A lot of people like to throw around the phrase, "Music is life." This phrase means so much more to me as a musician. Music to me is not just for entertainment, rather it is an entire experience. I cannot have just one headphone in my ear and multitask or, even worse, have conversations at the same time. I have to fully immerse myself in the sounds of the music with my undivided attention.
My latest addiction for the past few years has been Korean Pop. It is like candy for my ears! I had many favorite Kpop songs that got worn out over time but one still stands out.
I discovered BTS through my sisters, who were ARMY (BTS fans) before me. They always played BTS songs around the house and, to be honest, I was a little annoyed at first. Then I heard Boy Wit Luv and I became ARMY. It was inevitable that I was going to end up liking them.
BTS is great because they promote messages of self-love, something I used to and occasionally struggle with.
I loved the song so much I even wanted to learn the choreography. You know what that means: listening to the song over and over again! It was very difficult but me and my sister learned it in about a month. She has since forgotten parts but I still practice or when I can't (like when the song comes on while I'm on the bus) I dance in my head.
I believe I first heard this song on channel 11 (PBS) and I immediately fell in love with it!
This was longer ago so I can't exactly remember clearly. The song is in German but I must have caught some words, enough to find the song on Youtube and listen to my heart's content. I wanted to learn this song (see a pattern?). I looked up the lyrics, sung beautifully by the androgynous Max Raabe, to try my hand at a little German. First of all, what the heck is ß ??? Haha, forgive my ignorance.
I love the quirky, silly style of the Palast Orchester. This is exactly the type of band I've always dreamed of creating. It even includes 3 instruments I can play: the tuba, trumpet, and piano. My dream band wouldn't just play Weimar Era music like Mein Gorilla but also polkas (like Beer Barrel) and old instrumental Sinaloense music (try La Banda Dominguera; it didn't make this list but at least gets an honorable mention). Someday...
Last, but certainly not least, is Obertura Mexicana (aka Mexican Overture). This song has been a part of my life since before I was born. My dad has a great love for mariachi music and, growing up, I was always surrounded by it. I even joined and co-founded mariachi groups later in my life! I got to live that life-long dream!
This song is epic! It is over 9 minutes long and features such Mexican idols as Lucha Villa, Lola Beltrán, Amalia Mendoza, Juan Gabriel, Vicente Fernandez, El Piporo, La Prieta Linda, Las Jilguerillas, and Las Hermanas Padilla. It changes time signature and key signature several times! The overture also spans many subgenres within mariachi and regional Mexican music in general, and there is even a short Sinaloense part! It gives the feeling of a potpourri, yet each "songlet" is original. I have memories of this song playing from the garage's speaker during cookouts and the whole family enjoying it, not just me.
There is a particular part that always resonates with me and it translates to:
I admire my people for being tenacious, honorable, honest, and decent
I admire my people for being fierce, loyal, strong-willed, and valiant
Trust me, it's much more poetic in Spanish. Although I got to live my life long dream of being in a mariachi, we didn't play this song. It's not exactly famous (I've never heard it outside my home) despite the great fame of the artists involved.
It was difficult narrowing my favorites down to just three songs. I wish it could have been like five. The songs I picked are so different from each other, it is sort of amazing they're all in the same place. They span three different continents and even the reasons I like them differ greatly, whether they evoke pure bliss, stir old ambitions, or bring about feelings of nostalgia.
Tell me which, if any, you liked! I understand if you don't listen to all of the overture. It is a pretty wild ride, haha.
Happy listening!
