Look no hands!

Posted on 10 April, 2012 by Mayitzin

Sorry for the few posts lately but a friend of mine has been in the Hospital and I’m taking care of her and visiting her sometimes, but I’ll be back tomorrow to give some more material and news.

In the meantime let me share quickly with you the following website:

www.looknohands.com

This website is one of the best I’ve seen for musicians, mainly guitar players, because includes a complete collection of scales and chords in a simple and clear way. The best advantage is that you can adjust many parameters as tuning, link-handed setup, order of strings, etc.

I recommend to use the Advanced Section for guitar because it has a complete description of your desired setup. It is an excellent tool for those, who want to work on a scale for a song, or even for improvisation.

Check it out and let me know your opinion!

10 000 sing the Ode to Joy

Posted on 5 April, 2012 by Mayitzin

It is always impressive to listen to a powerful voice, such as the Opera singers. As you might know, I’m an Opera lover and is one of my favorite music styles.

This time I wanna share this video with you, it is a Choir with 10 000 singers from Osaka and Sendai, singing along with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. They recorded this amazingly beautiful version of the 9th Symphony of Beethoven, better known as the “Ode to Joy”, which is now the European Anthem.

The performance was directed by Yutaka Sado and it was dedicated to the memory of the victims of the tsunami. Just have a look to the video. I would really love to be in that concert!

Song of the day: Cold Gin

Posted on 1 April, 2012 by Mayitzin

Long time since I don’t speak about KISS, my favorite band of all times. You all know how I love KISS and how I started to write the KISStory in Spanish. Yes, it is around there but I stopped right before the release of Dynasty.

Anyways, this time the song of the day deserves to be Cold Gin, a simple but melodic classic 70’s rock song. It doesn’t need a big orchestra or a complete instrumental arrangement to create a banging mood, and I mean “banging” in all possible meanings.

The song was written by Ace Frehley for the first album of KISS but sung by Gene Simmons because Ace was still shy about his voice

By the way, have you listened to the cover from Pantera? Everyone knows that Dimebag Darrell was HUGE fan of KISS, most of all a big fan of Ace Frehley and he really takes the song in his hands to create another rock smashing song. Why Cold Gin? Because it was his favorite song of all times…

Cold fuckin’ Gin, motherfucker!

He-man is da shit!

Posted on 29 March, 2012 by Mayitzin

Most of us already knew what are He-man’s tendencies when we saw it a second time with his pink vest and his blonde well dressed hair. But finally we have more proof with the following video that fits perfectly to his persona. The 4 Non blondes must be proud of this cover on “What’s up”. The new Anthem of Sendlinger Tor and surroundings!

Song of the day: None of us are free

Posted on 24 February, 2012 by Mayitzin

It is undeniable that the partnership made of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil has brought a lot of successful songs that, even if we are not aware of it, show the enormous inspiration in the couple. This time I wanna share a really good piece of music that I discovered thanks to Solomon Burke, the Gospel King, who got me since the first sounds of this impressive song.

The song is “None of us are free” and it was first recorded by Ray Charles in his 1993 Album “My World” along with Eric Clapton. That version has the characteristic sound of Ray with a formidable instrumentation and a groovy sound that makes you enjoy the powerful voice of the Master and kick the floor with the sound of Slow-hand.

By 1997 Lynyrd Skynyrd, the southern rock band, that I love because of its interesting sounds made also their version. I don’t know, it is good, but I will always have in my mind the sound of the 70’s LS. I like it, I repeat it, but for me it is not the best version.

But hey! Which is my favorite? The Burke’s version. My god! Solomon Burke made an impressive inspirational performance with it. I think it is the first time that this song is sung with the proper feeling. Just listen, boy. Place your chair, get your shoes off, open a window and let the air hit your face, because Pastor Burke is going to praise the word of Music!

Listen to that organ, the picking guitar, the strong deep voice and the smashing feeling. Listen, just listen and shout it to be free, to freed your chest and jump, or cry or laugh. I don’t know but give this song the proper homage and enjoy it.

Song of the day: Júrame – María Grever

Posted on 1 December, 2011 by Mayitzin

The song is a masterpiece of one of the best Mexican composers: María Grever. She was born in León, Guanajuato by the end of the XIX Century. When she was young she was really into music and she was even studying with Claude Debussy. As a trend of the time, she was composing many pieces for films.

