the hillsides ring with “free the people”
or can i hear the echo from the days of ’39?
with trenches full of poets,
the ragged army, fixing bayonets
to fight the other line...
spanish bombs (joe strummer & mick jones), versión tijuana no!:
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
¡no seas así, mercedes sosa!
ugh. for anyone who hasn't heard, mercedes sosa has scheduled several performances in israel for the end of october. this ignores the palestinian call for boycott, divestment, & sanctions. it also lends her legitimacy to the apartheid israeli state, and rejects an important opportunity for explicit solidarity with the palestinian people.
mercedes sosa is legendary. in the early years of the argentine dictatorship she was defiant, singing songs that celebrated the struggles of workers and students, songs that bravely called out the regime for what it was. the people loved her ardently; the dictatorship banned her from radio & tv. in 1978 she was arrested by soldiers during a performance in la plata, singing about agrarian reform. eventually she was forced out of argentina like many others, only able to return years later when the dictatorship was just about to fall.
i saw her perform in 1995 at zellerbach. i cried when i heard her voice. she was so striking, this round little woman on an almost empty stage, singing about political repression and exile to a room full of exiles. the hall was filled with people from argentina and chile, older than me, who had listened to her music during the dirty war years. longing for their lands and people, they had taken refuge in her singing. the years had passed and now she was singing for them again:
quién dijo que todo está perdido
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
tanta sangre que se llevó el río
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
**
who says all is lost
i come to offer my heart
so much blood carried away by the river
i come to offer my heart
it was beautiful, the camaraderie & cariño in the hall that evening among exiles; and the echo of collective sorrow was like nothing i had ever seen.
now occupied palestine is full of soldiers and checkpoints, mass arrests and political assassination, detention centers and torture. ¿te suena familiar, mercedes? how then not to take the side of the palestinians? how not to loudly oppose the israeli state, the bulldozing of homes, the destruction of families, the blatant theft of land and resources?
i can't listen to her singing now. and i'm reminded of this song, si se calla el cantor (if the singer keeps quiet). it's a song she performs often, written by her compatriota, horacio guarany.
qué ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
no levanta su voz en las tribunas
por el que sufre, por el que no hay
ninguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta
...
que no calle el cantor porque el silencio
cobarde apaña la maldad que oprime
**
what must life be if he who sings
does not raise his voice on the stand
for the one that suffers, for the one
condemned for no reason to go without
...
may the singer not keep quiet because cowardly silence
provides cover for the evil that oppresses
si se calla el cantor, versión horacio guarany & soledad pastorutti:
mercedes sosa is legendary. in the early years of the argentine dictatorship she was defiant, singing songs that celebrated the struggles of workers and students, songs that bravely called out the regime for what it was. the people loved her ardently; the dictatorship banned her from radio & tv. in 1978 she was arrested by soldiers during a performance in la plata, singing about agrarian reform. eventually she was forced out of argentina like many others, only able to return years later when the dictatorship was just about to fall.
i saw her perform in 1995 at zellerbach. i cried when i heard her voice. she was so striking, this round little woman on an almost empty stage, singing about political repression and exile to a room full of exiles. the hall was filled with people from argentina and chile, older than me, who had listened to her music during the dirty war years. longing for their lands and people, they had taken refuge in her singing. the years had passed and now she was singing for them again:
quién dijo que todo está perdido
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
tanta sangre que se llevó el río
yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón
**
who says all is lost
i come to offer my heart
so much blood carried away by the river
i come to offer my heart
it was beautiful, the camaraderie & cariño in the hall that evening among exiles; and the echo of collective sorrow was like nothing i had ever seen.
now occupied palestine is full of soldiers and checkpoints, mass arrests and political assassination, detention centers and torture. ¿te suena familiar, mercedes? how then not to take the side of the palestinians? how not to loudly oppose the israeli state, the bulldozing of homes, the destruction of families, the blatant theft of land and resources?
i can't listen to her singing now. and i'm reminded of this song, si se calla el cantor (if the singer keeps quiet). it's a song she performs often, written by her compatriota, horacio guarany.
qué ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
no levanta su voz en las tribunas
por el que sufre, por el que no hay
ninguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta
...
que no calle el cantor porque el silencio
cobarde apaña la maldad que oprime
**
what must life be if he who sings
does not raise his voice on the stand
for the one that suffers, for the one
condemned for no reason to go without
...
may the singer not keep quiet because cowardly silence
provides cover for the evil that oppresses
si se calla el cantor, versión horacio guarany & soledad pastorutti:
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
¡¿rock en francés?!
jeje, so funny. les sales majestés. so not en español.
but definitely sin fronteras! enjoy...
but definitely sin fronteras! enjoy...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
En el umbral del mundo
Recently I made a mix tape—I mean iTunes playlist—for a friend of mine who was transitioning to a new job. I spent a lot of time combing through my collection to pull together songs that captured everything I thought there was to be reminded of in order to have a healthy transition—how to look back and take lessons without getting stuck, how to look forward without fear. Basically, how to live in the moment, and well, feel excited about the wide-open future.
