Soundtrack - Good stuff

Because it's been ages since I've done one of these.

Here are the old(ish) songs I still think kick:


Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze

I can't understand most of it, but I love it. Also, I watched this video incessantly one summer when I was in Puerto Rico. I think I was eleven.


"Under the Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Even at ten I knew this song was amazing. A.May.Zing.

"You'll Think of Me" by Keith Urban

Not old enough to be a classic, but not new enough to be cool. Of course, it is country so cool is debatable. In my world, it's cool.

"Inevitable" by Shakira

This is the Shaki I fell in love with. Yeah, yeah, she sings in English now, but this stuff was so fabulous.

"Octavo día" by Shakira

I mean, as long as we're talking about her....

"Querida" by Juan Gabriel

This is the sound of family dinners at my house circa 1988.

"Crossroads" by Bone Thugs and Harmony

This was absolutely NOT played at dinner at my house, but it's still a good song.

"Unpretty" by TLC

I still need this song to get me through those ugly days.

"Waterfalls" by TLC

Gosh these girls were so great!

"Ordinary People" by John Legend

I love him. That is all.

"Burbujas de amor" by Juan Luis Guerra

This man is a poet.

"Maldita Suerte" by Víctor Manuelle and Sin Bandera

Another one that's in that in between - not old enough and not new enough.

"Good Life" by Kanye West

This song still makes me happy.

"No te veo" by Casa de Leones

Listen to this and TRY not to dance.

"Collide" by Howie Day

I don't know what it is, I just love this song.

Songs that make me feel pretty

Forget María's catchy little ditty from West Side Story. These are the songs that make me feel better about myself when I'm feeling less than gorgeous or when I'm just in a funk.

1. "Unpretty" by TLC

About finding that inner strength when you're hit with the idea that you're less than the ideal. The actual video (linked in title) is stellar.

2. "Yo no soy esa mujer" by Paulina Rubio

Have I ever mentioned the fact that I was on the same plane as La Chica Dorada when I flew back from Chile to Miami? Because I walked right past her and thought, "Dang that's an ugly coat! But she looks kinda familiar...." It wasn't until we'd all gotten through customs that I realized who she was. Anyway, this song. "Yo no soy esa mujer que no sale de casa...." A song for the tough girl refusing to be relegated to a life of domesticity - read, me.

3. "Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige

"I like what I see when I'm looking at me when I'm walking past the mirror." Always classy and confident. Love! (Click title for the full song)

4. "Video" by India Arie

It's a classic. &heart

5. "Señora de las cuatro décadas" by Ricardo Arjona

Because no one does sexy imperfections in a song like Arjona. Another classic.

6. "Superwoman" by Alicia Keys

It's a no brainer, really. I remember having this one on repeat while I willed myself to believe it during a particularly rough period, not going to lie.

7. "Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews

Love it!

8. "Piel canela" by La Sonora Matancera and Bobby Capó

Let's hear it for this cinnamon skin! Also, it's hard to feel bad while listening to cha-cha-cha.

9. "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield

Cheesy Europop? Check. Clichés galore? Check. Catchiness? Double check. And I love it unabashedly.

10. "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley

Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright.

Mine

Yesterday I went to the gym and put in a good, long workout. I've recently joined a gym for the first time ever because (a) I'm getting married in December and want my arms to look SICK (b) my current housing situation is not conducive to at home workouts, and (c) I can actually afford it. I've only been going about three times a week, but as I was trying on clothes yesterday after my wonderful workout, I looked in the mirror and thought, my body is mine again. I don't know exactly why that popped in my head the way it did, but it made sense. There was a familiarity in the soreness of muscle, in the reemerging definition, in the increasing flatness of my abs, that I'd missed during the year of sporadic workouts that was grad school. My body feels like it's MINE again, like I OWN it and care for it and love it again. It felt good, feels good. Which is not to say that I am one hundred percent happy with the way I'm shaped and the way I carry my weight and what have you, but I'm closer to that satisfaction again.

