AUTHOR: REDBEARD
Ray Manzarek - 19 November 2017 - In The Studio
EPISODE TITLE: DOORS - STRANGE DAYS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Frank Lisciandro - 2 July 2017 - Jam TV
EPISODE TITLE: JIM MORRISON - IL RICORDO NELLA NOSTRA INTERVISTA A FRANK LISCIANDRO
AUTHOR: JAM TV
Frank Lisciandro - 7 December 2016 - RadioRai
EPISODE TITLE: JIM MORRISON, L'ANGELO CADUTO
AUTHOR: RADIORAI
PUBLISHED: 7 DECEMBER 2016
PODCAST TITLE: RAI PODCAST RADIO2
PODCAST EPISODE: PEZZI DA 90 EXTRA DEL 07/12/2016
LENGHT: 9:18
PODCAST EPISODE: PEZZI DA 90 EXTRA DEL 07/12/2016
LENGHT: 9:18
RADIO STATION: RADIORAI
AVAILABLE: Player FM
John Densmore - 28 November 2016 - Odyssey
TITLE: AN EVENING WITH JOHN DENSMORE AND HADYN REISS
AUTHOR: ODYSSEY
PUBLISHED: 28 NOVEMBER 2016
AVAILABLE: Odyssey
Thursday, November 17th, I was invited to a screening of a short film called: Robert Bly, A Thousand Years of Joy. Robert Bly is an American poet and political activist. His poetry is centered around challenging gender roles and stereotypes placed on men.
I really admire Bly's work because it sheds light on the awful truth that men have been taught to hide their emotions. Men think that they have to be tough and show no feelings of weakness while women, are taught to be emotional beings.
In this film, I got to listen to readings of some of his best poems and see how his work has impacted creative people such as John Densmore. Densmore is best known for his role as the drummer for The Doors, but he is also a writer, actor, and poetry enthusiast.
After the screening, I had the opportunity to interview the director of this film, Haydn Reiss, alongside John Densmore who gave insightful commentary on Robert Bly's work. I only had a short time to ask questions but I am really pleased with the outcome of the interview.
Odyssey: How long did this film take to finish and what was the process like?
Reiss: You could say it took 5 years, but it actually took 20 years, because 20 years ago I made my first film about Robert. It took 5 years to compile this film with the one I made 20 years ago.
Odyssey: Was it a stressful process?
Reiss: It's always stressful. Be careful if you become a filmmaker because you're going to find yourself doing a lot of odd things. You have to be tough.
John Densmore: Any art is stressful but if you feel deep down, "Oh god, this is something I love and I gotta do it"...then there you go.
Odyssey: You're a multi instrumentalist, author, an advocate for civil rights and a poetry fan. So what does it all mean to you and what encourages you to make sure you take part in all of this?
John Densmore: I stay active because it feeds me. In my early days I saw John Coltrane all the time. Elvin Jones, his drummer was my idol and mentor, all these jazz musicians...they fed me. So in my mid life I started getting interested in writing and WOW, Robert Bly, he fed me and I got real involved. In fact, I remember one time he said: "You need a massage? Your back's aching? Don't got to a masseuse, write the poem first!
Odyssey: For both of you, what inspires you in life and motivates you to engage in these creative projects?
Reiss: Well like John just said, trying to pursue things that make a difference in my own life and be of some help to others and my children. At the end of the day, I try to be on the right side of the equation about bringing good or not.
Odyssey: John?
John Densmore: You guys. You guys inspire me. The youth have the passion and they have the dream to bring it forward, and we gotta stop shitting on the youth god dammit!
Odyssey: What are your views on the country's elected president?
Reiss: There was an election?
Reiss: There was an election?
We will get through this. And I think that out of this election, a lot of creativity is going to be born. I think we're being forced to be creative.
Odyssey: John, you think so?
John Densmore: Yeah. There is a cloud over us. It's similar to my era which was the Vietnam war and there was a cloud over the country 24/7 for years. Now I see another one coming along here. But if we keep together and coalesce and feed each other with art and go out on the streets when we have to, we will hold his feet to the fire when bullshit comes down. We'll make it.
