Sometime in 2012, I discovered a radio show called The Music Museum on WNYC AM. I heard it through the internet. I've been listening to internet radio since early 2000. There is something about listening to something foreign that intrigues me. But WNYC is not an internet radio. It is an actual radio channel from New York, amidst thousands of radio channels being broadcast in the internet during that time.
I stumbled upon WNYC while browsing for random radio channels in New York using the TuneIn app (which is a great app) and was somehow hooked. Particularly, I was listening to show on WNYC FM called The Great American Songbook, hosted by one Jonathan Schwartz.
Not knowing there is another WNYC channel in the AM version, I stumbled upon another show called The Danny Stiles Music Museum. It was a two-hour long program consisting of songs from the swing era from Danny's own collection of 200 thousand vinyl. Yes, vinyl. And that made it so special. Most of the time you can hear scratchy sounds from the music he plays.
The show aired every Sunday 9am (Malaysian time) which is equivalent to Saturday 9pm in New York. Every Sunday morning I would 'religiously' listen to and record his shows using the paid version of TuneIn (just to show how obsessed I was about the show). Sometimes I would even sacrifice my 3G data to stream and record his program if I happen to be outside.
My favourite part of his show is the self-proclaimed titles that he would announce almost in every show. For the past few months, I've been listening to all of his shows that I managed to record, taking note all of the titles he uttered. These titles have always had me in stitches. They were mostly alliterations, which means a series of words with the same sounding first consonant or the same first letter.
Before that, I am here to proclaim something myself. I am probably the only person in the whole internet to have made a list of these titles.
The first and somewhat official title that he would say every time is The Vicar of Vintage Vinyl.
Then he will follow with the sentence "or sometimes referred to by (insert name) as your.."
1. Carefree Collector of Caressable Chords
2. Pontificating Purveyor of Past Popular Pristine Platters
3. Super Spinner of Supremely Savoured Salivating Selections
4. Learned Legislator of Labyrinthian Lyrics
5. Retro Raconteur of Rotating Recycled Rhythms
6. Duke of Dastardly Dusty Discs
7. Doctor of Archaeological Discology
8. Righteous Raja of Raucous Retro Record Relics
9. Presenter of Perpetual Past Popular Pearls and Platters
10. Dedicated Dispenser of Dreamy Discology
11. Wizard of Waxings the Way We Were
12. Gargantuan Generator of Genial Jocularity
13. Magnanimous Messenger of Marvelous Miraculous Memories
14. Gracious Guru of Golden Gramophones
15. Maverick Maestro of Musical Memories
16. Courageous Courier of Convivial Cudos
17. Indispensable Identifier of Irreplaceable Imagery
18. Entertainer of Exquisite Examples of Elevated Enjoyment
19. Loquacious Lionizer of Long Lost Lemonades
20. Erudite Emcee of Euphonious Esoterica
Danny died on March 2011. What I have been listening to were actually archives ranging from 2004-2010. I was a little too late to start listening though, or I might have sent him e-mails. Earlier this year in March, WNYC stopped airing his archived shows. I was devastated but luckily I still have a number of his recorded shows on my iPod
And I still listen to him from an online streaming of his Music Museum archives on his website DannyStiles.com.
At the end of every show, Danny would play 'Goodnight, My Love' by Shirley Temple followed by 'I'll Never Have to Dream Again' by Connee Boswell. Every time. And every time at the very end he would say "Goodnight sweet Barbara". Barbara was Danny's late wife.
Well then, goodnight ole Danny.
P/S: Besides most probably being the only one to have a list of Danny Stiles' self proclaimed titles on the internet, I also wonder if there are any Malaysian who listened to his shows. Chances are scarce but here I am. So I will write these down as the keywords: WNYC, Danny Stiles, Malaysia.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Berckap Dengan Opah 4
Sewaktu rutin pagi hujung minggu di mana aku akan memposisikan semula opah dari baring kepada duduk, aku perasan sesuatu kelainan. Gaya opah bercakap agak lain. Dalam 2 minit juga perhati opah betul-betul sebelum menyedari gigi opah hilang. Gigi depan atas.
Aku tidak ingat sudah berapa lama opah mula memakai gigi palsu. Barangkali sepanjang hidup aku, atau mungkin lebih. Ini bukan pertama kali giginya hilang. Dulu pernah sekali dia sengaja membuang giginya, yang mana aku jumpa di celah-celah bantal yang selambak di atas katilnya.