On a different note - my car window was smashed today while I was at church. $3 in quarters were taken and they looked around the center console for more goodies (there were none there). I'm glad that the repairs will cost nearly $300 for the $3 theft. *sigh*

And to end this with a happier story:
We sang this song at church this morning. My mom used to sing it to wake us up when my sister and I were kids, and I hated it then because my sister loved it and my mom has the kind of singing voice that I have: a not in public kind of voice. But it's grown on me over the years, and today when we sang it I thought of my mom singing the song that she'd learned at a Christian high school to her daughters back when we were oh-so-Catholic. I thought of the way God's worked in our lives, I thought of the love I have for my mamita and my sister (who's made me an auntie, by the way!) and I missed my family so much. But singing that, it was like I was connected to them for just a moment.

Possibilities

So it's been ages.
Here's the deal:
1. I'm engaged.
2. Wedding's in December in PR - we used the trip to get some of the big stuff taken care of. Wedding coordinator has been hired, praise the Lord!
3. We're both looking for jobs. Praying, praying, praying.
4. Yes, there are a gazillion wedding plans in my head.

That said, one of my favorite things ever is to make lists of songs that would be great first dance songs. Some are traditional, others not so much, some I'd never choose, some I'd choose if I could... Anyway, as long as I've got weddings on the brain, I figured I'd make a list of possible songs.

1. "Is This Love?" by Bob Marley

Because it's still the song that I most love for a first dance. I remember listening to it a lot while I was in Costa Rica and thinking, "This is so the song I want to dance to at my wedding."


2. "Forever" by Ben Harper

Ideal for non-dancers with its insanely slow tempo - all you have to do is sway. Plus, how sweet and sexy is it? And the lyrics! Lines like: "I won't let my forever roam" and "Give me your forever...not a day less will do" make me love this one.

3. "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds

Stinkin' adorable. That is all.

4. "Bendita la luz" by Maná

I can't even count how many times I've mentioned this song on this blog, and I still love, love, love it. Such a blessing to find those people at just the right time in just the right place. Bendita la luz, indeed.

5. "Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban

Much more on the traditional side. Much more mushy than most of the songs I'd have chosen for myself, but still, I love it because I have an unabashed love for cheesy country songs. There. I said it.

6. "Cosa más bella" or "Più Bella Cosa" by Eros Ramazzotti

I remember listening to this song when I was, like, fourteen, on this Spanish channel (as in, from Spain) and falling in love with both Eros Ramazzotti and this song. I remember how I just LOVED the line that says "Gracias por existir"; it kinda blew my mind then and still does.

7. "Hard to Concentrate" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Because they're one of the few musical acts that I've loved since I was ten and because, hello, the love! Different, but still totally appropriate.

7. "Come Close" by Common

Because Common is a smart rapper, because it's romantic, because I love the idea of pulling out a little hip hop for a first dance.

8. "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" by Lauryn Hill

Classic with a twist.

10. "Amor de conuco" by Juan Luis Guerra

*Sigh* Honestly, what I most want is to walk down the aisle to this lovely little song. "Na' me tienes que ofrecer, tu mirada es lo único que quiero...." Off the charts, this one.

11. "Almas gemelas" by Gilberto Santa Rosa

How fun would it be to do a little salsa number as the first dance? And I love how it captures the idea of sharing and growing together that marriage is all about.

12. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley
Love, love, love! The sweetness! The sexy!

13. "En tus púpilas" by Shakira

I'm so glad she's been writing more songs about love that survives, because, at least in Spanish, I think she's got a great way of saying things.

14. "Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)" by John Legend

Because I can't have a list without Mr. Legend. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite of his songs. The love!

15. "Solamente" by Fiel a la Vega

"Encontrarte es una historia que hoy deberían publicar" is just a bit too intimate, but this one - this one is lovely and abstract and perfect. It's hard to pick a favorite Fiel song or to rank them in any way, but this is one of the first ones that I fell absolutely in love with. It's those last two verses that really get me: "Rellenas mi espacio sin corazón y resurges mi idea de redención." *Sigh* Those Fiel boys get me every time!

Any other creative suggestions out there?

Sound of Summer

There are some songs that I associate with summer. I hear them and think of riding in the car with the windows down heading to the park, to the beach, to a BBQ.... Oh, yeah!

So, the sounds of summer, for me:

1. "Summertime" by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff

'Nuff said.

