May 14
David Byrne's Birthday
|
David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of influential New Wave
band Talking Heads, was born in Scotland on May 14, 1952. A
self-described “peculiar young man,” Byrne showed a strong aptitude for
music – playing guitar, accordion and violin before he even entered high
school. Byrne met Chris Frantz at the Rhode Island School of Design, and
the two soon dropped out of school to form a short-lived group called
“The Artistics.” After moving to New York, where Frantz and Byrne
convinced the former’s girlfriend to learn toplay bass guitar, the
Talking Heads were born.
Talking Heads had its first gig in 1975, and remained active until 1991.
The band is but only one part of Byrne’s considerable musical legacy,
however, and he remains active with countless projects and
collaborations. He has worked with Brian Eno, Fatboy Slim, and Twyla
Tharp, has provided music for AIDS benefit albums and movie soundtracks,
and has even had several gallery showings of his visual art. Byrne is
truly a virtuoso of post-modern pop culture.
Arguably, however, his legacy is strongest in the continued influence of
his music. He founded his own world music label, Luaka Bop, whose
inaugural release was by none other than Byrne himself, entitled “Rei
Momo.” The album was an eclectic mix of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Hispanic and
Brazilian sounds, all tinged with Byrne’s trademark oddness. One song,
“Make Believe Mambo,” featured a complex, layered beat stacked under
Byrne’s raw, soaring lyrics. To celebrate the multitude of Byrne’s
musical accomplishments, make yourself a Mambo cocktail and try to
remember that a talent like Byrne’s only comes around once in a
lifetime. You can catch one of his few acting appearances as the laughing
man escort in Lulu on the Bridge
(1998). |
Mambo Cocktail
|
|