John Densmore: Yeah. There is a cloud over us. It's similar to my era which was the Vietnam war and there was a cloud over the country 24/7 for years. Now I see another one coming along here. But if we keep together and coalesce and feed each other with art and go out on the streets when we have to, we will hold his feet to the fire when bullshit comes down. We'll make it.
Reiss: You know, MLK JR had this famous line: The arc of the moral universe is long and bends towards justice. And by long I think he means time. It's going to take time. It's taking time, but we are moving towards justice.
John Densmore: I really aspire to stay alive until we have a fucking woman as president. Amen!
And with that memorable commentary, the interview came to an end. Thanks, Hadyn and John!
Robby Krieger - 8 January 2016 - Guitar World
TITLE: THE DOORS' ROBBY KRIEGER SHEDS LIGHT - ALBUM BY ALBUM - ON ONE OF ROCK'S MOST MYSTERIOUS BANDS
AUTHOR: GUITAR WORLD
PUBLISHED: 8 JANUARY 2016
AVAILABLE: Guitar World
The Doors’ Jim Morrison lit the world on fire, but it was guitarist Robby Krieger who supplied the matches. In 2008, the legendary axman shed light on one of rock’s most mysterious bands for Guitar World.
“It was hard living with Jim.”
Robby Krieger is talking about his days as guitarist with the Doors, reflecting on his role as creative sidekick to one of rock’s all-time great lyricists, singers, sex symbols and extreme personalities, Jim Morrison.
“It would have been so great if we’d just had a guy like Sting,” says Krieger wistfully. “You know, a normal guy who’s extremely talented, too. Someone who didn’t have to be on the verge of life and death every second of his life.”
The guitarist laughs at his own fantasy. He knows better than anyone that it was Morrison’s inner demons, which surfaced all too frequently, that gave the Doors’ music its resonance and power. But while Morrison was undoubtedly one of rock’s great visionaries, the contributions of the other Doors to the band’s unique sound and success cannot be overlooked.
The blues-based, often hypnotic music created by Krieger, organist Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore perfectly complemented Morrison’s commanding, sensual vocals and mesmerizing lyrics. And it was actually Krieger who penned many of the Doors’ greatest songs and biggest hits, including “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times” and “Touch Me.”
Remarkably, when Krieger joined the Doors in 1965 he was only 18 years old and had been playing guitar for just two years—electric guitar a mere six months.
“I really learned to play as a member of the Doors,” he asserts. “I just tried to sound like myself—I consciously avoided copying Chuck Berry or B.B. King because that’s what everyone was doing. I tried to come up with the right part for the song and play something that would complement Jim’s singing.
“It must have worked,” he adds coyly. “I think we came up with a pretty good body of work.”
Pretty good, yes. Good enough to have gotten the Doors inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last January and to have inspired Oliver Stone’s reverential 1991 biopic. And, most of all, good enough to enthrall three decades of rock fans with music that remains as powerful and profound in the Nineties as it was in the Sixties.
Robby Krieger cannot escape his past with the Doors, even though the band essentially died with Morrison in 1971. Although he has remained active, touring regularly and recording seven solo albums dominated by instrumental music, Krieger says, “I realized pretty quickly that I would never again have another band like the Doors. Music has become more of a fun thing for me, much like painting is — something that’s personally rewarding. It’s what I do and how I identify myself: I’m Robby Krieger, guitarist.”
Most people would say: Robby Krieger, Doors guitarist. What follows are Krieger’s recollections of the Doors’ career, from their 1967 self-titled debut to 1971’s brilliant swan song, L.A. Woman.
THE DOORS
Released January 1967
Guitar World: What was your first impression of Jim Morrison?
Robby Krieger: I first met him when he came to my house with John Densmore and he seemed pretty normal. I didn’t really get a sense that there was anything unusual about him until the end of our first rehearsal. Initially, everything was cool. Then this guy came looking for Jim. Something had gone wrong with a dope deal, and Jim just went nuts. Absolutely bananas. I thought, Jesus Christ, this guy’s not normal.
Guitar World: What were your impressions of Ray Manzarek?
