A sundial inscribed carpe diem

Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace (see "Source" section below) that has become an aphorism. It is popularly translated as "seize the day". Carpe literally means "to pick, pluck, pluck off, cull, crop, gather, to eat food, to serve, to want", but Ovid used the word in the sense of, "to enjoy, seize, use, make use of".^[1]

Meaning[link]

In Horace, the phrase is part of the longer Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future", and the ode says that the future is unforeseen, and that instead one should scale back one's hopes to a brief future, and drink one's wine. This phrase is usually understood against Horace's Epicurean background.^[2]

Related expressions[link]

This article's factual accuracy is disputed. Please help to ensure that disputed facts are reliably sourced. See the relevant discussion on the talk page. (January 2012)

Hebrew[link]

The phrase ?אם לא עכשיו, אז מתי "And if not now, Then when?" (Pirkei Avoth 1:14) carpe diem- seize the day/נצל את היום

Other Latin[link]

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, by John William Waterhouse.

An 1898 German postcard, quoting Gaudeamus igitur.

Collige, virgo, rosas [...] ("gather, girl, the roses") appears at the end of the poem De rosis nascentibus^[3] (also called Idyllium de rosis) attributed to Ausonius or Virgil. It encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late; compare Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May from To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.

Nunc est bibendum ("now is the time to drink") from the Odes of Horace: Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus ("Now is the time to drink, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth").

De Brevitate Vitae ("On the Shortness of Life"), often referred to as Gaudeamus igitur, ("Let us rejoice") is a popular academic commercium song, on taking joy in student life, with the knowledge that one will someday die. It is medieval Latin, dating to 1287.

Horace himself parodies the phrase in another of his poems, 'The town mouse and the country mouse'. He uses the phrase carpe viam meaning 'seize the road' to compare the two different attitudes to life of a person (or in this case, a mouse) living in a city and in the countryside.

Related but distinct is the expression memento mori ("remember that you are mortal") which carries some of the same connotation as carpe diem. For Horace, mindfulness of our own mortality is key in making us realize the importance of the moment. "Remember that you are mortal, so seize the day." Over time the phrase memento mori also came to be associated with penitence, as suggested in many vanitas paintings. Today many listeners will take the two phrases as representing almost opposite approaches, with 'carpe diem' urging us to savour life and 'memento mori' urging us to resist its allure. This is not the original sense of the memento mori phrase as used by Horace.

Similarly, ubi sunt – "where are they [now]?" – invokes transience and meditation on death, but is not an exhortation to action. Compare Dead Poets Society, where a trophy case filled with pictures of long-dead boys ("these boys are now fertilizing daffodils") leads to an invocation of carpe diem.

Source[link]

Original usage from Odes 1.11, in Latin and English:

See also[link]

• Tempus fugit

References[link]

External links[link]

• Media related to Carpe diem at Wikimedia Commons
• The Wiktionary entry for carpe diem
• Carpe Diem Artist Community
• Carpe Diem International Education Website

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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

Szymon Wydra
Background information
Born	(1976-03-11) March 11, 1976 (age 36)
Origin	Radom, Poland
Genres	Rock
Occupations	Singer, Songwriter, Poet
Years active	1992 -
Labels	Sony BMG Music

Szymon Wydra [ˈʂɨmɔn ˈvɨdra] (born March 11, 1976 in Radom) is a Polish rock vocalist, poet and finalist on the first edition of Polish Idol. He is also a vocalist of Carpe Diem.^[1]

Career[link]

Wydra's first music band, Nadzieja (Hope), existed for two years and played punk rock. He has been vocalist and leader of his own band, Szymon Wydra & Carpe Diem, since 1992. He took part in a popular Polish TV show Szansa na sukces (Chance for success) in 2001 and achieved respect but was not the winner. He performed again in the same show in February of the following year, singing a song by Ryszard Rynkowski and being chosen by him as the winning participant. On December 13, 2002, his band released their first album, entitled Teraz wiem (Now I know). Their second album, Bezczas was released in 2005.

In August 2007, Wydra was placed among five performers in the semi-final of Polish qualifications for the Sopot Festival. Then he performed with his band the song Gdzie jesteś dziś (Where are you today?) but the group of jurors decided that Poland would be represented by another band, Feel with their song A gdy jest już ciemno.

