Kaleidoscope - music

Spring chaos

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Tue, 08 May 2007 23:20:00 -0400

I'm sorry not to have the time to post lately, but it has been one thing after the other. Have you ever noticed that funny thing in life, you either have nothing to do and are bored to death, or every "special event" happens at the same time?

Next week I'm taking time off, but before that I have students preparing exams, others singing in a local festival and all of them will participate at the little recital that I am organizing for them Saturday afternoon. I think I get more nervous as a teacher than I would as a performer! I'd like everything to go smoothly, but so many things don't depend on me!

At the same time, I am looking around to see if we can find a two-bedroom apartment. I would like to be able to teach in my "music room" rather than the living room as we are doing actually. A balcony or a yard would be a bonus. If we don't find anything better (the price is a big factor too), then I won't mind staying though. Our place is no so bad, I really like my living room window and the trees in front of it.

Tu eres mi religión - Maná

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:05:00 -0400

Una canción de rock latino en castellano, con la traducción en inglés... ¡Para ver si no me olvidé nada del idioma maternal! :P

Tambien, algo interessante, se nota la influencia idolatra que uno puede tener de un "amor"... ¡ ¡ Esperamos en el caso de la canción que esta pasión sea mutual!! jaja

A latin rock song from the band Maná that I like very much. The lyrics are pretty neat, although they illustrate a love that is a bit too idolatrous for my taste (and my faith!). So I made a translation to prove myself that I knew enough of my mother's language ;)

The lead singer and composer, Fher Olvera is the one who wrote Corazón Espinado in Carlos Santana's Supernatural album.

Eres Mi Religión – Maná

Iba caminando por las calles empapadas en olvido,
iba por los parques con fantasmas y con ángeles caídos,
iba sin luz, iba sin sol, iba sin un sentido, iba muriéndome.
Iba volando sobre el mar con las alas rotas.

I was walking by the streets soaked in forgetfulness
I went by the parks with ghosts and fallen angels,
I went without light, went without sun, went dying
I was flying over the sea with broken wings.

Ay, amor, apareciste en mi vida y me curaste las heridas.
Ay, amor, eres mi luna, eres mi sol, eres mi pán de cada día.

Ay love, you appeared in my life and you cured my wounds.
Ay love, you are my moon, you are my sun, you are my bread of every day.

Apareciste con tu luz,
No nunca te vayas, no, no te vayas no.
Eres la gloria de los dos, hasta la muerte.
You appeared with your light,
no, never go away, no, don’t go, no.
Your are the glory of us both, till death.

En un mundo de ilusión, yo estaba desahuciado, estaba abandonado,
vivía sin sentido, pero llegaste tú.

In a world of illusions, I was expelled, I was abandoned
I was living without sense, but you arrived, you.

Ay, amor, tú eres mi religión.
Tu eres luz, tu eres mi sol,
abre el corazón, abre el corazón.
Ay love, you are my religion.
You are light, you are my sun,
it opens the heart, opens the heart.

Hace tanto tiempo corazón, viví en dolor y en el olvido.
Ay, amor, eres mi bendición, mi religión, eres mi sol que cura el frío
Apareciste con tu luz,
No, no, no me abandones, no nunca, mi amor.

For so much time, my heart, I lived in pain and forgetfulness
Ay love, you are my blessing my religion
you are my sun that cures the cold
And you appeared with your light
No, no, no don’t abandon me, no never, my love.

Gloria de los dos, tu eres sol, tu eres mi todo
Todo, tu eres bendición.

Glory of us both you are, you are the sun, you are my whole
all your you are blessing.

En un mundo de ilusión, yo estaba desahuciado, estaba abandonado,
vivía sin sentido, pero llegaste tú.

In a world of illusions, I was expelled, I was abandoned
I was living without sense, but you arrived, you.

Ay, amor, tú eres mi religión.
Tu eres luz, tu eres mi sol,
abre el corazón, abre el corazón.
Ay love, you are my religion.
You are light, you are my sun,
it opens the heart, opens the heart.

