David Bowie: 1947 – 2016, the cannibal of pop culture
12.01.16
Alejandro De Luna
“David Bowie is easily the most influential and important artist to come out of the UK, for so many reasons – there are musicians who are influenced by him who don’t even realise it.” – Johnny Marr
We know that your legacy will live on forever in thousands of people; in an incalculable number of musicians; genres; and artists that were influenced by your pioneering sound and vision, genius, sexual liberation, looks and justifiable insolence. You are one of the main reasons why I decided to visit England for the first time – the country that has been adopting me since 2 years. I wanted to see Brixton, the place where you grew up; the legendary venues; the streets, and to try to understand from where did these lyrics and mysterious sounds come from. You are also one of the main reasons why I decided to visit Berlin (my favourite European city) for the first time, the political epicenter of cold war back in the days and the place where you crafted (next to Eno, Alomar and others) some of the best albums of the twentieth century. I wanted to see where did you live with your hero and protégée, Iggy, and to set foot in Hansa Studios, the place where you wrote the lyrics of ‘Heroes’ through the window while you saw a couple kissing near the Wall. What I want to say is that my life has been deeply influenced by you, both culturally and… geographically.
You enriched and changed my way of thinking and you are partly responsible for my music/artistic preferences and approach to day to day life. You were the first pop artist whose influence, interviews, looks, music and life had a strong impact on me. You were the first artist that I truly became obsessed with. Because of you I am a devotee of The Velvets/Lou and The Stooges/Iggy. It was you who brought me to Dylan, Burroughs, Warhol and The Factory, Krautrock music, Max´s Kansas City´s proto-punk scene and Roxy Music/Brian Eno among many others. Even if you pointed these out indirectly, your art was an open bible to popular culture. You just need to scratch the surface and everything is there waiting to be discovered.
It´s true that you did stole ideas from everywhere, like a thirsty and visionary vampire, but those movements and ideas would not be the same without your touch. You were one of the few who saw potential in adopting movements at an early stage. For example, while everybody jumped into the already prostituted punk wagon in 1977, you decided to be even more controversial and ‘punk rock’ by releasing the mysterious and dark, Low – my favorite album – along with Heroes, records with an inestimable influence. And not even satisfied with that, in the same year, you rescued Iggy from autodestruction and commercial failure and helped him to release his most essential records: The Idiot and Lust for Life.
With your art, you ‘told’ us that is ok to think different and to go beyond the mundane and superfluous. With your work, you´ve encouraged generations to read, craft and be themselves no matter what. Your music is still a mystery to me. Your singing style – influenced by Iggy and not the other way – changed the course of music. Your ever changing appearance changed the course of fashion and popular culture. Without you, the western society would not be the same. Thanks for the films. Thank you for the legacy that you´ve left in soul, funk, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, glam, jazz, avant-garde, electronic, art rock, ambient, psychedelic, and folk music. Thank you for The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters, Outside, Reality, Heathen, The Next Day and your requiem, Blackstar. Thank you.
You are the most important artist in the last 50 years. You are living in a higher star now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IXXr1IG7xg
