Translation of Rayuela by Gotan

[rustythoughts]

Right, this was tricky and I'll probably have to tune it some more, modern poetry set to a sultry beat:

Rayuela, Gotan translation, Julian KelseyHopscotch, chapter seven

Comments

[rustythoughts]

No, there are lots of layers, it's modern poetry, a deliberately distorted mirror where you might see something like what the writer saw but equally made so that you can see things unforeseen by the writer.

Modern poetry in translation is a strange beast, done well you have a window into alien ways of seeing the world, and also a view of what is common between us. I'm rather a fan of poetry in translation, although I have a side by side translation of some Heaney and I recognise that it doesn't catch all the subtlety and ambiguity which is often required to get Heaney's keen observation and the his political voice to overlap.

Also, tango, it's a living music that adapts well to electronica. And Gotan are clever, full of interesting observation of Argentina (and South America) by ex-patriots now living in Europe, but basically it's classy dance music.