> bob brigante wrote: > > today's Washington Post: > At the Hungarian Embassy, Dinner and a Moviemaker
in addition to that Washington Post story, the same news event as covered by rival Washington Times: THE WASHINGTON TIMES Embassy Row Mellow fellow By James Morrison Published January 15, 2007 Hungary's rock 'n' roll ambassador had a hurdy-gurdy weekend, as he hosted '60s pop legend Donovan and American cult film director David Lynch. Ambassador Andras Simonyi, who plays lead guitar in his own diplomatic rock band, promotes popular and classical music and other forms of the arts to further the goals of his government. He has jammed with rock legends such as Tommy Ramone of the Ramones and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, who played with the '70s bands Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. Donovan Philips Leitch, the Scottish singer-songwriter with hits such as "Mellow Yellow" and "Hurdy-Gurdy Man," performed for a stellar Washington audience of diplomats and promoters of the arts. Guests included British Ambassador David Manning; Irish Ambassador Noel Fahey; John Bruton, the European Union's ambassador; Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, a former U.S. ambassador to Finland and current chairwoman of the American Red Cross; and Michael Sonnenreich, former president of the Washington National Opera. Mr. Lynch has directed films such as "Blue Velvet" and "Elephant Man" and the television series "Twin Peaks." > today's Washington Post: > > At the Hungarian Embassy, Dinner and a Moviemaker > > By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts > Wednesday, January 17, 2007; Page C03 > > Who knew official Washington was so eager to find its inner bliss? > Or that it harbored a yearning for gentle '60s folk-rock? > When Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi planned a dinner > for director David Lynch and Scottish singer Donovan -- > both here to lecture at the Kennedy Center > on the benefits of meditation -- he anticipated > an intimate affair. > > "The smaller embassies, you send out 90 invitations, you get 30" > he mused Saturday night, looking out at a seated crowd > so big it had to be moved from his home to the embassy. > "We sent out invitations, and we kept getting 'yes'". > > About 60 guests (including Tony Lake, Zbigniew Brzezinski, > and GWU prez Stephen Trachtenberg listened to the > auteur of dark visions like "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" > explain how transcendental meditation has changed his life > and why it should be taught in schools. > > "We grow in happiness. Creativity starts to flow," said > the surprisingly earnest Lynch (a little like Kyle MacLachlan > as Agent Dale Cooper in Lynch's '90s series "Twin Peaks"). > "You're getting out of bed looking forward to the doing > of the thing. A job that's boring becomes more exciting." > He also threw in mentions of quantum physics, unified fields, > prefrontal cortices and something about "water the root, > and enjoy the fruit." Hey, sounds good. > > Donovan, who has joined Lynch on his TM tour (last week, > Lincoln Center; this week, LA's Kodak Theatre), was praised > by Simonyi for pioneering the kind of rock that "caused > the Iron Curtain to fall." > > The singer, in turn, invited the ambassador -- a guitarist > with D.C. diplomat band Coalition of the Willing -- onstage > to join him for his old hit "Colours." > > You know, the one that goes "Yellow is the color of > my true love's hair"? Except that the second verse, > as delivered by the Hungarian, went something like this: > K ék az ég mikor ébredek / a reggel ha felkelek. > Come on, everyone, sing along!