Robby Krieger: When I first met him, he was the “big man on campus” at the UCLA film school. In fact, our first gig as a band was to provide music for one of his student films. Afterwards Ray got up in front of an auditorium full of people and gave a speech. I remember it well, because he had them in the palm of his hand. He was down-right mesmerizing. He was a major character, but Jim kind of kept him in his place. Jim was so out there that Ray’s personality was overwhelmed—which, oddly enough, created a good balance.
Frank Lisciando - 11 January 2015 - Backbone Radio
EPISODE TITLE: BACKBONE RADIO WITH MATT DUNN - JAN 11, 2015 - HR 2
AUTHOR: MATT DUNN
PUBLISHED: 11 JANUARY 2015
PODCAST TITLE: BACKBONE RADIO WITH MATT DUNN
PODCAST EPISODE: EPISODE OF 11 JANUARY 2015
PART: 2 (OF 2)
PART: 2 (OF 2)
LENGHT: 53:37
RADIO STATION: BACKBONE RADIO
AVAILABLE: Backbone Radio
Ed Dixon; Ted Pappas; Brent Harris - 13 November 2014 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TITLE: STAGE PREVIEW: OSCAR WILDE, VICTOR HUGO AND JIM MORRISON MEET IN PUBLIC'S "L'HOTEL"
AUTHOR: SHARON EBERSON / PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
PUBLISHED: 13 NOVEMBER 2014
AVAILABLE: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ed Dixon is best known for his 40-year career as a Broadway singer, but he comes to Pittsburgh as the writer of more than a dozen plays and musicals. Brent Harris is known for playing classical roles from coast to coast, but he's here to originate a character in "L'Hotel," a world premiere at Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Mr. Dixon wrote the Public-commissioned play based on an idea from producing artistic director Ted Pappas, who has collaborated with Mr. Dixon from the beginning and directs the production.
"We were going to sit down to create a musical together and the first thing Ted said was, 'Well, I don't really have any ideas for musicals ... but I have always wanted someone to write a play about Pere Lachaise, and I said, 'What's that?' He couldn't believe I didn't know, and now I can't believe I didn't know."
Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is the resting place of marquee names such as Moliere and Pissarro, Marceau and Piaf, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas ... Mr. Dixon was handed a list by his friend and went off to write.
The names that made the cut -- Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Jim Morrison, Victor Hugo, Isadora Duncan and Gioacchino Rossini -- weren't the problem so much as how to get them talking.
"I'll tell you how I got my toe in the water. ... About midnight that night I thought, 'What if it starts at a dead run?' Then I thought, what if there was a waiter who for all eternity had to satisfy these gigantic egos, had to take care of them? And that became the turning point. And indeed, there is frantic activity from beginning to end," Mr. Dixon said.
"I had an idea for a play, and he turned it into something much more than I could ever imagined," Mr. Pappas said.
The clash of these titans of the arts takes place in the luxurious Old World hotel of the title, designed by James Noone and including stained-glass created by local artisans. The waiter will be portrayed by Evan Zes, a well-traveled comedian who proved his physical dexterity in City Theatre's "The 39 Steps." Another writer creation for "L'Hotel" is a mysterious woman (Erika Cuenca) who makes possible the idea of reincarnation.
At the center is Oscar Wilde, whose voice most resonates with Mr. Dixon. For the actor originating the role, "It's like stepping on the moon," Mr. Harris said.
He knew of Wilde, of course, having performed in plays such as "The Importance of Being Earnest," but began to delve into the man, studying portraits and getting an idea of "the artful way he liked to present himself." He found a more human connection reading "De Profundis," an essay on spirituality and faith written during the gay writer's imprisonment for "gross indecency."
"It was startling and moving, so personal and surprising in how naked and bare and painful it was," he said. "When we think of Oscar Wilde, we think of this glittering comic force, endlessly witty. People know about his tragedy, but I began to understand what a horrible, horrible fall it was and a terrible ending. There's this dark side to his life."
"I love what Brent is doing," said Mr. Dixon, who had just rewritten a major scene dictated by something he saw in rehearsal. "In many ways that's the heart of the play. Someone asked me why I made Wilde the central character, and I said, 'Because he's me, stupid!' " the writer said with a laugh. "The way the play works out, it's geared toward him and he has several soliloquy moments that really enforce the view."
