This past week I found out some interesting facts regarding Mexicana/Latina singers I was previously unaware of:
1. The ever popular Mexicana singer Ana Gabriel is of Mexican, Chinese and Japanese descent. I didn’t always appreciate her gritty style of singing but compared to the current crop of pop singers, her vocals are most welcome.
2. Selena would have lived if she had a blood transfusion, a practice banned by her Jehovah’s Witness faith. I had never heard this story before but thanks to Cindylu, I am now acquainted with this most important bit of music history/trivia!
3. Homegirl Sara re-introduced me to a fine bit of music this weekend. According to her and others, Amanda Miguel was considered a feminist for singing this angry song which translates into: He Lied to Me. Damn, she has a fierce style too!
El Me Mintio by Amanda MiguelShe’s Argentinean! I’m so wrong these days.
Maybe all of these facts are common knowledge but I never paid much attention. Much of this music was in the background of my life, familiar but unrecognized. I feel like it’s time I gave it some respect.
My favorite song of the day: Blue Tears by Cryptacize
From the Cryptacize website:
Cryptacize deals in the unforgettable melody, the forsaken chord and the extravagant sentiment. They offer a distinct kind of pleasure; it’s not casual background or ‘lifestyle’ music. Nedelle Torrisi’s surefooted and richly nuanced vocal arabesques, like a modern day Freddie Mercury or Ronnie Spector, strangely complement Chris Cohen’s guitar, maniacally sped-up a la Les Paul or staccato and funny like Roy Smeck or Adolph Jacobs of the Coasters. Michael Carreira’s syncopated drum corps rudiments and pit-orchestra rave-ups propel the songs with a refreshingly buoyant touch that never lapses into rock music cliches.
Tecktonic is a dance movement and scene started in the suburbs of France and has since spread around Europe and Mexico. It combines elements of breakdance, urban hip hip moves and other styles. To me it is very reminiscent of the kind of dancing done at Los Angeles backyard parties in the 80s. I was told by an authority on the subject that this kind of dancing was called pointing.
This group which I think is called Milky Way or perhaps that’s just the style not only dances well but makes some pretty graphically interesting videos. They have many more up but this is my favorite. Just like in any style of dance some folks have a better style than others. My favorites are the second dancer and the last one. Enjoy!
Buraka Som Sistema – Sound of Kuduro
I’m quite sad that I only came across this song and video recently although it was released about a year ago. It means I could have enjoyed it that much sooner. To be honest, despite my scouring of Youtube for various kinds of global dance there is really nothing I’ve seen recently (okay, maybe the Kurdish Halay dancers) that has blown me away like this clip of Angolan breakdancers. Add MIA into the mix and whoa, I’m out of words!
I’m kinda tired of putting things on Facebook so you’ll be seeing lots more video clips here. Let’s start with Guerilla dancers in Japan.
(h/t Neatorama)
If I had a top one hundred song list, this would definitely be on it. Zapp and Roger’s music represents a lot of things to me, some of it related to nostalgia but also a certain positivity that existed in Los Angeles and specifically South Central during the 70s and 80s. Once in awhile I meet folks who were part of this scene and they exude a certain hopefulness, a kind of positive energy that is increasingly rare nowadays. I remember reading about some old school Los Angeles pop lockers who talked about the same thing. KDAY and Bobby Jimmy and the Critters are two examples.
Zapp and Roger were (and still are) so popular among Chicanos (and cholos) that the cancellation of one of their shows caused a riot. During one of the earlier Cinco de Mayo/Fiesta Broadway events the cops shut down a live Zapp and Roger performance when they were surprised by the size of the crowd (LA cops get nervous around large crowds). This sparked off a small disturbance which turned into a riot downtown with people running through the streets going crazy.
A funny related story, during this Fiesta Broadway/Zapp riot a friend of mine and his buddies jumped on girl’s car (their version of flirting), the cops saw and charged them with car jacking. Unbeknownst to him, this was all captured for an episode of COPS as he was later to find out when the people in the neighborhood told him “Hey, I saw you on Cops the other day!”
The recorded version of this song is preferable to the this live one but it’s pretty amazing to see Roger sing with the plastic tube stuck in his mouth. He really seems to be enjoying the performance. As many know, the times turned dark for these brothers and a tragic argument ended both of their lives.
This is the music of my daily life. What I listen to when I have a choice and I’m not at the mercy of the car radio or the bad shuffling IPOD. These are songs that enchant me upon first listening and that I’ve only recently became acquainted with. Perhaps they’ll be forgotten in a few months or worn out after repeated plays but for now, this music is just right.
Parallel Lines by Junior Boys
A song that satisfies an itch I didn’t know I had. I have a weakness for wimpy boy singers. The group is from Canada and gained notoriety for remixing a Manitoba (Caribou) track.
