First of all, the
Finnish film Lights in the Dusk was great! Somewhat
depressing, but great! How Finnish! hehe
It was the 3rd film in the Kaurismäki trilogy.
I've never
seen the first, but I bought the 2nd film "The Man Without a
Past" back in 2003. The funny thing is that the star
in the 3rd film is actually in the 2nd film (The Man Without
a Past).
I rewatched it last night and it was SO GREAT! I've been
learning Finnish with my books so I'm starting to understand
more snippets in the Finnish films!
Terve
means "hi" in Finnish and I hear that a lot in the films
now. I never understood that before. Very different
from English, French, Spanish, German, etc... The
point being that Finnish words are hard to pronounce and hard to
retain. If a word like "hello" is difficult... we're
in for some trouble! ;-) hehe Though, I speak
English, French, and half-decent German so Finnish is easy to
pronounce for me when I hear it said properly.
I usually mention what I buy, watch, on this BLOG, but I rarely
comment if I like something. I'm actually a very
opinionated person, willing to change at times, but I like to
keep it cool.
It seems the Canadian ukulele scene is dead since only my German
friends have subscribed to
Ukulelenorth.ca. Too bad! Dommage!
Though, I have some good news on the PONO ukulele front. I've
had problems with it since having it customized and intonated
and I thought the story would never end, but I got some of these
Martin Ukulele strings and they seem to have solved all my
intonation and turning problems. I just changed the
strings tonight, but it's looking good! (sounding good too!)
hehe Wow! I love these strings on my uke!
Martin Ukulele Strings Rock!!!
cheerio!
- petey
September 15, 2009
It's about time I got back to my Finnish
roots!
First of all, I recently bought two Finnish books to learn the
Finnish language (see list below). My grandparents were from
SUOMI (Finland) and my mother was a
first generation Finn born in Canada. I have been a member of the
Canadian
Friends of Finland for the last 5 years.
I just bought this Finnish film "Lights in the Dusk" by the
off-beat Finn director Kaurismäki. I will watch it this weekend.
I also wrote a song for ukulele and voice, about this now dead girl,
who went ghost hunting in the buildings of the University of Toronto,
while being drunk... (I will record it for YouTube soon).
Here's the
article from the Toronto Star.
I've also started work on my novel about my family's travels to Finland
when I was a kid.
I've finally created the discussion forum Ukulele North. It's
meant to give Canada a presence in the uke world. Anyone can sign
up and post messages on the forums. I was first inspired by the
Kind David Station forum (in France) and the German forum Ukulelenclub.
Cheers!
- petey
PS: I've also been downloading MP3s of the
CBS
Radio Mystery Theatre that I listened to in the 70s and early 80s.
September 12, 2009
Ukulele Nukelele! Drats! I've got my
Pono uke back and it's not quite fixed as I would have wanted.
I'm beginning to wonder if all factory made ukuleles are junk.
Well, I will see what I can do with it. I'll break it in
and let the new strings adjust.
Just bought the complete DVD set of the Radio Canada television
series "les
étoiles filantes." I'm saving it for a rainy day.
- petey
August 30, 2009
Almost the of summer! Well, I've went
on a minor spending spree to help the world economy the last
month. Everything from musical instruments,
renewing my web hosting for 3 years, books to learn Russian and
Finnish, CDs, and a few other sundry items.
I've created and will be launching
UKULELE NORTH - A CANADIAN UKULELE
DISCUSSION FORUM in mid-September. It will give a Canadian
presence and a place for uke fans to discuss topics. I'm a member
of French and German ukulele forums but it's time we had one in the land
of the north.
I did receive my Pono ukulele from the German supplier.
I like it a lot but it's in the repair shop at the
Ottawa Folklore Centre
for intonation fixes and a few modifications of my own. As for the
Melodica, that is a very cool instrument but requires a lot of breath.
As a pianist, I find I have to really simplify what I want to play.
I forgot that the Melodica was a wind instrument like a trumpet. I
will find some neat uses for it in a YouTube video.
I'm off tomorrow to relax and clean up my apartment. I
will have plenty of time for uke playing. I hope to
have a YouTube video of me singing in German later this week.
I also took a new photo of the outside of the zany
Loulou Boutique near to my work! You
can enlarge it by clicking on the photo. The quality of my new
Canon camera is much better! 12.1 megapixels! heehee
cheers,
- petey
August 23, 2009
Check out my latest YouTube video! I
sang and played ukulele and did a version of the most famous Québécois song "Quand
les hommes vivront d'amour."
