Alhtough I grew up
in Brazil in the 60's, I had a much older brother who was really into British
pop culture. Because of him, this was an
integral part of growing up, even in my early years. Beatles and 007 were as
familiar to me in São Paulo as to any kid in Manchester in the 1960’s. As time passe,d I began to realise that
familiarity wasn't the only reason why I couldn't live without listening to
British music. Even before I could speak my own language properly, I could
attempt to sing Beatles songs, even though I doubt any English speaker would
ever understand me. 
Without
giving my age away, I’ve really recently felt the years ‘weighing on my
shoulders’, a big anniversary celebration: 50 years of the first James Bond film and 50 years of "Love me Do", the first Beatles’ single. There
were celebrations up and down the country over the entire weekend, even my
local pub was offering a special 007 Martini: shaken not stirred. And I had to
go back to my iTunes library and fill my weekend with early Beatles songs: 'Love
me do', 'Help', 'Please, please me', 'Yellow submarine' and 'Sergeant Pepper' brought back
good memories as they were the soundtrack to my childhood, thanks to my
brother. Those fun days are still so present and familiar after all these
years, despite being so far away from my hometown.
Back to
the present, I have to say again how lucky I am to be living in a country whose
culture is so rich, rebellious, sometimes naive, sometimes eccentric but mostly
edgy, and so internationally influential. What other movie can you remember
that has been so fashionable and up-to-date, even after having gone through so
many facelifts, but which still has universal appeal to every age of fan, from
teenagers to pensioners, at 50 years of age? And which band do you know whose songs
can be sung by 3 year-olds, are hugely covered by 30 year-olds, and can still
generate hysterical screams from the baby boomers who were
lucky enough to have been teenagers in the swinging 60's?
That's
what British pop is all about, and these are just two examples of so many.
After all, they are still here, young as ever, after all these decades. Some
things never die, some never change, some change for the better, just to keep a
young image. But some are forever...
like diamonds...even at 50!
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