Ay, amor, tú eres mi bendición.
Tu eres luz, tu eres mi sol,
abre el corazón, abre, abre el corazón.

Ay love, you are my blessing
you are light, your you are my sun
it opens the heart, opens the heart.

Viviré siempre a tu lado con tu luz,
moriré estando a tu lado, eres gloria y bendición.
Eres tu mi bendición, eres tu mi religión, yeah.
Eres tu mi eternidad y asta eres salvación.

I will always live by your side with your light,
I will die by your side, you are glory and blessing.
You are your my blessing, you are your my religion
your my eternity and even (!) my salvation.

No tenia nada, y hoy te tengo con la gloria,
con la gloria, con la gloria, amor, amor, amor, amor, amor.
Eres tu mi bendición, eres mi luz eres mi sol.

I had nothing and today I have with glory
with the glory with the glory love, love, love
you are my blessing, you are my light, you are my sun.

La Traviata

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:40:00 -0400

L'extrait vidéo suivant m'est parvenu par email d'une "tante" (cousine à mon père) belge, mariée à un suisse, enfants canadiens, et qui habite à Montréal. Elle m'a beaucoup encouragée pendant mes études d'opéra, et sans le savoir peut-être plus que mes parents. En tout cas...

La Traviata de Giuseppe Verdi est un opéra dont le livret à été inspiré par La dame aux camélias d'Alexandre Dumas fils. J'aime bien le compositeur et l'auteur, mais curieusement (?) pas particulièrement l'oeuvre opératique. Pourtant le drame y est, les choeurs aussi (le compositeur a fait un effort pour penser aux choeurs), mais je trouve l'histoire trop "classique": le soprano, héroïne dramatique, doit bien sûr mourir de tuberculose dans les bras de son chéri ténor. Et le mezzo (moi) alors? Et la basse (mon chéri)? Pfff... Pas étonnant qu'on n'ai pas voulu continuer une carrière dans ce monde de snobs! ;)

Siamo zingarelle ("nous sommes bohémiennes") est le choeur des invités déguisés à un party chez Flora, la copine de Violetta.

Verdi - Traviata - Choeur Bohémiennes
Uploaded by Quarouble

Haha! Quelle gracieuseté cette animation, non?!
Pour regarder un "vrai" extrait de l'opéra, c'est par là. :)

Brain Storming

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:50:00 -0400

Beaucoup d'idées et d'indécisions à propos de mon bizness de prof de musique se mélangent dans ma tête.

Hier dans l'apres-midi, je suis allée acheter une partition dans un magasin de musique et j'en ai profité pour donner ma business card à la vendeuse/propriétaire du magasin « au cas où quelqu'un cherche une bonne prof de chant ». Elle m'a demandé combien je charge et quand je lui ai dis mon prix, elle s'est exclamée que ce n'étais pas assez en comparaison de toutes les années de travail et d'études que j'ai… Elle a passé un moment à me bassiner, puis à m'encourager à hausser mes honoraires.

La vérité est que je suis trop compatissante envers ces parents d'élèves, surtout les mères célibataires qui ont tant de difficultés à arriver à la fin du mois. Pourtant leur enfants ont du potentiel musical (je crois que j'ai tendance à voir du potentiel en tout le monde) et il serait dommage de les priver de leçons seulement à cause de l'argent.

Quand j'enseigne à l'école de musique, mes élèves (ou les parents) payent $17.50 pour la demi-heure de cours dont je ne reçois que 50%. Ça fait pas beaucoup, surtout que pour sous n'importe qu'elle excuse du parent/élève, personne n'est obligé de payer quand ils décident de ne pas venir (et moi je reste là à poireauter sans être payée). Néamoins les 50% sont justifiés tant que l'école est organisée et que je n'ai pas besoin de faire la job de secrétaire quand mes élèves sont absents... Bref, quand je me suis décidée à enseigner à la maison, c'était surtout parce que la mère d'une de mes bonnes élève ne pouvait plus se permettre le prix des cours, je l'ai ratrappée au vol en leur proposant un compromit: $20 de l'heure, ce qui est beaucoup moins cher que les écoles, mais un peu plus d'argent pour moi, et en même temps avec une heure je peux l'enseigner plus et mieux qu'avec une demi-heure riquiqui, c'est-à-dire: le chant, la théorie, et un peu de piano (surtout pour pouvoir pratiquer ses exercices de chant à la maison).