2. "Canción en la arena" by Fiel a la Vega

This is THE beach song, in my head. The title translates to "Song on the sand" - it's a little slice of life, a day on a Puerto Rican beach. Love, love, love it. This is such a summer song for me. PLUS, it's FIEL! Can't go wrong with those boys.

3. "Cowboy Take Me Away" by The Dixie Chicks

I don't know why I associate this song with summer, but I do. I guess it might be the idea of sleeping on a pillow of bluebonnets with a blanket made of stars. That and the fact that I think that this song is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. So perfect I can barely even stand it.

4. "I Wish" by Skee Lo
Y'all know you remember this one. Fun, fun, fun stuff - and hilarious.

5. "Vamos de nuevo" by Víctor Manuelle

Or anything by him, you know, because I love him. He is my favorite salsero, and there is nothing like driving around with some good salsa playing on the stereo. A few more good ones: "He tratado", "Cómo se lo explico al corazón", and "Así es la mujer".

6. "Guayaquil" by Don Omar

I know, I know. Don Omar doing cumbia? Oh, but it's catchy! And I don't know how it works, but Latinos can make an accordion sound HOT! Believe it. Oh, and as a 6 1/2: "Salió el sol" by Don Omar. I'm not huge into reggaetón, but this song makes me want to dance EVERY TIME!

7. "Quickly" by John Legend

Because y'all KNOW I can't make a soundtrack without Mr. Legend.

8. "Is This Love?" by Bob Marley and the Wailers

This song reminds me of walking down Costa Rican streets on my way to the beach from some little café where I might have just enjoyed a fresco de guanábana. Delicious. Also, the lyrics? "I wanna love you and treat you right....We'll be together with a roof right over our heads, we'll share the shelter of my single bed." LOVE!

9. "Oye mi amor" by Maná

And a couple more by Maná: "Cómo te deseo", "Tú me salvaste" and "Bendita la luz"

10. "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco
Two of my three favorite Chi-town rappers, Common being the third. Actually, I'll take pretty much anything by Kanye. He's good summer music.

Let the summer begin!

havin' church

I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Revelation 2:2-4 (NASB)

This is what they preached on this morning at church. I went to the second service, but I glanced at the notes from the first service's sermon and was struck by this:

Passionate about truth but not passionate for God.
Passionate for justice but not for God.
Passionate for purity but not for God.
Passionate for marriage but not for God.
You can hate what God hates and love what God loves and yet fail to love God.

My immediate reaction: "Gulp. Daaaaaaang...." Such a common thing for Christians. We're characterized by so many, many things. On one end of the spectrum, there's a quest for social justice and serving the poor; on the other end, there's railing against all the evils (and "evils") around us. Both are sin when it's done apart from a quest to love God fully. When we love God - really love Him - it's hard to hate the people around us, to feel that we are somehow superior to them. And, yes, I do believe that there are feelings of superiority on both ends of the aforementioned spectrum. This girl from the left can attest to that.
Anyway, it really helped me to gain some perspective.

Also, there was this song that we sang, a song which I've long loved. I was reminded of its power today when we sang it, partly because we sang it in a church where most of the members would rather speak English than Spanish, and you could still feel the emotion that swept us up. There was something beyond language that descended. I hate saying it like that, because it makes me sound all mystical, but it's the only way I can explain it. A hush fell over the room, and wow....

Renuévame, Señor Jesús, ya no quiero ser igual.
Renuévame, Señor Jesús, pon en mí tu corazón.
Porque todo lo que hay dentro de mí
necesita ser cambiado Señor.
Porque todo lo que hay dentro de mi corazón
necesita más de ti.

Stinkin' cheesy YouTube videos...

perreo

This morning I was awakened by someone blasting reggaetón from their car as they parked at the greenhouse-type-place next door. My first thought: ¿Reggaetón? In Wayne? If it hadn't been that it happened just minutes before my alarm sounded, I might have run outside to meet my fellow displaced Latinos. You know, before I realized that women who are technically soltera but not sin compromisos should NOT run out to meet landscapers just because we share a language.

As it was, I was a little unhappy that I lost precious moments of sleep.