- petey
August 09, 2009
Not much of a summer in Canada! I
guess I don't mind repeating the start of my last post!
hehe Well, no European vacation this year but I'm making
up for it by helping the economy by spending more than a few
shekels.
As you all know, I'm a big ukulele fan and I just ordered a
new one from Germany called a
PONO KOA SOPRANO. I should be getting it in a few
weeks. It has a built-in pick-up so I will be able to use
it for recording in the studio to finish off my uke CD in early
October.
More madness has set in as I just ordered this "mouth piano"
called a Melodica. I saw it used in a great ukulele,
bass, and Melodica video from France.
Check it out!
- petey
July 28, 2009
Not much of a summer in Canada! Some rain and dubious
humid and chilly weather. Just enjoying some Gregorian
chant during a calm rainy summer.
- petey
July 16, 2009
Sorry. I've been ILL for the past while. An
arthritic problem with my knee and I was très indisposed.
I hope to record some songs for Youtube in German soon.
Stay tuned!
The summer has been a cool one in Ottawa, Canada.
Fine with me!
- petey
June 24, 2009
Happy St-Jean Baptiste Day! (Québec).
Not much happening in Ottawa on my end. It's hot in my
apartment and I can't put in my air conditioner because they are
working on the balconies beside me. It's going to
take another month while I melt away! Annoying! I
had today off and I was working on my ukulele version of the
Schubert Lied "Aufenthalt." (the sojourn). That song is
from Schubert's amazing song cycle
Schwanengegsang.
I'm also working on another ukulele version of a German folk
song. I plan on doing some YouTube videos next month so
stay tuned!
I also got my two Lanikai soprano ukes fixed at the
Ottawa Folklore Centre.
The intonation on both was abominable and the luthier at the
Ottawa Folklore Centre did a great job.
As well, I will finish recording my French CD "Ukulélé à
Lille" in the studio at the end of September.
- petey
May 26, 2009
I put up another home demo for ukulele called
L'amour est aveugle on
MySpace.
It's basically a French version of the old
blues number "Careless Love." I call it "Love is
Blind" in French. This song is an old blues song that
Bessie Smith sang (and later others) and I decided to do it and
record a French version. It's meant to be somewhat funny.
Here is the English translation of my zany French lyrics.
Nothing much to do with the original song.
[English translation of the French - not meant to be sung]
Oh love is blind, Oh love is blind
My failing eyes only now see you in double, double
I don't know which one of you to choose from
Ah, wine complicates my life, Ah, wine complicates my life,
My failing eyes only now see you in double, double
I don't know which one of you to choose from
The sun is beating down, the sun is beating down,
My failing eyes only now see you in double, double
I don't know which one of you to choose from
Oh love is blind, Oh love is blind
My failing eyes only now see you in double, double
I don't know which one of you to choose from
gotta run!
- petey
May 13, 2009
Here's my first attempt to videotape myself in my apartment
singing some songs in French on the ukulele! hehe
Not much happening at the moment. I did put up a quickish
home demo of a song I wrote for ukulele called "Coconuts
in the Quicksand" on
MySpace.
PS: I found this funny picture (matching my song) on a
French ukulele site.
- petey
April 26, 2009
I finally went into the recording studio to work with producer
Dave Draves at
Little Bullhorn in Ottawa. It was a real learning
experience to record the ukulele. Dave has some
great ideas and half of the CD is done. I will go back in
the studio in June to finish all the French vocals. I need
to tighten up my French singing so I have a month to practice.
We are going to use the
optigan on
one song! Dave showed me that instrument and it will be
great on "les géants."
Also, I've uploaded a home demo of the Russian folk song "Les
yeux noirs" (Dark Eyes) on
MySpace.
I recorded a ukulele and voice version at home with my software
SONAR.
I'm off tomorrow so I can relax this evening.
- petey
April 1, 2009
All my ukuleles are in good working order. Now I just have
to start playing some! Good grief!
hehe!
Well, it's officially April and all the April Fools seems to be
at the G20 in London, England! hehe
I've ordered some sheet music of old German pop songs from
overseas (from Thomann in
Germany). It's finally supposed to warm up over here
tomorrow, up to 16 degrees. I have my doubts (J'ai
mes doutes.).
If so, should be a good idea to go to my favourite Indian
restaurant tomorrow for dinner: The Sitar
- petey
March 21, 2009
Here's the great Soviet song
Katiusha
that I'm learning on the ukulele! Cool video!
***
I recently bought Jumpin' Jim's two ukulele DVDs and they are
well worth it. He's an amiable speaker, knows his stuff,
and he gives great tips on strumming techniques. I highly
recommend buying both videos. Strangely enough, most
people who buy ukuleles don't want to spend money on DVDs, sheet
music books, since those items often cost more than the uke
itself. All I can say is get over that mentality.
