Christof Spörk "Maximo Songs"

Christof Spörk has written many songs. And he can sing a song about what it’s like to live in the most beautiful country of latent dissatisfaction, pardon, in the most dissatisfied country of latent beauty. Others may indulge in homeland or love songs. Spörk, however, has mostly crooned about noise barriers, business parks, or snow cannons. Always in the hope that they might stop marring the land because of his singing. Spörk's songs always love life, even when life is often unloving.

With "Maximo Lieder," the PhD political scientist and proclaimed jazz singer Spörk returns to his roots. In 2001, he founded an Austro-Cuban project called "Maximo Lieder," a musically satirical allusion to the rockstar among strongmen, the – may Karl Marx bless him! – long-deceased "Máximo Líder" Fidel Castro. Back then, even the ORF was convinced that the era of strong leaders and dictators was over. That’s why Karl Moik had to go. Paradise seemed near. But far from it. We are currently experiencing a renaissance of equally "strong" yet intellectually modest men, to whom one would actually be better off not entrusting a dog. Although, most love their dog more than their country anyway. Not only dog owners feel they are in the wrong century. The famous bird, which every eligible voter can call their own, is also dying in many minds. Probably the feed supply is not right. Too much of everything. Too little nutritious. Smartphones may be handier than newspapers. But unlike Homo Sapiens, birds do not like to eat hot air or alternative facts. At least a kernel (of truth) should always be present. With the birds now.

But please don’t worry: "Maximo Lieder" Spörk also has no answers. However, it may pose some right questions. Does world history belong to the species of ruminants? If so, are we, the history-writing humans, more like goats or sheep, as a leading world religion claims? Or: why do we care that kindergarten teachers are good people while we accuse politicians of the same? Why are assholes in male bodies admired for their assertiveness? Yes, why do we allow ourselves to be led around by complete idiots day after day? Are we perhaps on a collective sales trip for AI? And why does a missing "i" turn the most beautiful of all arts, MUSIC, into a spiritually neglected, bitterly poor multimillionaire who believes he must save the world?