h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As so few people know my part of the world, I have decided to concentrate more on describing it in my Journal this November. I have made a few attempts at this before, some in my November journals over the years and have even written an entry,

A583184 (The unedited version)
A594380 (The edited version)

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A local celebrity.

Last night we went to a concert by a singer from Mannheim. Now, Mannheim is the cradle of many a pop singer's career (maybe I'll go into that later) but this character, who goes under the name of Joy Fleming, has been around for well over 40 years. (My husband has a dusty 45 somewhere. We should have taken it and got it autographed!)

With her powerful voice and incredible range, she held us captive with plenty of what even she called "evergreens" (sung in English) and a couple of songs she and the band had written themselves (in German). Between the songs she chatted in dialect and told jokes, and had everyone laughing and clapping. It was like talking to a particularly amusing, but sensible and comforting neighbour, and she really made everyone feel at home.

She is still most famous for a song she recorded in the 1970's in dialect, which was the highlight everyone had been waiting for, and which she included in the final set. Here is a quite recent recording of it, very similar to what we saw last night - she's even wearing the same outfit!

http://youtu.be/5FVah-7D3jc

It's called the "Neckarbrücken Blues". Mannheim, as mentioned in my entry, is at the confluence of the Rhine and the Neckar. There are bridges across the Rhine to Ludwigshafen, and bridges across the Neckar, which lead to the harbour- and red light district - the Neckarstadt. It's about a woman whose husband Karl keeps crossing the bridge over the Neckar. But she knows he'll come back and tries not to let it bother her.

Here's a map, if you've got time.

http://www.gis-mannheim.de/mapserver_mann/

Anyway, Joy has that really powerful voice and uses the microphone well. She honestly can sing jazz and blues and soul and, with the backing of four great musicians, but also with a few songs unaccompanied, she proved that she still has what it takes. The concert was professional and well-rounded but homely and feel-good.

She's 70 next month, but she says she'll keep going as long as she can. As one of the comments on that Youtube clip says - "If she were American or English, she would be world famous"

Bald gras ich am Neckar, bald gras ich am Rhein;
Bald hab' ich ein Schätzel, bald bin ich allein!

Reddit

What a brilliant start! Surely you aren't going to keep this length up.

[Amy P]

These are going to be interesting AND informative, aren't they?

Deb

Exactly so. What deb said!

Oh, looking forward to this!

I can see a lot of reading in my future...

Not knowing your part of the world at all, I shall certainly be reading all of these.

Me too! I suddenly feel well travelled and wise!

cc