Early history.

The cabaret began by renting the cheapest accommodations it could find, a small two-room site located at 84 Boulevard Rochechouart, which is now commemorated by a historical plaque. Its success was assured with the wholesale arrival of a group of radical young writers and artists called "Les Hydropathes" ("those who are afraid of water – so they drink only wine"), a club led by the journalist Émile Goudeau. The group claimed to be averse to water, preferring wine and beer. Their name doubled as a nod to the "rabid" zeal with which they advocated their sociopolitical and aesthetic agendas. Goudeau’s club met in his house on the "Rive Gauche" (Left Bank), but had become so popular that it outgrew its meeting place. Salis met Goudeau, whom he convinced to relocate the club meeting place across the river on rue de Laval (now rue Victor-Massé).

Second site.

"Le Chat Noir" soon outgrew its first site. In June 1885, three and a half years after opening, it moved to larger accommodations at 12 Rue Victor-Massé. The new venue was the sumptuous old private mansion of the painter Alfred Stevens, who, at Salis' request, transformed it into a "fashionable country inn" with the help of the architect Maurice Isabey.  Soon a growing crowd of poets and singers was gathering at "Le Chat Noir", which offered an ideal venue and opportunity to practice their acts before fellow performers, guests and colleagues.  With exaggerated, ironic politeness, Salis most often played the role of "conférencier" (post-performance lecturer, or master of ceremonies). It was here that the "Salon des Arts Incohérents" (Salon of Incoherent Arts), shadow plays, and comic monologues got their start.  Famous men and women to patronize "Le Chat Noir" included Jane Avril, Franc-Nohain, Adolphe Willette, Caran d'Ache, André Gill, Émile Cohl, Paul Bilhaud, Sarah England, Paul Verlaine, Henri Rivière, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Charles Cros, Jules Laforgue, Yvette Guilbert, Charles Moréas, Albert Samain, Louis Le Cardonnel, Coquelin Cadet, Emile Goudeau, Alphonse Allais, Maurice Rollinat, Maurice Donnay, Armand Masson, Aristide Bruant, Théodore Botrel, Paul Signac, Porfirio Pires, August Strindberg, George Auriol, Marie Krysinska, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.  The last shadow play by Salis' company was staged in January 1897, after which Salis took the company on tour. Salis was talking of plans to move the cabaret to a location in Paris itself, but he died on 19 March 1897.  The death of Rodophe Salis in 1897 spelled the end of "Le Chat Noir". By that time the fascination with Montmartre had already diminished, and Salis had already disposed of many of the club’s assets and facilities. Soon after Salis’ death, the artists dispersed, and "Le Chat Noir" slowly disappeared.

Last location.

Ten years later, in 1907, Jehan Chargot opened an eponymous café in an effort to resurrect, modernize, and continue the work of his illustrious predecessor. This new "Chat Noir", located at 68, boulevard de Clichy, remained popular into the 1920s.  Today a neon sign which incorporates Steinlen’s iconic Chat Noir image is on display at 68, Boulevard de Clichy, now the site of a hotel by the same name.  Other cabarets successfully copied and adapted the model established by "Le Chat Noir". In December 1899, Henri Fursy opened his "Boîte à Fursy" cabaret in the former "Chat Noir" hotel on rue Victor-Massé. He claimed to have inherited the mantle of Salis, and said his cabaret "has thanks to Fursy become once again the goal of all who 'climb Montmartre' to hear their favorite "chansonniers" (singers)..."

Shadow play.

From its opening, "Le Chat Noir" was thought of as a meeting point for artists, with an interior design in the style of Louis XIII. In the beginning, poets, musicians, writers, and singers performed on the stage, but they were quickly replaced as the shadow play medium developed at "Le Chat Noir" and spread from there. The cabaret is still remembered for these.  The shadow play had already been established in France in the 18th century and made popular by Dominique Séraphin, but it had disappeared from the art world during the 19th century. "Le Chat Noir" was the major cause of the shadow play's renewed popularity in France, as Lotte Reiniger was in Germany by her linking of such shows to the cinema by creating characters from cutout figures and projecting them as shadow puppets.  The birth of the shadow plays in "Le Chat Noir" took place in a peculiar way. By the end of 1885, the painter Henry Sommer and the illustrator George Auriol built a puppet theater there, intended for adults-only performances. One day Henri Rivière placed a white napkin in front of the opening of the small puppet theater and moved a cardboard puppet behind the white screen with lighting from behind, while Jules Jouy sang, accompanying himself on piano. This was the first shadow play in "Le Chat Noir".  In 1887 Rivière replaced the puppet theater with a proper shadow theater, with a screen 44 inches high and 55 inches wide, held by a huge frame. Artists such as cartoonist Adolphe Willette, painter Caran d'Ache, Henri Rivière and George Auriol created the cabaret's shadow plays. They used zinc to create the silhouettes of a few characters (although initially they used cardboard), which they used as puppets, projecting their shadow onto a white screen which was illuminated from behind with electric lights. This was an evolutionary development in the art of shadow plays.  Writers who frequented the club wrote stories for the shadow theater that Rodolphe Salis, the owner of the cabaret, would read out loud after the performance. Thanks to the collaboration of many of the artists of that time, the stories were accompanied by some very complex colour, sound, and movement effects, making them more dynamic and exciting, as well as piano accompaniment.  Over an eleven-year span these plays were presented nightly in the Shadow Theater, totaling more than forty. The Montmartre museum still has a few zinc shapes that had been used in was the plays.  The spread of this type of show became successful because of Théophile Steinlen's poster announcing ""la tournée du Chat Noir avec Rodolphe Salis"", a Shadow Theater tour from "Le Chat Noir."  "Le Chat Noir" made many tours with the Shadow Theater. These started in 1892, basically around France during the summer, although Salis and the company went to Tunis, Algeria, and other French-speaking countries such as Belgium. Some of the artists who played in Salis' performances became so famous that they founded their own cabarets or shows. "Le Chat Noir" was supposed to have its last show and tour in January 1897, since Salis died just after that. However, it was his wife who took the charge of the cabaret and organised other tours. During these shows, Dominique Bonnaud replaced Salis and became the storyteller. Although he did it well, the quality of the performances declined. By then, other establishments had become popular by copying "Le Chat noir"'s techniques, shows and decor.  Under the management of Rodolphe Salis, "Le Chat noir" produced 45 "théatre d'ombres" (shadow play) shows between 1885 and 1896, as the art became more popular in Europe. Behind a screen on the second floor of the establishment, the artist Henri Rivière worked with up to 20 assistants in a large, oxy-hydrogen backlit performance area and used a double optical lantern to project backgrounds. Originally cardboard cutouts were used, but zinc figures took their place after 1887. Various artists took part in the creation, including Steinlen, Adolphe Willette and Albert Robida. Caran d'Ache designed around 50 cutouts for the very popular 1888 show "L'Epopée".

References.

Sources

Le Chat Noir (; French for "The Black Cat") was a nineteenth-century entertainment establishment, in the bohemian Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard de Rochechouart by the impresario Rodolphe Salis, and closed in 1897 not long after Salis' death.

Le Chat noir était un célèbre cabaret de Montmartre, fondé en novembre 1881 par Rodolphe Salis qui fut aussi à l'origine de la revue hebdomadaire du même nom.


Plot.

A petty criminal aged 22, the attractive Yvette is caught after robbing a watchmaker's shop with a toy pistol and felling his old wife. To defend her, she asks for André Gobillot, a leading member of the Paris bar. Telling him she has no money to pay him, she lifts her skirt to show him her goods. Accepting the deal, he arranges a false witness and after getting her acquitted instals her in a small hotel.  His childless wife Viviane realises what is happening but hopes the improbable affair will not last. Knowing nothing about the girl, Gobillot has first to wean her off drink and drugs. He also doesn't know that she is still entertaining her current lover, an impoverished medical student called Mazetti. As Gobillot's obsession grows, his wife gets more alarmed and an enquiry is opened into his bribing the witness who lied.  When Yvette tells him she is pregnant, he is overjoyed and books a holiday for the two of them. Before they leave, Yvette cannot resist one last visit to Mazetti's sordid room where, enraged with jealousy, he cuts her throat. It is not stated whether Gobillot's wife will take him back or if he will still be able to practise law.

Reception.

"Something is obviously missing in the French film that has been made from Georges Simenon's weirdly off-beat novel", wrote Bosley Crowther of "The New York Times". He continued: "There are elements for shattering drama here. Yet, strangely, it doesn't develop. It all moves along in the groove of conventional nonconformance with the obvious social rules." Crowther called Autant-Lara "one of the best directors in France", but wrote that Bardot's performance "falls far short" and that "Jean Gabin misses, too".  François Truffaut called it one of Autant-Lara's best films and compared it to the plays of Jean Anouilh, noting:We come out of it with a mixture of disgust and admiration, a sense of satisfaction that is real enough but incomplete. It is 100 percent French, with all the virtues and vices that implies: an analysis that is at once subtle and narrow, a skill that is mixed with spitefulness, a spirit of unflinching observation directed at the sordid, and talented sleight-of hand that delivers a liberal message in the end. He described how the film contrasts the scene where Bardot's character robs a backstreet watchmender's shop with the ceremonial on the same day of Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to Paris:It's the girl who interests us and preoccupies us, not an anachronistic queen. It is precisely because Bardot is a girl who represents her time absolutely faithfully that she is more famous than any queen or princess... And it's why "En Cas des Malheur" is her best film since "And God Created Woman" — an anti-"Sabrina", anti-"Roman Holiday", anti-"Anastasia" movie that is truly republican.

Box office.

The film was thirteenth most popular film of 1958 in France, recording admissions of 3,152,082.

In Case of Adversity () is a 1958 French drama film directed by Claude Autant-Lara, starring Jean Gabin, Brigitte Bardot and Edwige Feuillère. It was released as Love Is My Profession in the United States. It tells the story of a married lawyer who rigs a trial to acquit a young female criminal he has become obsessed with, even to the point of imagining they might have a life together and start a family. The screenplay was written by Jean Aurenche and Pierre Bost after the novel "In Case of Emergency" by Georges Simenon. The film was released in France on 17 September 1958.

En cas de malheur est un film franco-italien réalisé par Claude Autant-Lara, sorti le. Tiré du roman de Simenon, le film a été nommé pour le Lion d'or au festival Mostra de Venise en 1958.