Mais $20/heure n'est pas le prix du marché pour des cours de musique en privé. Un prix raisonnable pour un prof qualifié est au moins $30/heure. Malheureusement comme c'est quand même cher, les profs offrent des demi-heures ici... J'aime pas ca, on a le temps de rien faire en demi-heure, juste 2 ou 3 exercices de respiration, une chanson et puis "Bye à la prochaine!".

Alors, j'augmente le prix ou pas? Est-ce-que je peux garder le même bas prix pour les familles qui n'ont pas les moyens, et demander plus aux nouveaux? Si je demande $30/heure c'est moins cher que les écoles avec leur $35/heure, ça reste quand même raisonnable, non?

D'un autre côté, hier j'étais aussi invitée à prendre le lunch avec la mère de deux de mes élèves et ses copines. Je me suis bien amusée parce que pour une fois depuis longtemps je me suis retrouvée au milieu de femmes animées qui parlent fort, me posent des questions, racontent leurs voyages, leurs vies. Le plus drôle est que H (la maman des garçons) est Ethiopienne donc à la peau noire et petite de taille, par contre ses copines sont grandes et blondes d'origines Dutch ou Allemande ! Parmi elles j'étais La brune méditerranéenne !

Pour en revenir à mon dilemme, ces copines-là (super sympa) ont deux enfants chacune qui prennent tous des cours de piano, mais veulent changer de prof pour l'année prochaine... Elles auraient aimé que je me déplace jusqu'à chez elles une journée dans ma semaine (elles habitent dans le même quartier) pour donner des cours à domicile. Malheureusement réalistiquement je me vois pas prendre ma bagnole qui tombe en morceaux pour aller jusque là-bas une fois par semaine. En plus pendant l'hivers se déplacer n'est jamais une partie de plaisir... J'espère qu'elles décideront à venir chez moi!

On m'a aussi demandé de donner des cours de français... Que vais-je faire?

Noticías Populares - Ana Carolina

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:50:00 -0500

Gracias al post de mardevientos que me hizo discubrir otra cantante brasileña, Ana Carolina, con una voz bien grave como me gustan.

Tudo se acaba.
Olha o noticiário!
Água se acaba.
Se acaba a prece do vigário.
E eu quero ser a mendiga suja e descabelada
Dormindo na vertical.
Entender como a vida de alguém
Se acaba antes do final.

Prefiro Lou Reed do Velvet Underground.
Gosto de Silvia Plath, S.Eliot,
Emily Dickinson, Lucinda,
Délia, Manoel de Barros ficam eternos por mim.

Esqueço a crise da Argentina
Quebrando o pau com a menina no sinal
Em castelhano, ê
Eu furo os planos, ê
Eu furo o dedo, mando vê
Examinando, lanho o braço
Aperto o passo. Não sou louca!
É...

Tomei um tiro
No vidro do meu carro
É a pobreza
Tirando o seu sarro
Foi meu dinheiro
Foi meu livro caro
Que façam bom proveito
Da grana que roubaram
Porque eu trabalho
E outro dinheiro eu vou ganhar

Tomei um táxi
O motorista, mexicano,
Veio falando sobre o onze de setembro.
Havia um homem na calçada lendo o "Código Da Vinci"
Ou lia o código da venda?

E na parada havia um peruano
Cheio de badulaques, ô
Vendendo Nike, ô
Vendendo bike, Coca Light, canivete
Aceita cheque pros breguetes.
Notícias do Iraque na Tv da lanchonete.