Aku pun mula mencari giginya di atas katil, di bawah bantal, di celah-celah tilam tanpa menemui kejayaan.
"Mana pergi gigi (o)pah?", aku bertanya.
"Hilang"
"Macam mana boleh hilang?"
"Entah la, adat sekarang"
Tak tahu pula aku ada adat hilang gigi sekarang ni.
Aku tidak ingat sudah berapa lama opah mula memakai gigi palsu. Barangkali sepanjang hidup aku, atau mungkin lebih. Ini bukan pertama kali giginya hilang. Dulu pernah sekali dia sengaja membuang giginya, yang mana aku jumpa di celah-celah bantal yang selambak di atas katilnya.
Aku pun mula mencari giginya di atas katil, di bawah bantal, di celah-celah tilam tanpa menemui kejayaan.
"Mana pergi gigi (o)pah?", aku bertanya.
"Hilang"
"Macam mana boleh hilang?"
"Entah la, adat sekarang"
Tak tahu pula aku ada adat hilang gigi sekarang ni.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Masuk Kandang Kambing Mengembek. Masuk Kandang Harimau, Mintak Simpang, Carilah Jalan Keluar (Bahagian 2)
Bahagian pertama di sini (Bahagian Pertama)
Aku mula berjalan laju kembali ke arah asal aku. Dalam keadaan beresak-esak dengan orang ramai yang hiruk-pikuk, aku bagaimanapun masih dapat mengasingkan bunyi tapak kaki lelaki yang menjerit ke arahku tadi. Bunyinya semakin laju dan rasanya semakin dekat di belakang aku. Tanpa menoleh, aku mempercepatkan langkah.
"Hoi jangan lari!", jeritan lelaki itu kedengaran dekat di belakang dengan anggaran jarak sekitar 10 meter. Aku dapat merasakan kelompok manusia di belakang aku sedang membuka ruang. Wajah-wajah orang ramai di hadapan aku yang mana mata mereka yang menembusi aku melihat ke belakang, menggambarkan ketakutan.
Aku melangkah dengan lebih laju menyusuri lautan manusia sehinggalah aku terdengar bunyi tembakan,dari belakang. Tanpa menoleh ke belakang, hipotesis aku menyatakan tembakan dilepaskan oleh lelaki yang mengejar aku, ke udara. Orang ramai di bazar itu terdiam dan kaku selama kurang satu saat sebelum semuanya lari bertempiaran.
Dalam menggigil, aku tunduk dan terus memecut. Tanah yang sedikit basah dan berlumpur agak mengganggu kelajuan aku berlari. Aku mula berfikir, kalaulah aku sahut sahaja panggilan lelaki berjambang ini tadi, mungkin tak sampai dia perlu menggunakan pistol. Mungkin aku hanya perlu diam, berhadapan dengannya dan minta maaf, walaupun aku tak tahu kesalahan aku. Ia ibarat lari dan dikejar anjing, engkau tak tau kenapa engkau lari, anjing pun tak tau kenapa dia mengejar.
Tapi nampaknya sudah terlambat.
Dalam hiruk-pikuk orang ramai yang berlari ke semua arah, aku menyusup laju di celah-celah, cuba melepaskan diri daripada ligan lelaki berjambang itu. Naluri 'survival' aku kemudiannya memberi ilham untuk menyelinap di celah gerai apam balik dan jagung rebus, memintas ke lorong sebelah di dalam bazar yang berlapis-lapis ini.
Bagi menambah kekeliruan kepada pengejar, aku belari sedikit ke hulu lorong dan kemudian memintas lagi kali ini di celah kedai minyak wangi dan permainan kanak-kanak. Aku berjaya menjarakkan diri dan barangkali melepaskan diri daripada dikejar. Kepenatan, aku berhenti mengambil nafas di belakang gerai tuala dan aksesori koboi apabila satu suara menegur aku.
"Nah ambil ni", kata suara itu. Apabila aku mendongakkan muka ke arah suara itu, sebuah topi sedang terbang ke arahku. Aku menangkap cermat sebelum topi itu menghinggap ke muka.
"Pakai topi tu lekas. Blend in. Dia tak akan kenal kau", sambung peniaga aksesori koboi itu. Terpinga-pinga aku terus memakai topi itu sambil ternganga menunggu arahan seterusnya.
"Keluar dari sini. Tunduk sambil lari-lari anak."
