Happy Gnu Year, with musical bonuses (final, double-edition of Namibia “single”-image series)

 

Gnu/wildebeest are bona fide antelopes.

However, as the Blue Wildebeest’s scientific name – Connochaetes taurinus – suggests, most human newcomers assume that wildebeest are bovine beasts.

 

As well as looking more than a bit like cattle, wildebeest sometimes resemble four-footed versions of the unshaven, low-rent “Mexican outlaws” who used to be a staple of many low-budget “Spaghetti westerns”…and of some Yankee westerns too.

Gnu/wildebeest are also somewhat akin to emus – both are bywords for “eccentric”, “crazy”, “unpredictable” behaviour.

(photos are copyright Doug Spencer. The “notorious wildebeest gang” were contemplating their next move at 9.35 am on 08 November 2022, in Etosha National Park)

Musical bonus (a)

In terms of the weather, for Australian listeners, Dave Goulder’s best-loved song comes from the “wrong” hemisphere.

Nonetheless, even here, The January Man is especially resonant at this particular time, as one calendar year ends and another begins.

Many of the finer English, Scottish and Irish “folk/roots” artists have covered this song, but the “definitive” version is still the one on Bert Jansch’s 1973 LP Moonshine.

Skala Kanga is the harpist.

 

 

 

 

Of course, at the annual pivot point, you may prefer to dance.

 

 

 

The young Himba women pictured above had no need for musical accompaniment, other than that provided by their hands and feet.

Much more will be revealed in a future, multi-image post.

 

Musical bonus (b)

Musically speaking, this particular time of year/s is at once more “arid”, yet – in another sense – more “wet” than are many deserts.

So, let us forgo “seasonal specificity” (as our ambassador-designate to the USA might say) but stay with the harp.

This virtuosic set of definitely-dancing tunes was composed by its fiddler and harpist – respectively, Chris Stout and Catriona McKay.

(there is no finer fiddle-harp duo, methinks. Their unfailingly excellent albums can be ordered here)