He strongly criticized illegal downloading of his work from the Internet in one of his most recent interview, going so far as to claim once that it was worse than murder.^{[citation needed]}

Albums[link]

• Teraz wiem (2002)
• Bezczas (2005)
• Remedium (2007)

Private life[link]

Szymon Wydra studies at Higher School of Promotion in Warsaw. His secondary school specialty was mechanics.

References[link]

August Burns Red
August Burns Red in Bonner Springs during 2008's Warped Tour. From left to right: JB Brubaker, Jake Luhrs, Dustin Davidson, Brent Rambler, and Matt Greiner.
Background information
Origin	Manheim, Pennsylvania
Genres	Metalcore
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Solid State, CI, Hassle
Associated acts	Bells
Website	www.augustburnsred.com
Members
Jake Luhrs JB Brubaker Brent Rambler Dustin Davidson Matt Greiner
Past members
Jon Hershey Josh McManness Jordan Tuscan

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band, from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2003, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school, and soon began playing shows around Lancaster, before being signed to CI Records, and afterward, Solid State Records. The group is primarily known for their heavy breakdowns and odd-meter riffs. They cite Between the Buried and Me, Misery Signals and Hopesfall as their main influences.

History[link]

[edit] Formation and Thrill Seeker (2003–2006)

August Burns Red was founded in March 2003 when all the members were attending high school.^[1] The original practice sessions of the band began in drummer, Matt Greiner's old egg house and basement on the Greiner family's farmland. After playing many local shows within Lancaster, they recorded their first EP, titled Looks Fragile After All with label CI Records in 2004.^[2]

Vocalist Jon Hershey eventually quit the band during the same year, which led to Josh McManness to take on the position as lead singer,^[3] and after several months of playing with McManness, August Burns Red signed to Solid State Records in 2005.^[4] Hershey would later go on to form post-rock band Bells.^{[5][better source needed][6][better source needed]} August Burns Red released Thrill Seeker, their first full-length album, on November 8, 2005. In 2006, drummer Matt Greiner was endorsed by Truth Custom Drums following the release of the album.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Messengers (2006–2009)

Vocalist Jake Luhrs joined the band in 2006. He is the band's third and current lead vocalist.

McManness departed from the band in 2006, exhausted by the band's constant touring. He was replaced with Columbia, SC resident, Jake Luhrs during the same year. Bassist Jordan Tuscan also left the band in 2006 for similar reasons as McManness. He was replaced by bassist Dustin Davidson, a friend of the band. The band's second album, Messengers, was released on June 19, 2007. Marking the debut for Luhrs fronting the group, it managed to become the band's breakthrough album, reaching number 81 on the Billboard 200.^[7] The album has sold a total of 108,000 copies as of May 2011.

Throughout 2008, August Burns Red toured with several acts across North America and Europe to promote Messengers. From April to May they toured with As I Lay Dying and Misery Signals across the United States and Canada.^[8] In September and October of that same year, they headlined a tour with A Skylit Drive, Sky Eats Airplane, Greeley Estates, and This or the Apocalypse in the United States.^[9] The band also visited Europe for a month-long headlining tour in November, playing in Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Republic Of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and France.

After this series of tours, the band recorded two covers of popular songs. They recorded an instrumental version of the classic song, "Carol of the Bells" for the X Christmas compilation album, which was featured in trailers for the film, The Spirit, released Christmas Day 2008. They also recorded a cover of "...Baby One More Time" by pop singer Britney Spears for the Punk Goes Pop 2 compilation album, released in March 2009.

