The Roots of Hip Hop Teamwork!

Negro spirituals / Jazz / Spoken word at the origin of Hip Hop!

African music > used by the slaves during slavery (abolished in 1865)

no instruments except body ( clapping / tapping voice) / coded languages > outlawed / hidden / camouflage

Just like hip hop, coded languages and the ‘underground’ or subversive dimension is important.  > self-expression / rebellion

  • Spoken word

protest songs / today’s slam / drums / vocals

Gil Scott Heron = 1 of the 1st spoken word artists / during 1960s / 70s iin the US Civil Rights Movements > Self-expression / free speech + political statement” Be Black and Be Proud”

Explicit / Powerful lyrics

2 famous songs criticizing “White ” supremacy

The Revolution Will Be televised + Whiteys on the Moon

Vocab : Brass instruments (les cuivres) trumpets / saxophone / double bass

  • Jazz

Continue reading

1L LELE writer in his century / Animal Farm by Orwell

Question- how to represent /criticise the society thanks to writing?

animal farml fairey

Personification / allegory / satire / philosophical tale

Key info on Orwell
– b. 1903 d. 1950
– lived through WW1 and WW2
– despised British Colonial Rule even though he worked for it!
– not  British
– poor social background.
2 great books:
1984 – written to criticise totalitarianism / dystopia / anticipation
Animal Farm – political tale / speaking animals to personify dictators.

Analysis

Continue reading

LMA LVA Spaces & Exchanges / Street Art

Comment on Protestant Loyalist Mural in Belfast


Artists want to share their vision of reality / sometimes they pay tribute to a historical event / art works become memorials.
Some works of art are powerful because they make people aware of violent events or ideas / art becomes propaganda or an awareness campaign.
Banksy is famous for his street graffiti or stencils which are provocative political statements.

Continue reading

Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice

SHARP

Skinheads, Punks and stereotypes!

When you think about Skinheads what comes to your mind?

Racism / violence / white / shaved hair

Watch an extract from Arte Skin Attitude documentary, 2003.

Part 1- Buster Bloodvessel’s interview. 2’26 – 3’11

  1. What strikes you in this interview?

    He says to be a skinhead you must be anti-racist /

    opposite of what we assume about skinheads

  2. List all the attributes of the skinhead style / attitude.

    To be a skinhead you must love Dr Martens / love football / ska / be anti-racist / more than any other subculture / the skin subculture is about dancing with anyone.

Part 1 – 5’50 – 8’39 – 9’05 – Lauren AItken’s interview.

  1. When did he arrive in England? Why? 1960
  2. What music did he play? Skin reggae / ska
  3. How did Black and White skinheads get on together?

    Got on well / danced together “til the morning comes”

  4. According to him where did ska come from? America New Orleans / boogie
  5. What does Buster add to the origins of ska? Rhythm & Blues / guitar shuffled /

    ‘rude boys’ + hard working class

  6. Where did the clash happened? 

    In the club / on the dancefloor / there was no discrimination

    Right wing / radical / National Front rose in public opinion during the Thatcher years / economc crisis late 60s early 70s.

Part 2- Simon 0’11 – 1’54

  1. What does he say about the skinhead haircut? From the army / criminals
  2. What happened to him after he shaved his head? How old was he? 13 / stopped
  3. / frisked / searched by the police
  4. How did he feel? Annoyed but proud / he felt ‘tough’
  5. What was the Skinhead’s reputation? Hated or admired / by teachers / parents
  6. > scapegoats / blamed for all the wrongs of society
  7. What was the consequence?

    Girls were attracted to them / felt a strong ‘bond ‘ united and strong

  8. How did they feel about their reputation?

    Powerful / drew attention

Part 3- Roddy Moreno’s interview. 1’11- 4’19

  1. Why did he decide to become an anti-fascist skinhead?

    To fight against fascist skins

  2. What happened in their first concert? A guy sang the nazi salute ‘he zieg heiled’
  3. How did the band react? They stopped playing and had a word with him

    and then they kicked him out

  4. What did ‘being a skinhead’ mean to them? Working class / know where you come from / be proud of it / anti-racist
  5. What did the Right Wing do? Seduce the young naïve ones
  6. What did they think about it? They disapproved
  7. What is the link between Skinheads and Jamaica? Without Jamaica skinheads wouldn’t exist
  8. What does he call racist skinheads? Boneheads (tête de noeuds)
  9. What did he decide to do after his trip to New York? to take a stand (prendre position)
  10. What does SHARP stand for? SkinHead Against Racial Prejudice

Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 15.05.42 Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 15.05.23 1e2ef23f17e27c51c3d1c306999ca390 Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 15.09.25

 

https://dailymotion.com/video/x3cg5g

“How much longer will people wear
Nazi armbands and dye their hair”

How Much Longer – ATV 1977
http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/punkthe.htmLet me start off by saying that I do not believe there was a direct link between punk and Nazi ideology or an attempt to propagate right wing views. Let me also say that I am coming at this from a London angle – the origin of UK punk – and I’m talking Punk Rock 1976-79.

I cannot confirm what political views individual members of bands held but as a whole Punk was not Nazi. It is also worth pointing out that when the far right in the guise of the National Front was perceived as a realistic political threat in 1978 many punk bands mobilised under the Rock Against Racism banner and played gigs and benefits.

What cannot be denied is the use of Nazi symbols, imagery and look in the initial styles and fashion of punk rock. And while these can be explained away as designed to provoke and shock, some more intellectually challenged punks may have actually believed them.

 

The evidence for saying there was is all pretty circumstantial. Without a doubt the swastika and nazi regalia was a commonly used symbol as fashion accessory among punks and band members in the early days. Malcolm Mclaren sold replica nazi regalia in his shop. The destroy tshirt designed by Vivien Westwood and Mclaren had as its background a large swastika. In the film Rock ‘N’Roll Swindle Sid vicious is regularly seen wearing a swastika tshirt and for some reason a pair of briefs with one on. Siouxsie was (in)famous for her nazi look often wearing swastika armbands and regalia playing with nazi imagery and other members of punk bands like Captain Sensible and Johnny Rotten wore nazi gear . Add to this the use of nazi symbols by punks /punkettes.

When people wore swastikas, I think that was more to shock than because of any racist overtone. The time when Sid Vicious went around a Jewish area in France wearing a swastika t-shirt, just to shock and outrage all the people there, I though that was going beyond whatever line you shouldn’t go beyond.

CORRECTIONS

 

Reading about PUNKS

1- define punk style

music energetic and fast music / violent

/ aggressive / antisocial / misfits / outcasts

3- describe / define

clothes = chains / safety pins / tatoos / piercings / Dr Martens / Black leather jackets / braces ( bretelles ) Harrington jackets

music = Ska / reggea // ‘Oï’

attitude (political message? ) = anarchy / no future / anti-politics

4- How has your vision of punks changed?

Our opinion hasn’t changed except about racism.

Reading about SKINS

1- origins = Jamaica ‘rude boys’ / British working class = attitude

New Orleans / Boogie / Jamaica = music

style = suits / loafers/ creepers / Dr Martens / braces

evolution = split / clash / racist vs anti-racist

2- Explain last paragraph with ‘Soul Britannia’

Jamaica influenced ‘colonized’ British music

Spaces & Exchanges / colonized taking their revenge on the colonizers / reversed colonization

Are British street styles / sub-culture 60 / 70s appropriation / stolen from the West Indies or influence / inspiration?

3- What have you learned about skinheads?

They are not all racist and meaningless.

Understanding the use of Nazi IMAGERY

1- Does the narrator think punks are neo-nazis?

No he doesn’t / not all of them / some of them / a majority stood up against racism.

2- How does he explain the use of the nazi imagery?

In his opinion is a way to shock / just a question of provocation > too far?

3- Explain the last line “ I thought that was going beyond whatever line you shouldn’t go beyond.”

He refers to Sid Vicious who wore a swastika Tshirt in the middle of a French jewish area / he did it for the sake of provocation. Iconoclastic or too much?

 

 

LMA LVA Spaces & Exchanges British Street Styles

From the late 60s to the early 80s

  •  After World War 2 : cities destroyed / unemployment / Caribbean immigrants from the West Indies > social tensions
  • Soul music : Black music influenced British soul / rock / reggae and ska.
  • Powerful black voices from slave songs and gospel traditions.
  • Eric Burden, Tom Jones and Elton John are huge fans of soul music. This music penetrates your soul and shouts out the truth.
  • British soul, ska or reggae is the result  of American jazz and Rhythm and Blues as well as Caribbean reggae and ska.
  • Is it inspiration or cultural appropriation?

