Page 29 - aruba today

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 25 sepTember 2018
Latest stunt near Grand Canyon is a Will Smith bungee jump

By FELICIA FONSECA South Rim and “spiraled”
TERRY TANG up and out of the canyon
Associated Press in front of large crowds and
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — At cameras.
the end of the 1991 movie The Grand Canyon is al-
“Thelma & Louise,” the two luring for promotional pur-
leading ladies — fugitives pose because it’s “world-
cornered by authorities in famous, spectacular and
the Grand Canyon — de- scary to most people,”
cide against surrendering Berger said in an email.
and instead drive off a cliff. In 1999 and 2011, Robbie
One of cinema’s most Knievel, the son of stunt
iconic endings wasn’t performer Evel Knievel, and
filmed in the national park Swiss aviator Yves Rossy,
in Arizona, but not for lack respectively, approached
of trying. Grand Canyon National
“We didn’t want to encour- Park with requests to jump
age people coming into part of the canyon and
the canyon doing what soar over it in a jet suit.
was done in the movie, so After being rejected, both
we declined it,” said Mau- men went to the Hualapai
reen Oltrogge, a longtime Tribe, whose reservation
spokeswoman for the na- In this Dec. 13, 2017, file photo, Will Smith arrives at the U.S. premiere of “Bright” in Los Angeles. stretches 100 miles (160 ki-
tional park who retired in Associated Press lometers) along the Grand
2014. The latest planned feat when now-deceased art- down because of their size, Canyon’s west rim. The tribe
Nevertheless, Oltrogge said comes Tuesday, when ac- ist Ron Nicolino collected the impact to tourism and agreed, and both success-
at least two people took tor Will Smith celebrates his thousands of bras that he because they didn’t align fully completed their feats.
their own lives by driving 50th birthday by bungee wanted to string across the with the park’s educational The Hualapai also allowed
over the rim of the Grand jumping from a helicopter. Grand Canyon. The park values. The park also has illusionist Criss Angel in 2010
Canyon after the movie While it’s been billed as a said no. rejected requests for ride- to be shackled and locked
was released, thinking it leap “in the heart of the Grand Canyon spokes- along criminal justice pro- inside a crate that was sus-
was filmed there. Grand Canyon,” it actually woman Kari Cobb said grams, and to launch jet pended over the edge of
The landscape in and will take place over a small- Smith did not approach the engines from rim to rim. the Grand Canyon.
around one of the world’s er gorge on the Navajo Na- park for the bungee jump, Todd Berger, author of The tribe is best-known for
seven natural wonders has tion, a tribe whose reserva- but it wouldn’t be allowed “It Happened at Grand its Grand Canyon Skywalk,
a long history of stunts be- tion borders the east rim of anyway. She said the park Canyon,” says the earliest- a horseshoe-shaped glass
ing staged — or turned the national park. is responsible for protecting known publicized stunt he bridge that juts over the
down. An acrobat, a magi- Getting permission to film its assets. can recall from his research canyon overlooking the
cian and overall daredev- or stage something in the “It’s everything relating of the Grand Canyon was Colorado River. The tribe’s
ils are among those who Grand Canyon means to safety, impacts to visi- an airplane landing near Grand Canyon Resort
have approached Grand meeting a lot of criteria. tors and impacts to the re- Plateau Point in the early Corp. said any event must
Canyon National Park over Among the outrageous sources,” she said. 1920s. Ellsworth Kolb and a be respectful of Hualapai
the years with visions of a proposals the park has Oltrogge said other film- swashbuckling pilot took off culture and consistent with
made-for-TV moment. declined was in the 1990s, ing projects were turned from the plateau below the its brand.q

Billy F. Gibbons feels right at home on blues album

By PABLO GORONDI wielding Diddley collabo- rome” is missing the call- Assisted by the likes of
Associated Press rator Jerome Green. The and-answer background drummer Matt Sorum and
Billy F. Gibbons, “The Big years have added layers vocals which made Did- co-producer Joe Hardy on
Bad Blues” (Concord Re- of feeling and depth to dley’s original so much fun, bass, Gibbons, who now
cords) Gibbons’ gruff vocal regis- but to hear Gibbons sort of uses the middle initial in
Billy F. Gibbons hasn’t ter, often resulting in an in- harmonizing with himself his name, sounds comfort-
strayed far from the blues creasingly symbiotic growl provides its own dose of ex- ably loose on “The Big Bad
but after a 2015 solo debut with his guitar. citement. Blues,” which more than
awash in Afro-Cuban influ- Waters’ loping “Standing The album bids farewell lives up to its name.q
ences, “The Big Bad Blues” Around Crying” features with Diddley’s “Crackin’
is a sort of homecoming in some smoking harmonica Up” and its Latin feel har-
more ways than one — the from James Harman which kens back to “Perfecta-
very ZZ Top-like opening just may cause your own mundo,” Gibbons’ previous
track, “Missin’ Yo’ Kissin,’” eyes to tear up, while one album.
among the record’s best, of the first recordings (by Among the originals, “Hol-
was penned by his wife, Hambone Willie Newbern) lywood 151” stands out for
Gilly Stillwater. of the other Waters track, its nasty guitars, “Second
Gibbons’ own composi- the frantic “Rollin’ and Tum- Line” is a typical Gibbons
tions also make a fine fit blin’,” dates back to 1929 relationship song inspired
with the Chicago blues and has been covered by by a New Orleans brass
tradition represented by everyone from Cream to band tradition and “Let the This cover image released by Concord Records shows “The Big
covers of Muddy Waters, Cyndi Lauper. Left Hand Know” is incred- Bad Blues,” a release by Billy F. Gibbons.
Bo Diddley and maracas- Green’s “Bring It to Je- ibly bottom-heavy.q Associated Press