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Cuba’s classical and dance band maestro José Julián Jiménez (violin), with sons Manuel (piano), and Measio (cello) in Leipzig, Germany, c. late 19th century
It’s an activity popular as a breakthrough or learning tool, but can also be done with originality and style. Which songs are so good that they’ve crossed continents, languages or genres into something new because their melody holds a timeless appeal?
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Take notes: the domino effect
Chess, Checkers or Cluedo, Dominoes, Monopoly to Scrabble and much more, the game is afoot, or possibly at hand. Inspired by last week’s playful topic, guest of the week an inspired Maki brings all the pieces to the table
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Game on: all kinds of music are on board …
Not video or cards, this week it’s the turn of games played on a tabletop with moveable pieces, anything from chess to Monopoly, playing out the patterns of human life and behaviour in microcosm. But how are they expressed in song lyrics?
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The monarch butterfly: a profound life cycle, and ‘a rainbow of chaos’
It’s a big question. But how might it be answered in song lyrics? Not merely through broad definition or metaphor, but also through philosophy, practical advice or experience. See many inspirational ideas here, but it’s also time to let your answers take flight …
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Norway’s popular Pulpit Rock or Preikestolen
Actual or metaphorical, from windows to riverbanks, doorways to cliffs, to mental or physical extreme places, this week let’s go to a variety of precipices, stare into the abyss, but also find astonishing new perspectives in song
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Right place at the right time come into focus …
Moments of realisation? From scientific to practical, physical, emotional, philosophical or spiritual, expressed in one lyrical line, one musical rush, or building slowly, and then suddenly and unexpectedly coming into focus in song
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Cat on a fiddle.? Dashing dish? Hey diddle diddle, just about anything can happen this week
Their words and images are variously bizarre to banal, entrancing or exciting, rhythmical, repetitive, surreal, but also cruel and brutal, even utterly terrifying, and above all, powerfully manipulative and controlling. But how are they used in other songs?
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Who, what, where shall we go this week?
This week it's time to set the musical controls - to suggest songs that about time travel in the sci-fi sense, but also those that might move to another period in past or future in metaphor, memory and the imagination
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The violin bridges many a genre …
Bridging huge swathes of musical genre from folk to classical, reggae to hip hop, India to China, it's time for our guest writer amylee to take a 'bow' for superb playlists inspired by last week's huge and fiddly topic
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Spongebob Squarepants. Getting it done, or just swamped?
From juggling duties and spinning plates for family, social life, relationships, work or other chores, name songs that talk about that struggle to keep concentration when there's a long list of distracting tasks
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Poetry in motion ...
Boxing to street brawling, wrestling to karate or kung fu, Muhammad Ali to Bruce Lee to Big Daddy, throw your musical martial arts skills into the ring by suggesting songs on this subject
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