Comic strips.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Young began drawing with the encouragement of his mother, who was an artist. Although his father James was a shoe salesman who didn't think much of artists, all of the children in the family were creative: Walter was a painter, daughter Jamar entered the commercial art field and Lyman, Chic's older brother, drew the "Tim Tyler's Luck" comic strip for King Features. It was Lyman who spurred Chic to constantly draw.  Chic Young grew up in a German-Lutheran neighborhood on the south side of St. Louis. After graduating from high school in St. Louis, he returned to Chicago where he worked as a stenographer while taking night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1921, he learned that the Newspaper Enterprise Association was seeking an artist to do a comic strip about an attractive young woman. He headed for Cleveland and earned a salary of $22 a week while drawing "The Affairs of Jane" about a struggling film actress who dreamed of graduating from low-budget pictures to stardom. The short-lived strip, which began in 1921 on Halloween, came to a conclusion five months later on March 18, 1922. In the NEA art department, Young worked near cartoonist Gene Ahern, and the two often played pranks on each other. When a call came from King Features' J. Gortatowski offering an annual salary of $10,000, Young thought it was a prank and turned down the job. Looking for work later, he applied to Gortatowski and learned the call was legitimate.  After six months in Cleveland, Young left for New York where he created another female flapper strip, "Beautiful Bab", which the Bell Syndicate began distributing on July 15, 1922. It ran for only four months but landed him a job in the art department of King Features Syndicate, mainly as an assistant to cartoonist Jack Callahan, adopting his drawing and storytelling styles. In 1924, he began "Dumb Dora", about brunette Dora who "wasn't as dumb as she looked."  In 1927, Young married professional harpist Athel Lindorff (d. 1979). In the spring of 1930, after six years of "Dumb Dora"'s increasing popularity, Young requested more money and strip ownership. This action led to changes, and Paul Fung took over "Dumb Dora" in April 1930 when Young dropped it in order to create a new strip.

"Blondie".

In the summer of 1930, working in his studio in Great Neck, Long Island, Young created "Blondie". When it debuted September 8, 1930, it quickly became the most popular comic strip in America, gaining even more readers when Blondie and Dagwood married in 1933, followed by the 1934 birth of Baby Dumpling (later known as Alexander). When his first son, Wayne, died of diphtheria in 1937, Young took a year's hiatus; the experience made it difficult for him to draw Baby Dumpling. After Young and his wife spent a year traveling in Europe, he began "Blondie" once again, quelling rumors that he might not return to the strip.  With films, radio, television and products, the strip became a licensing and media bonanza that made Young a wealthy man. During his lifetime, he produced more than 15,000 "Blondie" strips. Described by former King Features president Joseph Connelly as "the greatest story teller of his kind since the immortal Charles Dickens," Young at his peak received more fan mail than any other cartoonist. His other works include the strip "Colonel Potterby and the Duchess", which ran as a topper strip on the "Blondie" page from 1935 through 1963.  Young worked with several assistants, including Alex Raymond and Ray McGill. Alex Raymond's younger brother, Jim Raymond, who began as Young's assistant in 1935, took over all the art in 1950 when Young's eyesight began to fail.  Living in suburban New Rochelle, New York, Chic and Athel had two other children, Dean and Jeanne. In 1939, Young relocated his family to California to be more closely involved with Columbia's "Blondie" film series. In the early 1950s, the entire family vacationed in Paris, and a few years later, they moved to Florida, prompting his comment, "We reside on a little island off the west coast of Florida, where the porpoises and pelicans entertain me while I work on the strip. Hobbies? Oh, fishing, golf, very amateurish Oriental cooking and such nonsense."  Young died of a pulmonary embolism at the Apollo Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1973 at age 72. He had been in ill health for some time, remaining near his home in Clearwater, Florida.  "Blondie" is currently written by Chic Young's son, Dean Young, and illustrated by John Marshall with his assistant Frank Cummings.

Awards.

Chic Young received the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for "Blondie" in 1948, only one of many awards.

Murat Bernard "Chic" Young (January 9, 1901March 14, 1973) was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip "Blondie". His 1919 "William McKinley High School Yearbook" cites his nickname as Chicken, source of his familiar pen name and signature. According to King Features Syndicate, Young had a daily readership of 52 million. Stan Drake, who drew "Blondie" in the 1980s and 1990s, stated that Young "has to go down in history as one of the geniuses of the industry."

Murat Bernard Young, plus connu sous le nom de Chic Young, né le 9 janvier 1901 à Chicago et mort le 14 mars 1973 à St. Petersburg en Floride, est un auteur de bande dessinée américain connu pour avoir créé le comic strip "Blondie", série emblématique du "family strip". Il fut en 1949 le troisième lauréat du prix Reuben (alors dénommé prix Billy DeBeck), plus ancien prix de bande dessinée au monde. Son aîné Lyman était également auteur de bande dessinée.


Plot.

"Mushishi" is set in an imaginary time between the Edo and Meiji periods, featuring some 19th-century technology but with Japan still as a "closed country". The story features ubiquitous creatures called that often display what appear as supernatural powers. It is implied that there are many more lifeforms more primitive than "normal" living things such as animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria, and Mushi is the most primitive of all. Due to their ethereal nature, most humans are incapable of perceiving Mushi and are oblivious to their existence, but there are a few who possess the ability to see and interact with Mushi. One such person is, the main character of the series voiced by Yuto Nakano in the original version and by Travis Willingham in the English dub. He employs himself as a, traveling from place to place to research Mushi and aid people suffering from problems caused by them.  The series is an episodic anthology with no overarching plotline in which the only common elements are Ginko and the Mushi. Ginko is a man with one green eye, who not only can see various types of mushi but also attracts them. Because of this ability, he is constantly wandering and smokes in order to keep the mushi away. He appears to have a generally laid back personality, however, he can be very serious and focused on his work when it comes to protecting people from mushi. He stresses that the mushi are not evil, but merely trying to survive like everyone else. A majority of the stories do not focus on Ginko but rely on him as a catalyst to move the story forward by diagnosing or curing mushi-related illnesses and phenomena.

Media.

Manga.

Written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, it debuted as an one-shot in "Monthly Afternoon" on January 25, 1999. Later, it was serialized in the Kodansha "seinen" manga magazine "Afternoon Seasons Zōkan" from 1999 to 2002. It moved to "Monthly Afternoon" on December 25, 2002 and was serialized until August 25, 2008. Kodansha collected the chapters into ten "tankōbon", and published them under the "Afternoon KC" line from November 22, 2001, to November 21, 2008. On November 21, 2013, Kodansha started to re-release it under the "aizōban" format in their "KC Deluxe" line, concluding with the tenth on July 23, 2014.  At the 2006 Comic-Con, Del Rey Manga announced that it had licensed "Mushishi" for an English-language translation in North America. Del Rey published the first volume on January 30, 2007, and the last volume, a combined edition covering volumes 8 to 10, was released on July 27, 2010. Kodansha USA also released the manga in digital format between July 29, 2014, and August 12, 2014. The manga was also licensed in some countries such as in France by Kana, in Italy by Star Comics, in South Korea by Daewon C.I., and in Spain by Norma Editorial.  In addition, two additional chapters were published in the magazine on November 25, 2013 and December 25, 2013, respectively. They were encapsulated into a single "tankōbon" titled and released on April 23, 2014.

Anime.

The "Mushishi" anime adaptation was animated by Artland, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama, and produced by a group called ""Mushishi" Production Committee", which consists of Marvelous Entertainment, Avex Entertainment and SKY Perfect Well Think. The first 20 episodes of the series originally aired between October 23, 2005 and March 12, 2006 on Fuji Television. A digest was broadcast on May 7, 2006 by BS Fuji, which aired the last six episodes from May 14 to June 18 of the same year. Marvelous Entertainment and Avex released the series from January 25 to September 27, 2006 in five DVDs for sale, and at the same time in nine DVDs for rental. On March 28, 2008 a DVD box set containing all episodes was released; it was followed by a Blu-ray box set on March 27, 2009, and a Limited Edition Blu-ray box on December 20, 2013.  The anime series' licensing was announced by Funimation to North American release in January 2007. To promote the series' release, it hosted Nagahama at the Anime Expo 2007 between June 29 and July 2. In addition, Funimation exhibited the first four episodes in New York and Texas' locations such as ImaginAsian Theater, Studio Movie Grill, and Alamo Drafthouse, on July 23 and 24 of that year. The series was released in six DVDs between July 31, 2007 to February 26, 2008 by Funimation, which also streamed series on its own channel, Hulu, Joost, Anime News Network, Crackle, as well as distributed it to Comcast cable service. Funimation also released four box sets with all episodes: on December 16, 2008, on October 6, 2009, on July 6, 2010, and November 8, 2011. In United Kingdom, the series was released between October 22, 2007 and November 17, 2008 by Revelation Films in six DVD. Madman Entertainment acquired the series' distribution rights at AVCon in 2007, releasing it in a six-discs box set on January 14, 2009 in PAL region.  Based on the 2013 two-chapter side story, a special titled "Mushishi Tokubetsu-hen: Hihamukage" ("The Shadow That Devours the Sun") was broadcast on Tokyo MX, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, and BS11 on January 4, 2014, and streamed by Niconico. Aniplex released the special on DVD and Blu-ray on April 23, 2014. A second anime television season titled started airing on April 5, 2014, on Tokyo MX and other channels. As with the special, the second season featured the same director, the same studio and main cast from the first season. After the broadcast of the tenth episode on June 21, the "first half" was finished. Another special,, aired on August 20 on BS11. The latter half of the second season started to air on October 19, and ended on December 21, 2014. "Zoku-Shō" first DVD compilation was released on July 23, 2014 in Japan, and the sixth—and last–was released on July 22, 2015. A sequel anime film titled, based on the manga's last arc, was announced in December 2014 and released on May 16, 2015 in Japan.  "Hihamukage" was streamed by Crunchyroll for premium members on January 4, 2014, and made available for free user a week later. In March, the second season was licensed for streaming by Aniplex of America and Crunchyroll as "Mushi-Shi -Next Passage-". In November, Madman Entertainment acquired its home media release rights for Australia. Late in the same month, Madman also licensed the series for streaming and made it available on its site AnimeLab. Madman released a DVD box set containing all "Next Passage" episodes, "Path of Thorns" and "Bell Droplets" on December 7, 2016.

Other merchandise.