Y'all...

People always make fun of me for loving country music the way I do. They laugh even more when I say my top three musical genres are (in no particular order) probably hip-hop, salsa, and country.
I don't often have to defend salsa - it's hot, it's danceable, it's distinctly Latin. Same goes for hip-hop - it's hot, it's danceable, it has the potential to be very smart and thought provoking....

I wish I could say the same about country, but people are always hatin' on country. I tell you, it is so underrated.
Here's what I like about it:
1. Story songs. I like songs that make sense, and stories do. They're these little snippets of life set to music, and who doesn't love a story?
2. They still believe in being in love forever. Think of all those great "love" songs from other genres - they're about heartbreak, or unrequited love, or lust. Country has some great songs about the sexiness of everyday love. Of growing old with someone, of celebrating the different stages of life with the same person, of sticking through those hard things and making it. I like that; there's something real about it that's sorely lacking from so many other forms of entertainment where the only part of the relationship that matters is that exciting pursuit and the sweet honeymoon part of it. Country celebrates that and all the mundane aspects of love and relationships.
3. On a related note, they talk about family. As a Latina, family is crazy important to me. Crazy, crazy important. My mom and I have become such good friends now that I'm an adult, I love my sister dearly, and I have always, always been Daddy's li'l girl. When I hear those songs about leaving home for the first time, or about dads and daughters, I get a little choked up. There are so few songs about family in other genres.
4. It's so stinkin' American. Y'all know I'm not that patriotic; I'm not talking Toby Keith post-9/11 talking about boots in anyone's rear. I'm talking about the searching for undiscovered places, the beauty of long afternoons in the country, the love of freedom, faith in God, and the faith that we can get through tough times. Those are the parts of American culture that I really like, and they come through in the lyrics.
5. The music itself. These are real people, playing real instruments - obscure instruments at times. There are fiddles and rhythm guitars and mandolins and drums and guitars.... There's a richness to the music with all those layers of guitars, the subtle harmonies, and a rawness you can't get from the slick studio productions with drum and bass machines. I appreciate that.

I like the twangs, but a lot of modern country is less twangy than it once was, which makes it more palatable for more people - the thing is I wish people'd give it a chance, because they might discover it's so much better than they'd thought.

Christmas soundtrack

There had to be a Christmas edition of this. I wonder if we ever really realize the depth of the words we're singing at Christmas....

1. "O Holy Night"

This is by far my favorite Christmas song because of lines like these:
* "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
* "Fall on your knees, O hear the angels voices"
* "Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease..."

2. "Arbolito de Navidad"

"Arbolito, arbolito, campanitas te pondré. Quiero que seas bonito, que al recién nacido te voy a ofrecer. Iremos por el camino, caminito de Belén, iremos porque esta noche, ha nacido el niño rey." And it's catchy. I end up singing it all the time.

3. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen/We Three Kings" by BNL featuring Sarah MacLachlan

And it's true: I love their version above all other ones. Sample lyrics: "Let nothing you dismay, for Jesus Christ our Saviour was born upon this day, to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray" and "Born a king on Bethlehem's plain, gold I bring to crown Him again, king forever, ceasing never over us all to reign"

4. "Burrito sabanero"

Nothing too deep here, but it's so stinkin' catchy and I love it. "Con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de Belén, si me ven, si me ven, voy camino de Belén"

5. "Angels We Have Heard On High"

"Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly o'er the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains..."

6. "What Child Is This?"

"This, this is Christ the King whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him praise..."

7. "Las Posadas"

So the story behind this song is that Joseph and Mary are looking for an inn.... I don't know why I love it as much as I do, but I do love it.

8. "Villancico Yaucano"

This is one of those uniquely Puerto Rican Christmas songs. The story is similar to "Little Drummer Boy" in that it's about poor folks coming to visit the Christ child without a whole lot to offer materially, but I like it just a little more than "Little Drummer Boy" - "Al Niño recién nacido todos le ofrecen un don yo como no tengo nada le ofrezco mi corazón."

9. "Little Drummer Boy"

I guess it's the story that I really like - bringing what you've got, and I kinda like what David Bowie does with it. I really don't think we think about the things we're singing at Christmas....