Notícias populares
Voam pelos ares
E amanhã, meu nêgo, ninguém sabe
Se alguém recua ou se alguém invade
Se alguém tem nome ou se alguém tem fome.
Que façam bom proveito
Do pouco que restar
Se tanta gente vive
Só com o que dá pra aproveitar.

Tudo se acaba.
Olha o noticiário!

Per la prima volta

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 00:10:00 -0500

... In italiano (perche mi incanta la lingua).

Normalmente non ascolto musiche popolare nella radio, ma quando viaggio mi piace sapere quale sono le suoni "normale" della gente dell'altro paese. Allora, prima di viaggiare in Italia giaconoscevo:
- Zucchero (pop)
- Laura Pausini (pop)
- Eros Ramazotti (pop)
- Paolo Conte (jazz)
- Andrea Boccelli (classica/pop)
- Cecilia Bartoli (classica)
- Lucia Valentini Terrani (la mia cantante mezzo-soprano favorita)
... e forse qualcun'altro che sto dimenticando.

Quando stavo in Italia (quatri anni fa!) ci sono due cantanti popolari che ho scoperto: Tiziano Ferro e Francesco Renga. Lo che mi fa molto ridere è che la musica (rap? R&B? Non so la differenzia) come questa di Tiziano, non mi piace in inglese, ma quando è in italiano... è bello. Perché la lingua stessa è melodiosa, e forse anche perché quando ascolto una canzone sua mi raccordo di tutti i miei viaggi tra uno dei più bello paese del mondo ;)

Tiziano Ferro - Le Cose che non dici

Invece, lo stilo di Francesco Renga è più similare del mio gusto "normale", belle parole romantiche (ma lui poteva fare qualcosa di meglio con i sui capelli!).

Francesco Renga - Le Tracce di Te (cliccare per la canzione)

Lapin

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 20:05:00 -0500

Cette semaine nous avons finalement eu notre première neige, mais l'addition du vent nous a fait ressentir les températures négatives encore plus froides (environs -10°C). Par contre aujourd'hui le soleil était au rendez-vous (même si le vent toujour présent), mais plus aucune neige... C'est con, j'aime bien la neige.

Je me suis décidée à avoir un lapin de noël (pour noël et/ou mon anniversaire, on peut faire des économies comme ça). Comme je n'avais pas envie d'attendre, nous y sommes allés aujourd'hui.

Elle est toute petite, tout juste 3 mois, un beau pelage noir et blanc. Je l'ai appelée Lily parce que c'est facile à dire et en plus en anglais c'est le nom d'une fleur (le lys), une de mes élève m'en offre souvent un bouquet. Pour l'instant elle est toute traumatisée la pauvre: elle a plus ses copains autour d'elle, on l'a enlevée, mise dans une boîte en carton toute sombre, secouée comme un sac de patate (elle bougeait tellement sur mes genoux pendant le trajet en voiture!), puis enfin elle s'est retrouvée dans une cage toute propre, toute neuve... Quelles émotions! Quand on l'a laissé gambader dans le séjour et la cuisine, elle nous a déposé quelques souvenirs gros comme des grains de raisins! Gentil!

Maintenant je me renseigne comment faire son éducation ici et là.

Pour finir cet article à thématique "animale", je vous propose une vidéo (j'adore YouTube!) qui m'a fait bien rire hier soir. Le plus drôle c'est que j'ai jamais comprit pourquoi The Lion Sleeps Tonight a été traduit "Le lion est mort ce soir". Il faudrait se mettre d'accord, il est mort ou il dort? Ils sont macabres ces français! haha

The name is...

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 23:10:00 -0500

Can you think of which movie we've been to?

It was classy, chic, lots of money, gadgets, poker games (which I don't know anything about), nice cars (at some point, the agent double-o drives a Ford, like us! The only difference is that our is falling appart, the old thing, whereas his was all shiny high-end expensive jewel!), beautiful sceneries (I want to visit Prague! Go have a swim in the Bahamas! Oooh and Venezia, per favore!).

