August 7 - Caetano Veloso (The Musical Birthday Series)

Caetano Veloso (b. 7 August 1942) is one of the leading figure in Brazilian popular music.

 

 

Tropical Dilemma

Caetano Veloso

Was politically active,

    But attacked from the Left and the Right,

Which sometimes left those who

Found his music attractive 

    Betwixt and between and uptight.

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August 6 - Barbara Strozzi (The Musical Birthday Series)

Barbara Strozzi (baptized 6 August 1619  – 11 November 1677) was a prominent composer and singer.  We do not know her birth date, so I am celebrating her baptismal date.

Making Ends Meet

Though Barbara Strozzi published prolifically,

    Still she had problems with

    Meeting her budget.

She may have resorted (we don’t know specifically)

    To work as a courtesan --

    We shouldn’t judge it.

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August 5 - Guillaume Dufay (The Musical Birthday Series)

Guillaume Dufay (or more fashionably Du Fay) (5 August, c. 1397 – 27 November 1474) was one of the greatest composers in Western music history.

He Doesn’t Missa Thing

If Missa Se la face ay pale

Isn’t to your taste at all,

Perhaps you’d rather spend the day

Singing Missa L’homme armé

But take your pick, we won't ask why,

And fête the birthday of Dufay.

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August 4 - Harry Lauder (The Musical Birthday Series)

Harry Lauder (4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950) was a widely popular and beloved entertainer in all the English-speaking countries.

All Glory, Lauder, Honour

Harry Lauder in his kilt

Played the the laddie to the hilt,

Filled the balcony and stalls

Of the largest music halls,

Earning thousands on his way

Through the U.S. and UK.

Modern tastes, jejune and jaded,

Thrill to other things than they did.

Harry Lauder, pert and coy,

Would annoy the hoi polloi.

What irony! the connoisseur

Now reveres his tam and burr.

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August 3 - Tony Bennett (The Musical Birthday Series)

Tony Bennett (b. 3 August 1926) is one of the great stylists of American popular song.

 Retirement Gig

There’s a rumor about Tony Bennett:

He talked to his family, and when it

Is clear that his age

Is too much for the stage,

He’s making a run for the Senate.

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August 2 - Helen Morgan (The Musical Birthday Series)

Helen Morgan (2 August 1900 – 9 October 1941)is best known for the role of Julie in Show Boat.

Helen Morgan

As an innocent child singing porch songs

    In a pipingly girlish soprano,

Did she dream of a career singing torch songs

    Perched on a speakeasy piano?

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August 1 - Lionel Bart (The Musical Birthday Series)

Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) had many song hits, but his career was overwhelmingly dominated by the success of the musical Oliver!.

Doing the Twist

You can blame Mr. Lionel Bart

For his very conspicuous part

In a musical version of Dickens 

With songs so bathetic it sickens.

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