Several books based on "Mushishi" have been released. A guidebook titled "Mushishi Official Book" was released by Kodansha on January 23, 2006. On June 30, and July 20, 2007, were released an artbook, and a book with staff commentaries on the anime series production, respectively. Two books have been released on April 23, and May 14, 2014; a and a respectively. On June 19, 2015, a "large format" art book was released by Kodansha.  The music for both "Mushishi" anime adaptation was composed by Toshio Masuda. Two soundtrack albums were released by Marvelous Entertainment and Geneon Entertainment for the first anime adaptation; the first on March 24, 2006 and the second on July 23, 2006. On June 25, 2015, the soundtrack for "Next Passage" was released by Aniplex.  A live-action "Mushishi" feature film, released at the 2006 Venice International Film Festival, was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo and starred Joe Odagiri. Also known as "Bugmaster" and "Mushi-Shi: The Movie" in English, it was released in Japanese theaters on March 24, 2007.  "Mushishi" was also adapted into a video game; the Nintendo DS game titled was developed by Tenky and published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on January 31, 2008.  From March 18 to 29, 2015, a "stage reading" event, which adapted six chapters from the manga into six separate performances, was held in Tokyo. It was directed by "Mushishi" anime director Hiroshi Nagahama and its original script was written by Kazuaki Nakamura, while the anime voice actors acted as their respective characters. The production used augmented reality on its visuals, which was designed to span a 270 degree field of view.

Reception.

Awards and public response.

The series has won numerous awards: in 2003, the manga was awarded an Excellence Prize for manga at the 7th Japan Media Arts Festival, while in 2006, the series won the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga. At the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival, both the anime and manga series were placed among the top 10 in their respective categories for best manga and anime. The anime series won grand prizes in the categories of television series and best art direction (for Takashi Waki) at the 5th Tokyo Anime Award competition held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair in 2006, while Nagahama won the Animation Kobe Individual Award for his directing. It also ranked 13th in a "Top 20" poll conducted by Japanese anime magazine "Animage" in 2006. In the following year, "Mushishi" was placed in 9th on Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs's list of best manga, as well as ranked in 6th place on its list of best anime. Young Adult Library Services Association also listed the manga among 33 titles with "good quality literature and appealing reading for teens" in 2008.  "Mushishi" was also well received by Japanese-language readers. The ten volumes have sold over 3.8 million copies. Individual volumes frequently appeared on the weekly lists of best-selling manga there. Furthermore, the eighth volume was the 9th best-selling manga of Amazon.com in the first half of 2007. A similar feat was achieved by the last volume which was ranked 49th in the Oricon list of best-selling manga of the first half of 2009. In North America, ICv2 has listed the manga among the "Top 300 Graphic Novels" of the month twice. Readers of About.com voted it the best seinen manga released in North America in 2007. The sixth volume of "Mushishi" was also among the best-selling manga in Malaysia in the week of March 1, 2009.

Critical reception.

"Mushishi" was chosen as the best manga of 2007 by Deb Aoki of About.com, elected the best anime series of 2007 by Anime News Network's Carl Kimlinger, and was ranked seventh by Ramsey Isler in IGN's list of the Top Anime of 2007. Aoki called it "a rare breed of manga: a smartly-written, original story that's told with simple yet mesmerizing imagery." Similarly, Kimlinger declared that "Its hypnotic rhythm, humanism, and naturalist's eye for beauty give it a charm that far outstrips mere entertainment value." Reviewer Jason Thompson intoned that while it may be "too mellow" for certain readers, he found praiseworthy its "very original vision, with a sort of 'flowing life' of its own, a biologist's precision mixed with creepy fairytales and a surreal, dreamy feel." Its storytelling was highly praised; Isler deemed it as "near flawless", while Pop Culture Shock's Ken Haley labeled it "an enjoyable and intriguing read", and Shirl Sazynski of Sequential Tart lauded its "short, spooky and breathtaking stories." Manga Life's Joy Kim stated that its lack of a central story allows one to enter at any volume, and that "the quality of the storytelling" will make fans want to read it in entirety. The "quiet and subtle stories that evoke strong emotions with great story crafting and a fine tune to the essence of what moves people" is the main appeal of the series, according to Holly Ellingwood of Active Anime. Both Ed Sizemore and Avi Weinryb, writing for Comics Worth Reading and Comic Book Bin respectively, said "Mushishi" has something to tell to readers, with the former commenting "If you want a manga to make you stop and think, this is the manga for you." "Mushi-Shi -Next Passage-" was also well received by fans; almost all of its DVD and Blu-ray volumes made the Top 20 list of the Oricon best-selling charts. Jacob Hope Chapman of Anime News Network praised the maintenance of the visual quality and the improvement upon the quality of the stories, declaring that ""Mushi-Shi" is quickly evolving from an excellent series of fables about the natural world to a wholly unique masterpiece that a written review can't really do justice by." Chapman dubbed it "one of the all-time greatest animated anthology series." The Fandom Post's Kory Cerjak stated the series "is perhaps one of the most innovative shows out there in terms of storytelling." Ben Huber of Japanator praised its "soothing music and beautiful art", noting that "most anime struggle to create relatable and compelling characters in 12 or 24 episodes. "Mushishi" does it every week in one goddamn episode... and it does it with grace." Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku said while it is worth watching simply for the quality of its imagery, it "is a series that is equal parts beautiful and haunting — often bringing more emotion in a 22-minute episode than most series can bring in their entire runs."

"Mushishi" has been adapted into an anime television series by Artland which aired in Fuji Television between October 2005 and June 2006. It has been licensed by Funimation to its release in North America, while Madman Entertainment and Revelation Films licensed it for Australia and the United Kingdom respectively. A second anime series aired between April and December 2014, which has been licensed in North America by Aniplex of America, with two television specials airing in 2014 and an anime film released in 2015. A live-action film, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, was released in late 2006. It has also spawned a video game and many types of "Mushishi"-related merchandise.

Une adaptation en série télévisée d'animation réalisée par le studio Artland a été diffusée entre et au Japon. Un épisode spécial a été diffusé en, suivi par une seconde saison entre avril et et un film d'animation en. Une adaptation en film live réalisée par Katsuhiro Ōtomo a vu le jour en.


Description.

"Melaleuca quinquenervia" is a small to medium sized, spreading tree which usually grows to a height of high and a spread of but is sometimes as tall. Young growth is hairy with long and short, soft hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately and are flat, leathery, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, dull or grey-green, long and wide, three to eight times as long as wide.  The flowers are arranged in spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering, sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The spikes contain 5 to 18 groups of flowers in threes and are up to in diameter and long. The petals are about long and fall off as the flower ages. The stamens are white, cream-coloured or greenish and are arranged in 5 bundles around the flower, with 5 to 10 stamens per bundle. Flowering occurs from spring to early autumn, September to March in Australia. Flowering is followed by fruit which are woody, broadly cylindrical capsules, long and clustered, spike-like along the branches. Each capsule contains many tiny seeds which are released annually.

Taxonomy.

The broad-leaved paperbark was first formally described in 1797 by the Spanish naturalist Antonio José Cavanilles, who gave it the name "Metrosideros quinquenervia". The description was of a specimen collected "near Port Jackson" and it was published in "Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum". In 1958, Stanley Thatcher Blake of the Queensland Herbarium transferred the species to "Melaleuca". The specific epithet ("quinquenervia") is from the Latin "quinque" meaning "five" and "nervus", "vein", referring to the leaves usually having five veins.  The common names broad-leaved paperbark, broad-leaved tea tree or simply paperbark or tea tree are used in Australia, and punk tree is used in the United States. It is known as niaouli, itachou (paicî) and pichöö (xârâcùù) in New Caledonia.

Distribution and habitat.

In Australia, "Melaleuca quinquenervia" occurs along the east coast, from Cape York in Queensland to Botany Bay in New South Wales. It grows in seasonally inundated plains and swamps, along estuary margins and is often the dominant species. In the Sydney region it grows alongside trees such as swamp mahogany ("Eucalyptus robusta") and bangalay ("E. botryoides"). It grows in silty or swampy soil and plants have grown in acid soil of pH as low as 2.5.  Broad-leaved paperbark is also native in the southern part of Indonesian West Papua and Papua New Guinea. It is widespread in New Caledonia, including Grand Terre, Belep, Isle of Pines and Maré. It is a component of the savannah of western New Caledonia, scattered trees dotting the grassland habitat and its spread through this landscape might have been facilitated by human fire regimes. Major threats to "M. quinquenervia" are housing developments, roads, sugar cane and pine plantations. Remnants in Australia are not protected in reserves, with majority of its woodland located in private property where clearing continues.  "Melaleuca quinquenervia" has been introduced as an ornamental plant to many tropical areas of the world, including Southeast Asia, Africa and the Americas and has become a weed in many areas.

Ecology.

"Melaleuca quinquenervia" resprouts vigorously from epicormic shoots after bushfire, and has been recorded flowering within weeks of being burnt. Trees can live for over 100 years, with 40-year-old trees achieving a trunk circumference of in cultivation.  The flowers serve as a rich source of nectar for other organisms, including fruit bats, a wide range of insect and bird species, such as the scaly-breasted lorikeet ("Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus"). The grey-headed flying fox ("Pteropus poliocephalus") and little red flying-fox ("P. scapulatus") consume the flowers.

Status in the United States.

