" -- but let's not forget that there is a big country music and linedance scene in France, and that fans look fashionable when dressed up in western duds. Also -- France (at the annual Equiblues Rodeo and Country Music Festival in St. Agreve)  is where I saw my favorite "imaginary wild west" icon -- the "Heritage Authentic" T-shirt that incorporates images of an Indian warrior, a shaman, Monument Valley and a speeding truck....

Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

Gotta go there! (Hey, why else to go to the south of France....?)

Bluegrass -- EWOB is on

 Czech band All Bells and Whistles, playing in Prague, March 2009. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

The annual European World of Bluegrass - EWOB -- festival and trade fair is on in Holland, and once again I was not able to arrange my time (or, let's face it, funding) so that I could attend!

Score of bands are taking part, from France, Germany, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Hungary, Britain, Sweden, and on and on and on.... A fascinating and revealing chart on the EWOB web site demonstrates the Czech dominance of the European bluegrass scene -- the chart gives a country by country breakdown of performers for all EWOB festivals. See the full performance program for this year's event  HERE

See the workshop program HERE

Moreover EWOB's Trade Show showcases bluegrass-related merchants selling bluegrass instruments such as banjos, guitars, mandolins, dobros, and fiddles; acoustic instrument accessories, EWOB CDs and EWOB Festival t-shirts, bluegrass instructional materials and DVDs, bluegrass magazines, and more. Web sites for some of the exhibitors can be found HERE.