Friday, September 19, 2008

Exile on Maipu Street

From a BBC interview with his widow, Maria Kodama:

[Maria Kodama:] [Borges liked] fun things such as The Beatles, the
Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd.

[BBC:] Pink Floyd?

[MK:] Yes, he loved it. So much so that his birthday anthem was not
"Happy Birthday To You" but "The Wall."

[BBC:] How did he discover it?

[MK:] I don't know. The movie of "The Wall" is awful and we watched it
infinite times. At some point I think he knew the dialogue by heart.
He liked that kind of music because he said it was a thing of enormous
force, yet vital.

[BBC:] And the Rolling Stones?

[MK:] He loved them, he also said they had an incredible strength. One
day we were at the Palace hotel in Madrid, waiting to go out for
dinner, and I see Mick Jagger coming. He kneels, grabs Borges' hand
and tells him: "Maestro, I admire you."

Borges, a little astonished, couldn't see him well, and says, 'And who
are you, sir?' and he answers "I am Mick Jagger." Borges says, 'Ah,
one of the Rolling Stones.' Mick Jagger almost faints.




*****
[Original Spanish]
Le gustaba eso y después cosas divertidas como los Beatles, los
Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd.

¿Pink Floyd?

Sí, le encantaba. Tal es así que el himno para su cumpleaños no era el
Happy birthday sino The Wall.

¿Cómo lo descubrió?

No sé. La película The Wall es terrible y la vimos infinidad de veces.
En un momento creo que sabía de memoria los diálogos. Le gustaba ese
tipo de música porque decía que era una cosa de enorme fuerza,
terrible pero vital.

¿Y los Rolling Stones?

Le encantaban, también decía que tenían una fuerza increíble. Un día
estábamos en el hotel Palace de Madrid, esperando a que vinieran a
buscarnos para cenar, y veo que viene Mick Jagger. Se arrodilla, le
agarra la mano a Borges y le dice: "Maestro, yo lo admiro".

Borges, un poco asombrado, no lo veía, dice: "¿Y usted quién es,
señor?". Y él responde: "Soy Mick Jagger". Borges dice: "Ah, uno de
los Rolling Stones". Mick Jagger casi se desmaya.

(Via Gustavo, Dzyd status unknown)

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