10. "No Hay Cama Pa' Tanta Gente" by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

Trust a Puerto Rican to make a song about kicking people out of your house after a rowdy Christmas party a holiday classic. Seriously. This song is hilarious! "¡Pa'fuera! ¡Pa' la calle!" Jajaja...

Can't stop listening to it....

"The Great Conductor"
by Steven Delopoulos

So you dived beneath the tide
And you radio the sky
As you leave your desert land
And your fortune all behind

It’s a sequel never told
As you build it you can tell it
As the waves flush out the notes,
you built that temple just to sell it
The moon is sitting, speechless
As our castles slowly burning

Well, I bought a cup of coffee
when I asked her for her hand
She was checking me for Egypt,
she was shaking me for sand
But I've been resurrected years ago

So you listen to the sign
And you can’t believe the sound
Feels like blood is in the air like that lion’s close around
I can’t do it on my own you must be sober to reject him
Like a soldier with a Bible but no armor to protect him

If you listen to the saints
They’ll give you juice enough to fly
Now they found him in the catwalk
when he was knighted for the throne
And the crowd was throwing harmonies
To claim him as their own
As I close my eyes and vanished in the blessing

And oh, there’s a fire in the sky
Sit beside me on that last train
There’s a pinch before we’re through it
Close your eyes we’re almost to it

To the punch, the pain that popped our famous egos
out the window as we grew
And she opened up her eyes to see that
mansion full of glory
She was brand new….brand new, brand new, brand new

So you start with kicking pebbles
as you learn to fight in silence
And you orchestrate His presence
as you crucify the man
There’s a wand in your command,
as you became
The Great Conductor

So it’s fire turned to gold, you can catch it in the steam
As you slowly disappear in that crucifixion dream
You’re hanging in the balance of that heavenly perfection
While you’re having a conversation
Nonchalantly in suspension

And you notice something’s different
as you’re hanging in the sky
Well I got up from my knees
but I was dizzy from the trance
I was speaking like the angels,
I was raptured in the dance
Moving mountains with a glance

We must leave our earthly beds
And pray for those who strike us
In His house there are no weapons
Heal the sick and raise the dead

Raise the ballroom where we danced
until the broken sun surprised us from our doom
And we promised on our knees
to return the devil’s keys
We were in bloom
I do, I do, I do

So you start with kicking pebbles
as you learn to fight in silence
And you orchestrate his presence
as you crucify the man
There’s a wand in your command
As you expand

This is the song I've got on repeat these days. I won't say that I totally understand it, but there are pieces of it, lines that have made me really take notice as I listen to it again and again. For example:

1. "She was checking me for Egypt, she was shaking me for sand But I've been resurrected years ago"
2. "And you notice something’s different as you’re hanging in the sky Well I got up from my knees but I was dizzy from the trance I was speaking like the angels, I was raptured in the dance Moving mountains with a glance"
3. "Raise the ballroom where we danced until the broken sun surprised us from our doom"

And of course, that chorus is pretty stinkin' amazing.

There's a lot there about resurrection, about being made new right here and now while we're still on earth, about the perfection of God in acting in ways that make no sense.... There's more to it that I'm sure I haven't even begun to touch on, but, man, do I love this song!

Current soundtrack

1. "Lost" by Anouk

Yeah, the video's a little creepy, but the song is brill. "My hands longing to touch you, but I can barely breathe, Starry eyes that make me melt, right in front of me..." Love it! I can't get enough of this song these days.

2. "Another Day" (or anything) by Steven Delopoulos

This man is pretty genius. First there's the brilliance of his guitar playing, then there's the depth of the lyrics. I'm not usually a fan of Christian music (am I a bad Christian for saying that?) - at least not 90% of what they play on the radio - but this is good stuff. L.P. once said something about how rare it is that Story (capital S) and Truth (capital T) coincide, but his music is one of those rare examples, I think.

3. "If You're Out There" by John Legend

I can't make a list without Mr. Legend; y'all know this. "The future started yesterday and we're already late..." It's a little on the cheesy side, I know, but it's still the kind of song that gets to me. There's a hope in the song, a call to action. Good stuff.