On February 24, 2009, the band released an EP, entitled Lost Messengers: The Outtakes. It contains material that is related or was decided not to be included in the final, mastered version of Messengers.^[10] August Burns Reds' first trip to the Middle East took place on March 6, 2009 with the band playing at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival. The band's last tour before their next album release took place in the United States, where they toured with metalcore band All That Remains throughout April and May.^[11]

[edit] Constellations (2009–2011)

To promote their upcoming album, August Burns Red released several new tracks and a music video during June 2009. The tracks Thirty and Seven, Existence, and Ocean of Apathy were all released on the 15th,^[12] 21st, and 29th, respectively. A music video for the song Meddler was also released during this month.^[13] On July 7, a week before the album's release, August Burns Red began streaming the full album on their Myspace profile for a limited time.^[14] August Burns Red released their third full-length album, Constellations, on July 14, 2009. During the week of August 1, 2009, the album charted at spot 24 on the Billboard 200.^[15] Another United States tour was organized with August Burns Red headlining and support from Blessthefall, Enter Shikari, All Shall Perish, and Iwrestledabearonce.^[16] After this tour, the band joined a short tour in Australia with Architects in support of Australian band Parkway Drive.^[17] August Burns Red toured alongside Underoath and Emery in November and December 2009 as well.^[18]

The band released their first live CD/DVD, Home, on September 28, 2010.^[19] The group co-headlined an Alternative Press tour throughout November.^[20] On February 23, 2010, Constellations was nominated for the Dove Award for "Best Rock Album".^[21]

August Burns Red toured Australia and New Zealand in December 2010 on the No Sleep Til Festival. The band played alongside Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Suicide Silence, Megadeth, Descendents, Gwar and many others.

[edit] Leveler (2011–present)

August Burns Red in April 2011

On July 27, 2010, lead guitarist, Brubaker stated that the band would be taking time off tour to write their next record,^[22] On February 12, 2011, the band announced via their official Facebook page that they had completely finished writing their new record and that they would be entering the studio on Valentine's Day.^{[23][better source needed]} which, following into March of the next year, the band announced that the record was finished, and that it was (at that point) time for mixing.^{[23][better source needed]} On the April 5, August Burns Red revealed the name of this upcoming record as Leveler.^[24] On May 16, 2011, the band released the song "Empire" as a preview before its release. They also later premiered three other songs: "Internal Cannon", "Divisions", and "Poor Millionaire", on May 31, June 6, and June 14, respectively.

Leveler was released on June 21, 2011 in two forms; standard and deluxe. The deluxe version of Leveler contains four extra songs, including an acoustic version of the song "Internal Cannon". The album sold particularly well compared to their other releases, with 29,000 of its opening first week-copies being sold in the United States alone. These sales had the record land at position 11 on The Billboard 200 chart.^[25] After the release, August Burns Red took part on the main stage of the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.^[26]

August Burns Red headlined their own Leveler tour on the first quarter of 2012 with Silverstein, Texas in July, I the Breather and Letlive as support acts.

Characteristics and image[link]

Musical style[link]

August Burns Red is generally credited as a metalcore band,^{[27][28][29][30]} and have also been said to share traits of other genres such as progressive metal,^[29][31] and thrash metal.^[32] August Burns Red songs frequently feature technical or odd time signatures and heavy breakdowns, with a variety of influences including Meshuggah, Between the Buried and Me, Poison the Well, Symphony in Peril and Misery Signals.^[1][33]

While the group has stated that they don't mind being classified as metalcore, Brubaker has grown to a distaste in the genre's usual bands: "I feel like anyone who can pick up and play a guitar and learn to play a metalcore riff and any drummer who can learn to play a thrash beat over a breakdown is doing it. It's almost become very formulaic, and metal to me was never a formulaic genre."^[30]

Band name[link]

August Burns Red have been asked of the origin of their band name on many occasions and many different stories given in explanation to where it originated.^[27] The most popular story behind the name is an incident that revolves around the band's original vocalist, Jon Hershey wherein he dated a woman named August who burned his dog Redd alive in his dog house.^[34]

However, it was later revealed in a radio interview that this meaning (along with others) were simply comical stories created by the members and there is no actual meaning behind the band name. Drummer Matt Griener stated in the interview that "we just came up with the name to come up with a name."^[35]

Christian faith[link]

August Burns Red is a Christian band.^[3] JB Brubaker mentioned in an interview with Shout!, an online magazine, that "Christianity is a religion, not a style of music" and he would "rather just let the music speak for itself."^[36] Brent Rambler commented on the fact that "It is important to us that people know that we are indeed Christians...without having us stand up there and ram it down people's throats."^[37]

