Music and Us!

Hey chat! Here I am, clocked in at the lock in factory for my last blog. To end this class, KV asked us to talk about music from around the world that we hadn't discussed yet. Luckily, I am the biggest nerd on the planet, so I had no trouble finding superb selections for an absolute banger of a blog entry.

One of my favorite artists of all time is the great composer Piero Piccioni. An Italian film score composer, he wrote music for over 300 films in his lifetime. He did basically all of his works in Europe and is considered a very talented modern composer! His works are often very lighthearted in nature and very reminiscent of Brazilian bossa nova music. I personally think that his best works come from the soundtrack for the 1969 film "Camille 2000," a crazy drama in which a woman leaves her previous life of drugs and partying for a man she meets, but ultimately is not able to be with. The depth of the movie's plot actually greatly contradicts the soundtrack, which makes it way better in my opinion. For example, this particular track titled "Tears in Brasil," is a super deep cut off the soundtrack that doesn't get nearly enough appreciation. It's so fun and bouncy! I love to listen to it when I want a peaceful car ride or I need to do homework, laundry, etc. It's the perfect music to enjoy in the background (which I guess is why he wrote it for a soundtrack).

Obviously I wasn't gonna get through this post without talking about one of the most goated genres of music ever: CITY POP!!! Oh my god I had a massive city pop phase during late middle/early high school. It is the definition of dance music, a generalized genre of Japanese music that became popular during the 70s and 80s. It was basically artists in Japan being heavily influenced by the jazz and funk scene emerging in the West at the same time, but with its own spin. It's that kind of music that makes it literally impossible to sit still, like who could resist busting a move to this stuff? Because there's basically no bad city pop songs, I couldn't decide which one to put in this post, so I chose two! The first one is "Dress Down" by Kaoru Akimoto and the second is "I CAN'T STOP THE LONELINESS" by Anri. Both of these songs are such absolute bangers, you don't even have to understand the lyrics to feel the vibes. 

To return to more traditional times, I take you to 13th century China, where artists and musicians burst into a new flow of creativity. One of their greatest achievements by far was the popularization of xiqu, or Chinese opera. While classical like European opera, traditions of China were obviously different. In showcases, you see the performers wearing traditional garbs and makeup. In this particular piece, an aria from the Peking opera The Druken Concubine, the performer plays the roles of Yang Yuhuan, a concubine of the emperor. In this opera, she sets up a pleasant evening to spend with the emperor, but he ultimately chooses to spend time with another of his concubines. Yuhuan is embarrassed and has a large fluctuation in her emotions throughout the show. 

Also, notice how vibrant her sound is despite the fact that she's literally barely moving her mouth. Like hello how do I do that? Please let me know queen, thanks. 

I thought I'd round things off by coming back to my #roots. LATIN MUSIC! Best stuff ever. Super great. Whoever invented Latinos is the bestest ever. Thanks for making me. Okay, but seriously, salsa, cumbia, samba, it's all SO GOOD. One of my favorites is "Virgen" by Adolescentes Orquesta; it's amazing, like he's literally baring his soul to his lover and I'm hitting absolute moves on the dance floor? That's a different kind of talent. I love the use of horns throughout Latin music, the variety, everything.

So, in conclusion I am absolutely goated and posted nothing but bangers! Don't worry, you don't have to tell me I'm amazing if you're shy, I see it in your eyes (well not really, you're reading this from wherever you're at right now and I can't see you). But ultimately, I had way too much fun diving back into my playlists and rediscovering some songs I hadn't listened to in a while! I think I will definitely have a throwback day soon where I listen to a bunch of my old music. Music is my biggest passion and it's been so fun to share that with all of you and get the same in return! Thanks for reading my blog :)