Race riots in Notting Hill in London in 1958 contrary to peaceful situation in Newcastle.
Race riots – émeutes raciales

In Notting Hill because of the noise from house parties the white neighbours called the police.
5ooo people were in the streets, they set black families’ houses on fire with petrol bombs.
On the contrary, in Newcastle mine workers are compared to slave because they work for little money and go to the pub covered in black. White  teenagers in Newcastle fell in love with soul music American imports and Gospel they heard in the churches.

Don Letts


This text may be about an opposition between youth and adults /West Indians and White British
Don is first generation British born Black whereas his parents and brother came from Jamaica.
His parents tried to fit in / blend in whereas Don and Derrick were proud of their roots and created their own style.
So they didn’t get on well with their parents.

 

Alien : foreigner / someone who doesn’t fit in / is isolated / suffers from discrimination.
Style: own personality / refuse the norm / subvert the norm – create a sub – culture / show off your roots / cultural identity.

 

The Eye and the I autobiography

The I and the Eye
Making meaning out of the past.

Significant event – when s F was supposed to give a test result doc to a teacher and he got scared hid it and lied about it.

He got scared intimidated by the teacher and the class who stared at him so at first he panicked. But then he became over confident as he started to lie.

Teacher’s face compared to water – puzzled troubled perplexed but he doesn’t get angry / doesn’t tell him off / doesn’t realized it whereas the narrator is still haunted by his lie and still ashamed.

This anecdote urged the narrator to realized he enjoyed lying / that’s why he became an actor / But lying is a personal pride it has to be kept secret.

Narcissus and Stephen Fry both have an excessive sense of pride. They both enjoy being confident and play with their reflection / image. Actor / hypocrite. But contrary to Narcissus SF is ashamed and finds himself ugly.

Never judge a book by its cover l’habit ne fait pas le moine. To criticise and mock stereotypes Fry uses irony and the point of view of the teacher. Awfully nice – almost oxymoron / irony awe – crainte  / terriblement gentil. He reports the point of view of the teacher.
To act : jouer la comédie.

They don’t recall this is event the same way. For Fry it’s significant whereas for the teacher it’s ordinary.
Acting for him now is telling the truth because he isn’t more himself / truly Continue reading

LMA – LELE THE EYE AND THE I – Autobiography & Childhood memories

Texts extracts:

  • An Angel at my Table, by Janet Frame 1982.
  • Moab is my washpot, by Stephen Fry, 1997.
  • The autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois: a Soliloquy on Viewing my Life from the last Decade of this Century by W. E. B. Du Bois. 1968.

Videos:

  • Apricot short film by Ben Briand, 2010.
  • Action AId Campaign

THE EYE ( point of view) & THE I ( narrative techniques and autobiography)

How you see and write about yourself > autobiography.

Janet FRAME won writing awards in New Zealand.

She was ‘misdiagnosed’ with schizophrenia / she wasn’t schizophrenic.

Her memories are used to recreate herself / to re-order her life / to convince people she is not crazy.

She used to write and read poetry with her sister who then died. (autrefois / elle avait l’habitude de )

She uses clichés of romantic poetry: her sister dies (her cat too!) her brother was sick … > spleen and sadness but with humour.

In this extract she tells about her childhood memories and how it is difficult for her to reorganize her teenager’s memories.

She explains how she became a writer at a very young age / she was predestined to be a writer. She was interested in romantic poetry which is strange for a young teenager.

She creates her avatar as a writer, she calls herself ‘Ambre Butterfly ‘ and writes to ‘Dear Mister Ardenue’ > grotesques & caricature.

Autobiography ?

goals / aims (buts)

– to tell about the reality / real life events of oneself ( les vrais évènements de notre vie)

– to be true / to tell the truth (la vérité)

– to reveal oneself / to express oneself

Different types of autobiographies

> some autobiographies have a historical & political dimension ( Ex. Churchill’s or Franklin’s memoirs) they can help us understand past events and political decisions better.