Morning story

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 22:40:00 -0500

It happened this week.

Every morning I wake up with this program on the radio, which I delightfully listen to during the long process of waking up, having breakfast, check my email, brush my hair, clean my face, get dressed (I have my shower in the evening)...

That morning (I don't remember the day), at about the time I had to go from checking my email to get dressed, the host said "and now we will listen to a composition by the Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla... My Portuguese (uh?) is not very good, but I'll do my best. The title is "Movimientos Tanguisticos Portenos" it's the third movement".

His accent in Spanish was quite good (for an anglo), but why did he say Portuguese? It passed so fast, I thought I heard wrong (you know, early morning, me night owl, eyes not opening very quick...). After the musical extract, though, he talks with one of his host "So, how is your Portuguese?..." Again?! Oh, come on! Don't tell me that someone educated, hosting an eyebrow emission at the national broadcast radio doesn't know that there is only one country in South America that speaks Portuguese, and that is not Argentina, but Brazil (the biggest country down there)!

I couldn't let it pass. I emailed the guy to educate him! (eheh!) He was quite nice and answered me:

"My God, you're right. It's one of those brilliant "I know this so I'm going to say it" moments. (hmm, is that something like you thought you knew but you didn't?) Well, I'm sure you won't be the only one to notice that lovely little moment on the Nation's Broadcaster. We'll have some fun preparing some kind of linguistic geography lesson this time, I'm sure. (That would be a great idea, if you need some help...)

Thanks for not being nearly as nasty as you could have been - " (It pays to be nice, you get some nice answers like that once in a while!)

;)

Aguas de Março - Tom Jobim

noreply@blogspirit.com (Lady Iphigenia) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 13:35:00 -0400

As we are getting a rainy autumn season here in Canada, spring is turning to summer in Argentina. I was chatting earlier on msn with my cousin who asked me "are you cold yet?" and I had to admit that we are getting there (around 5°C today). She told me that my mum is starting to complain because the warm and humid weather is about to start again. Buenos-Aires is very humid all year long, but I particularly dislike the weather when it's hot and humid (as does my mum), it seems I can't breath as well (we are getting humidity here too, but it doesn't last as long).

The first and only time I spent Christmas with my mum's family down there, I had left the glacial temperatures of Montreal (-20°C, plus wind factor) to arrive in the suffocating hot summer temperatures of Buenos-Aires. It struck me that my cousins and family have always known Christmas without snow, always in the middle of summer, whereas me I had lived all my life in seasons diametrically opposed! It was strange (but very joyful) to have parrillas with my family, eat a lot (!) of good food even in such a hot weather (no air conditioning is the norm over there)...

Same thing for the family of my darling who are living in Brazil... We might share the same time zone, but not the same season!

The song that I wanted to post the other day to test my podcast wasn't "A garota de Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema), rather "Aguas de Março" which is also writen by Jobim, but with more absurd lyrics. I like strange things.

About the song: I made a little reseach and according to a survey, it has been declared in 2001 the best Brazilian song ever! Well, all I'm trying to do is extra motivate myself to learn my darling's mother tongue, so when we'll have kids we can teach them to be polyglots like us.

"Which are the best Brazilian songs ever? Seven among the 10 best were composed by Tom Jobim, according to a panel of experts. The big winner: Águas de Março. (...)
If your own personal list included Tom Jobim (1927-1994), you will be glad to know that seven of Jobim’s songs made the ten most cited tunes. Jobim’s "Águas de Março", from 1972, was the champion, but his name was also remembered for "Chega de Saudade" (3rd place, from 1958), "Retrato em Branco e Preto" (6th place, 1968) and "Garota de Ipanema" (7th place, 1963). Jobim was again considered for "Corcovado" (1960) and "Desafinado" (1958, a tie in 9th place) and "Wave (Vou Te Contar)" (1967, 10th place). Tom Jobim had 32 of his songs cited, the most songs any author had mentioned. (...)

