Casimir Pulaski Day is a holiday observed in Illinois on the first Monday of every March in memory of Casimir Pulaski (March 6, 1745 – October 11, 1779), a Revolutionary War cavalry officer born in Poland as Kazimierz Pułaski... The day is celebrated mainly in areas that have large Polish populations, such as Chicago. Chicago Public Schools, Cook County government offices, the Chicago Public Library, Springfield Public Schools, and state-wide public and private schools close on this holiday.(I know at least one of my readers might be affected by the holiday. You know who you are.)
1. "Casimir Pulaski Day" - Sufjan Stevens
This song is a devastating short story about bone cancer taking the life of a teenage girl and shaking the faith of those left behind. The tale reaches its sad end in a hospital room on the eponymous holiday:
This song is a devastating short story about bone cancer taking the life of a teenage girl and shaking the faith of those left behind. The tale reaches its sad end in a hospital room on the eponymous holiday:
In the morning in the winter shade
On the first of March, on the holiday
I thought I saw you breathing
2. "Águas de Março (Waters of March)" - Elis Regina & Tom Jobim
This song has been recorded by practically every major Brazilian artist, and by many non-Brazilians as well, but this wonderfully playful and spontaneous duet is the definitive version. It's a marriage of two of the most beloved figures in Brazilian music: singer Elis Regina and composer Tom Jobim. March is the end of summer in Brazil, and it's when the rainy season starts, hence the refrain "it's the waters of March closing the summer, and it's the promise of life in your heart."
The song on its own is incredibly charming, but this video of the recording session pushes it over the top (especially around 2:53):
3. "Água de Beber (Water to Drink)" - Incognito + Omar + Ana Caram
I randomly picked up this CD at the library recently called "Red Hot + Rio" simply because it had Rio in the title. Turns out it's this charity album from 1996 full of these funky, very mid-nineties-sounding reworkings of bossa nova standards by a bunch of artists you've either completely forgotten about (remember P.M. Dawn?) or never heard of (i.e. Incognito, Omar, and Ana Caram). The collection overall is quite uneven, but I dig this version of "Água de Beber," another Tom Jobim composition, that incorporates a fragment of the aforementioned "Águas de Março" at the beginning.
4. "The Wild Hunt" - The Tallest Man on Earth
I discovered this Swedish folk singer whose voice is definitely an acquired taste on NPR's All Songs Considered podcast (which I highly recommend - it has introduced me to all kinds of fantastic music). It begins:
This song has been recorded by practically every major Brazilian artist, and by many non-Brazilians as well, but this wonderfully playful and spontaneous duet is the definitive version. It's a marriage of two of the most beloved figures in Brazilian music: singer Elis Regina and composer Tom Jobim. March is the end of summer in Brazil, and it's when the rainy season starts, hence the refrain "it's the waters of March closing the summer, and it's the promise of life in your heart."
The song on its own is incredibly charming, but this video of the recording session pushes it over the top (especially around 2:53):
3. "Água de Beber (Water to Drink)" - Incognito + Omar + Ana Caram
I randomly picked up this CD at the library recently called "Red Hot + Rio" simply because it had Rio in the title. Turns out it's this charity album from 1996 full of these funky, very mid-nineties-sounding reworkings of bossa nova standards by a bunch of artists you've either completely forgotten about (remember P.M. Dawn?) or never heard of (i.e. Incognito, Omar, and Ana Caram). The collection overall is quite uneven, but I dig this version of "Água de Beber," another Tom Jobim composition, that incorporates a fragment of the aforementioned "Águas de Março" at the beginning.
4. "The Wild Hunt" - The Tallest Man on Earth
I discovered this Swedish folk singer whose voice is definitely an acquired taste on NPR's All Songs Considered podcast (which I highly recommend - it has introduced me to all kinds of fantastic music). It begins:
There is a crow moon coming in well you keep looking out
It is the hollow month of March now sweeping in
5. "Liberty Bell March" - John Phillip Sousa
A march by the March King for the month of March. Try and guess why this is my favorite Sousa March - I'll give you a little hint:
6. "Backwards Down the Number Line" - Phish* This is my favorite birthday song and today, March 6th, is a day when a very special person has his birthday: Casimir Pulaski.
*Got a text from my friend John the other day: "I'm at a Trey Anastasio [lead singer of Phish] acoustic solo show right now, he just played Backwards down the number line for me. Reminded me of you :)" Like you do.
A march by the March King for the month of March. Try and guess why this is my favorite Sousa March - I'll give you a little hint:
6. "Backwards Down the Number Line" - Phish* This is my favorite birthday song and today, March 6th, is a day when a very special person has his birthday: Casimir Pulaski.
*Got a text from my friend John the other day: "I'm at a Trey Anastasio [lead singer of Phish] acoustic solo show right now, he just played Backwards down the number line for me. Reminded me of you :)" Like you do.
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As always, please use comments to tell me about any great March songs I might have missed, or if you have any suggestions for April (so far there's only been one person who has made any suggestions and I've used them all). As we get into the spring it seems to be a more inspirational time for songwriters so I'm sure there are tons of great song ideas out there.
2 comments:
Oh yes, I think I am the reader of whom you speak! The kids love Casimir because they used to get that school off that day. But there were too many days off in March with Parent/Teacher Conferences and spring break, so they cancelled the Pulaski holiday.
And I am glad to wish a favorite nephew a happy March birthday.
As far as April goes, there is always "Though April Showers May Come Your Way _They Bring the Flowers that Bloom in May" song. There must be some April Fools Day music for Grandpa's 95th birthday! Maybe you should compose something and send it to him!
Now that I've been able to think of suggestions for three months in a row, I feel like I have to keep up the streak. I don't know if I can, but April's easier than some months. There's "April the 14th Part I" by Gillian Welch, which alludes to several (depressing) historic April 14th events, like the sinking of the Titanic and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. And on a more upbeat note, I'd recommend anything by Rupa and the April Fishes (which was actually an All Songs discovery). My personal favorites are "Poder" or "Une Américaine à Paris" or "Not So Easy."
(I really like this year of songs thing, by the way.)
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