Joining Mr. Harris' Wilde are actress Bernhardt (Deanne Lorette), Doors frontman Morrison (Daniel Hartley), "Les Miserables" author Hugo (Sam Tsoutsouvas), dancer Duncan (Kati Brazda) and "Barber of Seville" composer Rossini (Tony Triano). Mr. Hartley has perhaps the toughest job, because Morrison, who died in 1971, can be seen online with the click of a keyboard. Other famous names in Pere Lachaise who didn't make the cut are given their due with mentions, either in conversation or by playing their music.
The half-dozen cemetery denizens who Mr. Dixon has gathered for "L'Hotel" are representative of anyone who pines for immortality through art.
"They are from different disciplines, and this is a play about art and the meaning of art and the importance of art. Also this a play about what fame is and who is remembered,' " Mr. Dixon said. "Once I got connected to these people, I couldn't imagine it going in any other direction."
‘L’Hotel’
Where: Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown.
When: Today through Dec. 14. 7 p.m. Tuesdays; 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays (except Nov. 27; also 2 p.m. Dec. 11); 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays (no matinee Nov. 15 and 22); 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays (no matinee Dec. 14).
Tickets: $23 ($15 students and 26 and younger); ppt.org or 412-316-1600.
John Densmore - 11 November 2014 - billboard
TITLE: THE DOORS' JOHN DENSMORE TO RECALL "MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MUSICIANS" IN NEW BOOK
AUTHOR: STEVE BALTIN
PUBLISHED: 11 NOVEMBER 2014
AVAILABLE: billboard
'Writing is getting me off,' drummer says.
At the recent Classic Rock Honours in Los Angeles, Doors drummer John Densmore was presented with the Inspiration Award by Henry Rollins. After the ceremony, he stood outside the Avalon mere feet from ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne. It was a very fitting setting for Densmore, who is looking to share his most memorable meetings with musicians in a new book.
Densmore, who's previously authored Riders on the Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison And The Doors and The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes On Trial, was inspired by Meetings With Remarkable Men, by Greek-Armenian mystic George Ivanovich Gurdijeff. The 1963 book spawned a 1979 movie of the same name.
While Densmore has been around so many luminaries of rock -- and fans have to be excited about the prospect of hearing of his encounters with rock icons like Harrison and Smith -- this collection will celebrate eclecticism. "One chapter is on Elvin Jones, [John] Coltrane's drummer, he was my mentor. I was terrified to meet him, then I finally wrote my first autobiography and gave it to him. I said to him, 'You gave me my hands,' in this book."
Recalling some of his other favorite meetings with musicians he talks of being on stage with Shankar. "Ravi Shankar was an incredible teacher. I sat on stage with Robby Krieger and studied at his school of Indian music here in L.A., so at Royce Hall we were sitting next to him watching his hands bleed while he got possessed," Densmore says. "This is the highest level you can get."
Another standout musician for him is Gustavo Dudamel, the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic. "We're buds, so I'm watching Dudamel conduct Mahler. I go backstage and he says, 'Juan, Mahler is heavy metal,'" Densmore recalls. "That particular symphony kind of had a line like a lead guitar line from heavy metal, I'm not kidding. This guy is so hip he knows about jazz and salsa, all this stuff, rather than those rigid classical folks who only know their world. That's why he's a f---ing genius."
Densmore was on hand at Avalon representing the Doors to collect the Inspiration honor. With so many artists over the years citing the Doors as an influence, we asked Densmore for one story that stood out to him.
"I love that line that Bono was mouthing off wonderfully about whatever cause he was into and he could tell someone was getting a little ruffled," Densmore recalled. "He said, 'Well, Jim Morrison said we're supposed to be erotic politicians.'"
Fittingly for "erotic politicians," the ceremony took place on Election Day. Staying true to his '60s roots, Densmore had two issues on his mind on this night. "There's a really good criminal justice [bill] that hopefully will help minorities not get so beat up," he said. "Somebody said it's great pot is legal now, but it's interesting how people of color go to prison, thousands, and now some white guys figured out they can make money off it and now it's gonna be legal. I'm one of those white guys who's for it to be legal and get the freaking crime out of it."
