Well.
I had to go to Uganda (via allAfrica), catching up on life, to be reminded that Saturday is World Music Day.
Which, as that article in 'The Monitor' recalls, began here on the midsummer streets of France as the 'Fête de la Musique' (great where-it's-all-at site, partly in English) in 1982; truly a memorable night.
Auntie Beeb, for all her doddery age, has a mind of her own and decided World Music Day was on January 1 (homepage and links).
If you are lucky enough to have a decent internet connection, several intriguing, long and wide-ranging concert recordings there still work (and are the kind of thing very wicked Mac OS X users might be tempted to pinch with the formidable Audio Hijack or its "Pro" incarnation).
On Saturday, it's all happening, from Bangladesh to Nova Scotia.
"While some professionals criticize it for being a gimmick and others complain that it has been taken over by sponsors and media organizations, the fête de la musique gives anyone who wants to the chance to play or listen to absolutely every type of music. A virtually trouble-free festival of over 15 hundred concerts in a single night!"
So Christian Dupavillon declared by way of the French embassy in the United States in 2001, in his article explaining what he decided to do on learning that "the French owned more than four million musical instruments. Three quarters of these instruments lay deteriorating in cupboards, attics and cellars before departing this life in dustbins and on rubbish tips."
This year, energy permitting, I'll remember to decide what to do before it's too late. Because Dupavillon's right. Since anyone can indeed play anything anywhere and they will, there are parts of town you definitely want to avoid. It's all a matter of taste.
9:38:05 PM link 
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