Music

If Music be the food of Love, play on.

William Shakespeare 

The Man and Woman combine

 The most creative songs that I have heard are the ones where the genius of a man’s song mixes with that of a woman. The duets. They just sound different than any song which is just the man or woman. The purity of each it lacks the magic of companionship. It’s like vanilla ice cream, or a sundae. The blend makes it so much better. 

Try Diana Krall and Vince Bendetti - My Love

Try James Bay and Julia Michael - Peer Pressure 

Try Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand 

And dont get me wrong. Each voice is complete by itself. The duets are more whole. Try it, and tell me 

Love

At 56, Madonna is still such a performer. I have grown up listening to her sounds,  and watching her pictures in magazines. And at the 57th Grammy awards, recently, she showed up again, in her red bustier, and grooving to her own song "Living for Love". EDM is now Every Day Madonna !

I got hooked to it from the time I heard it. Then I realised that there is already is a full album with eight songs remixing this single. It is just amazing, the effect she still has on the music world !

Here is the original song - Living for Love; and then there are these remixes that really mixed well with me - here, there and everywhere. Go running with them today; I will not be joining you, but you can always come back and thank me. She will give beat to you feet !

"Living for Love, I am not going to stop, 'cause love's gonna lift me up " - Madonna wants to start a revolution called love - are you going to just sit and watch ?

Don't be a wuss. 

PS: When you go Living for Love, its amazing how many songs have been written and sung with the same title. But here are some that tried on -  right here , right there

Montevideo

Did you know what place is that, in the title of this post?

For those, like me, who dreamed through the geogrpahy lessons, this the capital of Uruguay. Made famous by the Economist in 2013 by coronating it the 

country of the year.  If you wondered that it would be about some serious inflation or GDP like things, sit up and hear this. It was titled the country of the year becuased it legalized Cannabis ! The magazine said that it uplifted the "sum of human happiness at no financial cost", and in one  single simple swoosh. By the way, legalising gay marriage is the other. 

I was reminded of this when I read this article in another news paper today. Read 

here, if you like.

Uruguay with 3.3mn people is being referred to as the "Switzerland of the Americas". Its President (Jose Mujica) lives like a commoner and drives an old VW bug 1987 model car. Apparently he is the coolest President in the whole of Latin America. He once said " To live you need freedom, and to have freedom you need time." 

I pondered. With a population that lives that well, its music must breed this freedom and time. The Spanish influences are felt across, but when I got exploring, I did discovered plentiful. Here are some samples. Explore more if you like them, but dont say you dont get the lyrics. It wouldnt matter, if you give yourself up to the music. Which you should anyway do !

La Marcha Tropical, by a band called  Campo

Cuando Pase el Temblor, and Chau by a very popular band called No Te Va Gustar (meaning "you wouldn't like it")

And a passing piece of trivia - Murga in Uruguayan land, is a kind of music.

Run-away

Men and women of my city ran today. The spirit of the annual marathon rising higher. Short shorts, long strides and sweating on a wintry morning.

I waved at them, in my fleece jacket and jeans. Some I knew, most I didn't.

Remarkable. 

We runners are all dancers, dancing in the rythm of the heartbeat. Step after step, trot after trot, arms moving, head shaking.

I will find my rythm. Soon

Happy 1st January 2015

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. 

I wish that everyday for you is filled with brighter, happier notes. So let's start with making the 1st of January 2015 a specially wonderful day. Wake up next day and start again. 

Now you have to repeat this only 364 times more. Good luck !

Be Still

The path to greater quiet will reveal itself as you empty your cup. Who said that ? Me.

The Economist magazine in its Christmas special this year, carries many articles of interest. But there is one that stands out for its simplicity, and a powerful message - the pandemic of Time Poverty. We need more time, not for things, but for ourselves.

Read it here. And think about it. Make a difference in your life. Someone told me that there are 365 opportunities next year !

And while you read, try this "Cello Song". It will remind you, how much can simple sounds uplift you !

I love this song by Eagles. It has a way to remind you. "Learn to be Still"

Silences

Speaking of silences, I recently discovered the utmost melody in silences, in a song by my favourite singer Papon's rendition of "Kaun Mera". This is an unplugged version from the OST of the movie Special 26. Papon is wonderfully gifted, right amount of soul, in rock. But more on him in another edition.

The trick here is simple - listen to the song, when you are loyal to listening. Not multitasking. And the god-is-in-the-detail will show its truth, even if you're a non-believer. Then lyrics are great, but what upends them is the part where there are no words. Small instruments play in the background of an acoustic shower. It will space out your hurried mind. 

See how many instruments you can identify !

Revival

Not forgotten, just a brief interlude of silence, which everyone in love with something or somone must endure, sometime. It makes the bond stronger, it makes the heart lighter.

I endured mine. I am ready for a ride again !

Which tells me - there is nothing called unrequited love. It either overpowers or it just simply eventually vanquishes. 

Here is a track that I feel the revival of this music collective should be marked with. It's an original soundtrack of a movie which is a testimony of the overpowering love in passion - Fifty Shades of Grey. I don't know how the movie will be, but his song has all my votes. It is called "Haunted" and the beats will truly haunt you, as will the voice of the lead singer. It is a rather unknown band from London, called the Heart Strings. You don't have to look for them. 

But try this, and came back to love !

PS : this is also sung by Beyonce, equally haunting.

Veri Perri

"To thine own self be true" says the tatoo on the right arm of Christina Perri. 

I find such melody in her voice, it is just unfair for her work to be classified as "Pop". Follow the tattoo preach ? 

Actually she does. Her song in the OST of the movie "Twilight - Breaking Dawn" is just the right concoction for both vampires and werewolves ! Sample it -  A Thousand Years

But there is more. She released an album this year titled "Lovestrong", which is stretched with many generes, starting with…ummm…"pop", but many songs don't quite pop out ! Trailing end of the album surrenders itself to a fair bit of melancholy-on-guitar. Some name taggers call her music "post-relationship"!

Here is a mini list of very likable ones, even while you're in a relationship.

1. Jar of Hearts
2. Arms
3. Distance (with the awesome Jason Mraz)

If her smile intrigues, her looks credit-roll to an Italian father and a Polish mother. Prior to breaking into music charts, Christina waited tables at an LA cafe during the day, writing and recording during the night. 

Take a moment to listen to the music. And don't forget to sip the coffee. Both are crafted in real fine hands !

Maiden

Music and Marathons !

There is nothing more rewarding than running in the rain. The human identity is lost quicker. The runner becomes the run, and soon, the run becomes the rain. Feet falling on the ground, not hitting, just dropping like rain. You should try it some time. 

Yes, I run. Not away from things, but into things. Things that make life happen ! And I run into a lot of music, not by profession, but by curiosity. Discovery of a new sound or a new voice, to me, is like seeing an extraordinary sight of nature. You cant own it, but you want to capture it in a camera, and share with people.

My maiden post is a declaration - whatever I find interesting, will find a way into this blog. If you know that music, add to it. If you dont, try it. All links pursue a legitimate purchase. 

So, here is to New Music ! 

Come, play along.