LOREENA MCKENNITT: NIGHTS FROM THE ALHAMBRA

Este mes sale a la venta el último trabajo de esta artista canadiense, The olive and the cedar, una colección de sus piezas clásicas más relacionadas con la influencia mediterránea, más una serie de versiones en directo. Desafortunadamente no tenemos nuevo material de esta cantante que durante toda su carrera ha abarcado los más ricos y variados estilos de las músicas del mundo, utlizando instrumentos de múltiples culturas, sobre todo de la mediterránea y la celta, y con su inseparable arpa siempre nos ha ofrecido una música que trasciende lo meramente new age o música para escuchar y relajarse, ya que, sobre todo a raíz de la muerte de su prometido en 1998, Loreena se introdujo de lleno en el estudio de diferentes culturas como la árabe y de diferentes músicas en diversos períodos históricos a lo largo del tiempo, para ofrecer desde entonces una música que amalgama una serie de influencias que iban a otorgar una mayor profundidad y versatilidad a su estilo.

Mientras nos disponemos a escuchar el nuevo álbum de Loreena, os extraigo unos cortes de un concierto que dio en el Palacio de Carlos V de la Alhambra de Granada en 2006, el disco Nights from the Alhambra se publicó en 2007 y es una auténtica gozada, tanto el álbum como el DVD que editaron con él (y también es una gozada poder ver a la chelista Caroline LaVelle acompañándola en su banda). Espectacular...

PERLAS ENCONTRADAS: DAMIEN RICE - VOLCANO

MICHAEL BUBLÉ: IT'S A NEW LIFE FOR ME...AND I'M FEELING GOOD

En los últimos años han proliferado nuevos y grandes artistas en lo referente al jazz, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Madeleine Peyroux, Lizz Wright, Jamie Cullum, sin olvidarnos de Harry Connick Jr., aunque este último lleva algo más de tiempo deleitándonos con su voz. Pero tal vez el canadiense Michael Bublé sea el más afamado y carismático de todos ellos (sobre todo para el gran público), teniendo en cuenta su gran talento y por encima de todo su similitud con algunas otras grandes voces como la de Andy Williams y la de un tal Frank Sinatra.

Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River running free
You know how I feel
Blossom on a tree
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine
You know how I feel
Scent of the pine
You know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me

And I'm feeling good

Letra optimista donde las haya...

PERLAS ENCONTRADAS: LAURYN HILL - WORLD IS A HUSTLE

Of the world
Spun by evil men with lies
Only programmed to agree
With what we see before our eyes
Running after status quo
On a television show
Just a picture perfect life
It’s the only life we know
And this uncomfortable reality
Got me chasing, chasing fallacy
And the pace the pace is killing me
But I so willingly practiced it
Just like it’s my friend
When the whole world is a hustle
Exactly where did we arrive
In this manufactured life
to Sell my soul just to survive (yes)
In the game of numbers
I must thank the Gods of Industry
oh for the opportunity
or I display such loyalty
oh for the way that they exploit me (yes)
Oh to consider life outside of this
Just like a splinter in
My mind persists
But the ministry of fear exists
Only to keep me from knowing the truth
Stealing my youth (oooh)
When the whole world is a hustle
Escape familiarity
Means that I must face the fear in me
And do something with this greed in me
In order to address this need in me
Oh but I must confess
The pride I keep
Protecting as if it’s my friend
Oh, when will it end?
When the whole world is a hustle
To consider life
Outside of this
Just like a splinter in
My mind persists.
But the ministry of fear exists
Only to keep me from knowing the truth.
And it’s my excuse
When the whole world is a hustle
When it is, when it is.
(Instrumental)
Oh to escape this mere analogy
Means I must face the fear in me
And do something with this greed in me
In order to address this need in me
Oh but I must confess
The pride I keep
Protecting as if it’s my friend
Until the bitter end
When the whole of the world is a hustle
Everybodys got it going on (yeah right, yeah right)
Everybodys so damn strong (yeah right, yeah right)
When the whole of the world is a hustle
A hustle (x5)
I must exercise my faith
When the whole world is a hustle

JEFF BUCKLEY: OUR LAST GOODBYE

Nació el 17 de noviembre del 66. Murió el 29 de mayo del 97. Tenía 30 años, era más joven que yo. Y cantaba como los ángeles...

Grace se publicó en 1994, y pocos discos debut han plasmado con tanta fuerza el alma y el carácter de un artista. Como una macabra premonición ante lo que ocurriría 3 años después, es como si Jeff supiera que sólo tenía esa oportunidad para sacar todo lo que tenía por ofrecernos, y en ese disco encontramos 10 pedazos, entre los que está Last Goodbye:

La voz de Jeff se la llevó el río Mississippi cuando preparaba el repertorio del que sería su segundo disco, que se publicó póstumamente en 1998, Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk, y realmente hay algunas canciones en las que parece que nos esté cantando desde otro lugar menos terrenal...