"Melaleuca quinquenervia" was introduced into Florida as early as 1900 when specimens were first planted near Orlando. There were two major introductions, one by J. Gifford to the East Coast in 1907, and one by A.C. Andrews to the west coast in 1912. The South Florida Water Management District has recorded "Melaleuca" around the areas where they were originally introduced: southwest of Broward and northern Dade County on the east coast and southern Lee County and north of Collier County on the west coast. The species is mainly found in the more frost-free areas of south Florida and only rarely in the warmer coastal areas of Pasco County.  "Melaleuca quinquenervia" has been classified by the United States Department of Agriculture as a noxious weed in six US states (Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Texas), as well as federally. It is an abundant exotic invasive plant in the Everglades. Its unchecked expansion in South Florida is one of the most serious threats to the integrity of the native ecosystem. This tree takes over sawgrass marshes in the Everglades turning the area into a swamp. "Melaleuca" causes severe ecological impacts, including displacing native species, modification of hydrology, alteration of soil resources, reducing native habitat value and changing the fire regime.  An experiment comparing the quantity of seeds held in the canopies of "Melaleuca" trees in Australia and Southern Florida found that the viability and amount of seeds found in Australia were lower when compared to those in Florida. Australian "Melaleuca" trees held 5,000 seeds with less than 20 viable, and Florida Melaleucas contained 13,000 seeds, with greater than 1,200 viable. So without a predator reducing the amount of reproductive structures in "Melaleuca" it can reproduce unchecked. The release from natural enemies will cause the invasive exotic plant to evolve, improving its performance in the new area. This idea is supported by the results of a study on "Melaleuca" done by Pratt et al. (2005) showing that damage by herbivores reduced success in the following season as the reproductive structures declined by 80% with 54% less fruits. Biocontrol agents that have been released in Florida are the "Oxyops vitiosa" (weevil) and "Boreioglycapsis" (melaleuca psyllid). These insects are native to Australia and serve to reduce the growth and reproduction of "M. quinquenervia" by feeding on young expanding leaves and phloem of the tree.  Punk tree is known for its capability to withstand floods and droughts. If there is a canopy gap created by a flood or some other disturbance "Melaleuca" will establish to make use of the extra light. In physically disturbed sites, flourishing invaders have high colonisation abilities. For example, "Melaleuca" is constantly thinning itself of small branches and twigs and this causes many seeds to fall all the time along with the litter, so it is always dispersing its potential offspring. "Melaleuca" is also capable of living in disturbed habitats such as improved pasture, idle farmland, and canal affected areas. The climate in south Florida is similar to that in its native Australia, beginning with geographic locations at latitude 26o N about halfway between Lake Okeechobee and the tip of mainland Florida; in Australia the latitude 26o S lies just north of Brisbane in south Queensland. Both regions have subtropical to tropical climate. As a result of this, "Melaleuca" has almost been pre-adapted for south Florida. Fire thrives in these environments and seed dispersal is displaced when fire occurs. "Melaleuca" bloom five times throughout the year, with individual branches supporting three out of the five. Each flower part can drop about 30–70 small seed capsules which can be viable for almost ten years. It was determined that each capsule contained about 200–300 seeds, dropping rapidly and can be found 170 m from the source tree. The seeds of "M. quinquenervia" appear to be well adapted to wet/dry seasonal climates and can even germinate underwater on soil substrate.  Recent studies comparing specific leaf area of invasive exotic plants with exotic non-invasive plants and native plants in relation to disturbances have shown that invasive have a larger specific leaf area than the other plants. This allows for faster growth, these results held up by many supporting studies have allowed Lake and Leishman to infer that invasive species are so successful because of their skill for fast growth, and greater capacity to capture and retain space. "Melaleuca" has definitely been shown to have these traits, such as in the Everglades where the "Melaleuca" population increased 50-fold between the early 1970s and the late 1990s.

Chemistry.

"M. quinquenervia" have been shown to occur in distinct chemical forms. These forms or chemotypes are characterised by the organic compounds terpenes. Chemotype 1 has acyclic foliar terpenes, with concentrations of sesquiterpene E-nerolidol 74–95% of total oil and also monoterpene linalool. Chemotype 2 has high concentration of cyclic foliar terpenes, in particular sesquiterpene viridiflorol with 13-66% of total oil. Chemotype 2 also includes monoterpenes 1,8-cineole and α-terpineol.  Grandinin is an ellagitannin also found in leaves of "M. quinquenervia".

Uses.

"Melaleuca quinquenervia" has multiple uses, and is widely used traditionally by indigenous Australians. A brew was made from the bruised young aromatic leaves to treat colds, headaches and general sickness. The steam distilled leaf oil of the cineole chemotype is also used externally for coughs, colds, neuralgia, and rheumatism. A nerolidol and linalool chemotype is also cultivated and distilled on a small scale for use in perfumery.  The paper-like bark is used traditionally for making coolamons, shelter, wrapping baked food and lining ground ovens. The nectar is extracted traditionally by washing in coolamons of water which is subsequently consumed as a beverage. The scented flower also produces a light to dark amber honey depending on the district. It is strongly flavoured and candies readily and is not regarded as a high quality honey, but nevertheless is popular.  "Melaleuca quinquenervia" is sometimes used as a bonsai.  The timber is tolerant of being soaked, and is used in fences.  "Melaleuca quinquenervia" is often used as a street tree or planted in public parks and gardens, especially in Sydney. In its native Australia, it is excellent as a windbreak, screening tree and food source for a wide range of local insect and bird species. It can tolerate waterlogged soils. It is regarded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as an invasive weed in Florida where it was introduced to drain swamps.  The essential oil of "Melaleuca quinquenervia" is used in a variety of cosmetic products especially in Australia. The oil is reported in herbalism and natural medicine to work as an antiseptic and antibacterial agent, to help with bladder infections, respiratory troubles and catarrh. The oil has a very low (level 0) hazard score on the Cosmetic Safety Database.

Melaleuca quinquenervia, commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark, paper bark tea tree, punk tree or niaouli, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to tall, with its trunk covered by a white, beige and grey thick papery bark. The grey-green leaves are egg-shaped, and cream or white bottlebrush-like flowers appear from late spring to autumn. It was first formally described in 1797 by the Spanish naturalist Antonio José Cavanilles.

Le niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia) est un arbre de la famille des "Myrtaceae" originaire de la côte orientale de l'Australie et de Nouvelle-Calédonie.


Early life.

Stevens was born in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of nine, when his family moved to Petoskey, in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. He was raised by his father Rasjid and his stepmother Pat, only occasionally visiting his mother, Carrie, in Oregon after she married her second husband Lowell Brams. Brams later became the head of Stevens' record label Asthmatic Kitty. His brother Marzuki Stevens is a former professional road runner. Stevens is of Lithuanian and Greek descent.  Stevens attended the Detroit Waldorf School, Petoskey High School and Interlochen Arts Academy, and graduated from Harbor Light Christian School. He then attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and then earned an MFA from The New School in New York City.  "Sufjan" is a Persian name, meaning "comes with a sword". It predates Islam and most famously belonged to Abu Sufyan, a figure from early Islamic history. The name was given to Stevens by the founder of Subud, an inter-faith spiritual community to which his parents belonged when he was born.

Career.

Early career and the Fifty States Project (1995–2006).

Stevens began his musical career as a member of Marzuki, a folk-rock band from Holland, Michigan, as well as garage band Con Los Dudes. He also played (and continues to play) various instruments for Danielson Famile. While in his final semester at Hope College, Stevens wrote and recorded his debut solo album, "A Sun Came", which he released on Asthmatic Kitty Records. He later moved to New York City, where he enrolled in a writing program at The New School for Social Research. During his time at the New School, Stevens developed a preoccupation with the short story form, which he believed would lead him to write a novel, but ultimately returned him to songwriting.  While in New York, Stevens composed and recorded the music for his second album, "Enjoy Your Rabbit", a song cycle based around the animals of the Chinese zodiac that delved into electronica.  Stevens followed this with an album titled "Michigan", a collection of folk songs and instrumentals. The album included odes to cities including Detroit and Flint, the Upper Peninsula, and vacation areas such as Tahquamenon Falls and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Melded into the scenic descriptions and characters are his own declarations of faith, sorrow, love, and the regeneration of Michigan. Beginning with the album, Stevens announced an intent to write an album for each of the 50 U.S. states, which he termed the Fifty States Project.  Following the release of "Michigan", Stevens compiled a collection of songs recorded previously into a side project, the album "Seven Swans", which was released in March 2004. Stevens did not leave his job in the children's book division at Time Warner until touring for "Seven Swans". Next, he released the second in the Fifty States project, titled "Illinois". Among the subjects explored on "Illinois" are the cities of Chicago, Decatur and Jacksonville; the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the death of a friend on Casimir Pulaski Day, the poet Carl Sandburg, and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Stevens had spent the second half of 2004 researching and writing material for the album. As with "Michigan", Stevens used the state of Illinois as a leaping-off point for his more personal explorations of faith, family, love, and location. Though slated for release on July 5, 2005, the album was briefly delayed by legal issues regarding the use of Superman in the original album cover artwork. In the double vinyl release, a balloon sticker was placed over Superman on the cover art of the first 5,000 copies. The next printings had an empty space where the Superman image was, as with the CD release.  "Illinois" was widely acclaimed and was the highest-rated album of 2005 on the review aggregator website Metacritic based on glowing reviews from "Pitchfork", "The Onion A/V Club", "Spin", "Billboard", "Entertainment Weekly", "Rolling Stone", "The New York Times", KEXP, and "The Guardian". The 2006 PLUG Independent Music Awards awarded Stevens with the Album of the Year, Best Album Art/Packaging, and Male Artist of the Year. "Pitchfork", "No Ripcord", and "Paste" magazine named "Illinois" as the editors' choice for best album of 2005, and Stevens received the 2005 Pantheon prize, awarded to noteworthy albums selling fewer than 500,000 copies, for "Illinois".  In April 2006, Stevens announced that 21 pieces of music he had culled from the "Illinois" recording sessions would be incorporated into a new album, called "The Avalanche", which was released on July 11, 2006. On September 11, 2006, in Nashville, Tennessee, Stevens debuted a new composition, a ten-minute-plus piece titled "Majesty Snowbird". On November 21, 2006, a five CD box set "Songs for Christmas" was released, which contains originals and Christmas standards recorded every year since 2001 (except 2004). Stevens undertook in the project initially as an exercise to make himself 'appreciate' Christmas more. The songs were the work of an annual collaboration between Stevens and different collaborators, including minister Vito Aiuto; the songs themselves were distributed to friends and family.  Although Stevens' subsequent work was sometimes speculated to tie into future "States" projects, and Stevens himself would make occasional statements alluding to the future of the project, Stevens later admitted that the project had been a "promotional gimmick" and not one he had seriously intended to complete. In November 2009, Stevens admitted to "Exclaim!" magazine, in regard to the fact that he recently called his fifty-state project a joke, that "I don't really have as much faith in my work as I used to, but I think that's healthy. I think it's allowed me to be less precious about how I work and write. And maybe it's okay for us to take it less seriously."

Soundtrack album and various collaborative projects (2007–2009).

