7.  Edmundo Ros, “The Wedding Samba”.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx3AKQ26FBI.

8.  “Ximeroni ke bradiazei”/”The eyes that I love”, as sung by Yiorgos Dalaras.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Sp8k6ajCw

or by Vassilis Tsitsanis – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpcK2vYqsCY.

(I know I’m getting nerdy here, but JJ actually learned how to sing this Greek song by himself by listening to the Tsitsanis version, once he knew what the words meant. [At the end of this Email, you will find the English translations]).

9. “The Way Old Friends Do” by ABBA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vbo1_hDRtU.  This version is 3:11 long).  JJ sang this very nicely to and by himself in a tenor voice (but see below for the disclaimer).

10. “The Jack@$$ Song” by Harry Belafonte (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OAB3kpb2YM – this version is 2:56 long.

11. Tango to Evora – Loreena McKennitt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mnY-lWpstw. This version is approx 5 minutes long).

12. “Bella Ciao” as sung by Yves Montand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPUlB5qy7w0).

13. “Jerusalem” as sung by Emerson, Lake and Palmer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVu9qIIkdGs.  This version is 3:22 long).

14. “I’m looking through you” by the Beatles on the Rubber Soul album.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nGVaLkCQAg  . This version is 2:27 long)

15. “The Great Pretender” as sung by Freddie Mercury (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRKn4MYArXU&feature=fvst: . This version is 3:26 long.

Oh, and how might be a good time to clarify that JJ was not really a fan of ABBA.   By which I mean to say he definetely did not know all the lyrics to 50 per cent of the songs on my 4-CD ABBA retrospective when we first moved in together.  He had certainly not memorised all of the lyrics to the Super Trouper album, um, let’s say back in 1981 when it was released.

(And lest you read this last paragraph and believe that I am outing JJ as a closet ABBA fan, I think that he managed to out himself quite well in that regard when he performed a three song set at the karaoke at the Wallace Tavern a couple years back.  The song list, you might well ask?  Chiquitata, I Have a Dream, and Waterloo.  In all fairness, I had signed him up for Chiquitita without him knowing, but the two encores were all his doing.)

Oh… and another song that JJ detested?  “Donald where’s your trousers” – which did not stop him from humming or singing along every time he heard it! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJflQfNUE8)

All this to say, his musical tastes were rather eclectic.  I thought I would share my ideal JJ songlist with you.  If listening to any of those tunes, perhaps you could spare him a thought!

Warmest regards,

Kristina

PS.  Another song I would have liked to add to the list – JJ really enjoyed the music of the Axes of Evil (an informal musical group here in Toronto), and particularly their cover of “Dead Flowers” by the Stones.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a weblink.

*******************

To pepromeno (Destiny)

Στο πεπρωμένο σου να δίνεις σημασία / Always mind your destiny,
και να προσέχεις πώς βαδίζεις στη ζωή / and be careful with your way of life,
όταν κοιμάσαι άλλος γράφει ιστορία / someone’s writing history while you are asleep,
και κάποιος παίζει τη δική σου τη ζωή / and someone’s gambling with your own life.Όλοι έχουμε γραμμένο που το λένε πεπρωμένο / We all have a future (a karma), which is called “destiny”,
και κανένας δεν μπορεί να τ’ αποφύγει / and nobody can avoid it…
δεν υπάρχει θεωρία ούτε τρένα ούτε πλοία / there’s no theory, neither trains or ships… *
κι ο καθένας το παλεύει όπως ξέρει και μπορεί / and everyone fights for their life the way they know and the way they can.
από παιδί στον ύπνο μου έβλεπα φωτιές / I was dreaming of fires, since I was a kid.Για την αγάπη όσα κι αν δίνεις είναι λίγα / What you give for love is never enough,
και να το ξέρεις πως δεν έχει ανταμοιβή / and know that there is no reward for it,
δώστα και φύγε και μη χάνεις ευκαιρία / just give it and go and, don’t spend your chances,
στο περιθώριο μη βάζεις την ψυχή / don’t put your soul aside.Όλοι έχουμε γραμμένο που το λένε πεπρωμένο / We all have a future (a karma), which is called “destiny”,
και κανένας δεν μπορεί να τ’ αποφύγει / and nobody can avoid it…
δεν υπάρχει θεωρία ούτε τρένα ούτε πλοία / there’s no theory, neither trains or ships… *
κι ο καθένας το παλεύει όπως ξέρει και μπορεί / and everyone fights for their life the way they know and the way they can.
από παιδί στον ύπνο μου έβλεπα φωτιές / I was dreaming of fires, since I was a kid.

Pay attention to your destiny

be careful how you walk in life
while you are sleeping someone’s writing history
and someone else is robbing your soul

For love, no matter how much you give, it’s too little,
and, learn this, there is no reward
give and leave and never miss a chance
don’t set your soul on the margin

We all have something written in our lives,
Called  destiny
and nobody can avoid it
there’s no theory neither trains or ships
and everybody fights the way he knows and can
Since I was a child I have been dreaming fires