Comments on: Jolifanto Bambla O Falli Bambla!

Jolifanto Bambla O Falli Bambla!

jonp72 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:53:55 -0800

In 1916, Hugo Ball would fulfill his own dadaist manifesto by reciting his own nonsense poetry at the Cabaret Voltaire (not that Cabaret Voltaire), while wearing a Cubist costume or a cylinder with the number 13 covering his face. Ball's poem, Gadji Beri Bimba, inspired the Talking Heads song, I Zimbra, but his most famous poem is Karawane, a pioneering example of sound poetry. Karawane has more conventional avant-garde versions on YouTube, but none is more surreal than the recitation from memory by Marie Osmond (yes, that Marie Osmond) from a 1980s broadcast of Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

By: shothotbot

shothotbot — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:01:48 -0800

OK. I didn't see that coming.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:24:13 -0800

Let me second that. Congratulations, jonp72, my friend, you just gave me a true 'whaaaaaa?' moment.

By: ltracey

ltracey — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:29:36 -0800

I remember watching that show and being completely baffled by the spectacle of Ms. Osmond talking about Dada. I was very young, and yet still knew it was a very odd moment in time.

By: starvingartist

starvingartist — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:57:58 -0800

On their album "Aenima", Tool wrote a track called "Die Eier von Satan". It's got a kind of industrial machine beat over what sounds like a recording of a guy giving a political speech in German. At certain emotional points in the speech, there is a crowd that roars with approval. He keeps repeating the line, "Und keine eier!", and when he bellows it towards the end of the piece the crowd gives the biggest roar of all. It's very unnerving upon first listen. Turns out, the "speech" is actually a recipe for Mexican wedding cookies (whatever they are). "Und keine eier" means "and no eggs". The point here is, when he gets to the part of the recipe where you form the cookies, just before baking, the (translated) instructions are: Form eyeball-size pieces from the dough Roll in the powdered sugar And say the magic words: sim sala bim bamba sala do saladim I just assumed that Maynard made up these "magic words", but after listening to Gadji Beri Bimba, I think it was a direct reference to Ball. I knew that the piece was meant to be absurd, and to point out the direct emotional response we have to the sound of language, even if we don't understand the words, but the idea that it may have been inspired by a Dadaist poet, even if only in part, adds another level of enjoyment to the piece for me. Really, it's one of my favorite songs on the album. That and "Hooker With A Penis".

By: PHINC

PHINC — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:05:00 -0800

Wow, that's more dada than dada!

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:09:29 -0800

No batshitinsane tag?

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:22:48 -0800

batsituationist, maybe?

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:37:38 -0800

On their album "Aenima" ... OT, but wasn't that also a record that featured an extended rhythmic riff on the Fibonacci sequence? I was never a huge fan, but between that and the Hugo Ball shout-out, that's pretty sweet.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:34:42 -0800

I don't understand his poetry, but I enjoy his high end menswear apparel. Also I think I saw Marie Osmond perform that with Max Rebo Band.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:55:18 -0800

Herewith my undying fealty to Marie Osmond, white-toothed Goddess of Dada! How does one achieve eternal bliss? By saying dada. How does one become famous? By saying dada.

By: Casuistry

Casuistry — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:03:56 -0800

I came across the Marie Osmond version a few months ago when trying to hunt down an image of Karawane, and was a little started, but didn't bother to try to figure out the context for it -- so, thanks!

By: willmize

willmize — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:18:59 -0800

One of my favorite bands, Cabaret Voltaire, mentioned in the same FPP with Marie Osmond? I think I need to go lie down. Wonder if we could get the three of them in the studio? Would love to hear her belt out "Crackdown" or "Sensoria".

By: Chocomog

Chocomog — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:36:57 -0800

OK, I have to admit: although I'd never but any of her albums, I have a newfound respect for Marie Osmond from that piece alone.

By: Football Bat

Football Bat — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:23:04 -0800

Just listened to that Marie Osmond clip, and I gotta admit: that's how I'd like to wake up every day.

By: kuppajava

kuppajava — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:27:31 -0800

From the liner notes of the original CD companion to Greil Marcus' amazing book Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century: As host of a special show on sound poetry, Osmond was asked by the producer to recite only the first line of Ball's work: incensed at being thought too dumb for art, she memorized the lot and delivered it whole in a rare 'glimpse of freedom.' I never had any respect for Marie Osmond until reading that...

By: cmoj

cmoj — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:25:44 -0800

I could never get into Ball... he was too good at being Dada. He said that it was all nonsense without reference, but that was plainly untrue. The sounds follow speech patterns, the number 13 is not only a number, but a loaded number, and the costume is actually sort of typical modernism/futurism. He must have been aware of all of this, but he gave no hint... not even a twinkle in his eye. Duchamp and Man Ray (while only arguably Dadaists sometimes) did the same "it doesn't make sense when I say it doesn't make sense" thing, but through some combination of smirks and glaring intellect always satisfied me that they knew, man. They knew.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:55:09 -0800

Just listened to that Marie Osmond clip, and I gotta admit: that's how I'd like to wake up every day. I've just renamed that track to alarm.wav. Your dream, starting tomorrow, is my reality.

By: stachemaster

stachemaster — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:59:06 -0800

i can't beat the Marie Osmond clip, but brooklyn-based disco group Escort have a take on Karawane as well. sound sample here, it was released on the b-side to the Love in Indigo 12".

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:05:05 -0800

Wonder if we could get the three of them in the studio? Chris Watson would like to have a word with you about how many members the proper version of Cabaret Voltaire had.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:49:50 -0800

I prefer my own translation of the Dada Manifesto. Dada m'dada, Dada m'dada, Dada mhm' dada.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:57:17 -0800

Just a quick update here: Yes, waking up to the sound of Marie Dada Osmond really is an excellent thing.