Members[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: August Burns Red

• Official website

MC Solaar
MC Solaar
Background information
Birth name	Claude M'Barali
Born	(1969-03-05) March 5, 1969 (age 43)
Origin	France, Chad, Senegal
Genres	French hip hop, jazz-rap, pop-rap
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Phonogram, Elektra

MC Solaar (born Claude M'Barali, March 5, 1969) is a francophone hip hop and rap artist. He is one of the most internationally popular and influential French rappers.^[1][2]

MC Solaar is known for his complex lyrics, which rely on word play, lyricism, and inquiry. In the English-speaking world, Solaar was signed by London acid jazz label Talkin' Loud and recorded with British group Urban Species and the late Guru, member of the acclaimed New York duo Gang Starr. He has since released seven studio records and one live album and currently lives with his wife, French actress Chloé Bensemoun, their son Roman and daughter Bonnie.

Biography[link]

Early life and debut[link]

Claude M'Barali was born in Dakar, Senegal to parents of Chadian origin. When he was six months old his parents emigrated to France where they eventually settled in the Paris suburb of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. At age twelve he went to Egypt for nine months where he discovered the Zulu Nation and became fascinated with the rapping styles of Afrika Bambaataa.^[3] Upon his return he began to focus perhaps more on music but still studied enough to pass the baccalauréat. It has been said that his constant support from his mother was one of the reasons that he was able to pass the baccalauréat and still create music. He coined the stage name MC Solaar in his teens from his graffiti tags "SOAR" and "SOLAAR".^[1]

MC Solaar describes his early influences before a London gig in 2011, to radio producer Pete Shevlin.

He studied languages at the Jussieu university campus and was a post-graduate in philosophy.^[1] He released his first single in 1990. MC Solaar went to Paris in the summer of 1991 with his friend Jimmy Jay in hopes of succeeding in the music industry. Success came quickly when his first single, Bouge de là ("Move Out of My Way"), based on a sample from Cymande's song The Message (1973) became a hit in early 1990s. This song was all about brushing people to the side and not having time for them; this is evident in the lyrics, of which an excerpt follows (translated to English):

Directly I went to Lucy's
Who loves dogs, cats and TV pet's shows
She says 'Do you love beasts, you my super MC'
I said 'Yeah, lov'em, with salt and well cooked'
She said 'Move out my way'. ^[4]

Many rappers who came out of Africa at the time spoke a lot about slavery and other topics in order to bring the history of their people into light.^[5] Nevertheless, the song went platinum in France and ascended to number five on the national charts.

[edit] 1991–1997: Early success and Prose Combat breakthrough

After the success of Bouge de là, Solaar went on to support the famous American rap group De La Soul when they performed at the Olympia in Paris in September 1991. At the close of 1991 Solaar released Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo which went on to sell over 400,000 copies in France.^[1] With the success of his début album in France, the French rapper embarked upon extensive tours of Poland and Russia. In December 1992 he performed in twelve countries in West Africa, where his French rap style proved extremely popular with African music fans.^[6]

MC Solaar returned to the studio in 1994, recording the album Prose Combat. It sold 100,000 copies in the first week of its release and became a best seller in 20 other countries. He was rewarded for his efforts when in February 1995 he received an award for Best Male Singer of the Year at the 10th edition of the French "Victoires de la Musique" awards. Also in 1994, MC Solaar appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as Album of the Year by Time.

Solaar went back to the studio in 1997 with longtime friend and producer Jimmy Jay to record his third album, Paradisiaque. The album was another success, which led to an extensive European tour starting on January 9 at the Zénith in Paris. His talents led to international interest from places such as Germany in Europe and all the way to Japan and the United States not long after. He was even included as a guest on American rapper Guru's "Jazzmatazz" project and one of his songs was included in the Tommy Boy rap compilation in the States.^[1]

