University of South Carolina Libraries
THEY SAID IT “If I had just one tear runnin’ down your cheek / maybe I could cope, maybe I'd _ • get some sleep." •Page 5 ANGIE APARO Friday, November 12, 2004 SINGER/SONGWRITER Winter calls for classic looks - avoid holiday ties Rudolph has no place in the family portrait, stick to sweaters, suits It’s finally getting colder in Columbia, and I, for one, can’t stand it. But since forecasters are saying this could be a record cold winter, then I guess we’ll just have to get used to bundling up. With the barrage of sales that are about to hit us, it’s kind of a no-brainer that you need to get out there and stock up on some long-sleeve KEVIN and wool-knit FELLNER Personally, 1 FOURTH-YEAR find winter ENGLISH , . , STUDENT clothes to be a bore. I usually rlnn’r . anything different except an all-purpose fl'icket that will perform well even in cold rain. Sporty designers like Columbia make affordable fleece-lined windbreakers that will keep your extremities frost-bite free, even though such jackets are inevitably plastered with designer logos. As for the rest of your wardrobe, brands that market to teens and young adults always offer great holiday deals on plain, single-colored, cable knit sweaters and other styles that look acceptable when repeated in the winter. Gap and Old Navy will mark down cotton and wool sweaters to under $20 on major sale days. Eddie Bauer and J. Crew are consistently reliable brands that usually offer heavy-duty designs. Their sweaters hold up best under extended exposure to cold weather, and they don’t _ overcharge as much as Ralph, Perry and Giorgio for a plain style with a fancy logo. There’s also the question to consider of where you’ll be needing to look nice this winter — the office Christmas party, church, the family portrait, those crucial moments underneath the mistletoe. You’ll need to be prepared for all of them, even though the latter of those events may involve you getting tipsy on eggnog and the lingering question of whether or not you had an uncomfortably close moment with your second-cousin, Sue. For all holiday occasions I recommend forgetting the red, fuzzy Rudolph sweater and going with a classic suit. Since you want to appear as a man of high moral character in church and the family portrait, you might want to try the more respectful look of a double-breasted cut or a European cut with faded pinstripes. Dark colors work especially well for wmici events uic sun i.mi t nut <ts long and look more proper at holiday gatherings. It’s true that the parties in December are the most joyous and most plentiful — That’s whiy we gain so much weight. Go with the red tie and not the green. I know the season calls for both, but green will do nothing but make people equate your face with roughly the same tint, causing them to ask if you’ve had too much eggnog. Avoid also the kitsch that cheap designers will try to feed you by using the excuse that it’s Christmas. A red tie with bells or wreaths might be acceptable once a year, but Santa playing golf and wearing sunglasses just tells people that you have no self respect. If your tie plays Christmas carols, don’t you dare write to me and ask me why you’re always alone during the holidays. PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK The Borenya West African Drum and Dance troupe will hold a drum and dance workshop at the Blatt on Saturday, featuring Fode Camara. Troupe honors ^tribal traditions By MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK Presenting a high-energy celebration of musical tradition, the Borenya West African Drum and Dance troupe will stage its first show of the semester this evening in the Russell House Ballroom. Having become USC’s resident dance company as of this fall, the group has again partnered with the university after spending two years as a private troupe. The partnership allows the group to introduce more students to their performance craft. “We share our skills with dance Appreciation students, make the company available for apprentice students wishing to join the company, perform twice a year at the Koger Center with the USC Dance Company, and teach classes and workshops,” said Laura Price, the company’s director. “We also bring in guest artists as a way of sharing this beautiful art form with students.” Visually engaging, the group’s combination of dance and rhythm stems from a rich cultural history. All of the costumes are made using fabrics from West Africa, Price said. “We gather our material from Guinea, West Africa ... where some of us make frequent trips,” Price said. Authenticity is also stressed when it comes to instruments and dress. “We play traditional music using the instruments of the djembe orchestra: djembe, doundoun, sangban, kenkeni, balafon, krin, gongoma and bolon,” she said. With around 20 members, including drummers and dancers, the group puts on about 30 performances a year, scheduling large venue shows along with appearances at local schools, festivals and private functions. Incorporating around 10 musical numbers, a typical show involves months of planning and rehearsal, from the choreography of drum work and dances to the actual learning of the material. A new production is put together every year. Tonight’s performance will tun a little over an hour with no intermission, giving attendees a unique glimpse at the human spirit captured on stage. As the ♦ Please see DANCE, page 6 Singer/songwriter Angie Aparo returns to Columbia with new band, fresh style By MARIA CHARLES STAFF WRITER Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Angie Aparo and The Infidels are making the rounds throughout the Southeast and will crank out the tunes at New Brooldand Tavern this evening. “Angie’s always been known as a singer songwriter,” said Brian Cooley, of Wicked West Public Relations. But now Aparo is traveling with a five-piece band that has more of a rock sound, Cooley said. Aparo’s new Infidels include Mark Dannells on guitar, Derek Murphy on drums, Shannon Woods on bass and Martin Lesch on keyboards. Before joining with The Infidels, Aparo released his first record, “Out of Everywhere,” in 1996. Describing this record on his Web site as a “stripped-down keeping-it-real folky thing,” Aparo moved on to more polished production in 1999 with his next record, “The The record was a major release on Arista. Producer Matt Serletic, who has worked with matchbox twenty, Santana, Aerosmith and Edwin McCain guided Aparo as he recorded “The American.” The single “Spaceship” was released and received airtime on VH 1. Aparo spent time touring and “struggling to survive” after the release of album. He received a call from Serletic telling him that Faith Hill was interested in covering a song off “The American” called “Cry.” Faith Hill’s success with the song allowed Aparo to pay his bills and stay on the road. While on tour Aparo often included cover songs in his sets and decided to release a record of some of his favorites in 2001. “One With The Sun” contains covers of tunes by a wide array of artists including the Beastie Boys, Alice in Chains and Elton John. He’s now focused on working and writing with The Infidels. Though they do not have a record out yet, Aparo and The Infidels hope to make one available in summer 2005. As they tour they are writing new material. Two new demos, “Spider Song” and “Me and My Jane,” are available at www.angieaparo.com. On “Spider Song,” Aparo sings about the need for acceptance. “This is a spider song./ We’re not so different y’all,/ We all just want to be loved./ Whether we walk or crawl.” vMe and My Jane” recalls the story of a relationship that began in high school: “Growing up was gonna be bitter and sweet for me and my Jane,” Aparo sings as he recounts the discovery and disappointments of young love. Both songs incorporate steady, pulsing beats. The demos mix raw rock music, but follow typical pop length and structure. Aparo’s unique voice carries the right tone to fit the mood of the songs. Admission for the show is $10 with doors opening at 9 p.m. New Brookland Tavern is located at 122 State St. in the Vista. Comments on this stoiy? E-mail gamecockfeatures@givm.sc.edu phot^^^BtothegWcock Angie Aparo, second left, performs\Wis band The/ wiII be playing at New BrobWenw MOVIE REVIEW ‘Incredibles’ live up to super-sized hype “The Incredibles" ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By LESLIE DENNIS THE GAMECOCK Once upon a time the world was protected by superheroes who could stretch across two buildings, uproot mighty oak trees from the ground and literally freeze a criminal in his or her tracks. But one day someone got upset with the superheroes and started filing frivolous lawsuits against those who once saved the world from total destruction. So the superheroes were forced into hiding, and they were never to be heard from again. And so begins Pixar’s latest animated blockbuster, “The Incredibles.” Opening with vintage footage of archetypal superheroes, the film automatically sucks the audience into the lives of the underappreciated and overworked Supers. While running late for his wedding to Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), Mr. Incredible’s efforts to save a man backfires. The man files a lawsuit, saying he never asked or wanted to be saved, prompting others to follow his lead. The government enacts the Superhero Relocation Act in which Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl become Bob and Helen Parr, now forced into uniformity with the rest of society. Flash forward 15 years, to a hulking Bob (Craig T. Nelson, of TV’s “Coach), now a bit overweight, at his desk in an insurance office, telling old ladies their insurance doesn’t cover their hip replacement surgery. Helen is now a full-time mother to Violet, their teenage daughter with the ability to become invisible and create force fields to shield against outside objects; Dash, their son with a penchant for using his speed to torture his teachers; and Jack Jack, the infant with apparently no powers. But Bob still craves the old times and the glory days, and when he gets a top-secret offer by an equally enigmatic woman, he jumps at the chance to slide back into his now too small superhero suit. Little does Bob know that he is being set up by the evil Syndrome (Jason Lee), and soon the rest of the family gets in on the action when Bob mysteriously goes missing. While “The Incredibles” is an animated movie, adults and children alike cannot help but be amazed by the action sequences and appreciate the technology behind it all. While the film initially has a “Spy Kids”-like feel, “The Incredibles” shows off its intelligence and superiority through wit and the parody of today’s obsession with perfect heroes and suburban life. As part of distinguished lineage of animated films including ‘'Toy Story,” “Monsters, Ing.” and “Finding Nemo,” and as Pixar’s first movie to use only human characters, “The Incredibles” has an enormous amount of hype and history to live up to. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Thankfully, director Brad Bird, who was also behind 1999’s “The Iron Giant,” delivers big with a film full of humor and heart. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatres@givm.se. edu Cat Stevens receives ‘Man for Peace’ ■ Singer awarded after being accused of links to terrorists By ANGELA DOLAND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROME — Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev honored the singer once known as Cat Stevens with a peace prize on Wednesday, praising him for charity work and for standing by his convictions despite personal hardships. Yusuf Islam was awarded the “Man for Peace” prize in Rome at the opening of a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. He last made headlines in September, when he turned up on Washington’s no-fly list for having suspected ties to terrorists — a claim he has strongly denied. The “Peace Train” singer, who largely gave up music after converting to Islam in the late 1970s, mused about the strangeness of being barred from one country while being honored in another. “Perhaps it’s part of the irony that sometimes you have to go through a test in order to achieve a prize,” he told reporters. “So maybe that’s a symbol. Today I’m receiving a prize for peace, which is actually, I would say, a bit more descriptive of my ideas and my aims in life.” The British musician was expelled from the United States in September after authorities diverted his London to-Washington flight to Maine to remove him, saying he was suspected of ties to terrorism. Islam criticized what he called an “unjust and arbitrary system,” and that he has denounced terrorism. He also pointed out that just a few months earlier, he had met with officials of the White House’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to talk about philanthropy. Lawyers for the singer have asked American officials to remove his name from the no-fly list and British Foreign ♦ Please see PEACE, page 6