At the recent Classic Rock Honours in Los Angeles, Doors drummer John Densmore was presented with the Inspiration Award by Henry Rollins. After the ceremony, he stood outside the Avalon mere feet from ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne. It was a very fitting setting for Densmore, who is looking to share his most memorable meetings with musicians in a new book.
"I'm playing around with Meetings With Remarkable Musicians. Each chapter is someone I met -- George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Patti Smith. I'm playing around with that and writing is getting me off," Densmore told Billboard of the book he is just beginning to work on and hopes to have out within a "year or two."
Densmore, who's previously authored Riders on the Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison And The Doors and The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes On Trial, was inspired by Meetings With Remarkable Men, by Greek-Armenian mystic George Ivanovich Gurdijeff. The 1963 book spawned a 1979 movie of the same name.
While Densmore has been around so many luminaries of rock -- and fans have to be excited about the prospect of hearing of his encounters with rock icons like Harrison and Smith -- this collection will celebrate eclecticism. "One chapter is on Elvin Jones, [John] Coltrane's drummer, he was my mentor. I was terrified to meet him, then I finally wrote my first autobiography and gave it to him. I said to him, 'You gave me my hands,' in this book."
Recalling some of his other favorite meetings with musicians he talks of being on stage with Shankar. "Ravi Shankar was an incredible teacher. I sat on stage with Robby Krieger and studied at his school of Indian music here in L.A., so at Royce Hall we were sitting next to him watching his hands bleed while he got possessed," Densmore says. "This is the highest level you can get."
Another standout musician for him is Gustavo Dudamel, the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic. "We're buds, so I'm watching Dudamel conduct Mahler. I go backstage and he says, 'Juan, Mahler is heavy metal,'" Densmore recalls. "That particular symphony kind of had a line like a lead guitar line from heavy metal, I'm not kidding. This guy is so hip he knows about jazz and salsa, all this stuff, rather than those rigid classical folks who only know their world. That's why he's a f---ing genius."
Densmore was on hand at Avalon representing the Doors to collect the Inspiration honor. With so many artists over the years citing the Doors as an influence, we asked Densmore for one story that stood out to him.
"I love that line that Bono was mouthing off wonderfully about whatever cause he was into and he could tell someone was getting a little ruffled," Densmore recalled. "He said, 'Well, Jim Morrison said we're supposed to be erotic politicians.'"
Fittingly for "erotic politicians," the ceremony took place on Election Day. Staying true to his '60s roots, Densmore had two issues on his mind on this night. "There's a really good criminal justice [bill] that hopefully will help minorities not get so beat up," he said. "Somebody said it's great pot is legal now, but it's interesting how people of color go to prison, thousands, and now some white guys figured out they can make money off it and now it's gonna be legal. I'm one of those white guys who's for it to be legal and get the freaking crime out of it."
John Densmore - 23 October 2014 - MusicRadar
TITLE: JOHN DENSMORE ON THE DOORS DOCUMENTARY FEAST OF FRIENDS
AUTHOR: JOE BOSSO
PUBLISHED: 23 OCTOBER 2014
AVAILABLE: MusicRadar
"Marrying music and visuals – that really appealed to us"
“People always ask me, ‘If Jim Morrison were live today, what would you be doing now?’ says Doors drummer John Densmore. "And I think we’d be doing films. Jim and Ray were both way into film, so I think we would have moved in that direction, incorporating film with music, maybe even doing soundtracks to big Hollywood movies. I know we would have gone that way had Jim lived.”
In the summer of 1968, The Doors were already making their first foray into film by self-financing a documentary directed by Paul Ferrara called Feast Of Friends. The project was never finished and was ultimately shelved when the financing ran out due to Jim Morrison's legal problems following his arrest for allegedly exposing himself to a concert audience in Miami. Since that time, the film has acquired mythic status among Doors fans, who have for years circulated poor-quality bootlegs on just about every format imaginable.