4. "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds Five

I love, love, love this song. "And in a white sea of eyes I see one pair that I recognize, and I know that I am...the luckiest." Mmmm...

5. "teachme" by Musiq Soulchild

Even though the title irks the grammar nerd in me, I'm a fan. "Teach me how to love, show me the way to surrender my heart...how I can get my emotions involved." I kind of love those lines....

6. "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon

This video has both that song and "You Can Call Me Al" - another favorite. Maybe it's because I miss my Stinky, but everyday I realize how much I love this song. Plus, those lyrics! I mean: "I'm going to stand guard like a postcard of a golden retriever", who can't imagine that?!

7. "What a Good Boy" by Barenaked Ladies

"I go to school, I write exams; If I pass, if I fail, if I drop out, does anyone give a damn? And if they do, they'll soon forget, cuz it won't take much for me to show my life ain't over yet." Love those lines....

8. "Hay amores" by Shakira

First, I'm happy to see Shaki with darker hair - still blonde, but a natural shade of blonde. (I'm still a fan of the crazy haired Shaki of the 90s.) Second, I love the old school bolero flavor of this song. "There are loves that are resistant to damage, like the wine that gets better as it ages, so grow my feelings for you." Again, translations don't do it justice.

9. "Hoy te permito odiar" by Tercer Cielo

Speaking of things that don't translate well.... The part when they say "Odio el mismo lugar" gets me EVERYTIME! I can't even begin to translate this one well.... It's about not selling God short, basically, about trusting Him enough to push us beyond our human limitations.

10. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley (ah, technology)

To echo Kanye: "I wish her heart still was in rhymin'" This song is just good stuff: chill, not boring, summery.... I do miss summer. Hahaha.

Um, hilarious.

And the original - a classic - is also hilarious.

It's been awhile - can I get a sound check?

Songs I've been listening to a lot lately - the latest soundtrack of my life.

1. "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" by Nina Simone

Oh, the scandal. Dirty, dirty little song, but so smooth you almost don't even notice it. Hahaha. This is the perfect sound for studying, though, and her voice is fantastic. I love her.

2. "P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)" by John Legend

Who doesn't know how much I love John Legend? No one, that's who. This particular video has the lyrics translate (not quite accurately, as far as I can tell) into Portuguese, which I thought was fun. I love the "Let's go to the park. I want to kiss you underneath the stars" lines....

3. "Refuge (When It's Cold Outside" by John Legend

As long as we're talking Mr. Legend.... This is such a good, good song. "When it's cold outside, there's no need to worry, 'cause I'm so warm inside. You give me peace." So cheesy, so cute. This is probably my favorite of his songs.

4. "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae

Her voice! 'Nuff said. Can you tell I've been listening to all this mellow stuff while studying? Hahaha...

5. "Restless" by Alison Krauss and Union Station

The woman's voice is unbelievable: clear, effortless, beautiful. "I just can't stand bein' alone; gonna have to change that someday." This song and "Gravity" have been top of my list lately.

6. "These Arms of Mine" by Otis Redding

Combining one of my favorite songs with a great dance routine.... Oh, this song! "These arms of mine, they are yearning, yearning from wanting you. And if you would let them hold you, oh, how grateful I will be." Mmmm, what a way with words, and how subtly sexy. The dance routine, a little less subtle on the sexy, but still fabulous.

7. "You Were Made for Me" by Sam Cooke

They just don't make music like this anymore.

8. "Welcome to DC" by Mambo Sauce

This is the one that I'm blastin' in the car on my way to school. "The G. O. the G. O...." Yessir, that is the sound of Go-Go, the sound of home. The video isn't good, not gonna lie, but the sound! "Much love to VA and MD, that's why the new DC is the DMV." Who knew I'd be reppin' it like this. Hahaha...

9. "Una plegaria más" by Fiel a la Vega

Surprise, surprise: a little Fiel love. This song gets to me more and more these days, though, because of the way they're trying to figure out just how God is involved in all the brokenness of the world. It's the kind of the thing that we're working through in class, too. Not that I've quite figured it out - I don't think I ever will. But I do believe He's somehow involved in it with this plan that's so much bigger than my head.

