Abel Selaocoe (born March 5, 1992) is a cellist, singer, composer and improviser from South Africa.
Biography
Selaocoe was born in 1992 in Sebokeng, a township in South Africa. He started learning classical cello following his older brother Sammy at a Saturday music programme for children at the African Cultural Organization of South Africa (ACOSA) in Soweto. At 13 Selacoe won a scholarship to St Johns College in Johannesburg. At the college he studied with the teacher Michael Masote, one of South Africa’s most influential classical musicians.[1]
In 2010 Selaocoe moved to Manchester and enrolled at the Royal Northern College of Music.[1][2] He completed his International Artist Diploma in 2018.[3]
In 2021 Selaocoe signed to Warner Classics record label.[4]
On 23 September 2022 Selaocoe released his debut album Where is Home (Hae Ke Kae).
Selaocoe is an Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Style
Abel Selaocoe combines classical cello with traditional South African singing. His vocals are inspired by the throat singing of the Xhosa people.[5] His music combines different genres including classical suite, township rhythms and ancestral anthems.[6] His tracks include translations in African languages including Sotho and Zulu.[1]
"Rasputin" is a song by German-based pop and Eurodisco group Boney M. It was released on 28 August 1978 as the second single from their third studio album Nightflight to Venus (1978). Written by the group's creator Frank Farian, along with George Reyam and Fred Jay, it is a song about Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II and his family during the early 20th century. The song describes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical healer, and political manipulator. It is the band's signature song.[1]
《拉斯普京》（Rasputin）是德國流行/歐陸迪斯科樂團Boney M的一首歌曲。它於1978年8月28日發行，是他們第三張錄音室專輯《夜航金星》（Nightflight to Venus，1978）的第二首單曲。這首歌由樂團創始人弗蘭克·法里安（Frank Farian）與喬治·雷亞姆（George Reyam）和弗雷德·傑伊（Fred Jay）共同創作，講述了格里戈里·拉斯普京的故事。拉斯普京是20世紀初沙皇尼古拉二世及其家族的朋友和顧問。歌曲將拉斯普京描繪成一個花花公子、神秘的治療師和政治操縱者。這首歌是樂團的代表作。
"Rasputin" is a song by German-based pop and Eurodisco group Boney M. It was released on 28 August 1978 as the second single from their third studio album Nightflight to Venus (1978). Written by the group's creator Frank Farian, along with George Reyam and Fred Jay, it is a song about Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II and his family during the early 20th century. The song describes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical healer, and political manipulator. It is the band's signature song.[1]
創作
歌曲的主角：格里戈里·拉斯普京
歌曲的核心講述了拉斯普京在尼古拉二世宮廷中崛起的故事。歌詞提到，沙皇皇后亞歷山德拉·費奧多羅芙娜寄希望於拉斯普京能夠治愈她患有血友病的兒子——俄羅斯皇太子阿列克謝，因此任命拉斯普京為阿列克謝的私人醫生。拉斯普京憑藉這一職位獲得了巨大的影響力，尤其是在亞歷山德拉皇后的信任之下。歌詞中也提到：「對皇后而言，他絕非奸商。」歌詞還聲稱拉斯普京是亞歷山德拉皇后的情人：「拉斯普京，俄羅斯皇后的情人，真是個情人。」這在拉斯普京時代是一個廣為流傳的謠言，他的政敵企圖藉此詆毀他。謠言源自於拉斯普丁與皇后的密切關係。 《拉斯普京》這首歌開始重述當時人們對他強大個性的描述：「他身材高大強壯，雙眼閃爍著火焰般的光芒……」「他能像傳教士一樣宣講聖經，充滿激情和狂熱……」歌曲將拉斯普京描繪成深受俄羅斯上流社會歡迎，這一點在歷史上也有所體現：「對莫斯科的姑娘們來說，他是個深受俄羅斯上流社會歡迎，這一點在歷史上也有所體現：「對莫斯科的姑娘們來說，他是個多麼可愛的人啊。歌曲的橋段寫道，當他所謂的風流韻事和政治活動變得令人無法容忍時，「地位更高的人」密謀扳倒他，儘管「女士們苦苦哀求」他們不要這樣做。雖然歌詞中說“他是個粗人”，但又聲稱女士們“都投懷抱抱”。
拉斯普京與愛慕者合影，1914年
歌曲的結尾部分改編自一個廣為流傳的拉斯普京遇刺事件描述，該事件最終導致費利克斯·尤蘇波夫、弗拉基米爾·普里什克維奇和德米特里·帕夫洛維奇於1916年12月16日（舊曆）刺殺拉斯普京。歌詞準確地描述了陰謀者邀請他“來拜訪我們”，然後敘述了一個廣為流傳的關於在尤蘇波夫莊園發生的刺殺事件的說法：拉斯普京在酒中被下毒後倖存下來，但刺客們最終還是開槍打死了他。
歷史學家西蒙·塞巴格·蒙蒂菲奧裡（Simon Sebag Montefiore）稱這首歌是「對20世紀初俄國宮廷政治的絕佳介紹」。 [2] 雖然這首歌準確地複述了許多損害拉斯普京名譽並最終導致他被刺殺的不利於他的當時的謠言，但沒有任何確鑿的證據表明他與亞歷山德拉有染。
弗蘭克·法里安（Frank Farian）的美國朋友比爾·斯威舍（Bill Swisher）當時在德國當兵，他在歌曲的過渡部分以新聞播音員的身份獻聲。斯威舍也曾客串演唱Boney M.樂團的單曲，例如《Ma Baker》和《El Lute》。
旋律
AllMusic 的記者 Donald A. Guarisco 將其描述為「向俄羅斯傳奇歷史人物致敬之作，並以 Donald A. Guarisco 將其描述為「向俄羅斯傳奇歷史人物致敬之作，並以巴拉萊卡琴營造出層次豐富的節奏吉他旋律。」[3] 20 世紀 70 年代，這首歌的旋律因與土耳其傳統歌曲《Kâtibim》否認而引發任何爭議，但樂隊否認而引發任何爭議行為。 [4][5]
反響與影響