This is the track list for the CD I eventually made. If you are in need of some inspiration/grounding/good old rockera fun (see Charly García’s “No te sobra una moneda” recorded by Los Enanitos Verdes), I suggest these songs.
Enjoy!
Me Voy Al Mundo - El Barrio (Toda una Decada, Disc 1)
Dormir Soñando - El Gran Silencio (Libres y Locos)
Oleada - Coti Sorokin con Julieta Venegas (there’s also the Julieta-only version on Sí, but I like this one better ‘cuz it has clave.)
El Viento A Favor - Enrique Bunbury (Canciones 1996/2006)
Tren Al Sur - Los Prisioneros (Ni por razón, ni por la fuerza)
No Estuvo Tan Mal - Los Enanitos Verdes (Amores Lejanos)
tengo todo - Café Tacuba (Si No)
¿No Te Sobra Una Moneda? - Los Enanitos Verdes (Guerra Gaucha)
727 - La Gusana Ciega
Hombre Al Agua - Soda Stereo (Canción Animal)
Día Cero - La Ley (Historias e Histeria)
Creo - Los Enanitos Verdes (Big Bang)
Fuera de Mi - La Ley (MTV Unplugged)
Amnesis - Quetzal (Die Cowboy Die)
Que Tengas Suertecita - Enrique Bunbury (El Viaje a Ninguna Parte)
Lucha De Gigantes - Nacha Pop (Amores Perros Soundtrack)
La Gusana Ciega playing "727" last year in Mexicali
This is the track list for the CD I eventually made. If you are in need of some inspiration/grounding/good old rockera fun (see Charly García’s “No te sobra una moneda” recorded by Los Enanitos Verdes), I suggest these songs.
Enjoy!
Me Voy Al Mundo - El Barrio (Toda una Decada, Disc 1)
Dormir Soñando - El Gran Silencio (Libres y Locos)
Oleada - Coti Sorokin con Julieta Venegas (there’s also the Julieta-only version on Sí, but I like this one better ‘cuz it has clave.)
El Viento A Favor - Enrique Bunbury (Canciones 1996/2006)
Tren Al Sur - Los Prisioneros (Ni por razón, ni por la fuerza)
No Estuvo Tan Mal - Los Enanitos Verdes (Amores Lejanos)
tengo todo - Café Tacuba (Si No)
¿No Te Sobra Una Moneda? - Los Enanitos Verdes (Guerra Gaucha)
727 - La Gusana Ciega
Hombre Al Agua - Soda Stereo (Canción Animal)
Día Cero - La Ley (Historias e Histeria)
Creo - Los Enanitos Verdes (Big Bang)
Fuera de Mi - La Ley (MTV Unplugged)
Amnesis - Quetzal (Die Cowboy Die)
Que Tengas Suertecita - Enrique Bunbury (El Viaje a Ninguna Parte)
Lucha De Gigantes - Nacha Pop (Amores Perros Soundtrack)
La Gusana Ciega playing "727" last year in Mexicali
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Julieta Venegas - Unplugged & Uncompromised
OK, we all know that Julieta used to be a rockera and then she went pop. That being established, there are still many reasons to love her, perhaps even more, as now she has been able to pursue her own musical trajectory, part of which I was privileged to share in last Sunday at a free concert in Central Park, NYC. (Incidentally, there should be more free music in the world, more access to art, more public & private monies to pay the artists so the public’s access isn’t so restricted.) As you may know, Julieta recently recorded an MTV Unplugged album, and though I have not yet watched the YouTube videos, I got a taste of her latest project at her concert, as she is now touring the unplugged versions of her songs. Let me start by saying that Julieta had 14, yes, 14, musicians on stage with her playing everything from orchestral strings to brass to keyboard to congas. 
The bass player was even doubling as a tambourine player (the tambourine was played with his foot while he plunked away on an upright bass). What an orchestration! Clearly Julieta’s compositional skills are not lacking. Neither is her musicianship. During the concert Julieta sang, and played guitar, and played piano, and of course, played her sparkly red and black accordion (red and black...how cool is that). Then there were her shoes, low silver pumps that were decorated with little purple lighting bolts to match her purple dress. Needless to say, I was in love.But no concert is complete without it's público, and no city is complete without its Mexicans, which, in New York, are hard to locate if you don’t know where to look. Of course, it wasn’t just the paisas that came out.
I happened to be standing next to a group of rasta-colombianos and some Peruvians. I was also standing next to a Mexican woman and her daughter. The little girl looked about nine years old. She stood there, gripping the front security fence for three hours while we waited for the line-up to start, for the first two acts to do their thing (DJ Bitman & Pastillina Mosh), for the set change to be completed, and then for Julieta to finally come on stage. When Julieta emerged, the little girl was soooo excited. 