Here you have it sang by Elis Regina.

Águas de Março / Waters of March
(Jobim himself re-wrote these lyrics for the English version)

"É pau, é pedra,
é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco,
é um pouco sozinho

It's stick, it's stone
It's the end of the road
It's a rest of stump
It's a little alone

É um caco de vidro,
é a vida, é o sol
É a noite, é a morte,
é o laço, é o anzol

It's a shard of glass
It is life, it's the sun
It is night, it is death
It's the snare, it's the fishhook

É peroba do campo,
é o nó da madeira
Caingá candeia,
é o matita-pereira

It's peroba of the field
It’s the knot in the wood
Lamp caingá tree
It's the matita-pereira tree

É madeira de vento,
tombo da ribanceira
É o mistério profundo,
é o queira ou não queira

It's wind-resistant wood
Falls of the ravine
It's the profound mystery
It's the you wish or you don’t

É o vento ventando,
é o fim da ladeira
É a viga, é o vão,
festa da cumeeira

It's the wind blowing
It's the end of the slope
It's the beam, it's the span
The new roof party

É a chuva chovendo,
é conversa ribeira
Das águas de março,
é o fim da canseira

It's the rain raining
It’s riverbank talk
Of the waters of March
It's the end of the struggle

É o pé, é o chão,
é a marcha estradeira
Passarinho na mão,
pedra de atiradeira

It's the foot, it's the ground
It's the walk on the road
Small bird in the hand
A slingshot stone

É uma ave no céu,
é uma ave no chão
É um regato, é uma fonte,
é um pedaço de pão

It’s a bird in the sky
It’s a bird on the ground
It's a creek, it's a fountain
It's a piece of bread

É o fundo do poço,
é o fim do caminho
No rosto o desgosto,
é um pouco sozinho

It's the bottom of the well
It's the end of the way
In the face the annoyance
It's a little lonely

É um estrepe, é um prego,
é uma ponta, é um ponto
É um pingo pingando,
é uma conta, é um conto

It's a thorn, it's a nail
It's a point, it’s a dot
It's a drop dripping
It's an tally, it’s a tale

É um peixe, é um gesto,
é uma prata brilhando
É a luz da manhã,
é o tijolo chegando

It's a fish, it’s a gesture
It's silver shining
It's the morning’s light
It's the brick arriving

É a lenha, é o dia,
é o fim da picada
É a garrafa de cana,
o estilhaço na estrada

It's the firewood, it's the day
It's the end of the trail
It's the bottle of liquor
Splinter in the road

É o projeto da casa,
é o corpo na cama
É o carro enguiçado,
é a lama, é a lama

It’s the house’s design
It's the body in bed
It's the broken down car
It's the mud, it's the mud

É um passo, é uma ponte,
é um sapo, é uma rã
É um resto de mato,
na luz da manhã

It's a footstep, it's a bridge
It's a toad, it's a frog
It's a rest of brush
In the morning’s light

São as águas de março
fechando o verão
É a promessa de vida
no teu coração

They are the waters of March
Closing the summer
It's the promise of life
In your heart

É uma cobra, é um pau,
é João, é José
É um espinho na mão,
é um corte no pé

It's a snake, it’s a stick
It's John, it's Joseph
It's a thorn in the hand
It's the cut on the foot

São as águas de março
fechando o verão
É a promessa de vida
no teu coração

They are the waters of March
Closing the summer
It's the promise of life
In your heart

É pau, é pedra,
é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco,
é um pouco sozinho

It's stick, it's stone
It's the end of the road
It's a rest of stump
It's a little alone

É um passo, é uma ponte,
é um sapo, é uma rã
É um belo horizonte,
é uma febre terçã

It's a footstep, a bridge
It's a toad, it's a frog
It's a beautiful horizon
It’s a tertian fever

São as águas de março
fechando o verão
É a promessa de vida
no teu coração"

They are the waters of March
Closing the summer
It's the promise of life
In your heart"