Over the 2005 winter holidays, Stevens recorded an album with Rosie Thomas and Denison Witmer playing banjo and providing vocals. In April 2006, Pitchfork erroneously announced that Stevens and Thomas were having a baby together, and were forced to print a retraction. Witmer and Thomas later admitted it was an April Fools' prank. In December 2006, the collaborative recordings were digitally released by Nettwerk as a Rosie Thomas album titled "These Friends of Mine". The album was released in physical form on March 13, 2007.  On May 31, 2007, Asthmatic Kitty announced that Stevens would be premiering a new project titled "The BQE" in early November 2007. The project, dubbed a "symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City's infamous Brooklyn–Queens Expressway", was manifested in a live show. "The BQE" featured an original film by Stevens (shot in Super 8 film and standard 16 mm), while Stevens and a backing orchestra provided the live soundtrack. The performance used 36 performers which included a small band, a wind and brass ensemble, string players, horn players, and hula hoopers. There were no lyrics to the music. "The BQE" was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of their Next Wave Festival and performed on three consecutive nights from November 1–3, 2007.  The performance sold out the 2,109 seat BAM Opera House without any advertising. After three weeks of rehearsing the piece with the three dozen musicians involved, he presented the 30-minute composition. "The BQE" was followed by an additional one hour of concert by Stevens and his orchestra. "The BQE" won the 2008 Brendan Gill Prize. In April 2007, in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, Stevens made unannounced appearances on Thomas's tour in support of this album. In 2007, he did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon standing on a roof in Cincinnati. In 2007, he played shows sporadically, including playing at the Kennedy Center to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Millennium Stage concerts. He was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music to create a "music and film work" titled "The BQE", described as "a symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City's infamous Brooklyn–Queens Expressway". It premiered at BAM's Next Wave festival on November 1–3, 2007.  Stevens has also worked as an essayist, contributing to Asthmatic Kitty Records' "Sidebar" feature and "Topic Magazine". He wrote the introduction to the 2007 edition of "The Best American Nonrequired Reading", a short story about his early childhood education and learning to read titled "How I Trumped Rudolf Steiner and Overcame the Tribulations of Illiteracy, One Snickers Bar at a Time". That winter, he hosted an "Xmas Song Exchange Contest" in which winner Alec Duffy won exclusive rights to the original Stevens song "Lonely Man of Winter." The track could only be heard by attending private listening parties at Duffy's home in Brooklyn and at places around the world until 2018, when Duffy negotiated with Athsmatic Kitty Records to release the song with all proceeds going towards Duffy's organization JACK.  Stevens has contributed to the music of Denison Witmer, Soul-Junk, Half-handed Cloud, Brother Danielson, Danielson Famile, Serena-Maneesh, Castanets, Will Stratton, Shannon Stephens, Clare & the Reasons, Little Scream, and Liz Janes. In 2007 alone, Stevens played piano on The National's album "Boxer", produced and contributed many instrumental tracks to Rosie Thomas's album "These Friends of Mine", multiple instruments on Ben + Vesper's album "All This Could Kill You" and oboe and vocals to David Garland's 2007 album "Noise in You".  He has contributed covers of Tim Buckley ("She Is"), Joni Mitchell ("Free Man in Paris"), Daniel Johnston ("Worried Shoes"), John Fahey ("Variation on 'Commemorative Transfiguration & Communion at Magruder Park"), The Innocence Mission ("The Lakes of Canada"), Bob Dylan ("Ring Them Bells"), Drake ("Hotline Bling"), Prince ("Kiss") and The Beatles ("What Goes On") to various tribute albums. His versions of "Free Man in Paris" and "What Goes On" are notable for only retaining the lyrics of the original, as Stevens has taken his own interpretation on the melody and arrangement. His rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" has a similar rearranged melody and arrangement as well as a whole new verse.  His songs "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders" and "All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands" were featured in the 2006 British comedy-drama "Driving Lessons", starring "Harry Potter"s Julie Walters and Rupert Grint. In 2008, he produced "Welcome to The Welcome Wagon", the debut album of Brooklyn-based husband and wife duo Vito and Monique Aiuto, The Welcome Wagon.  In February 2009, Stevens contributed "You Are the Blood" to the AIDS benefit album "Dark Was the Night" produced by the Red Hot Organization. In April 2009, Stevens uploaded a song about director Sofia Coppola online. This song was written while Stevens was in college, from a series of songs about names.  Stevens recalled: A few weeks later, our dog got hit by a snowplow and I forgot all about the problem of names. Until college, when I learned to play the guitar, and, as an exercise, started writing songs (very poorly executed) in the same way that Henry Ford produced the automobile: assembly-line-style. I wrote songs for the days of the week (poor Monday!). Songs for the planets (poor Pluto!). Songs for the Apostles (poor Judas!). And, finally, when all else failed, I started a series of songs for names. [...] Each piece was a rhetorical, philosophical, musical rumination on all the possible names I had entertained years before when my parents had given me the one chance to change my own. Oh fates! I sang these songs in the privacy of my dorm room, behind closed doors, pillows and cushions stuffed in the air vents so no one would hear. And then I almost failed Latin class, my grades plummeted, my social life dissolved into ping pong tournaments in the residence halls, and, gradually, my interest in music (or anything divine, creative, fruitful, enriching) completely waned. I turned to beer. And cigarettes. And TV sitcoms. And candy bars. Oh well! A perfectly good youth wasted on junk food! That is, until a few months ago, when I came across some of the old name songs, stuffed onto tape cassettes, 4-track recorders, forgotten boxes, forgotten shelves, forgotten hard drives. It was like finding an old diary, or a high school yearbook, senior picture with lens flare and pockmarks, slightly cute and embarrassing. What was I thinking?

Solo studio albums (2009–2011).

In September 2009, Stevens began performing four new songs while on his Fall tour, "All Delighted People", "Impossible Soul", "Too Much" and "Age of Adz". That year Stevens contributed to an album with his stepfather, Lowell Brams, entitled "Music For Insomnia". The album was released December 8, 2009. On October 6, 2009, Stevens' label, Asthmatic Kitty Records, released an album of versions of his 2001 album "Enjoy Your Rabbit" rearranged for strings and performed by the Osso String Quartet, entitled "Run Rabbit Run".  In 2010, Stevens was featured on The National's album "High Violet", released in May, and sang backing vocals for the band on the "Late Show with David Letterman". Following the release of "High Violet," band frontman Matt Berninger mentioned that Stevens was recording a new album in the band's studio and that The National would appear on some of the tracks. In early August, Stevens announced North American tour dates across dozens of cities. On August 20, 2010, Stevens suddenly and unexpectedly released a new collection of tracks, the "All Delighted People" EP, for digital download. The EP is built around two versions of the title track, "All Delighted People." The EP surprisingly rose to #27 on the "Billboard" 200 albums solely through its digital sales. On August 26, Asthmatic Kitty announced that Stevens would release his newest full-length album, "The Age of Adz", on October 12. NPR streamed the album until it was released on October 12, 2010.  The two albums featured a wide range of arrangements, from orchestral to electronic. Song lengths were also extended; the track "Djohariah" from "All Delighted People" is 17 minutes long, while "Impossible Soul" from "The Age of Adz" is 25 minutes long. The albums also feature many styles from disco to folk.  Stevens has stated in interviews that in 2009 and 2010 he suffered from a mysterious debilitating virus infection that affected his nervous system. He experienced chronic pain and was forced to stop working on music for several months. He said: ""The Age of Adz", is, in some ways, a result of that process of working through health issues and getting much more in touch with my physical self. That's why I think the record's really obsessed with sensation and has a hysterical melodrama to it."  On October 12, 2010, Stevens began his North American tour in Montreal, featuring virtually all new material. The tour lasted just over a month and ended on November 15, 2010 in New York City. Stevens toured Australia and New Zealand in early 2011, featured as part of the Sydney Festival, and appeared on-stage with The National during the last of three sold-out Auckland shows. He also toured Europe and the United Kingdom in April and May 2011, playing there for the first time in five years. His shows mostly consisted of new material, but he did play many older tracks from "Seven Swans" and "Illinois". Stevens ended the Age of Adz tour with two shows in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York.

Further collaborative projects (2012–2014).

On February 27, 2012, it was announced Stevens would release a collaborative EP called "Beak & Claw", on March 20, with artists Son Lux and Serengeti under the name S / S / S on the Anticon record label.  Stevens released a 7" with close friend Rosie Thomas for Record Store Day 2012, entitled "Hit & Run Vol. 1". He also collaborated with choreographer Justin Peck on two ballets for the New York City Ballet: Year of the Rabbit (2012) and Everywhere We Go (2014), both to great critical acclaim.  Stevens, along with fellow Brooklyn musicians Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner, began performing their classical project "Planetarium", a song-cycle based around the planets in our solar system in countries such as England, The Netherlands, Australia and France from March to July 2012.  On October 2, 2012, it was announced that Stevens would release a second set of Christmas albums, "", on November 13, 2012. "Silver & Gold" contains 58 songs, allowing for a total of 100 when combined with his first set of Christmas albums, "Songs for Christmas". To support this new release, Stevens performed in 24 cities around the United States for his 2012 tour titled, "The Sirfjam Stephanapolous Christmas Sing-A-Long Seasonal Affective Disorder Spectacular Music Pageant Variety Show Disaster." On December 11, 2012, Stevens released "Chopped and Scrooged", a Christmas-themed hip-hop mixtape featuring music from "Silver & Gold".  As a part of Joyful Noise's 2013 Flexi Disc Series, Stevens and Cat Martino, of Stranger Cat, recorded the single "Take the Time". Martino has contributed to many of Stevens' past projects including "The Age of Adz".  On March 18, 2014, Stevens released the self-titled album, "Sisyphus", with Son Lux and rapper Serengeti.

"Carrie & Lowell" (2015–2017).

On January 12, 2015, Asthmatic Kitty Records announced that Stevens would release a new album called "Carrie & Lowell". Stevens shared the first single from the album, "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross", on February 16, 2015.  "Carrie & Lowell" was released on March 31, 2015. The album met with critical acclaim on release, receiving a 9.3 from Pitchfork under "best new music", and an initial score of 90 from Metacritic. "Stereogum" placed the album on its best albums of the decade list in 16th place and described it as "an elegant heartbreaker of an album", while "Consequence of Sound" ranked it the 43rd best album of the decade, calling it "a special brew that makes even the most intimate personal moment feel parabolic." The album follows the nuances and trials of life with Stevens' mother, Carrie, who was diagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic, was addicted to drugs, and abandoned him when he was a year old; it also includes Stevens' stepfather, Lowell Brams. Stevens also stated that the songwriting for the album was incited by his process of grieving and coming to terms with his and his mother's relationship following his mother's death due to stomach cancer in 2012.  On January 26, 2015, Asthmatic Kitty Records announced a tour of North America, which began in April 2015, to coincide with the new album. Stevens also headlined the End of the Road Festival in the United Kingdom in September. On July 21, a second set of U.S. tour dates, which took place in October and November 2015, was announced.  After Stevens performed new compositions about the Solar System alongside composers Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner in Amsterdam in April 2012, it was reported in March 2017 that the three and James McAlister would produce an album. The "80-minute concept album", titled "Planetarium", was released in July 2017. On April 28, 2017, a live album and concert film, "Carrie & Lowell Live" was released, featuring new interpretations, re-workings and expansions of the songs from "Carrie & Lowell". In addition to the live album, Stevens announced another "Carrie & Lowell" companion piece, "The Greatest Gift", which was released on November 24. It includes four unreleased songs from the album sessions, as well as several remixes and a demo.

