Gotye, whose real name is Wouter Debacker and who hails from Bruges, won the award for Record of the Year for his hit single 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. He was handed the trophy by none other than the pop star Prince who exclaimed "I love this song", when he ripped open the envelope with the winner's name.

In all the Belgian singer-songwriter landed three prizes. Gotye's album 'Making Mirrors' got the award for 'best alternative album'. His singing performance on the Single with the New Zealand singer Kimbra earned him the award for 'best duet'.

The idea that music is an aphrodisiac is no more than an urban myth, passed down through the centuries by peddlers of dubious food stuffs they couldn’t shift at market. Take the oyster, it’s nothing more than an overrated bivalve mollusc – and slithery to boot. As for chocolates they soon melt in the mouth and are gone, like gossamer. And that’s what I am on about: these aphrodisiacs have no staying power.

The effects of aphrodisiacal foods are based on the principle of ‘sympathetic magic’ – it has been claimed that the shape of it is key to its so-called source of power, not the substance of it. It has no substance. It’s all smoke and mirrors, reminding us of the rude shapes that forced a nervous giggle in our adolescence. This hocus pocus is no match for the gentle strains of a violin or a piano played by a prodigy.

Although fish and chips might well be some folks’ idea of the perfect meal and a culinary trigger for a romantic evening, it’s entirely natural that on St Valentine’s night couples flock to the corners of candle-lit restaurants to stick their noses in the trough and knock back copious amounts of red wine. But it doesn’t start to get intimate without music playing – albeit softly – in the background. It tugs at the heart strings, plucked by some unknown force, especially when the radio or an orchestra is playing ‘our song’ – somewhat more romantic than ‘oooo, our favourite vegetable curry, lass’.

Offer your Valentine partner all the red wine you like but music has it over a barrel. In Some Like It Hot Jack Lemmon’s character (disguised as Daphne the bull fiddle player) was so affected by the blindfolded orchestra’s performance of a nifty rumba that he agreed to marry his millionaire dancing partner on the spot.

Songs and tunes stick in our heads and in our hearts long after a three-course meal (even with a free grappa on the house) has made its way through the digestive system and been flushed out to sea. Whereas, music can soothe the soul of even the most savage of beasts and excite it in equal measure.

It’s a powerful weapon. In courts of old young ladies and gentlemen were not drawn inexorably towards the portly chef standing at a table heaving with victuals. No, all eyes and ears were on the wandering minstrel, the mysterious troubadour with his fiddle tucked under his chin. There were times when the minstrel had barely struck up the opening chords than some young couple were booking a function room and informing their families that nuptials would have to be announced by the town crier at once.

In more recent times, women have been known to faint on hearing the dulcet tones of a Caruso, a Sinatra or even a Robbie Williams. Frank offered them a chance to come fly with him, Enrico serenaded them with Vesti la giubba (and no, Emma Portier Davis, that is not a pasta you can add to your list of aphrodisiacs) and Robbie... well, he sang while he was winning. Rare are the women who have had to be revived by smelling salts having come face to face with a baked Alaska.

While Rome was burning, Nero did not seek out the nearest canapé, he reached for his lyre and played a tune dedicated to the city he so loved (the fact that he may have set fire to it is neither here nor there). And Chopin did not offer his beloved George Sand a string of Polish sausages but rather took to the ivories and knocked off a sonata.

On a more serious note, in his TV series Alan Yentob investigated the emotional power of music. In one scene Alzheimer’s cases were encouraged to move for the first time in a long time and even dance a little when played or sung music from their past, their feet tapping gently to the kind of memory that just won’t go away.

Do you have an unwanted violin or flute in the attic or cellar? Donate it to the Music Fund and it could be played in an orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. The celebrated conductor and pianist is patron of the Fund, a Brussels-based non-governmental organization which collects donated instruments, cleans and refurbishes them, then ships them to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. There they are allocated to young musicians, both Jewish and Palestinian, and together they can find a common cause: making music.

TRAINING
Each instrument is tagged, so donors can track their instruments and find out who is playing them, where, and what they are playing. Since the Fund started in 2005, more than 700 instruments have been given a new lease of life in either the Middle East, or in other projects in Mozambique and Congo. Instruments have been collected in Brussels, Lisbon and Madrid to date, and campaigns in other capitals are being planned. The Fund also trains technicians in host countries to tune, maintain and repair them, so that each project can become self-reliant.

DIFFICULTIES
Lukas Pairon, the Fund’s director, acknowledges the difficulties of working in such hostile environments. In Gaza, for instance, the music school set up in September 2008 was in ruins by December the same year. But just two months later, it was rebuilt and reopened its doors. “It says a lot about the importance that Gaza’s inhabitants attribute to personal development and to music in particular,” he says.

The power of music to inspire young musicians and their audiences beyond the grim realities of life amid conflict or poverty is what keeps Pairon and his team of volunteers going. Educating musicians and training technicians “creates a capital that can’t be lost, stolen or demolished”, he says. Musicians can play, and teach; technicians too can share their skills.

Even if you don’t have instruments to give, making a financial donation will help repair and ship them, or train technicians.

Belgian beer producers are expected to be hit badly by the new measures proposed by the French Government. The Belgian Senate has asked the government to intervene.

Belgian premier Elio Di Rupo (Francophone socialist) was in Paris on Tuesday for talks with French President François Hollande. Mr Di Rupo raised the issue of the thumping hike in French duty on beer, but got little joy from the French President.

Belgian beer is tremendously popular in France, but the French Government has hatched plans that could inflict a major blow to our exports. The French want to increase duty by 160%. This could mean that a glass of a special ale now costing 6 euros could soon cost 7.50.

Belgian brewers export 60% of their produce. A third of Belgian beer exports go to France.

Belgian brewers are particularly incensed because the hike affects beer but not wine. Belgian Senators say that the French plans are not motivated by health concerns but are aimed at changing the behaviour of French consumers.

This is not the first time that an EU member state attempts to push through a big increase in duty. On previous occasions the EU stopped the hike.

In his conversation with M Hollande the Belgian leader stressed that duty on wine is only being increased by 12%. The French President has taken note of the Belgian position but does not seem minded to intervene: "Other countries are increasing taxes too. We remain vigilant vis-à-vis any tax regulations that Belgium may now introduce."

In honour of the 50th  anniversary of the Rolling Stones, the eBook People have produced a 2,000 page book celebrating the legacy of the band.

“The Rolling Stones 50 years: Views from the inside views from the outside” is a colourful look at the band and its history. It contains numerous contemporary press clippings and comments and gives readers a feel for the atmosphere of the time.

It’s also stocked with images of the band through the years.

The eBook people are offering a free copy of the ebook to the first Together Magazine reader to correctgly answer 5 questions about the Band.

The closing date of the competition is August 1st , so think hard and see if you know the true history of the world famous English rock band.

Send your 5 answers to:

nigel@togethermedia.eu

The first reader to answer all five questions correctly is the winner. 

50th anniversary Rolling Stones competition:

• What year did drummer Charlie Watts join the Rolling Stones?

• Which Stone was the original leader of the band?

• What was the name of the 6th Rolling Stone?

• Which guitarist replaced Brian Jones?

• Who was Bill Perks?

Send your replies by August 1. The first correct entry will receive a free eBook of
The Rolling Stones 50 Years: Views from the Inside, Views from the Outside

Answers to:

nigel@togethermedia.eu

50th anniversary Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts

Mick Jagger in handcuffs

Mick Jagger with Anita Pallenberg

Rolling Stones 50 years on

Rolling Stones the group

Mick with Bianca Jagger

First guitarist Brian Jones