Music has, historically, been used in religious ceremonies and cultural celebrations as a way to communicate emotion and connect with others, with ourselves, and with the greater forces of the universe, whatever those may be. It is both universal and specific, a language spoken by all yet deeply personal. As time passed, music became increasingly present in everyday life: moving from the radio to vinyl, to CDs, to streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify, bringing with th

Una mañana de 2017 Ben Bilemy salió de Nueva York con unos cuantos miles de dólares en el bolsillo, una mochila, unos vaqueros y dispuesto a caminar hasta Key West, el punto más al sur del país. Nada más y sobre todo, nada menos. Pero Ben Bilemy, que luego pasó a llamarse Denim y más tarde Mostly Harmless, apareció muerto un año después en una tienda de campaña a dos mil kilómetros del punto de partida, dejando en el aire su verdadera identidad. Nadie sabe quien es. Viajaba s

I can smell the sea air as we get out of the car. It’s hot for October in Brighton, so we leave our coats and walk into the town. A colourful array of people pass by, proving joyfully that this place is still as diverse and vibrant as I remember. I look at all the stacked flats as we walk to the seafront, the architecture here being so majestic and strangely higgledy-piggledy that it’s fascinating. The smell of chips when we get to the sea front is divine. Like a child I m

As a musician I often find this time of year very busy. I sometimes get invited to play at concerts, shows or to provide music for some festive fun (either live or recorded). The other day I was invited to play some music for a small gathering, and I happily accepted and prepared some songs to sing and play on the guitar. After the session had finished I chatted to a few people, but one conversation will stay with me for a while. A lady told me how she always wanted to play a

For a big city, London has a pleasantly surprising amount of green space to enjoy. Most will be familiar with the capital’s larger parks, but there are also dozens of smaller parks and gardens hidden across London that are a must for anyone needing a tranquil spot amongst the mayhem. Postman’s Park Just north of St Paul’s Cathedral lies Postman’s Park, named so for its popularity with the workers at the nearby Old General Post Office. Opened in 1880, the small parkis filled w

Les larmes en public ne sont tolérées que lors de rares exceptions : événements de grandes joie ou de grandes peines : naissances, mariages, enterrements. Même dans ces moments, le sujet, pudique, est souvent mal à l’aise d’afficher ses larmes. Signe de faiblesse, manque de contrôle de soi, gaminerie – pleurer en public reste tabou. Paradoxe : la société nous encourage à éprouver de l’empathie pour les autres en public, mais pas envers nous-mêmes. En 2016, plusieurs article