Tanpa memulakan pertanyaan dengan perkataan 'tapi' seperti kebanyakan drama Melayu, aku tunduk memegang topi dan mula berlari ke arah hilir bazar. Sambil berlari-lari anak aku baru terfikir yang semua penduduk di pekan ini memakai topi koboi. Barangkali selama ini aku seorang sahaja yang 'free-hair', dan itu yang telah menarik perhatian lelaki berjambang tadi.
Pada waktu itu orang ramai masih berkeliaran berlari-lari tanpa arah, tetapi tidak seramai mula-mula tadi. Dalam beberapa meter aku berlari menunduk dari kedai aksesori koboi tadi, aku terpandang sepasang kaki yang kelihatan familiar datang dari arah bertentangan. Berkasut kulit, berseluar rambu. Aku naikkan sedikit pandangan dan ternampak selempang kulit dan sepucuk pistol di tangan kanan.
Kami bertentang mata, aku dan lelaki berjambang yang mengejar aku tadi, dengan jarak lebih kurang 6 meter. Aku tergamam, namun dia seperti memandang aku sepintas lalu. Dia kemudian terus berjalan laju sambil matanya melilau seperti tercari-cari sehingga kami berselisih.
Memang benar kata peniaga aksesori koboi tadi.
...bersambung
Aku mula berjalan laju kembali ke arah asal aku. Dalam keadaan beresak-esak dengan orang ramai yang hiruk-pikuk, aku bagaimanapun masih dapat mengasingkan bunyi tapak kaki lelaki yang menjerit ke arahku tadi. Bunyinya semakin laju dan rasanya semakin dekat di belakang aku. Tanpa menoleh, aku mempercepatkan langkah.
"Hoi jangan lari!", jeritan lelaki itu kedengaran dekat di belakang dengan anggaran jarak sekitar 10 meter. Aku dapat merasakan kelompok manusia di belakang aku sedang membuka ruang. Wajah-wajah orang ramai di hadapan aku yang mana mata mereka yang menembusi aku melihat ke belakang, menggambarkan ketakutan.
Aku melangkah dengan lebih laju menyusuri lautan manusia sehinggalah aku terdengar bunyi tembakan,dari belakang. Tanpa menoleh ke belakang, hipotesis aku menyatakan tembakan dilepaskan oleh lelaki yang mengejar aku, ke udara. Orang ramai di bazar itu terdiam dan kaku selama kurang satu saat sebelum semuanya lari bertempiaran.
Dalam menggigil, aku tunduk dan terus memecut. Tanah yang sedikit basah dan berlumpur agak mengganggu kelajuan aku berlari. Aku mula berfikir, kalaulah aku sahut sahaja panggilan lelaki berjambang ini tadi, mungkin tak sampai dia perlu menggunakan pistol. Mungkin aku hanya perlu diam, berhadapan dengannya dan minta maaf, walaupun aku tak tahu kesalahan aku. Ia ibarat lari dan dikejar anjing, engkau tak tau kenapa engkau lari, anjing pun tak tau kenapa dia mengejar.
Tapi nampaknya sudah terlambat.
Dalam hiruk-pikuk orang ramai yang berlari ke semua arah, aku menyusup laju di celah-celah, cuba melepaskan diri daripada ligan lelaki berjambang itu. Naluri 'survival' aku kemudiannya memberi ilham untuk menyelinap di celah gerai apam balik dan jagung rebus, memintas ke lorong sebelah di dalam bazar yang berlapis-lapis ini.
Bagi menambah kekeliruan kepada pengejar, aku belari sedikit ke hulu lorong dan kemudian memintas lagi kali ini di celah kedai minyak wangi dan permainan kanak-kanak. Aku berjaya menjarakkan diri dan barangkali melepaskan diri daripada dikejar. Kepenatan, aku berhenti mengambil nafas di belakang gerai tuala dan aksesori koboi apabila satu suara menegur aku.
"Nah ambil ni", kata suara itu. Apabila aku mendongakkan muka ke arah suara itu, sebuah topi sedang terbang ke arahku. Aku menangkap cermat sebelum topi itu menghinggap ke muka.
"Pakai topi tu lekas. Blend in. Dia tak akan kenal kau", sambung peniaga aksesori koboi itu. Terpinga-pinga aku terus memakai topi itu sambil ternganga menunggu arahan seterusnya.
"Keluar dari sini. Tunduk sambil lari-lari anak."
Tanpa memulakan pertanyaan dengan perkataan 'tapi' seperti kebanyakan drama Melayu, aku tunduk memegang topi dan mula berlari ke arah hilir bazar. Sambil berlari-lari anak aku baru terfikir yang semua penduduk di pekan ini memakai topi koboi. Barangkali selama ini aku seorang sahaja yang 'free-hair', dan itu yang telah menarik perhatian lelaki berjambang tadi.
