What Will They Name After You?
I feel a little like Bob Moog today — or maybe Adolphe Sax. While Googling for one of my articles, I discovered a musical instrument called the Battino:
You play it by whacking a wooden ball with a hammer, causing the ball to tumble across some pegs and strike a bell. "The balls make a pleasing clickety-clack sound as they bounce and roll down the colorful descending wooden bars and ring the little jingle bell at the end," says one seller. "Turn Battino over and baby has fun rolling the balls down the colorful wooden bars."
I was pleased to read elsewhere that "Battino is finished with non-toxic, water-based dyes and fragrant beeswax," making it "the perfect gift for antsy young infants and toddlers."
Or as the manufacturer says, "Great — now I can bang about and make as much noise as I like!"
That definitely sounds like the type of instrument I'd want to be named after me, but at the same time, it's not a very obvious name. According to digital illustrator Allen Battino, whose ancestors came from the same Greek village as mine (we haven't figured out our exact relationship yet), "Battino" means "small tap" in Italian. Supposedly the original Battinos were blacksmiths.
But I'm intrigued by the bigger question: If you could have a toy or a musical instrument named after you, what would it be?
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HI DAVID,
I E-MAILED AND BLOG COMMENTED YOU BECAUSE I FEEL YOU GUYS MUST BE RELATED TO US SOMEHOW. THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS THAT JUST FIT TOGETHER. I WAS THRILLED WHEN MY COUSIN SANDI BROUGHT ALL THIS JANINA INFO TO ME YESTERDAY. MY NONA'S NAME WAS MOLLY CANTOS BATTINO AND MY POPOU'S NAME WAS JESSE. THEY HAD FIVE CHILDREN, REGINA, MY MOM, ESTHER, SANDI'S MOM, STELLA,RACHEL, AND LEON. THE HUSBANDS AND LEON WERE PASHAS WHILE THE GIRLS BELONGED TO THE SISTERHOOD. BOTH SANDI AND I HAVE ATTENDED A DANCE OR TWO FROM THE FLORIDA SEPHARDIC CLUB. SASHA, ENTERTAINED AT MY SON ALAN'S BARMITZVAH MANY YEARS AGO. WE ALL LIVED ON THE EAST SIDE NONA,STELLA, RACHEL, ESTHER, AND LEON ALL LIVED WITH THEIR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN AT 80 DELANCY STREET. WHILE MY MOM. REGINA, DAD JOSEPH, AND BROTHERS, JESSE AND BENNETT, LIVED AT 132 LUDLOW STREET. THE WHOLE FAMILY WOULD SPEND PASSOVER, AND ALL OTHER HOLIDAYS, AT NONA'S FIFTH FLOOR WALK-UP APARTMENT.
I HAVE SUCH GREAT MEMORIES TO SHARE WITH YOU SO PLEASE REPLY..
YOUR NEW COUSIN DEE
These comments were so refreshing to find. My grandparents were from Iaonnina. I'm sure we're related. I lived on Delancey St. a million years ago.
Do you have an Uncle Jesse? Please e-mail me with some info. Thanks
Sandi
sansan119@aol.com
To All the Battino's in this world.[especially those whose families came from Jannina, Greece.
One way or another, we are related. Even if I have met
you,--you are related to me and my family. Our love and prayers are with you.Most of us are Greek Jews and many died in the Holicaust,-- so spread kindness to your fellow man to counter evil. Take care,--be good to your fellow man,--and make a contribution of friendship to all. God Bless
Allen Battino's Father
I would pick the Banjo.Note- I learned to play the Banjo while a counselor at the University Settlement Camp, Beacon, N.Y., [owned by the Settlement House, East Side NYC.[Lived on Broome St., where many Greeks from Janina, Greece settled.
I think it would be one of those complex one-man-band rigs with knee cymbals and a heel triggered rear kick drum. A battery pack and some electronics would bring it into the 21st century... but for now a baby's zylophone will do ;)