10. "I Tried" by Bone Thugs N Harmnoy Feat. Akon

Bone Thugs will always hold a special place in my heart. "I'm startin'to see it's me where the complication's at" Great line! That's always a hard thing to admit, not that the message is consistent, throughout, but that's so good. Plus, this song fits with my idea that nothing worth having comes easily.

11. "Much" by Ten Shekel Shirt

Obviously, not the original, but the song is the point of it. "I am the one who's been forgiven much, and I am the one who loves much." I'm working on that second half.

12. "Constellations" by Jack Johnson

So chill, so good. Can't you just picture the whole thing? I love it. What is up with all the Portuguese translations, though?!

13. "One" by U2 feat. Mary J. Blige

Two legends on a legendary song. It's got a new flavor, and it made me think about the lyrics again, instead of just sitting back and listening. The crush I have on Bono and the respect I have for MJB make me a sucker for this particular version.

14. "Tell You Something (Nana's Reprise)" by Alicia Keys

"I wanna tell you something, give you something, show you in so many ways....Won't wait till it's too late." This is the kind of song I wish I could live by.

15. "Que Sera Sera" by Sly and the Family Stone

My favorite version of a great song. This version is like magic: mellow, but not boring at all. Those harmonies are on point.

Mmm hmm

I love, love, love this man's music!

And his eyes, and his hair, and his stinkin' sexy voice....

And this song in particular:

"Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)" by John Legend



Of course, I love everything he does, so maybe that's not saying much.
zum Beispiel: "Show Me"
"PDA (We Just Don't Care)"

Two very different songs, but both are so smart and so good.


In other news, I am now the proud owner of a GPS system. That means I will be constantly annoyed by Lola's (that's her name) "Recalculating", but I will not need Mapquest anymore and I'll be able to figure out this area.

Inmigración - Europa y las Américas

"Papeles Mojados" by Chambao
Here we have a song about illegal immigration to Spain. She's saying "What would you do in their shoes?" There's all this injustice, poverty, war, disease.... Wouldn't you risk it, too? Many don't make it, but those who do just want a better life. And across the pond....

"Mojado" by Ricardo Arjona and Intocable
Same story, different continent.

I could throw in "Visa para un sueño" by Juan Luis Guerra and it'd still be the same, with a slightly different geographical focus (DR-PR). The thing is, it sucks to be the stranger in every case. There are valid reasons for this movement of people, and though it can't continue unchecked, closing borders does nothing to resolve the underlying problems (economic and political instability, injustice, poverty, violence, disease, etc.).

Band-aids aren't enough.

Kickin' it old school

A few bits of brilliance that feel like a blast from the past.

1. "Unpretty" by TLC

The 90s were so the time for "girl power", cheesy as that might be. The result? Sharon singing "Revolución femenina" in the early days of reggaetón, the Spice Girls, and this song by TLC, among others. Who didn't love TLC back in the day? This song is just so good. Every woman can identify with it at some point in her life, but it's the the kind of thing that gives you hope. It reminds you that your worth as a woman is in something so much deeper than your looks. Even pretty girls need to hear that.

2. "When Can I See You Again" by Babyface

Oh, the crush I had on Babyface growing up.... I remember singing my little heart out to this one. Now, with more experience and more reasons to connect with the lyrics, it's taken on a new meaning. "What if I'm not truly over" and "When does 'you'll get over it' begin?" - mmmm. I feel ya. Besides, there's something about a stripped down r&b song that's refreshing.

3. At risk of totally embarrassing myself on the world wide web: "Missing You" by Amy Grant"

Obviously, it's not Amy Grant, but the one version of her actually singing it on youtube is in six parts or so. If you can get past the rambling at the beginning, the girl sings it pretty well. That song was on repeat when I was in high school and on-again-off-again with good ol' F. Haha. I still think that in spite of, or maybe because of, the cheese factor, it's a good song. That part about the "hopeful thrill" of the phone ringing is just so right, you know?

4. "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover" by Sophie B. Hawkins

I used to belt this one out when it came on the radio when I was about, oh, ten. I remember that I felt oh-so-bad-@$$ singing it because she said both "damn" and "lover" in the chorus. What I didn't realize then is how incredibly bold she is in the song.