"Call Me by Your Name" and singles releases (2017–present).

In January 2017, it was announced that Stevens would contribute original songs written and recorded by himself for the coming-of-age romantic drama film "Call Me by Your Name", directed by Luca Guadagnino and based on André Aciman's novel of the same name. The film was released on November 24, 2017, by Sony Pictures Classics. features two new songs and a remix of an existing song by Stevens: "Visions of Gideon", which has been described as containing "lush orchestrations" and "staccato-heavy piano refrains," "Mystery of Love", which was featured in the film's trailer as well as the film itself, and an "ethereal piano arrangement" of "The Age of Adz" track "Futile Devices". The film received critical acclaim following its release, holding an approval rating of 95% based on 311 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10, on Rotten Tomatoes. In his review of the film, "Consequence of Sound" writer Dominick Suzanne-Mayer praised Stevens's work as a composer on the film, noting that he "has a perfect ear for the film’s portrayal of a summer that’s getting shorter by the day." In January 2018, "Mystery of Love" earned a nomination for the year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. Later in the year, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media. The song was also featured in the second season of the Netflix series Sex Education.  In December 2017, Stevens released two versions of "Tonya Harding", a song about the figure skater Tonya Harding. The song's video shows a clip of the eponymous skater performing at the 1991 US Figure Skating Championships. Two days later, the single was offered for digital download and streaming, to be followed later by a cassette and vinyl release, in two versions, the one featured in the video (subtitled "in D major") and a piano-only arrangement ("in E♭ major"); in a short essay, Stevens revealed his intention to write a song about Harding since 1991. According to Stevens, "I've been trying to write a Tonya Harding song since I first saw her skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1991. She's a complicated subject for a song partly because the hard facts of her life are so strange, disputable, heroic, unprecedented, and indelibly American." Stevens later revealed that the song was offered to the producers to the biographical film "I, Tonya", which was released in the same period, but that they decided not to include it in the film.  In October 2018, Stevens performed and recorded with pop music artist Angelo De Augustine a collaborative duo of the latter's "Time" single. On May 29, 2019, Stevens released two new songs, entitled "Love Yourself" and "With My Whole Heart", respectively, which were released in celebration of Pride Month. The official release of the singles included a demo version of "Love Yourself" from 1996, performed by Stevens, as well as a brief instrumental reprise of "Love Yourself". Alongside the release of the songs, it was also announced that 7" vinyl records of the songs would be released June 28, 2019. A pride-themed T-Shirt designed by Stevens also debuted alongside the singles. It was also confirmed later that a portion of the proceeds from the songs and shirts would go to the Ali Forney Center in Brooklyn and the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, two organizations which aim to help LGBT+ youth. In October 2019, Stevens released an album entitled "The Decalogue" with pianist Timo Andres. It is based on a ballet of the same name by Justin Peck, composed by Stevens.  On March 24, 2020, Stevens released a collaborative album with his stepfather, Lowell Brams, entitled "Aporia".

Musical style.

Genre.

Stevens' sound has been most generally associated with genres such as indie folk, alternative rock, indie rock, indie pop, baroque pop, chamber pop, folk pop, avant-garde folk, lo-fi folk, and electronica.

Themes.

Stevens's work is known to explore themes of love, religion, outer space, and grief.  Despite many of his songs having spiritual allusions, Stevens does not identify as a contemporary Christian music artist or frequently discuss religion with the press. He told "The Village Voice", "I don't think music media is the real forum for theological discussions. I think I've said things and sung about things that probably weren't appropriate for this kind of form. And I just feel like it's not my work or my place to be making claims and statements, because I often think it's misunderstood."  During a 2004 interview with Adrian Pannett for "Comes with a Smile" magazine, when asked how important faith was to his music, he responded, "I don't like talking about that stuff in the public forum because, I think, certain themes and convictions are meant for personal conversation." In a 2006 interview, he said, "It's not so much that faith influences us as it lives in us. In every circumstance (giving a speech or tying my shoes), I am living and moving and being."

Personal life.

As of 2010, Stevens lived in Kensington, Brooklyn in New York City, where he is a member of the Brooklyn staff of Asthmatic Kitty Records. He is a Christian. Stevens also stated in 2005 that he attended an Anglo-Catholic Episcopal Church.  A multi-instrumentalist, Stevens is known for his use of the banjo, but also plays guitar, piano, drums, woodwinds, and several other instruments, often playing all of these on his albums through the use of multitrack recording. While in school, he studied the oboe and English horn, which he also plays on his albums. Stevens did not learn to play the guitar until his time at Hope College.

Discography.

Studio albums

Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released a total of seven solo studio albums as well as multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has also received Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations.

Sufjan Stevens (né le à Détroit dans le Michigan) est un auteur-compositeur-interprète américain. Il est connu pour ses chansons qui portent autant attention aux textes qu'à l'instrumentation. Il joue de plusieurs instruments, avec une préférence pour le banjo. Il est aujourd'hui un des artistes américains les plus prolifiques et connaît un grand succès critique aux États-Unis.


Overview.

The album is a notable entry in Zappa's discography, because it was the last to feature a majority of his early 1970s band, which appeared on "Over-Nite Sensation" (1973), "Apostrophe (')" (1974), "Roxy & Elsewhere" (1974), and "One Size Fits All" (1975).  Napoleon Murphy Brock's vocals are featured both on the sprawling "Advance Romance" as well as on the three-part harmonies of "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy". Captain Beefheart, in his only tour with Zappa's band, delivers vocals and harmonica on several tracks, including his two short prose readings "Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top" and "Man with the Woman Head". "Bongo Fury" also marks the first appearance of Terry Bozzio, who would become Zappa's featured drummer between 1975 and 1978.

Critical reception.

Reviewing in "" (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "This sentimental reunion album, recorded (where else?) in Austin with (what else?) additional L.A. studio work, is dismissed by Zappaphiles and 'Fhearthearts alike, but what were they expecting? Perhaps because there's a blues avatar up top, the jazzy music has a soulful integrity, and though it's embarrassing to hear the Captain deliver Frankie's latest pervo exploitations, the rest of the songs are funnier because he's singing them."

Track listing.

All tracks performed by Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and The Mothers; all tracks composed by Zappa, except where noted. This is the last original Frank Zappa album on which the band name "The Mothers [of Invention]" is used.

Charts.

Album - "Billboard" (United States)

Bongo Fury is a collaborative album by American artists Frank Zappa and the Mothers, with Captain Beefheart, released in October 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 and 21, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Tracks 5, 6 and 9 (intro only) are studio tracks recorded in January 1975 (during the sessions which produced "One Size Fits All" (1975) and much of "Studio Tan" (1978).

Bongo Fury est un album rock de Frank Zappa enregistré en public avec son ami d'enfance Captain Beefheart et en studio, sorti en 1975.


Biography.

Origin.

Gediminas was born in about 1275. Because written sources of the era are scarce, Gediminas' ancestry, early life, and assumption of the title of Grand Duke in ca. 1316 are obscure and continue to be the subject of scholarly debate. Various theories have claimed that Gediminas was either his predecessor Grand Duke Vytenis' son, his brother, his cousin, or his hostler. For several centuries only two versions of his origins circulated. Chronicles — written long after Gediminas' death by the Teutonic Knights, a long-standing enemy of Lithuania — claimed that Gediminas was a hostler to Vytenis; according to these chronicles, Gediminas killed his master and assumed the throne. Another version introduced in the Lithuanian Chronicles, which also appeared long after Gediminas' death, proclaimed that Gediminas was Vytenis' son. However, the two men were almost the same age, making this relationship unlikely.  Recent research indicates that Gediminias' ancestor may have been Skalmantas. In 1974 historian Jerzy Ochmański noted that Zadonshchina, a poem from the end of the 14th century, contains a line in which two sons of Algirdas name their ancestors: "We are two brothers – sons of Algirdas, and grandsons of Gediminas, and great-grandsons of Skalmantas." This discovery led to the belief that Skalmantas was the long-sought ancestor of the Gediminids. Ochmański posited that the poem skipped the generation represented by Butvydas, and jumped back to the unknown ancestor. Baranauskas disagrees, believing Skalmantas was Butvydas' brother rather than his father, and that Vytenis and Gediminas were therefore cousins.  Gediminas became the Grand Duke in 1316 at the age of 40 and ruled for 25 years.

Choice of religion.