Forty-six years after it was shot, Feast Of Friends, which offers Doors fans a fascinating, behind-the-scenes cinéma vérité look at the band both off stage and in the studio, is getting a proper release on Blu-ray and DVD thru Eagle Rock Entertainment on November 11. Boasting remastered audio and video, the package also includes a spruced-up version of the 1968 British documentary The Doors Are Open, which focuses on the band's concert at London's Roundhouse theatre. Additionally, the set also features the The End, which captures the band performing their iconic song in Toronto, Canada, in August 1967, as well as interviews with Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Densmore and longtime Doors manager Danny Sugerman.
The Doors' Feast Of Friends can be pre-ordered at The Doors' official website or on Amazon. In the following interview, Densmore discusses the band's interest in cinema, their subdued backstage routines and what he considers to be the group's finest performance on film.
MusicRadar: What was the idea going in to Feast Of Friends? In one part of the film, Jim calls it a "fictional documentary." Was that a term you guys actually threw around?
John Densmore: I don’t know what Jim meant by that, actually. [Laughs] Ray and Jim went to film school, and we had some friends who were filmmakers – guys like Paul Ferrara. We just thought, "We should document what we’re doing here. It’ll be fun and maybe be good for the future." That was really the thought going into it: "Let’s fool around making films with our friends."
Eriberto Leão - Comunique Sim - 26 November 2013
TITLE: PORTAL SIM - ENTREVISTA - ERIBERTO LEÃO - SHOW JIM
AUTHOR: MILTON JUNIOR
PUBLISHED: 26 NOVEMBER 2013
AVAILABLE: Comunique Sim
Eriberto Leão - CuiabáNEWS.com - 22 November 2013
TITLE: ATOR ERIBERTO LEÃO REVIVE POESIA E MÚSICA DE JIM MORRISON COM SHOW EM CUIABÁ
AUTHOR: CuiabáNEWS.com
PUBLISHED: 22 NOVEMBER 2013
AVAILABLE: CuiabáNEWS.com
Música, inquietação, poesia e caos! Estes são alguns dos ingredientes de um show especial que circula pelo Brasil e chega a Cuiabá nesta quarta-feira (27), às 22h30. No palco da casa noturna Nuun, o ator Eriberto Leão revela sua faceta musical ao interpretar um dos maiores ícones do rock mundial: Jim Morrison, o líder da banda The Doors.
“Essa é minha homenagem ao artista que abriu as portas da minha inquietação, das artes dramáticas, da literatura e da percepção”, testemunha. Acompanhado pelos músicos Zé Luiz Zambianchi, no teclado; Rorato, na bateria; e Felipe Barão, na guitarra, o show segue com a mesma formação instrumental do The Doors. Caracterizado como Jim Morrison, Eriberto canta ao vivo 14 músicas do grupo, sucessos como “Light my fire”, “The End”, e “Riders on the storm”, entre outros.
A poesia também é tônica do show “Jim”, pois Eriberto intercala momentos musicais com obras . “Quando comecei a pesquisar descobri um Jim Morrison que não imaginava e que muita gente não sabe quem é, então vimos que precisávamos trazer uma outra ideia do Jim para o público, era acima de tudo um poeta”, diz o ator e músico.
Prata da Casa
O DJ e produtor Tiago Faisão também figura como atração do evento. Lextor, como é conhecido, é um nome representativo da música eletrônica no Brasil. Já dividiu o palco com grandes nomes da cena mundial como Pete Tha Zouk e Gui Boratto, além de ter sido o DJ convidado para fazer o warm up da turne Club Life do Tiesto, em Cuiabá.
SERVIÇO
Eriberto Leão em “Jim”Quarta-feira (27), às 22h30, na Nuun
Ingressos: Casa de Festas (Goiabeiras Shopping, Galeria Itália Center e Pantanal Shopping). O primeiro lote R$ 50 homens e R$ 40 mulheres. O DJ residente da Nuun começa apresentação já às 21 horas.
