Topic: ART NEWS
During the holidays we all have our traditions we participate in. We go to visit family, friends and attend a multitude of other holiday affairs.
This year brought a very special treat. One of my significantly talented friends, Mark Kostabi held a brunch at his new home in NYC. The invitation stated there would also be a concert.
Mark Kostabi rose up in the NY art scene in the 1980's along with Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquait and others. Kostabi is not just a painter but is also a musician. Rita Kostabi, his mother, taught him how to play the piano. He has released several CD's of his music and has collaborated with the likes of Ornette Coleman, Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, Tony Esposito, Kristjan Jarvi, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and many others.
During the 80's Baird Jones, another dear friend of mine, wrote art criticism for all the downtown papers. Baird's genius in writing educated the public about the forces that focused on the Lower Eastside's unexpected burst into art world prominence. He was one of the people who discovered Mark. It was Jone's father, who was the editor of Time and one of the founders of People magazine, who told Baird to go and check out the graffiti scene in the Bronx and downtown area as well. He did just that, fearlessly and became one of "the" art curators in NYC.
In the 1980's, there was a lot of creative genius that came onto the art and music scenes. The talent was fearless. Baird Jones, Mark Kostabi, Warhol, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox and Suzanne Vega were some of the most noted fearless artists who came onto the world scene. The art and music world were changed forever by many, but these people stand out for me. The female musicians in particular were and still are fearless and amazingly talented.
Yesterday, at a holiday brunch hosted by Mark Kostabi we all got quite the treat. He serenaded the audience with his music. One surprise guest, Suzanne Vega, serenaded us with her disarmingly powerful a cappella of Tom's Diner.
There are three women that stand out for me from the 1980's. They would include, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, and Suzanne Vega. These women are all amazing songwriters and their contributions to music massive.
Suzanne Vega rose to fame in the 1980's as a leading figure with hits like Luka and Tom’s Diner. Her distinctive, clear vibrato-less voice is mesmerizing. To hear her sing 10 feet from me in the classic way, the a capella version of Tom's Diner, was epic and a true holiday treat. As I left the concert, Suzanne was sitting in front of me. I whispered into her ear,"Thank you for your singing today, it was lovely."
Here is a link to the epic surprise concert yesterday by Suzanne Vega.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f34nf9cr4gh7v54/20141221_124259.mp4?dl=0