這首歌在德國和奧地利榮登榜首，在英國和瑞士位居第二。它也是 Boney M. 在澳洲的另一首冠軍單曲，使他們獲得了在該國的第二首（也是最後一首）冠軍單曲（另一首是《Rivers of Babylon》）。
Composition
The core of the song tells of Rasputin's rise to prominence in the court of Nicholas II, referencing the hope held by Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna that Grigori Rasputin would heal her hemophiliac son, Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, and as such his appointment as Alexei's personal healer. Rasputin gained tremendous influence from this position, particularly with Alexandra. This is also retold in the song: "For the queen he was no wheeler dealer". It also claims that Rasputin was Alexandra's paramour: "Ra Ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen, there was a cat that really was gone". This was a widespread rumour in Rasputin's time, with which his political enemies intended to discredit him. It stemmed from Rasputin's closeness to the Tsarina. "Rasputin" starts to retell contemporary accounts of his powerful personality: "He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow..." "He could preach the bible like a preacher, full of ecstasy and fire..." The song depicts Rasputin as being extremely popular with the Russian elite, something that is historically supported: "to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear". The song also depicts Rasputin as being sexually promiscuous, another contemporary rumour: "But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze." "...though she'd heard the things he'd done..." "Russia's greatest love machine". The song claims that Rasputin's political power overshadowed that of the Tsar himself in "all affairs of state", which was one of the main arguments of his contemporary rivals. The bridge of the song states that when his purported sexual escapades and political acts became intolerable, "men of higher standing" plotted his downfall, although "the ladies begged" them not to. Although the song states "he was a brute", it claims that the ladies "just fell into his arms."
The end of the song recounts a modified version of a popular description of the events that culminated in Rasputin's assassination, as perpetrated by Felix Yusupov, Vladimir Purishkevich, and Dmitri Pavlovich, on 16 December 1916 (O.S.). The song accurately states that the conspirators asked him "Come to visit us", and then recounts a widely popular account of the assassination in Yusupov's estate: that Rasputin's assassins fatally shot him after he survived the poisoning of his wine.
Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore has described the song as "an excellent introduction to Russian court politics in the early 20th century."[2] While the song accurately re-tells many of the unfavorable contemporary rumours that damaged Rasputin's reputation and led to his assassination, there is no verifiable evidence to suggest that he had an affair with Alexandra.
Frank Farian's American friend Bill Swisher, who was a soldier in Germany at the time, provides spoken vocals at the bridge in the form of a newsreader. Swisher also guested on Boney M. singles such as "Ma Baker" and "El Lute".
Melody
AllMusic's journalist Donald A. Guarisco described it as "a tribute to the legendary Russian historical figure that uses balalaikas to create its textured rhythm guitar hook."[3] Its melody caused a debate in the 1970s due to its similarity to the traditional Turkish song "Kâtibim", but the band denied there was any borrowing.[4][5]
Reception and legacy
The song rose to the top of the charts in Germany and Austria and went to No. 2 in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. It was also another No. 1 hit for Boney M. in Australia, giving them their second (and last) chart-topper in that country (the other one being "Rivers of Babylon").
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