It's even hard to find uke lessons (except on Youtube), so one
is mostly alone. However, I was guitarist so I had
the technical skills already at my fingertips when I started the
ukulele, but there was a lot to learn. Even after 2 years
of playing the ukulele, I always find new tips and techniques in
the DVDS, or in sheet music, or in the chord books I buy.
If you want to get really good on the uke, don't be cheap!
- petey
March 20, 2009
Finally, we are now officially spring in Ottawa! I'm
also very sorry to hear about the untimely death of Natasha
Richardson who had a skiing accident in Mont Tremblant, Québec.
I do not follow Hollywood or British stars at all, but I will
always remember her as the dilettante governess in the 1985
Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) episode called
The Copper
Beeches. What a great debut for her! She
was so sweet in that episode!
***
I need to start breaking in my two new Lanikai ukuleles as I
will be recording my upcoming CD in late April! Go Petey
go! hehe
- petey
March 17, 2009
Last week, I attended my
grandmother's funeral in Cornwall, Ontario. She was 96
years old, but it was more sad to see my rapidly ageing uncles
and aunts! It's almost as if time will soon sweep us all
away! I came back to Ottawa by way of Montreal and stopped
by my favourite Mexican restaurant La taqueria for yummy
quesadillas and beer on my way back home.
***
On a lighter note, I finally got my Lanikai LFM-S ukulele.
The truth is, that I ordered two of them from different
places to make sure I would have one in time for recording my
ukulele CD in late April. It was a kind of insane gamble
to buy two! However, the first one from Germany arrived
two weeks ago slightly damaged and I had to get it repaired at
the Ottawa Folklore Centre. The neck just needed a
bit of gluing. So, I just picked it up tonight and
the job was seamlessly done. However, the
other order, that is the same ukulele from the USA is now in at
he post office for pickup tomorrow!!
Sorry, if this story sounds nuts...
I'm just picky about the ukulele I like and I found it
impossible to get one of these Lanikai LFM-S soprano ukes in
Canada. What do I like about it? I bought a cheaper Lanikai in
Nottingham (England) last summer and I've found it to have the
sound and feel I love. For example, I like how there are
no frets on the body (that changes the sound since you strum
near where the neck meets the body), tuning pegs on the
side (my hand always hits the ones on the back), black strings,
heavier wood, rounded fret edges (not cuttingly sharp), and it
has a beautiful clean look.
***
On the weather front, it's supposed to be WARM tomorrow (+14
C) in Ottawa! Woohoo!
- petey
February 25, 2009
Not much happening. Just archived some of my PF news so
this page doesn't take a long time to load. I'm still
waiting for confirmation from Germany that my Lanikai LFM-S
soprano ukulele has shipped. I must admit, I'm getting
impatient! How hard is it to package and send a small
uke?!!!
I'm working on my own French lyrics for "les yeux noirs"
(Dark Eyes) for my MySpace site as a demo song until I
can put up my original French songs from my Lille CD.
- petey
February 21, 2009
Today, I did lots of cleaning up in my apartment... i.e.
laundry, recycling, sorting papers, shelving sheet music,
rearranging DVDs & audio CDs, throwing out bills, etc...
It was an all day affair. I'm still not done but real progress
has been made. Finally, I'm sipping on some evening beer.
I'm listening this evening to my three favourite Russian folk
CDs. It's truly my favourite music and my favourite winter
music!
I also created
my own MySpace music page in anticipation of my ukulele CD.
Its barebones right now but songs will be added once I record in
late April 2009.
- petey
February 20, 2009
Finally, the OTTAWA bus strike is over. It lasted
almost two months. It's been a typical cold winter here
with lots of snow. Obama just
came to town last Thursday (Feb. 19th) and everyone was excited
to catch a glimpse of him on Parliament Hill. He did wave
at the crowd and later went into the
Ottawa Byward Market
to buy some Maple Syrup cookies for his kids back in Washington.
Nice gesture. I'm apolitical, but that guy is cool.
He speaks so well and if change was a person incarnate, it would
be him.
***
I've made a few bad purchases of ukuleles over the past 6
months, but I finally have
a new soprano Lanikai coming from the German dealer
Thomann. Most American dealers won't ship that uke to
Canada, and Canadian retailers will not stock it.
So, I'm off to Europe to get what I want.
I am still planning the recording of my French ukulele CD of
my travels to Northern France called
Ukulélé à Lille.
I've had a few setbacks but things should work out by the end of
April.