Tonight’s Today by Jack Peñate
Some are referring to this sound as “Indie Tropicana.” Call it what you will, this is an excellent song! Jack Peñate is a London based performer and seems to be selling out all over England according to his myspace page. I don’t think he’s too well known over here. He just needs to wait for KCRW to start playing him. Who knows, maybe they already are? I don’t listen to that station. Nic Hartcourt killed it for me (killed it in the bad way) years ago. I know he’s gone now but it’s still hard to switch back.
London Scene by Twisted Charm
Safe to say, my new favorite indie pop band, previously mentioned here. Lyrics reminiscent of early punk, they are not afraid to criticize or protest accepted habits like TV viewing or scenster-ism.
My Brazilian friend excitedly instant messaged me the link to this song, it’s pretty darn awesome! What does it say? Something about going on tour and not speaking English and lewd references to sexual acts. Love the premise of the video: being smuggled into another country in a shipping container? No problem for Brazilians, they’d make a party of it!
Black Eyes (Le Castle Vania Remix) by Snowden
Do something else besides watch the video while this song is playing. How about dance? This is just one of those songs I can listen to over and over again. There’s not much to it, it just works. I’m not too fond of the original, it’s this mix that makes it special.
So Fine by Telepathe
Yeah, can you get any more hipster than this? I guess I have a thing for girls with wimpy voices too (Mahogany) but I like how the beat in this song breaks in midway. My favorite song by this Brooklyn based band (from where else could they be?) is Chrome’s On It. You can listen to it on their myspace page.
Serio by The Lost Valentinos
There’s something interesting about this song but I’m not sure quite what yet. Los Valentinos are an indie nouveau psych band (what did I used to call this genre?) from Sydney, Australia. I think some of the guys in the video are Latino. I wonder what Latino Australians are like? This video has ‘heaps’ of symbolism.
Glass by Bat For Lashes
Nice!
Fantomes by Joakim
Joakim is a French DJ/musician and has numerous band names attached to the end of his like Joakim and his Ectoplasmic Band or Joakim and the Disco. In this clip he is walking among paper fantomes in Paris. That’s all we are, ghosts. Another great video here, could not decide between the two.
A song scene from the 1983 Greek movie “Rembetiko” by Costas Ferris. More on Rembetika later.
English translation:
When a man is born, a sorrow is born
and when the war gets fierce, blood cannot be counted
(Chorus)
Burn, I burn, spill more oil on the fire…
Drown, I drown, throw me into a deep sea…
Burn, I burn, spill more oil on the fire…
Drown, I drown, throw me into a deep sea…
(Chorus)
I swore to your eyes, which were the Gospel to me
to turn the stab you gave me into laughter
Deep down in hell together, the chain break
and if you pull me by your side, blessed be you
I’m in between novels, hence more frequent posting. I’ve also been spending more time on Youtube researching various musical threads – so much so, that at this point I can probably do a favorite video of the day (I post videos daily on facebook). So what to do? Well, I suppose share them with you all, right?
Back when I was putting together the Music From Everywhere CD, I knew I wanted to include a song from Lata Mangeshker. She is after all, the voice of Bollywood and my first introduction to this music style. Dilbar Dil Se Pyare was the song I chose. The rhythm made me think of camel caravan stretching across the desert. The composers did a good job in conveying the atmosphere of the song because just recently I discovered the song really is about a caravan. And not just any caravan, a Gypsy caravan.
Lata Mangeshkar – Dilbar Dil Se Pyare – Caravan, 1971
While the music is strictly late 60s Bollywood, the dancing seems to be based on traditional Gypsy/nomad dancing from Rajasthan. I particularly like the use of the wheel in the choreography.
Oh Kesario Hazari Gul Ro Phool
The real Banjara-Gypsy dancing is beautifully performed in the much referenced (on this blog, anyways) Romani movie, Latcho Drom.
According to a translation on Youtube, the young Banjara boy is singing about a girl he loved who was so beautiful she was dangerous. “Beware the evil eye” was included in this translation.
It is believed Romani/Gypsy people left northern India about one thousand years ago in successive waves of immigration into Central Asia and Europe performing music and dance during their travels and sometimes were made slaves to perform as royal court musicians.
Another aside, of all the music of the Romani diaspora, it is Flamenco with the twelve beat compas and the rhythm of “Gypsy” Indians that is most closely related. In Flamenco there is a type of song called martinetes, derived from the hammering of metal smiths similar to what is shown at the beginning of the clip.
One of the best features of YouTube, besides the obvious access to clips from around the world, is the comments section. I must admit, ugly sentiments and vile comments can be often be found but more times than not, there are active interesting and informative conversations taking place.
After watching a good chunk of the available Kurdish Halay clips and scouring the commentary for bits of English to further my education on this intriguing dance, I finally decided to ask questions. And I am happy to say, I received answers.
I was told that “semmame” is Kurdish for a small, aromatic melon but it is also a traditional name for Kurdish women. My new YouTube friend also said:
“Another possibility is that in Kurdish tradition, when they love their daughters or young girls, they call them with the names of flowers and fruits. This song is Semmame buka.. buka means little lady.”