He inherited a vast domain, comprising Lithuania proper, Samogitia, Navahrudak, Podlasie, Polotsk and Minsk. However, these possessions were all environed by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order, which had long been the enemies of the state. Gediminas allied himself with the Tatars against the Teutonic order in 1319.  The systematic raiding of Lithuania by the knights under the pretext of converting it had long since united all the Lithuanian tribes, but Gediminas aimed at establishing a dynasty which should make Lithuania not merely secure but powerful, and for this purpose he entered into direct diplomatic negotiations with the Holy See as well. At the end of 1322, he sent letters to Pope John XXII soliciting his protection against the persecution of the knights, informing him of the privileges already granted to the Dominicans and Franciscans in Lithuania for the preaching of God's Word. Gediminas also asked that legates should be dispatched to him in order to be baptized. This action was supported by the Archbishop of Riga, Frederic Lobestat. Following these events, peace between the Duchy and the Livonian order was eventually conducted on 2 October 1323.  On receiving a favourable reply from the Holy See, Gediminas issued circular letters, dated 25 January 1325, to the principal Hansa towns, offering a free access into his domains to men of every order and profession from nobles and knights to tillers of the soil. The immigrants were to choose their own settlements and be governed by their own laws. Priests and monks were also invited to come and build churches at Vilnius and Navahrudak. In October 1323, representatives of the archbishop of Riga, the bishop of Dorpat, the king of Denmark, the Dominican and Franciscan orders, and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order assembled at Vilnius, when Gediminas confirmed his promises and undertook to be baptised as soon as the papal legates arrived. A compact was then signed at Vilnius, in the name of the whole Christian World, between Gediminas and the delegates, confirming the promised privileges.  Thus his raid upon Dobrzyń, the latest acquisition of the knights on Polish soil, speedily gave them a ready weapon against him. The Prussian bishops, who were devoted to the knights, questioned the authority of Gediminas' letters and denounced him as an enemy of the faith at a synod in Elbing; his Orthodox subjects reproached him with leaning towards the Latin heresy, while the pagan Lithuanians accused him of abandoning the ancient gods. Gediminas disentangled himself from his difficulties by repudiating his former promises; by refusing to receive the papal legates who arrived at Riga in September 1323, and by dismissing the Franciscans from his territories. These apparently retrogressive measures simply amounted to a statesmanlike recognition of the fact that the pagan element was still the strongest force in Lithuania, and could not yet be dispensed with in the coming struggle for nationality. Even though power rested firmly in the hands of the pagans more than twice as many orthodox Christians lived in his realm than there were pagans inside it.  At the same time Gediminas privately informed the papal legates at Riga through his ambassadors that his difficult position compelled him to postpone his steadfast resolve of being baptised, and the legates showed their confidence in him by forbidding the neighbouring states to war against Lithuania for the next four years, besides ratifying the treaty made between Gediminas and the archbishop of Riga. Nevertheless, disregarding the censures of the church, the Order resumed the war with Gediminas by murdering one of his delegates sent to welcome the Grand Master for his arrival to Riga in 1325. He had in the meantime improved his position by an alliance with Wladislaus Lokietek, king of Poland, and had his daughter Aldona baptized for the sake of betrothing her to Władysław's son Casimir III.  An alternative view of these events was proposed by a British historian, Stephen Christopher Rowell, where he believes that Gediminas never intended to become a Christian himself, since that would have offended the staunchly pagan inhabitants of Žemaitija and Aukštaitija. Both the pagans of Aukštaitija and the Orthodox Rus' threatened Gediminas with death if he decided to convert; a similar scenario also happened to Mindaugas, which he desperately wanted to avoid.  His strategy was to gain the support of the Pope and other Catholic powers in his conflict with the Teutonic Order by granting a favourable status to Catholics living within his realm and feigning a personal interest in the Christian religion. While he allowed Catholic clergy to enter his realm for the purpose of ministering to his Catholic subjects and to temporary residents, he savagely punished any attempt to convert pagan Lithuanians or to insult their native religion. Thus in about 1339-40 he executed two Franciscan friars from Bohemia, Ulrich and Martin, who had gone beyond the authority granted them and had publicly preached against the Lithuanian religion. Gediminas ordered them to renounce Christianity, and had them killed when they refused. Five more friars were executed in 1369 for the same offence.  Despite Gediminas' chief goal to save Lithuania from destruction at the hands of the Germans, he still died as a pagan reigning over semi-pagan lands. Also, he was equally bound to his pagan kinsmen in Samogitia, to his Orthodox subjects in Belarus, and to his Catholic allies in Masovia. Therefore, it is still unclear whether the letters sent to the Pope were an actual request for conversion or simply a diplomatic maneuver.  The Jewish community of Lithuania prospered during his reign.

Incorporation of Slavic lands.

While on his guard against his northern foes, Gediminas from 1316 to 1340 was aggrandizing himself at the expense of the numerous Slavonic principalities in the south and east, whose incessant conflicts with each other wrought the ruin of them all. Here Gediminas triumphal progress was irresistible; but the various stages of it are impossible to follow, the sources of its history being few and conflicting, and the date of every salient event exceedingly doubtful. One of his most important territorial accretions, the principality of Halych-Volynia, was obtained by the marriage of his son Lubart with the daughter of the Galician prince.  From about 23 km (14 mi) south west of Kiev, Gediminas resoundingly defeated Stanislav of Kiev and his allies in the Battle on the Irpin River. He then besieged and conquered Kiev sending Stanislav, the last descendant of the Rurik Dynasty to ever rule Kiev, into exile first in Bryansk and then in Ryazan. Theodor, brother of Gediminas, and Algimantas, son of Mindaugas from the "Olshanski family", were installed in Kiev. After these conquests, Lithuania stretched as far as to the Black Sea.  While exploiting Slavic weakness in the wake of the Mongol invasion, Gediminas wisely avoided war with the Golden Horde, a great regional power at the time, while expanding Lithuania's border towards the Black Sea. He also secured an alliance with the nascent Grand Duchy of Moscow by marrying his daughter, Anastasia, to the grand duke Simeon. But he was strong enough to counterpoise the influence of Muscovy in northern Russia, and assisted the republic of Pskov, which acknowledged his overlordship, to break away from Great Novgorod.

Domestic affairs and death.

His internal administration bears all the marks of a wise ruler. He protected the Catholic as well as the Orthodox clergy; he raised the Lithuanian army to the highest state of efficiency then attainable; defended his borders with a chain of strong fortresses and built numerous castles in towns including Vilnius. At first he moved the capital to the newly built town of Trakai, but in c. 1320 re-established a permanent capital in Vilnius.  Gediminas died in 1341, presumably killed during a coup d'état. He was cremated as a part of a fully pagan ceremony in 1342, which included a human sacrifice, with his favourite servant and several German slaves being burned on the pyre with the corpse. All these facts assert that Gediminas most likely remained entirely faithful to his native Lithuanian religion, and that his feigned interest in Catholicism was simply a ruse designed to gain allies against the Teutonic Order.  He was succeeded by one of his sons, Jaunutis, who was unable to control the unrest in the country, as a result of which he was deposed in 1345 by his brother Algirdas.

Legacy.

He was a founder of a new Lithuanian dynasty; the Gediminids, and laid the foundations of the state's expansion while sometimes referred as the "true" state founder.  In modern belief, he is also regarded as founder of Vilnius, the modern capital of Lithuania. According to a legend, possibly set in 1322 while he was on a hunting trip, he dreamt of an iron clad wolf, who stood on a hill, howling in an odd manner as if thousand of wolves would be howling at once. He consulted his vision with his priest Lizdeika who told him the dream spoke of a city that must be built at the exact place and decided to build a fortification on the confluence of rivers Vilnia and Neris, where the place of his vision was pointed out. This event inspired the Romantic movement, particularly Adam Mickiewicz, who gave the story a poetic form.  Gediminas is depicted on a silver Litas commemorative coin, issued in 1996.  The Lithuanian folk music group Kūlgrinda released an album in 2009 titled "Giesmės Valdovui Gediminui", meaning "Hymns to King Gediminas".

Commemoration in Belarus.

Gediminas (as "Hiedymin" or "Gedymin") is also widely celebrated in Belarus as an important figure of national history.  In September 2019, a monument to Gediminas was unveiled in Lida.  There is also a boulevard called "Bulvar Hiedymina" in Lida as well as a restaurant, a brand of bread, and a former brand of beer by the Lida-based beer brewery Lidskaje piva dedicated to Gediminas.

Titles.

Gediminas' normal Latin style is as follows: Which translates as: In his letters to the papacy in 1322 and 1323, he adds "Princeps et Dux Semigalliae" (Prince and Duke of Semigallia). In contemporary Low German he is styled simply "Koningh van Lettowen", mirroring the Latin "Rex Lethowyae" (both meaning "King of Lithuania"). Gediminas' right to use the Latin "rex", which the papacy had been claiming the right to grant from the 13th century onwards, was not universally recognized in Catholic sources. Thus, he was called "rex sive dux" ("King or Duke") in one source; Pope John XXII, in a letter to the King of France, referred to Gediminas as "the one who calls himself "rex"". However, the pope did call Gediminas "rex" when addressing him ("regem sive ducem", "king or duke").

Issue.

It is uncertain how many wives Gediminas had. The Bychowiec Chronicle mentions three wives: Vida from Courland; Olga from Smolensk; and Jaunė from Polotsk, who was Eastern Orthodox and died in 1344 or 1345. Most modern historians and reference works say Gediminas' wife was Jewna, dismissing Vida and Olga as fictitious, since no sources other than this chronicle mention the other two wives.  An argument has been advanced that Gediminas had two wives, one pagan and another Orthodox. This case is supported only by the Jüngere Hochmeisterchronik, a late 15th-century chronicle, mentioning Narimantas as half-brother to Algirdas. Other historians support this claim by arguing this would explain Gediminas' otherwise mysterious designation of a middle son, Jaunutis, as his succession would be understandable if Jaunutis were the first-born son of Gediminas and a second wife.  He is said to have left seven sons and six daughters including:

Gediminas (, – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death. He is credited with founding this political entity and expanding its territory which later spanned the area ranging from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Also seen as one of the most significant individuals in early Lithuanian history, he was responsible for both building Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and establishing a dynasty that later came to rule other European countries such as Poland, Hungary and Bohemia.

Ghédimin ou Gediminas (connu sous les noms de "Giedymin" ou "Gedymin" en Ruthénie et en Pologne, "Hiedymin" ("Гедымін") ou "Hiedzimin" ("Гедзімін") en Biélorussie) est né vers 1275 et décédé en 1341. Il devient grand-duc de Lituanie en 1316 et en fait un État très puissant.


History.

Before the 19th century, the region was inhabited by the Kaingang, an indigenous people, that was gradually reduced or assimilitated, due to migration, the "bandeiras" and miscegenation. In the 19th century, farmers from Minas Gerais settled in the region.  The city was founded on March 19, 1852, by João Bernardino de Seixas Ribeiro, after Luis Antônio da Silveira donated part of his lands to the Catholic Church, in tribute to Saint Joseph, aiming the creation of a city. These lands from the farm gave birth to the city.  In 1894, São José do Rio Preto was officially established as a municipality, with the emancipation from Jaboticabal. The newly created city had around 26,000 km2. With the arrival of the railroad, the "Estrada de Ferro Araraquarense", in 1912, the city became the commercial center of the region, stocking and radiating the goods from the region and the state capital.

Origin of the name.