5. "Under the Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

This song.... This song was the beginning of my love affair with music. I was in fifth grade and it was the first song that I loved that my parents hadn't already preapproved for me. Does that make sense? It was my first completely independent musical selection, not, of course, that I was allowed to buy the cd (Blood Sugar Sex Magik? I wasn't stupid!) but I fell in love with the Chili Peppers then. The thing is: they're still flippin' brilliant. Even then, I knew this song was hauntingly beautiful; now that I know what it's about, it's even more amazing. Plus, I was able to appreciate the sexiness of Anthony Kiedis then. ;)

6. "Peaches" by The Presidents of the United States of America

Yeah, it's crazy random. Crazy, crazy, crazy random. And hilarious! I got a can of peaches for my fourteenth birthday, that's how much this song influenced my life. But come on now: "Peaches come from a can, they were put there by a man in a factory downtown"?! Brilliant! And ninjas in the video before ninjas were even that cool. Bonus.

7. "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" by the Beastie Boys
What's not to love about The Beastie Boys?! They mixed up every kind of music I loved, wrote clever lyrics, and were so awkward that it was perfect. Everything they did was pure genius. This song pretty much sums up the teen experience, plus they give themselves a shout out in their own song. That always struck me as pretty stinkin' funny.

8. "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan

Just so stinkin' CATCHY! It's still the kind of song that makes me wanna get up and dance, just like it did back in the day.

9. "Crossroads" by Bone Thugs N Harmony

This song is just so beautiful. It was one of the first of the more - let's say urban - songs that I could really appreciate. When songs are true, there's a connection that transcends barriers of age and generation and socioeconomics. When this song came out, I'd only lost my great-grandmother. Ten, eleven years later, I've lost so many more people and I feel this song more deeply. It's such a good one - as are "Days of Our Lives" and "First of the Month".

10. "Jane Says" Jane's Addiction

I remember listening to this on Q101 back in IL - which I was totally NOT allowed to listen to, by the way. It was on several of the mix tapes that I was obsessed with making at the time. I didn't really understand that it was a song about a drug addiction - I was obviously a naive kid in that area (see number 5), but the lyrics and that plaintive quality really got to me. The lines that I most loved then are the ones I most love now: "I've never been in love, I don't know what it is. She only knows if someone wants her. I want 'em if they want me." I can't even put words to how good those lines are.

11. "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows

I was going to leave it at ten, but then I remembered this gem. I've always been a sucker for a story song - hence my love for country music - and for songs about wanting to be more than what you are. I guess that's the running theme in all of the above (with the exception of "Peaches" perhaps). This song is just so GOOD.

hood, food, good

As I was walking to work today, they were putting some police tape across Princeton. Turns out there was a shooting there last night. The block was real quiet and none of the usual drug dealers were out since the place was swarming with police. They are going to be working out of the little building over by the playground, right along the street where everything went down last night.

In happier news, today was cooking day at camp and we had a couple of Thai dishes: Thai lettuce roll ups and Thai curry noodles. Both were hits with the kids, though they preferred the first.



They were delicious. My boy, M., was so excited because he says he only eats "fast food" and didn't know he liked other stuff. Cute, but sad.

The weekend was spectacular despite the fact that I dropped my phone in a toilet and was without running water for a day. I'll have to post pics of that later.

For now, there's only this:

"More Than Friends"



I love Estelle.....

Weakened like Achilles with you always at my heels

This song is so freakin' beautiful; I've had it in my head all evening...



Sorry that the video sucks as much as it does....

Brill.

She really is just freakin' brilliant....

Una más

"Una Plegaria Más (Padre Nuestro)" by Fiel a la Vega

"Y es difícil admitir un fracaso
y después venirnos a hablar de
salvación
yo sólo quiero hacer bien lo que hago
y dejarme ya de tanta conversación
Tú y yo sabemos que lo único
que queda aquí
es morir de pie..."

"And it's difficult to admit a failure
and then come here to talk about
salvation
I only want to do what I do well
and leave behind all the conversation.
You and I know that the only thing
that remains here
is to die with dignity."

Échanos tu bendición....