Pada waktu itu orang ramai masih berkeliaran berlari-lari tanpa arah, tetapi tidak seramai mula-mula tadi. Dalam beberapa meter aku berlari menunduk dari kedai aksesori koboi tadi, aku terpandang sepasang kaki yang kelihatan familiar datang dari arah bertentangan. Berkasut kulit, berseluar rambu. Aku naikkan sedikit pandangan dan ternampak selempang kulit dan sepucuk pistol di tangan kanan.
Kami bertentang mata, aku dan lelaki berjambang yang mengejar aku tadi, dengan jarak lebih kurang 6 meter. Aku tergamam, namun dia seperti memandang aku sepintas lalu. Dia kemudian terus berjalan laju sambil matanya melilau seperti tercari-cari sehingga kami berselisih.
Memang benar kata peniaga aksesori koboi tadi.
...bersambung
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Film Quotes [8]
"But some things are still the same. The old post office, still there. And the hospital where I was born and where my parents died, and my wife. I think we forget things if we have no one to tell them to." - Saajan Fernandes.
The Lunchbox (Dabba), 2013
The Lunchbox (Dabba), 2013
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Cina Perakuan
Hanya dengan kombinasi beberapa perkara sahaja, sebuah cerita rekaan boleh terbentuk.
"Siapa?".
Bermula dengan iklan animasi (yang abysmal dan dipenuhi blatant product placement) cetak rompak di TV yang asyik mengulangi perkataan 'perakuan', kemudian digabungkan dengan sebotol minyak rimau di tangan kiri opah, ditambah seorang cina imaginasi yang random.
"Tau kamu siapa yang bagi opah ni?", tanya opah menunjukkan sebotol kecil minyak rimau di tangannya. Walaupun aku yang beri kepadanya pagi tadi, aku buat-buat tidak tahu dan bertanya :
"Siapa?".
"Cina perakuan"
A Day of Chaos
It was fifteen minutes past the schedule. 8.15 am, and their leader was a no-show. People were in disarray, clueless and almost hopeless without someone to tell them what to do.
Staff form the office were running around the stage, keeping busy. One of them kept telling the crowd to stay and be patient while they rectify with situation. Everyone knew that those were just some comforting words. It didn't help either that the sound system suddenly went kaput that morning. Shouting from on top of the stage only magnified the helplessness of the whole team.
The crowd began to gradually decrease in number. A few groups were seen leaving the crowd to create smaller factions. Those who detracted from smaller groups to join the largest party before, were now going back with their old gangs. Those who stayed started becoming frantic.
At a later point, the leader's second-in-command, somewhat young and inexperienced, decided to step in. Instructions were given, probably from a text read on an electronic console. While the front-rowers were struggling to keep up, those at the back were clearly disoriented. Arms were flailing in abrupt motions and some gestures of anti-order were seen formed within the crowd. Others blatantly showed resistance by keeping still with arms folded.
Kudos to the second-in-command though, because if she were not to step in, it might have turned into full anarchy. The session managed to be completed albeit over a shorter duration. Everyone from the office was especially relieved after wrapping up although it was definitely a lesson learnt.
That is what happens when your local aerobics instructor goes AWOL.
Staff form the office were running around the stage, keeping busy. One of them kept telling the crowd to stay and be patient while they rectify with situation. Everyone knew that those were just some comforting words. It didn't help either that the sound system suddenly went kaput that morning. Shouting from on top of the stage only magnified the helplessness of the whole team.
The crowd began to gradually decrease in number. A few groups were seen leaving the crowd to create smaller factions. Those who detracted from smaller groups to join the largest party before, were now going back with their old gangs. Those who stayed started becoming frantic.
At a later point, the leader's second-in-command, somewhat young and inexperienced, decided to step in. Instructions were given, probably from a text read on an electronic console. While the front-rowers were struggling to keep up, those at the back were clearly disoriented. Arms were flailing in abrupt motions and some gestures of anti-order were seen formed within the crowd. Others blatantly showed resistance by keeping still with arms folded.
Kudos to the second-in-command though, because if she were not to step in, it might have turned into full anarchy. The session managed to be completed albeit over a shorter duration. Everyone from the office was especially relieved after wrapping up although it was definitely a lesson learnt.
That is what happens when your local aerobics instructor goes AWOL.
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