She was singing along with the songs, and whenever Julieta walked towards our side of the stage, the little girl reached her arm out, as true fans do, trying to get as close to her beloved idol as possible. It reminded me of the Selena craze, and I thought, isn’t it awesome that this little girl has female star to look up to—an artist who does not allow herself to be sexualized in the gross ways that other female artists often are, a singer/songwriter/musician who came of age in the Tijuana rock scene and who gives her fans a wealth of true talent to admire.Thursday, July 3, 2008
“Ojalá todos los americanos fueran libres…” – Enrique Bunbury calls out capitalism
I just bought the Héroes del Silencio Tour 2007 DVD & CD set and just watched the “behind the scenes” documentary that comes on disc 2. The documentary, which follows the band throughout their 10-stop tour, is not narrated but instead relies on conversations that were captured on tape to tell the story of the tour. There are only two points in the whole DVD where anyone directly speaks to the camera for more than a second. In one of these moments, lead singer Enrique Bunbury, while being driven through the streets of Los Angeles, turns to the camera and says—
“…eso que hablábamos de la libertad. Por ejemplo claro la libertad aquí en este país—este es el gran país de la libertad—es un país en que eres libre a hacer cosas si pagas. Quiere decir que eres libre si tienes dinero…Entonces, ¿hasta qué punto un político Americano puede decir que Estados Unidos es un país libre y Cuba no es un país libre? ¿Hasta qué punto Cuba es un país menos libre si en Cuba tienes unos derechos que aquí no tienes? Pero sin embargo esas libertades de las que tanto hacemos como publicidad ¿no? en los países del primer mundo están condicionadas por el dinero que tienes. En realidad no eres libre. Eres tan libre como lo sea tu cartera, lo grande que sea tu cartera. Ojalá todos los americanos fueran libres para tener una sanidad pública. Ojalá todos los americanos fueran libres para tener que comer, todos los días. Al final con lo que nos encontramos es que realmente ninguno de los sistemas opuestos, el estadounidense o el cubano es—podemos decir que es bueno por naturaleza. Ninguno es fantástico, pero en uno faltan las libertades individuales, pero en otro faltan las libertades colectivas básicas.”
I don't know whether I agree with Enrique's assessment of Cuba's "individual liberties," but his statement about the U.S. capitalist system rings true-- and this from an artist who is not known for making political statements. Neither in his songwriting with Héroes nor as a soloist does Bunbury attempt to raise political consciousness (although he does have a cover of “Hasta siempre, comandante"). So, this 1.5 minutes of footage makes me wonder who made the decision to include this piece. Was it the film editor's or Enrique's call? Whoever it was made the choice knowing that this DVD would sell thousands and thousands of copies all over Latin America, Europe, and yes, the United States. In other words, in a double DVD set full of rock star glamour and nostalgia, this moment stands out as an intentional message to the world.
“…eso que hablábamos de la libertad. Por ejemplo claro la libertad aquí en este país—este es el gran país de la libertad—es un país en que eres libre a hacer cosas si pagas. Quiere decir que eres libre si tienes dinero…Entonces, ¿hasta qué punto un político Americano puede decir que Estados Unidos es un país libre y Cuba no es un país libre? ¿Hasta qué punto Cuba es un país menos libre si en Cuba tienes unos derechos que aquí no tienes? Pero sin embargo esas libertades de las que tanto hacemos como publicidad ¿no? en los países del primer mundo están condicionadas por el dinero que tienes. En realidad no eres libre. Eres tan libre como lo sea tu cartera, lo grande que sea tu cartera. Ojalá todos los americanos fueran libres para tener una sanidad pública. Ojalá todos los americanos fueran libres para tener que comer, todos los días. Al final con lo que nos encontramos es que realmente ninguno de los sistemas opuestos, el estadounidense o el cubano es—podemos decir que es bueno por naturaleza. Ninguno es fantástico, pero en uno faltan las libertades individuales, pero en otro faltan las libertades colectivas básicas.”
I don't know whether I agree with Enrique's assessment of Cuba's "individual liberties," but his statement about the U.S. capitalist system rings true-- and this from an artist who is not known for making political statements. Neither in his songwriting with Héroes nor as a soloist does Bunbury attempt to raise political consciousness (although he does have a cover of “Hasta siempre, comandante"). So, this 1.5 minutes of footage makes me wonder who made the decision to include this piece. Was it the film editor's or Enrique's call? Whoever it was made the choice knowing that this DVD would sell thousands and thousands of copies all over Latin America, Europe, and yes, the United States. In other words, in a double DVD set full of rock star glamour and nostalgia, this moment stands out as an intentional message to the world.
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