{"id":24866,"date":"2022-09-26T10:00:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T14:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=24866"},"modified":"2023-01-05T20:52:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T01:52:16","slug":"freddie-the-doors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=24866","title":{"rendered":"Freddie & The Doors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Linda Lou Burton posting from Zanzibar Serena Hotel, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania \u2013 \"\"<\/a><\/em>Is this going to be a post about rock stars? Well yes, and no. Those of a certain generation might think \u201crock stars\u201d when you see The Doors<\/em>; likewise when you see the name Freddie<\/em>. Freddie Mercury. Queen. The Doors. They were the noise of the 60s, and onward; controversial and influential, changing music and leaving behind songs that stick with us to this day. And they were flamboyant! So it was a bit of a surprise to realize our hotel was just around the corner from the Freddie Mercury museum in Stone Town, Zanzibar, a city steeped in traditions that go back to Medieval times. Freddie didn\u2019t BECOME a rock star in this setting, but he was BORN in Stone Town on September 5, 1946, as Farrokh Bulsara to \"\"<\/a>Indian-born parents Bomi and Jer Bulsara. Bomi was a cashier at the British Colonial Office in Stone Town; Zanzibar was a British Protectorate at the time. Farrokh spent most of his school years in India, coming back to Zanzibar in 1963 to be with his parents; but in spring of 1964 the family fled to England to escape the violence of the revolution against the Sultan of Zanzibar and the mainly Arab government. Farrokh changed his name to Freddie Mercury in England and you know the rest of that story. (Or not.) The Museum was opened in Zanzibar November 24, 2019, commemorating the 28th anniversary of Freddie\u2019s death.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can walk there together later on our own,\u201d we agreed this morning as Rick headed out to begin his organized City Walking Tour. Well, we didn\u2019t. But Rick walked past<\/em> it on his tour, and I rode<\/em> past it in the tour van later. Ha! At least we both saw the beautiful DOOR out front.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NOW TO THE DOORS:<\/strong> Zanzibar is FAMOUS for its DOORS! As it should be; they are elegant, intricate, beautiful, and long-lasting bits of \u201chistory we like to look at.\u201d Fortunately, craftsmen and artists and entrepreneurs will make one for you in this day and time, for a price of course. Rick and I were just intent on looking AT them today, and thinking about events that took place on either side of them. What stories they could tell! The buildings in Stone Town are old; the streets and alleyways are narrow and crowded. We both took photos; of doors surrounded by people, cats, cars, life in a hurry or life over a cup of coffee. I give you a few descriptive bits (don\u2019t get bored) about the meaning of the designs, see what you can pick out on the photos of the doors we saw. How old would you guess each door to be? Consider this:<\/p>\n