The literal translation is "Saint Joseph of the Black River". The city's name origin comes from the fact that Saint Joseph ("São José") is the patron saint of the city, and the "Rio Preto" (Black river) cuts the city lands. A wooden sculpture of Saint Joseph wearing boots belongs to the city cathedral and no one knows for sure where it came from, but it has been in the city since it was a village in the 19th century, part of the city of Araraquara.  People believe that migrants from the state of Minas Gerais brought the sculpture with them in the 19th century, and that is the origin of part of the name. The river was believed black because there was a dense forest in the area, and even though the water was clear, the darkness made the river look black. March 19, Rio Preto's birthday, is Saint Joseph's Day and a holiday in the city.  Between 1906 and 1944, the name was shortened to "Rio Preto" and in 1944 there was a proposal for changing the city's name to "Iboruna" (Black river in Tupi language), but the name returned to the current form.

Geography.

The city is located on the region between the rivers Grande, Paraná and Tietê. The Vegetation is a mixture of "Cerrado" (Grass savanna) with traces of the "Mata Atlântica" (Atlantic Forest). The topography is formed by a slightly undulated relief, with a medium elevation of 489 m (1,604 ft).

Climate.

According to the IBGE, the clime is tropical, characterized by a mild and dry winter and hot, rainy summer.  At the Köppen climate classification, the city is on a tropical savanna climate area, although the annual average temperature is of 23 °C. The annual average precipitation varies between 1,300 and 1,500 mm. In 2008, there were 1,593 mm of rain.

Economy.

São José do Rio Preto is the biggest city of a region with strong agrarian tradition (Northwest of São Paulo). The city concentrates the Commerce and the specialized Service sector of the region. The Tertiary sector is the economic basis of the city. There are about 75 bank branches in the city. Hospitals, clinics, schools, universities, shopping centers (malls) and the commerce in general, attracts people from throughout the region and other parts of Brazil.  Agriculture and livestock (Primary sector) accounts for less than 1% of the GDP, but are relevant in the region. Sugarcane, natural rubber, oranges and maize are the most cultivated.  The Industry is formed by 3 major industrial districts, with the ""Distrito" Dr. Waldemar de Oliveira Verdi" being the biggest, and 13 smaller districts ("mini distritos"). There's a prevalence of small and medium businesses, with diversified production.  The GDP observed in 2009 was R$7,879,048,000.  84.53% of the GDP is generated by the Tertiary sector and 15.19% by the Industry.

Demographics.

The HDI of the city, measured by the UNDP, was 0.834 in 2000, being 0.814 in Income, 0.916 in Education and 0.772 in Life expectancy. The HDI for Brazil was 0.766 in the year 2000. In 2008 there were 38 homicides in the city, making an homicide rate of 9.2/100 thousand inhabitants. The city has 2 districts: Engenheiro Schmitt, with 17,680 inhabitants (2009), and Talhado, with 4,502 inhabitants (2009). São José do Rio Preto has about 360 neighbourhoods.  In 2010, the IBGE accounted 137,233 occupied and permanent households.

Culture.

Rio Preto is an ultra-conservative, sleepy town culturally speaking. Country music is the major musical genre in a city surrounded by cattle farming and sugar cane plantations. Rodeos, farm festivals, caipira culture, and cattle exhibitions are major events in this city. Studies show that an average riopretense reads less than one book annually. Evangelical churches provide cultural frameworks to the population, such as homophobia, racism, and hatred of minorities.  The city does have a major Library, called 'Biblioteca Pública Municipal" "Dr. Fernando Costa", a public institution, and the major theater is the "Teatro Municipal" "Humberto Sinibaldi Neto". There are other theater venues, like the Paulo Moura Theater, located at the old Swift factory, and the SESI Theater. A vegetable oil factory from the 1940s, the "Swift", is a public cultural center since 1983, when it was bought by the city government. In June, 2012, a new theater venue was opened at the "Swift", the "Teatro Municipal" "Paulo Moura", with 954 seats.  Around July of every year, the city holds the "International Theater Festival". Foreign and Brazilian theater groups join the Festival, offering presentations and experimental workshops, both in traditional theater houses, open air stages, and other less traditional performance venues.  Rodeos are popular throughout the region and the surrounding states. Rio Preto has annual festivals and competitions of the genre.  The city has a lively nightlife with many bars and clubs offering different styles of music. One of the most popular hotspots in Rio Preto is the Rock bar "Vila Dionísio", which show cases local acts as well as tribute bands and themed events.  The city hosts annually a LGBT parade, the ""Parada do Orgulho GLSBT de" Rio Preto", gathering thousands of people from the all parts of Brazil. As the city incorporates modern-day values of diversity and social inclusion, the local LGBT community has become more visible and active in the cultural experiences of the city.

Media.

Rio Preto has affiliates of the ultra-conservative corporate media companies Evangelical Rede Record and Pro-business and anti-worker Rede Globo, and is the head office for "Rede Vida" (Life Network), a catholic television network with national presence. The city has a branch of the NET, a cable television operator  There are two daily newspapers in the city, the "Diário da Região" (Region's Diary) and the "Bom Dia" (Good Day).

Urban structure.

Health.

There are 8 hospitals in São José do Rio Preto, with 1.681 beds. The "Hospital de Base", a public institution, is the biggest hospital of the city.

Education.

The city has 36 state schools and 51 private schools, from infant to secondary education, and 153 municipal schools, including pre-kindergarten and an extensive net of K-12 educational experiences (elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.m Rio Preto also has three public universities: a branch of the UNESP, called "Ibilce", the FAMERP, specialized in Medicine, and the FATEC ("Faculdades de Tecnologia do Estado de" São Paulo). The city also has various private universities, such as Unirp, UNIP, Unorp, Unilago.

Urban transport.

Rio Preto has 2 companies of mass urban transportation, the "Circular Santa Luzia" and the "Expresso Itamarati". 300 buses operates daily, throughout the city.

Sports.

There are two professional association football clubs in the city: América-SP and Rio Preto. América-SP usually plays at Teixeirão Stadium, which has a maximum capacity of 32,168 spectators. Rio Preto plays at Rio Pretão Stadium, which has a maximum capacity of 17,000 spectators.  The city has a number of public sport venues, including an arena with a capacity of 6,000 seated spectators, the ""Centro Regional de Eventos"" (Events Regional Center), 24 public football fields, an athletic track and bocce (bocha) courts. There's a wheelchair basketball team in the city, formed by members of the CAD (Friends of Disabled persons Club), competing at national level. The CAD also competes in other disabled sports.

Transportation.

Air.

São José do Rio Preto is served by "Prof. Eribelto Manoel Reino Airport".

São José do Rio Preto () is a municipality ("cidade"/"município") in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is located at the north/northwest portion of the state, 440 km (273 mi) from the city of São Paulo and 700 km (435 mi) from Brasília. With 456,245 inhabitants (IBGE/2018), is the 10th biggest city of the state and the 36th biggest in Brazil.

São José do Rio Preto est une ville importante située dans l'État de São Paulo, au Brésil. La ville compte. Son économie diversifiée et sa bonne qualité de vie l'ont hissé à la


Etymology.

The name of the family is derived from the Greek words; "poma" roughly translates to the English "cover", referring to the fishes' opercula, and "kentron" is Greek for sting. The name refers to the serrations found along the margins of the opercular bones in many members of this family.

Distribution and habitat.

Pomacentrids are found primarily in tropical seas, with a few species occurring in temperate waters (e.g., "Hypsypops rubicundus"). Most species are found on or near coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific (from East Africa to Polynesia). The area from the Philippines to Australia hosts the greatest concentration of species. The remaining species are found in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific. Some species are native to freshwater or brackish estuarine environments.  Most members of the family live in shallow water, from in depth, although some species (e.g., "Chromis abyssus") are found below. Most species are specialists, living in specific parts of the reef, such as sandy lagoons, steep reef slopes, or areas exposed to strong wave action. In general, the coral is used as shelter, and many species can only survive in its presence.  The bottom-dwelling species are territorial, occupying and defending a portion of the reef, often centered on shelter. By keeping away other species of fish, some pomacentrids encourage the growth of thick mats of algae within their territories, leading to the common name farmerfish.

Characteristics.

Pomacentrids have an orbiculate to elongated body shape, which is often laterally compressed. They have interrupted or incomplete lateral lines and they usually have a single nostril on each side (some species of "Chromis" and "Dascyllus" have two on each side). They have small- to medium-sized ctenoid scales. They have one or two rows of teeth, which may be conical or spatulate.  They display a wide range of colors, predominantly bright shades of yellow, red, orange, and blue, although some are a relatively drab brown, black, or grey. The young are often a different, brighter color than adults.  Pomacentrids are omnivorous or herbivorous, feeding on algae, plankton, and small bottom-dwelling crustaceans, depending on their precise habitats. Only a small number of genera, such as "Cheiloprion", eat the coral where they live.  They also engage in symbiotic relationship with cleaner gobies of genus "Elacatinus", allowing the gobies to feed on ectoparasites on their bodies.

Lifecycle.

Before breeding, the males clear an area of algae and invertebrates to create a nest. They engage in ritualised courtship displays, which may consist of rapid bursts of motion, chasing or nipping females, stationary hovering, or wide extension of their fins. After being attracted to the site, the female lays a string of sticky eggs that attach to the substrate. The male swims behind the female as she lays the eggs, and fertilises them externally. Varying by species, brood sizes range from 50 to 1000 eggs.  The male guards the nest for the two to seven days needed for the eggs to hatch. The transparent larvae are long. They go through a pelagic stage, which depending on the species, can last as little as a week or more than a month. When they arrive at a suitable environment, the young settle and adopt their juvenile colors.  In captivity, pomacentrids live up to 18 years, but they probably do not live longer than 10 to 12 years in the wild.

Genera.

About 28 genera in four subfamilies are recognized:

Pomacentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, comprising the damselfishes and clownfishes. This family were formerly placed in the order Perciformes but are now regarded as being "incertae sedis" in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Percomorpha. They are primarily marine, while a few species inhabit freshwater and brackish environments (e.g., "Neopomacentrus aquadulcis", "N. taeniurus", "Pomacentrus taeniometopon", "Stegastes otophorus"). They are noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality. Many are brightly colored, so they are popular in aquaria.

Les pomacentridés (Pomacentridae, du grec "poma" opercule et "kentron" dard) forment une famille de poissons perciformes, comprenant les demoiselles et les poissons-clowns. La plupart vivent en eau salée, mais certains fréquentent les eaux saumâtres. Ils sont remarquables pour leur robuste constitution et territorialité. Ils pratiquent l'hermaphrodisme successif de type protandre. Nombre d'entre eux sont brillamment colorés, ce qui les rend populaires dans les aquariums.