I have a friend! I have several hundred in fact. Not real buy-you-a-pint; can I borrow a tenner; yes, that is a lovely new t-shirt friends, but virtual pals scattered across the globe and according to some of their profiles beyond this globe and far off on other, no doubt far more interesting ones.
My recent new friend is Argentinian, and it's my first from that fair country.
Approached across the ocean with the hand of musical friendship, I am inspired to travel Argentinian Myspace to find out what's rocking the pampas. I do apologize, that's an appalling cliche which simply serves to illustrate my lack of knowledge of the people, history and music of Argentina.
What do I know?
Very little as I say, ask me about Argentinian music and I will say, Tango! Then I will shut up.
I know a religious-inspired group of Welsh settlers travelled to set up a new home in Patagonia (which I believe means "Land of the Big Feet") where Cymraeg is still spoken to this day. I know the country is famous for its beef. I know Che Guevara is of Argentinian birth. I know they're very good at football and getting better and better at rugby and I had the word Junta introduced to my young vocabulary when British soldiers and sailors travelled thousands of miles for a war over what we call the Falkland Islands and Argentinians call the Malvinas.
That's a long way to go, you might think, and the conflict remains a source of controversy in British politics with some believing it was a piece of cold-blooded and bloodthirsty electioneering on the part of that still divisive figure Mrs Thatcher. Others argue the rights of the islanders needed protecting and add that the war helped bring down that very nasty Junta.
And, oh look! Our continued ownership of the Falklands is now forming the basis for a huge territorial claim for parts of Antarctica - but, far be it from me to be cynical, and this is supposed to be a music column - war can fuck off, so can Antarctica for that matter - does that continent have a thriving Myspace scene? Quite, fecking penguins.
Article comments
1 - blanca
Colin, there is so much more about Argentina, but let us not forget that they are are the best polo player of the world! there is also two other music currunts, one is called folklore with indian/spanish roots, and the other is the chamame wich has european french/italian roots, also we claim the Malvinas because they are too far from UK to belong to them, and if we are going to have a better world, it is time to end colonialism in the americas just like it was finished in africa.
2 - Colin
Thanks for the comment Blanca.
I'm sure you're right - my little trips round myspace are only every going to scratch the surface, but I guess I hope it will encourage people to find out more...
As it happens I think you're probably right about the Malvinas, and you're certainly right about colonialism (a lot of people in the UK believe this too), but it's all about money in the end and getting dirty hands on oil under the ice.