Italian TV Program ''Portobello'' (1977-1983)

Portobello was one of the most popular TV program of the italian television. It was broadcasted on RAI 2 channel from 1977 to 1983 (and for a short period also in 1987) and it was hosted by Enzo Tortora, a popular italian TV host and anchorman on national RAI television, who was falsely accused of being a member of the Camorra and drug trafficking. He became an icon of injustice and a reminder of one of the gravest miscarriages of justice of the Italian judiciary system.


The name of the program was ispired by the famous Portobello Road, a street in the Notting Hill district of London famous for its market, known for its second-hand clothes and antiques.

The program was based on the idea of a market where the participants could sell or try to find objects, ideas or other things and the public at home could call them during the live broadcast.

Official guest was a parrot that had the same name of the program, and one of the part of the program was to let one of the guests try to make the parrot say his own name “Portobello”. The only time it succeded was in 1982 thanks to the actress Paola Borboni that wanted the money offered as a prize to help a child burned on the face.

 
link: Rai Educational "La storia siamo noi"

link: Portobello on Wikipedia
link: Portobello Road
link: Enzo Tortora on Wikipedia

 

Portobello theme song.

Portobello theme song.

The parrot Portobello finally said his own name (1982).

Enzo Tortora and Portobello the parrot.

Portobello the parrot.

Enzo Tortora and Portobello the parrot.

Rama and Parrot

Rama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian mythology.

Rama is one of the many popular figures and deities in Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism and Vaishnava religious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia. Most of the details of Rama's life come from the Ramayana, one of the two great epics of India. Born as the eldest son of Kausalya and Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, Rama is referred to within Hinduism as Maryada Purushottama, literally the Perfect Man or Lord of Self-Control or Lord of Virtue. Rama is the husband of Sita, whom Hindus consider to be an avatar of Lakshmi and the embodiment of perfect womanhood.

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama - Rama the incarnation of Vishnu.

link: http://www.harekrsna.com/gallery/pets1-gallery.htm Image of Rama.

Feeding Pomegranates to Suka

In Sanskrit the parrot is also known as suka. When a ripened fruit is cut by the red beaks of such birds, its sweet flavor is enhanced. The Vedic fruit which is mature and ripe in knowledge is spoken through the lips of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, who is compared to the parrot not for his ability to recite the Bhagavatam exactly as he heard it from his learned father, but for his ability to present the work in a manner that would appeal to all classes of men.

link: http://www.harekrsna.com/

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Auka - Śuka was the son of the sage Vyasa (credited as the author of the Vedas and Puranas) and the main narrator of the Bhagavata Purana.

Feeding Pomegranates to Suka

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was actually the dear parrot of Srimati Radhika – Sriyah Suka. Sriyah means ‘of Radhika’. One day, Srimati Radhika was feeding pomegranates to that parrot. She placed him on Her hand and told him, “O Suka, say ‘Krsna, Krsna, Krsna.’” The parrot repeated, in the same very sweet and melodious tune and voice as Srimati Radhika's: “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna”.

The parrot then flew away from Her and went to Krsna’s home in Nandagaon, which was situated nearby. There, Krsna was sitting with Madhu-mangala and they were talking about something. The green parrot sat on the branch of a tree that was fully laden with dark green leaves and began to speak like Srimati Radhika: “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna.” Krsna asked, “Where is the sound coming from? No one is here!”

He then saw that a very beautiful parrot was sitting on the tree. He very sweetly called to the parrot, “Come on, come on,” and the parrot at once came to sit on His hand.

Krsna asked him, “What are you saying again and again?”

The parrot said, “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,” and added, “I am very, very unlucky. My Svamini (mistress) is Srimati Radhika. She held me on Her hand and gave me pomegranates, and She told me to repeat ‘Krsna, Krsna.’ She is very merciful. She loves me so much. Unfortunately, however, because I have the nature of a bird, I flew from there and I have come here.”

When Krsna heard this, He began to caress the parrot. He said, “Speak again.”
In the meantime, Lalita and Visakha arrived. They said, “O Krsna, this parrot belongs to Srimati Radhika. She cannot live without him. Please give him to us.”

Krsna replied, “You can call him, and if he comes to you, you can take him.”

They began to call the parrot, but he did not come. They told Krsna, “If any living entity comes to You, he will get Your affection and never go anywhere else. If Srimati Radhika comes and calls him, only then will he come; otherwise not.

“Without this parrot, my sakhi Radhika will not be able to remain alive. She is very upset.”

Krsna replied, “I will not give him to you. If he personally wants to go, he can go.”

Then Lalita and Visakha, who were very intelligent, went to Mother Yasoda and said, “Srimati Radhika’s parrot has come here. Our sakhi is very upset. Please take the bird and give him to us so that we can return him to Her.”

Mother Yasoda immediately said, “Sit here and wait, I will come back very soon.” She went to the place where Krsna was playing with the bird and said, “What nonsense are you doing? You are always playing with birds and animals. Come with me.” She took hold of Krsna’s hand and began to take Him home. “Your father is sitting and waiting for You to take bath and prasadam. You should go at once.”

link: http://dharmakshetrasblog.blogspot.com/
link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radha - Radha, the main companion of Krishna.

Radha and Suka

Radha and Suka

Radha and Suka

Krishna holding Suka

Kāmadeva deity of love

The parrot in Hindu mythology is associated with Kama, the god of love. The reason for this could be its green feathers and red beak which associates it with fertility. Red beak represents the red earth before the rain and the green feathers represent the green earth after the rains. Red represents unfulfilled desire, full of yearning, while green represents fulfilled desire, full of joy.

Kāmadeva (Sanskrit: कामदेव) is the Hindu deity of love.

In the Puranas, Kama is the king and lord of the apsarases. He is pictured armed with a bow and arrows: the bow is often represented to be of sugar cane, the bowstring a line of bees, and each arrow is tipped with a distinct flower which is devoted to, and supposed to preside over, one of the senses. He is also often represented as a handsome youth riding on a parrot and attended by nymphs, one of whom bears his banner displaying the Makara, or a fish on a red background.

link: Kamadeva on Wikipedia

link: http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/kamadeva.html

link: The parrot in Indian mythology and folktales