Mais informações pelos telefones: 3054-5021 (Nuun) e 3622-2566 (Casa de Festas)
Marcel de Lima Santos - O Tempo - 18 November 2013
TITLE: SENHORES E SENHORAS: O XAMÃ
Poesia
AUTHOR: THIAGO PEREIRA
PUBLISHED: 18 NOVEMBER 2013
AVAILABLE: O Tempo
Marcel de Lima Santos lança hoje na UFMG o livro “Jim Morrison - O Poeta Xamã”, que une o cantor ao fenômeno
Um dos signos mais louvados da extensa (e fatal, em muitos casos) iconografia roqueira, Jim Morrison, o líder dos The Doors, é também motivo de estudos e reavaliações constantes mundo afora. Uma delas é o livro “Jim Morrison - O Poeta Xamã”, que Marcel de Lima Santos lança hoje na Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) em sessão dupla, pela manhã e à noite.
A obra é resultado da tese original de mestrado de Santos, produzida ainda no começo dos anos 1980. “É um estudo, uma inserção do Morrison na tradição dos, como diz Platão, possuídos pelo furor poético”, explica. “O que faço é um recorte dele enquanto poeta xamã, já que minha área de pesquisa é literatura e religião”.
Em um resumo grosseiro, o xamã seria uma espécie de sacerdote, um ser de vários saberes (medicinais, espirituais, filosóficos, políticos, artísticos) capaz de manifestar poderes incomuns, por meio de objetos, rituais, corpos. Em publicações anteriores, Santos trabalhou representações do xamanismo na América nos últimos séculos. “O fenômeno foi percebido de três formas”, enumera. “Primeiro, foi visto a partir dos contatos entre missionários espanhóis e nativos americanos como algo diabólico, nos séculos XVI e XVII. A partir do século seguinte, com as grandes viagens e explorações pelo planeta, ele passa a atrair o olhar europeu, move da repulsa para o exótico, e interessa a figuras como Goethe e Freud. No século xx, ele passa a ser assimilado pelo europeu, e muitas vezes copiado em termos estético e espiritual”, diz.
Jim Morrison seria uma das representações marcantes do fenômeno no século passado, uma espécie de tradução no mundo pop desta última fase. “Ele acreditava ser um xamã, assim como algumas pessoas em volta dele”, diz Santos. “Ele inclusive conta essa história no (livro de poemas) ‘An American Prayer’, de que ele, depois de um acidente automobilístico no deserto, foi possuído pelo espírito de um xamã. E muitos acreditaram na historia dele, que ele seria um cara no mínimo possuido por uma luz, que as canções eram todas recebidas por um ser superior”.
A obra de Santos traça estas conexões, portanto. Seu interesse pela obra de Morrison coincidiu com seu interesse pelo fenômeno xamã e a leitura de um escritor que também trabalhava essas perspectivas, Carlos Castañeda. “Ainda adolescente morei no México, e lá escutei The Doors pela primeira vez e enlouqueci, no bom sentido. Partindo daí, acabei me tornando um introdutor da obra do grupo para minha geração, já que o Doors esteve meio esquecido no período entre a morte de Jim e o início dos anos 1980. Calhou de eu estar fora nesse período, e ter contato com tudo isso antes”, diz.
Para o autor, uma das coisas mais importantes do livro são as traduções disponibilizadas para alguns poemas originais de Morrison. Mas a obra também dá a chance de uma nova geração, acostumada a ver a cara de Jim em pôsteres e camisetas em todo o planeta, entender que ele ia muito além de um rosto bonito ou de um roqueiro doidão. “Ele é uma figura incompreendida, mas vítima também de suas próprias escolhas”, afirma. “Ele se dizia poeta, mas ao mesmo tempo ele alimentou a imagem do pop star e se deixou levar pelo turbilhão da contracultura. Mas também dizem que nunca se viu Morrison sem um livro nas mãos, seja escrevendo algo ou lendo. Era mesmo um ser muito diferente do que a mídia ou o senso comum ditavam”.
Jim Morrison tem extensa obra poética, além das letras das canções do seu grupo, The Doors, compilada em diversos livros, como “The Lords” (1969), “The New Creatures” (1969), “An American Prayer” (1970) e “The American Night” (1990).
Agenda
O QUÊ. Lançamento do livro “Jim Morrison - O Poeta Xamã”
QUANDO. Hoje, às 9h e às 19h
ONDE. Faculdade de Letras da UFMG (av. Antônio Carlos, 6.627, Pampulha)
QUANTO. Entrada franca