> some autobiographies are meant to prove a point, uphold your reputation, change people’s perception. (Ex. Rousseau’s Confessions, Janet Frame )

> some autobiographies use and twist the traditional form and tell complete lies or distort points of views.

(Ex.The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger, The Waves, V. Woolf) )

> some autobiographies were not meant to be published / public, they are more diaries and intimate / private revelations (Anne Frank’s journal / The Yellow Wall Paper.)

Non-fiction reveals the ugly truth about ordinary or exceptional people whereas fiction makes people look good, it creates heroes, only keeps the bright side.

RECAP’

Non fiction life writing formats : diaries, letters, journals, memoirs.

Whose perspective? The author’s perspective is expressed.  The narrator is also the main character.

author = narrator = main character.

Diaries are different from journals because diaries are private and express feelings whereas journals are supposed to be neutral / unbiased.

Contrary to both the diaries and the journal, memoirs are ready to be published.

autobiography features:

  • vital statistics / implicit contract (P. Lejeune we believe in the signature (narrator = author) ) / we read the truth (But even lies can be truthful… S. Fich)
  • Rhetorical act / life writing / to uphold your reputation

novel writing:

  • plot
  • dialogue
  • setting
  • characterization

historical writing:

  • chronicles
  • events
  • facts
  • dates

Churchill = change / adapt the viewpoint to correspond to different periods / add some moral perspective / to set the example for new generations / convincing with a political agenda

Contrary to Angelou = universal message / poetry / singing / interior monologue / stream of consciousness / facts can obscure the true feelings / realistic writing can hide true and deep feelings. (lyrical poetry > Janet Frame)

Reality # truth

  • What are the characters talking about? They are talking about childhood memories and the girl recalls / remembers her first kiss and her first love whereas the man can’t remember anything.
  • Who asks the questions? Why? Write down the questions you hear.

The man asks all the questions. Did you have a boyfriend in hight school? How was your first kiss? Can you remember your first kiss?

  • What does she remember? Why do you think she wants to leave?

She remembers how she felt when she used to play dress up with her friends, she remembers the boy always carried a camera and was very mysterious. He tried to collect sensations as if he knew he wouldn’t remember them *when he is old. when + present // as if : comme si / would> conditionel

  • How did you feel as you were watching? What’s the message of the film director?
  • Why is it called Apricot?

The images looked dreamlike and the music was great! Some of the film was predictable and we expected the guy to be the childhood boy because the pen and notebook are the equivalent of the camera. The actors sounded real and the girl was genuinely angry. The didn’t meet by chance / it wasn’t an accident. The director wants us to feel that memories are both poetic and very important. He associates tastes and feelings with memories thanks to the flashback technique. The girl’s first kiss tastes of apricot and now the guy’s kiss tastes like coffee so memories are associated with sensations. Thanks to the taste of coffee, he might be able to remember this kiss.    d- Imagine 3 more questions and act out the conversation. Use 10 words from our lesson. // Speed Dating

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

  • What was the first sweet / candy that you ate?
  • Can you remember your nursery school teacher?
  • Can you remember the name of your teddy bear?
  • Can you remember your birthday party?
  • Do you remember your first vehicle ./ car?
  • Can your remember the first nightmare you had because of a movie?
  • Welcoming: acceuillant
  • friendly: sympa
  • ginger-haired: roux
  • unwelcoming / unfriendly / rude / not nice …
  • excited / enthusiastic
  • clueless / ditzy : tête en l’air
  • She said / she explained…
  • She told me that…
  • there is / are : il ya présent // there was / were : il y avait
  • to be seasick / to have a headache
  • except: sauf
  • werewolf: loup garou –
  • another host family / pen friend
  • nice meals : de bons repas / nice dishes: plats
  • hot chocolate: chocolat chaud

> an ad with a serious message / meaning (une pub avec un message important)

  • An awareness campaign : campagne de sensibilisation. People must be warned (prévenus)/ aware (conscients) of conflicts and wars (guerres) affecting children and their childhood memories.

    A child (sg) / children (pl.): enfant

  • 4- List all the accessories you can spot. Ask if you need vocabulary. Gloves

    Disney ‘minnie’ hairband / headband with the big black ears.