There's no easy answer, none to blame or forgive.
Two cripples dancing to the end we live.
I'm not with you, not of you.
Not with you, not of you.
You are soft and young to me
I am the ghost who comes and goes
And I hope I'll catch you in the throws
Of one last look at the wonder,
One last look at the wonder.
Oh, God, I love you
And all the past we once knew
Some other love becomes you
Whatever else we come to
I know we could be so happy, baby
If we wanted to be
You are soft and young to me
I am the ghost who comes and goes
I'm hoping that I'll catch you in the throws
Of one last look at the joy that we've become.
But there's no easy answer, none to blame or forgive.
We were two cripples dancing, to the bitter end we live.
I'm not with you, but of you.
I'm not with you, but of you.
Oh, God, I loved you
And all the past we once knew
Some other love becomes you
Whatever else it comes to
I know we could be so happy, baby
If we wanted to be
We had a birthplace in common
We had separate beds and lives.
Just sit here and blow....
break out the oldest pictures
and your ruined letters out to dry
We had a birthplace in common
We had separate beds and lives.
I know we could be so happy, baby
If we wanted to be
I know we could be so happy, baby
If we wanted to be
Yeah, oh.

Pues sí, podríamos ser tan felices...si quisiéramos...

CANCIONES PARA EL VERANO: 16. MARILLION - SPLINTERING HEART

There's a hot hard hurt
Burnin' under her skin
And it pricks her like thorns
And it's needles and pins
And it twists in her body
And I know what it is

And I'm paying in pain
But it's the cost of the high
'Till the weight of the secret
And the weight of the lie
Makes my heart want to burst
Feel the ache as time goes by
Getting better and worse
Getting better and worse
And there's a screw that I tighten
As I dream of the kiss
And it twists and it cuts me
And you know what it is?
It's a fragment of love
From a splintering heart
And it tears her apart, yeah
But not as much as this

So you save up your tears
For the moments alone
'Till the splinters you gather
Leave you glass-hard and numb
And the same sun is shining
On the old and the young
On the saints and the sinners
On the weak and the strong

And there's a burning and freezing
And a cross for a kiss
So she learns to stop dreaming
And you know how it is
With these fragments of love
And this splintering heart
With the fragments
And this splintering heart

CANCIONES PARA EL VERANO: 15. B.B. KING & TRACY CHAPMAN - THRILL IS GONE

The thrill is gone,

The thrill is gone away

The thrill is gone, baby

The thrill is gone away

You know you've done me wrong, baby

And you'll be sorry someday

The thrill is gone

It's gone away from me

The thrill is gone, baby

The thrill has gone away from me

Although I'm still livin'

But it's a long way out here

The thrill is gone

Its gone away for good

Oh, the thrill is gone, baby

Its gone away for good

Some day I know I'll be open armed, baby

Just like I know a man should

You know I'm free free now baby,

I'm free from your spell

Well I'm free free free now

I'm free from your spell

And now that it's all over,

All I can do is wish you well

CANCIONES PARA EL VERANO: 14. CRY OF LOVE - PRETTY AS YOU PLEASE

I said "Get it in gear, let me make just one thing clear."
No-one told me, someone sold me.
I said "Colour my mind, 'cause the questions hard to find."
Won't you tell me, don't you sell me.

You got to hold your bullets, baby.
You know I got a right to plead.
You're about a rollin' mover honey,
Living pretty as you please.

Won't you take off that disguise, I can't see it in your eyes.
Where's the shelter, where's the shelter.
Oh! I ain't no disgrace but you can see it in my face,
It's gettin' better, gettin' better now.

You got to hold your bullets, baby.
You know I got a right to plead.
You're about a rollin' mover honey,
Living pretty as you please.

You got to hold your bullets, baby.
You know I got a right to plead.
You're about a rollin' mover honey,
Living pretty as you please.

Yeah-yeah-Hey-Yeah !
I said "Get it in gear." "Get it in gear."
"Get it in gear." "Get it in gear."
You're a rollin' mover honey.
You know I got a right to plead.
Living pretty as you please.
Living pretty as you please, now.
Living pretty as you please.
Living pretty as you please, now.

CANCIONES PARA EL VERANO: 13. CORINNE BAILEY RAE - ENCHANTMENT

I wait for you.

I don't know why.

All I know is I can't hide.

At this temperature you could take over my mind.

Like gossamer

You softly touch.

He draws me in, I'm powerless.

He possesses an enchantment.

Tell me I'm forgiven

He calls

Don't know how I fell under his spell

Lately I've been driven.

He smiles

An enchantment.

I wait for you

I'm mesmerized

This love is like a potion in disguise

I'd tightrope walk with a blindfold on my eyes

I can't escape

Or so it seems

I'd run away

He's in my dreams.

He possesses

An enchantment.

Tell me I'm forgiven

He calls

Don't know how I fell under his spell

Lately I've been driven

He smiles

An enchantment

It's the kind of sleepwalk that never ends.

A type of loan with no dividends.

It's a parlour game where you're given chase.

Guess it could be called an acquired taste.

I know. He knows. He calls. I go.

I know this could be an enchantment.

Why don't you tell me I'm forgiven?

He calls

Don't you know how I fell under his spell.

I'm forgiven

Lately i've been driven.

He smiles and I give in,

An enchantment.

CANCIONES PARA EL VERANO: 12. LIZZ WRIGHT - I'M CONFESSIN'

I'm confessing that I love you

Tell me do you love me too?

I'm confessing that I need you

Honest I do

I need you every moment

In your eyes I read such strange things

But your lips deny they're true

Will your answer really change things

Making me blue

I'm afraid someday you'll leave me

Saying can we still be friends

If you go, you know you'll grieve me

All in life, on you depends

Am I guessing that you love me

Dreamin' dreams of you in vain

I'm confessing that I love you

Over and over again

I'm confessing that I love you

Tell me do you love me too?

I'm confessing that I need you

Honest I do

Oh oh oh

Honest I do

Oh oh oh

I really do