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Shake with cubed ice and strain into an
ice-filled highball glass
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May 14
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David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of influential New Wave band Talking Heads, was born in Scotland on May 14, 1952. A self-described “peculiar young man,” Byrne showed a strong aptitude for music – playing guitar, accordion and violin before he even entered high school. Byrne met Chris Frantz at the Rhode Island School of Design, and the two soon dropped out of school to form a short-lived group called “The Artistics.” After moving to New York, where Frantz and Byrne convinced the former’s girlfriend to learn toplay bass guitar, the Talking Heads were born. Talking Heads had its first gig in 1975, and remained active until 1991. The band is but only one part of Byrne’s considerable musical legacy, however, and he remains active with countless projects and collaborations. He has worked with Brian Eno, Fatboy Slim, and Twyla Tharp, has provided music for AIDS benefit albums and movie soundtracks, and has even had several gallery showings of his visual art. Byrne is truly a virtuoso of post-modern pop culture. Arguably, however, his legacy is strongest in the continued influence of his music. He founded his own world music label, Luaka Bop, whose inaugural release was by none other than Byrne himself, entitled “Rei Momo.” The album was an eclectic mix of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Hispanic and Brazilian sounds, all tinged with Byrne’s trademark oddness. One song, “Make Believe Mambo,” featured a complex, layered beat stacked under Byrne’s raw, soaring lyrics. To celebrate the multitude of Byrne’s musical accomplishments, make yourself a Mambo cocktail and try to remember that a talent like Byrne’s only comes around once in a lifetime. You can catch one of his few acting appearances as the laughing man escort in Lulu on the Bridge (1998). |
Mambo Cocktail
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| Ingredients |
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part vodka 0.5 part De Kuyper Triple Sec 0.25 part Campari |
1 part De Kuyper Apricot Brandy 5 parts orange juice |
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| Instructions |
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