Early on in MC Solaar's career it was important for him to share the struggles and the different hardships for Black people that migrated to France and tried to make a living. Most of his music was dedicated to enlightening the population of a specific deeper message that connected to him in his life. "...he addresses the conditions under which Black people have migrated to and settled in France. In the piece 'Leve-toi et rap,' he describes his Chadian parents' migration from Senegal to a Parisian suburb, the main stages of his teenage years and how he finally came to discover rap."^[5] In an interview MC Solaar described the feeling of making a song and the thought process while just writing any part of lyrics that go into his music. "I write quickly, because of the music, he tells me. It’s much easier if you have the music, the rhythm, but I am fast. First, I have taken in “everything.” Do you never write before the music? Ah. I used to, he admits. But when I met the music, I changed."^[2]

[edit] 1997–2003: Cinquième As and Mach 6

Solaar's career continued to evolve throughout the late nineties and into the new millennium. He released Cinquième As in 2001 to critical acclaim and Mach 6 in 2003. In the album's third track, "Lève-Toi et Rap", Solaar describes his parents' Chadian emigration as well as his own roots growing up in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and Cairo.^[5] Towards the beginning of the song he says: Puis trip en Egypte, Ecole Française du Caire/ Pour parfaire mon flow et mon vocabulaire/ Là j'ai appris l'humilité, la peur des cartouches/ Pur style de sniper camouflage paw-mouche, which, translated, roughly means he spent time at a French school in Cairo, perfecting his rapping style and learning how to survive a dangerous lifestyle. Critic Dan Gennoe attests to Solaar's "flow et vocabulaire" by noting "the flow of his words is staggering, as are the low-slung grooves that they roll to; deftly vaulting all language barriers." ^[7]

The cover of Cinquieme As depicts Solaar topless, and draws comparisons to captives about to be taken onto a slave ship. However, a look at the inside cover reveals Solaar to be in a wrestler's costume, along with the other men in the picture.^[8] As Veronique Helenon discusses in her article concerning the French hip hop scene, references to Africa and "blackness" are a very important part of Solaar's music. Solaar recognizes and pays tribute to the African presence in France by using boxing and wrestling references. Senegalese boxer Battling Siki is referenced in the album's booklet. Although Siki won the light heavyweight boxing championship in 1922, he still faced racism from journalists.^[5] This image combined with songs concerning colonial oppression and the migration experience from Africa to France show Solaar's "blackness," something that is extremely important in France's hip hop scene. For example, in his song 'Les Colonies', Solaar discusses the similarities between the oppression of Africans by colonialists to the modern day exploitation of "third world" countries. "Cinquième As" includes lyrics in French, English, and Spanish, which represents his ideals that rap should be inclusive of all people.^[2]

[edit] 2004–Present: Chapitre 7 and international acclaim

"Da Vinci Claude", the first single from Solaar's album Chapitre 7, was launched in March 2007. The album was released June 18, 2007. In early 2004, his 2001 song "La Belle et Le Bad Boy" was featured on the final episode of the popular television series Sex and the City. The MTV series "The Hills" featured the song as well. MC Solaar is best known outside of France for his work on Guru's Jazzmatazz project and as a guest rapper on the Missy Elliott track "All N My Grill". Collaboration with Elliot propelled him to higher popularity in the American market. The single "Le Bien, Le Mal" (The Good, The Bad) has been a Hip Hop/Dance crossover hit and has received playtime on MTV, which characterizes his work this way: "His fluid phrasing makes up for his lack of English, and the production on his solo work (by DJ Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of La Funk Mob) surpasses that of most of his hip-hop contemporaries."^[9]

MC Solaar is one of the few French rappers having success in the English-dominated American hip hop culture. Solaar has appeared in many Bollywood movies like Hum Tum. MC Solaar has released a few songs which never appeared on albums, including "Comme dans un film" (falsely known as "John Woo") and "Inch'Allah". He has criticized people for illegal downloading and producing altered versions of his albums Mach 6 and Chapitre 7.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

On December 7, 2003, MC Solaar married Chloé Bensemoun and on May 7, 2004, she gave birth to the couple's first child, Roman.^[6] In 2007, she gave birth to a girl named Bonnie.

Discography[link]

• Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo (1991)
• Prose Combat (1994)
• Paradisiaque (1997)
• MC Solaar (1998)
• Le Tour de la Question (2 CD) (1998)
• Cinquième As (2001)
• Mach 6 (2003)
• Chapitre 7 (2007)
• Magnum 567 (2011)

References and footnotes[link]