Actually her passion were “Boleros”, so she was very prolific at them but unfortunately was not so famous until her classic song hits the radios: “Júrame”. It is well known that the most skilled tenors in the world love this song because of its versatile movements and strong sounds, but most of all because of the passion in it. Lately Plácido Domingo was singing it in almost all of his concerts.

It is the story of a man asking to her beloved to swear him that she will never forget him. That’s why the name of the song: “Júrame” (“Swear to me” in Spanish). The guy just asks for a final second of love with a kiss and a promise, the promise of being someone important in the memory of the girl he loves. Well… actually, because it is in first person, it doesn’t specify if it’s a guy or a girl. It is just a gigantic love between two persons, a love that leads to madness and desperation.

Nowadays the “Plácido Domingo of our times”, Rolando Villazón gives an interpretation that entirely shocks me. It is really stunning to hear this song in his voice, so, here it is:

Continue reading →

Song of the day: Kumbala – Maldita Vecindad

Posted on 27 November, 2011 by Mayitzin

In the last stressful days I’ve been hearing a lot of mexican songs and remembering my youth and first steps into the national rock. Well, this time I wanna share something totally diferent… ??? It all began many years ago when “La maldita vecindad y los hijos del quinto patio”, best known as “Maldita Vecindad” came with their original and very rhythmical pieces mixing ska, mexican sounds, arab melodies and powerful rock. The result? Classics!!

I saw them once when I was a kid and even had the chance to be backstage with them, such a fucking great people!! Nowadays the guys from “la Maldita” are not very active and there are no concerts scheduled, but if they come to Europe I’ll be there for sure and no matter what!

Ok ok, the song. This time the song is an unusual sound from rock, but a very fucking classic from the band. Is a cuban “danzón” with a passionate rhythm that carries sadness because of the Love that has been lost. The lyrics just recreate the scene in the “Kumbala” bar, where the couples go to heal their broken hearts, describes the passionate slow motion of the bodies crying through their hands and feet, dancing with the sound of a melancholic trumpet. Questions the presence of the almighty Sun, trying to be the protagonist of the Passion in Kumbala, where the love will always belong to the night.

Slow but sexy, painful but delightful, close and warm… Welcome to Kumbala.

Continue reading →

Song of the day: Classical Gas

Posted on 16 November, 2011 by Mayitzin

This classical song was composed by Mason Williams a long time ago. I remember it was one of the first songs that impressed me, because of the clean sound in a classical guitar. I was really young, maybe 5 or 6 years and the song was one of my first in my personal collection. I even had it in the cassette, and the cover gas a standing classical guitar in a faded blue background with the big letters: “Classical Gas”.

I remember hearing it. I was once and again doing it because Williams hooked me into his sound from the first notes. The time was passing and I even forgot the name of the song but the sound was still in my head.

Years later I found it again with the name and since I like to hear it many times, maybe because I remember my innocent days, I don’t know, but I really like it.

This is the version of Tommy Emmanuel, the picking Master. I’m sorry but I couldn’t resist to share this version.

Awesome, right?

Rolando Hoffmann

Posted on 8 November, 2011 by Mayitzin

After my failed attempt of going to “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” in the National Theater, I’m convinced now that I have to go and watch these two super amazing performers. Most of all because of the energy in Rolando Villazón. I could stay here saying how much I admire that man, but… you can see it in this video. It doesn’t matter if you can not speak German, Rolando is enough expressive.

A sincere smile

Posted on 8 November, 2011 by Mayitzin

Yes, today there was one of those moments that make my day in the end. Huuuuuh chulada! After being around 11 hours in the University and doing most of the time the god damned exercises of Machine Learning I decided to go downtown and walk a little.

After going to the bank and buying some train tickets I just was in the mood to walk. And thank God I did it! Right there in the exit of the U-Bahn station I started to hear some nice piano music. When I was already out, a guy was playing a big fucking piano in the streets. Yes, a grand piano! The guy was a long haired young man but he was playing really good and a bunch of people were around him. He was playing Chopin, I think.

I had to remove my earphones in order to enjoy it. The guy was really inspired and the people were there listening in this good moment right outside Galleria Kaufhaus in Marienplatz. After he finished a couple of songs I left in the direction of Stachus.

But in the way, even with my earphones back and with DLD at full blast, I could notice another great sound: Jazz. Fuck yeah! A jazz band was playing outside C&A and it sounded really good. The jazz was not so quiet and relaxing, it was more like a Cecil Taylor style, with the pianist hitting the keyboard with energy and creating crazy sounds through the wide scale of octaves. Continue reading →