    Red dress with patterns

  • 5- Imagine the anecdotes. ‘I think she / he … / I suppose … ‘
  • I suppose Olivia loved going crabbing / Ben loved swimming.I think Heidi loved messing around with her mum’s make up!

    I suppose Ben enjoyed wearing goggles and a scuba mask.

    I suppose she played hide and seek while her mum was dressing up.

  • When Jodie was young she played dress up as Minnie. I think she wore her mother’s high heels and earrings.

VOCABULARY

  • A Good Cause!
  • to support a campaign = soutenir une campagne
  • an awareness campaign: campagne de sensibilisation
  • to sponsor a child: sponsoriser un enfant
  • to donate money: faire un don meals / food memories
  • meatball: boulette de viandes
  • oodles of: des tas de
  • to allow sthg: autoriser qqchsea / water memories
  • to splash: éclabousser
  • to dive: plonger
  • a scuba diving set / mask + goggles : un kit de plongée scuba = tuba / goggles : lunettesto go crabbing: aller à la pêche aux crabes
  • a yellow raincoat and hat: un imperméable et un chapeau.
  • rubber boots: bottes en caoutchouc
  • to be brought up : grandir / être élevée
  • the weather: la météo
  • muddy: boueux
  • a string: une corde / un fil
  • to grow up: grandirclothes / girly memories
  • to play dress up: jouer à se déguiser
  • high heels: talons aiguilles
  • beads: perles
  • earring: boucles d’oreilles
  • necklace: collier
  • shop assistant / customer: vendeur / client
  • dolls: poupées
  • prams: poussettes
  • to be tricked by: se faire avoir par / prendre au piège
  • boot: coffre de voiture
  • a trunk: une malle ( à vêtements)
  • suitcases: valises
  • labels: étiquettes

LMA LVA 1L Wanted! American Gangsters Bonnie & Clyde Feb 12th

Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie LMA 1L

  •  They called them … Public enemies

Crimes? Murders / violence / shootings / bank robberies

Ironically? They became folk heroes

Why did people admire them?

Because people were angry at banks / during the Great Depression so they liked B&C avenging them.

  • About Bonnie

    Birthday? 1910

    Birthplace? Texas

    How old when she met Clyde? Job? 19 / waitress

  •  About Clyde

    1909 – Texas

    Family ? Poor – 8 children

    Past experience? Prison for theft /

    Crimes? Stealing / theft

  • First murders… 2 policemen /

Where? on the side of the road / rural / countryside

after a robbery / drinking to celebrate / testing their weapons

How? Shoot them to test their weapons

Attitude? In cold blood / indifferent

  • Change in police methods…

Capture? Personal crusade / fire with fire > got heavier weapons

Where? In Louisiana / countryside

Strategy? Ambush (a bush : buisson) / waited for 3 days / they don’t want B&C to escape again / catch them – dead (rather than alive.)

  • For Hollywood…

directed many films adapted from their story / songs

like all gangsters stories / B&C are a source of inspiration / suspenseful / action-packed life / a good scenario / Love & Violence

Document 3 – Serge Gainsbourg ENglish version.

  • 1- Listen and complete with words you hear.

You’ve heard the 1- …story of Jesse James
Of how he lived and 2- …died ?
If you’re still in need of something to 3- …read
Here’s the story of Bonnie and Clyde

Now Bonnie and Clyde 4- …are the Barrow

5- …gang
I am sure you all heard and 6- …read / have read
How those who 7- …steal
Are usually found dying or 8- …dead

They call us cold-hearted 9- …killers
They say we were heartless and 10- …mean
But I say this with pride
That I once knew Clyde when he was 11- …honest
And upright and clean

But the 12- …laws fooled around
Kept taking him down and locking him up in a cell
‘Til he said to me: “I’ll never be 13- …free
So I’ll see a few of them in 14- …hell

If a policeman is 15- …killed in Dallas
And they have no clue or guide
If they can’t 16- …think or find
They just wipe their slate clean
And blame it on Bonnie and Clyde

If they try to act like 17- …citizens
And rent ourselves a nice little flat
About the third night
We’re invited to a 18- …fight by the
Sub gun’s rat tat tat

Some day they’ll go down 19- …together
They’ll bury us side by side
For few it will be grief for the law a relief
But it’s 20- …death for Bonnie and Clyde