Year of the Ox - Disaster and misfortune?

"The New Year was a time when you could change your luck."
"..when the New Year began, not one single speck of dust from last year could remain. Not a single copper's worth of debt could be left unpaid. And not a single bad word could fall from anyone's mouth for three days."
"...And because it is the new year, all debts must be paid, or disaster and misfortune will follow." *
These are all poignant words in the times of the so called credit crunch.
To celebrate the Chinese New Year I have chucked out all the old chintz & almost completely refurnished my house and whilst moving sofas.. sprained my ankle.
Would I be this klutzy if I were born in the Year of the Ox?
If you happen to be in London on Sunday, February 1st, you might want to enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations in Trafalgar Square and fireworks in Leicester Square.
Here's to new beginnings!
* from "Kitchen God's Wife" & "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

The joys of multicultural London!
We have already celebrated Eid, Diwali, Halloween, All Saints Day, Thanksgiving, St Nicholas Day, Muharram, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year, Orthodox Christmas & Russian New Year.
Personally I'm waiting for Purim (March 10th), Mitzvah to get so drunk, that one does not know the difference between Haman and Mordechai (or right and wrong) - feels right to me (am obviously very sober, which is very wrong) - then, straight after St Patrick's Day, why not have a blast for Nowruz (Persian New Year) on March 21st.

Today, Monday, January 26th welcomes the Chinese Year of the Ox.
Your friendly Agent B. Moo wishes you..
"Ten Thousand Generations", "Long Life", "Highest Position", "Biggest Prosperity" *, "Gung Hay Fat Choy!"
And this is the ideal tune for the occasion - Tim Sim Vindaloo from the Asian Beats Bazaar.
* from "The Kitchen God's Wife" by Amy Tan

Finally...the new Agent B Mix!

If the Tower of Babel had a soundtrack it would most likely sound very much like the Agent B new mix.
For your pleasure therein mixed are little snippets of what's new, wonderful, stylish, cheesy & eccentric, coming out of the East: Bollywood, Turkey, Eastern Europe and North Africa via France & UK as well as a couple of mash-ups from DJ Earworm, also introducing a fabulous newcomer to the Eurovision song contest 2009 Moscow, Hadise singing for Turkey.
You will find a free ringtone here.
You might hear some of these beats in upcoming Agent B dance fitness classes.
I have managed to squeeze all the tunes in a "little" preview here - Your All New Agent B 2009 Mix.
It is rude not to dance!
Enjoy!

Whatever Lola wants...

...Lola sometimes doesn't get on a Blue Monday.
Blue Monday!? Doom and gloom? Are we living on the same planet?
Today Lola almost got all she wanted - London waited till she got indoors before it opened its skies and rained cats and dogs, just a little drop on my nose as I'm writing this now...in any case whatever Lola wanted was pumping out of her ipod right into her ears. Who cares about the rain, credit crunch, NY resolutions?
Hakuna Matata!
I am working on this eagerly awaited, twisted new mix I have promised a few days back - it is shaping up nicely. In the meantime please get your little preview here - free ringtone.
Yes, it will be cheesy, it will be stylish, it will be energising and it will be all over the place errm.. geographically.
Below Natacha Atlas in a clip from a 2007 comedy by a Moroccan director, Nabil Ayouch, "Whatever Lola wants".

You may also rememeber Chiwetel Ejiofor's own fantastic rendition of Lola in a 2005 British comedy, "Kinky Boots"

I love them both. Do you?

It wasn't me. I swear!

It wasn't me. I swear! Everybody's looking for the monkey out there!
Full lyrics - click here.
That's just a little inspiring lyrical quote from the upcoming Bollywood movie, Delhi 6.
Doesn't this sort of remind you of Manu Chao's "Bongo Bong" ..
Every monkey'd like to be
In my place instead of me
Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
A prolific genius, A. R. Rahman gave us the soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire which we have received with awe.
Keep your mouth open - this is a new offering from the same music director:
"Hey Kaala Bandar" from Delhi 6

In any case this certainly is a detox option from a "violent death" by morbid noise I was recently exposed to after a friend's (?) hearty recommendation.
In a way of turning you on to the right side I might be uploading a little medley of some new exciting stuff from the world of twisted Eastern tunes. Keep an eye on this space!

Gas Gas!

Terry Wogan says, 'you either get married or buried to this', and this is where he should have shut his blaspheming mouth, short of advising the general public to go fix themselves a stiff drink.
I am talking of Eurovision Belgrade 2008. I was very annoyed at having to listen to Terry, the prat, talk through the whole of the Bregovic gig so here I am setting this straight.
Please excuse the short Polski voice over at the start.
Put your hands together for Goran Bregovic & the fabulous Wedding and Funeral Band!



I have watched an Englishman acquire a whole new set of motor skills when I played this.

You are my sin....

Here's one of my old favourites, Azis all the way from Bulgaria, singing a Lepa Brena classic, "Ti si moj greh"
And below the original..
I am torn.. which one I like better...???
Wouldn't you like to hear Terry Wogan's informed opinion on these Eurogems?
I know I wouldn't. More on this later.
Do sing along.

Bad Boy ringtone!

Happy Sunny Sunday to You!
Here's a little something...
Free Ringtone - Click Here

And this dirty little number goes out to....

..you know who you are.
Who else?



Now if this is the woman to represent Turkey in Moscow in 2009, A.L. Webber & UK might have to pull another trick out of the hat!

Opa!

Married to....Mrs Dżem

Whisky moja żono..

Cast My Shoe

Another Day..
..another song and a link.
Baleh! Shava!




More Shoe Stories - click here

Survival

Ever found yourself wishing to skip straight to the next weekend on a Sunday night?
These below are a few tunes that can help survive a crabby Monday.
Enjoy!
And do not wait till next Monday to visit my beach again!

When a man lurrrrrrves a woman...

Think locally!

"Immigrant Punk"

"Start wearing purple..."