Alive and Dead

What does it mean to be an artist?  In the best sense, being an artist means you create something that transcends your personal biography and, if it touches enough people profoundly, it lives on after your death.  The best art takes on a life of its own after it has been given form through the skill and will of an artist.  We have all been touched by art that was the work of artists who lived hundreds (even thousands) of years ago.  For some, it is the music of composers who lived generations ago.  For others it is some of civilizations oldest artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia or China that continue to inspire us 3, 4 or even 5 thousand years after they were made.  The people and institutions that this art served have long since crumbled to dust, but the work of these long ago artists still connects to touch, inspire and amaze us even now.  Something topical yet universal is encapsulated in such art.

The power of art to transcend death has been demonstrated in a very powerful way in my life twice in the past 13 years.  My entry into flamenco came at the hands of the great flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla on Christmas Eve 1994.  The very first time I heard his voice, I knew I had to get to the root of the power this man's singing had over me.   Here was a voice able to express all of the yearning, suffering and tragedy that I was experiencing at that time in my life, and he was able to transmute it all into art.  It did not matter that Camarón died in 1992.  The recordings remain and manage to encapsulate the true greatness of this artist, who continues to inspire me and a multitude of flamenco aficionados now almost 16 years after his death.

In another dark time in my life, last fall when my father was battling cancer, a battle that he subsequently lost another Christmas Eve--in 2007--my life was transformed by the work of another great artist.  This time it was Leslie Cheung, whose grace, beauty and extraordinary talent gave me inspiration and comfort in a most difficult time in my life.  Whether it was in a film role or performing a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Leslie's artistry was able to reach out and touch me deeply even years after his death.

My encounter with Camarón de la Isla brought so much richness into my life:  I learned Spanish, traveled to Spain many times, studied flamenco and performed as part of a flamenco dance troupe.  I even wrote a novel set in the world of flamenco.  All of this from my encounter with this extraordinary, singular artist.

Likewise, my discovery of Leslie Cheung promises to take my life in a direction I could never have envisioned.  The world of Hong Kong movies and music has opened before my astonished eyes like Ali Baba's cave of treasures in the Arabian Nights.  Who knew there were such wonders to behold in this magical place?   I never expected to be learning Cantonese at my age, having believed all the pronouncements that it is too difficult a language for Westerners to learn and that the writing system is impossible.  I am finding this to be nonsense.  Like any language, there are some things that are natural and easy to learn, and there are other things that are not and require hard work to master.  I am now confident that, with time, I will become fluent Cantonese and even written Chinese.  I have no urgent timetable.  All that matters is that I succeed, and I am confident  I will.  The more proficient I am in another culture's language, the more the riches of that culture and its world view become available to me.  I found this to be true with Spanish, and I fully expect it will be true with Chinese.  I find the art utterly fascinating and understand Leslie Cheung's attraction to China's cultural heritage, both historical and contemporary.  As a Westerner, I now recognize how much I have missed by being completely unaware of this millennial culture and its modern manifestations.  How ironic, yet how fitting, that it was a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop idol who was the catalyst for this discovery.  I still find it hard to believe that someone who has been dead for 5 years can exert such a powerful influence on my life.  The power of art to transcend death should never be underestimated.