Adventures In Spanish (Aventuras En Español): NPR's Alt Latino Portrays Diversity Of Latin Music

In my quest to become fluent in Spanish, I recently stumbled upon an excellent site: NPR's Alt Latino, which can be accessed at http://www.npr.org/blogs/altlatino/.

I came across this site while listening to an interview with Carlos Santana on NPR's Morning Edition (outstanding African-American journalist Michel Martin conducted the interview). At the end of the interview, there was a promo stating that more with Carlos Santana was available at the Alt Latino site.

Santana's 42-minute interview with Alt Latino's Felix Contreras is fascinating. Santana is currently promoting his autobiography, The Universal Tone, and in the interview he discusses his early years growing up in Mexico and San Francisco. Billed as a "guest DJ," he shares audio samples of his early musical influences.  

Just as Santana's music is a unique blend of blues, rock and traditional Latin music, so are the sounds that inspired him as a young musician. During the Alt Latino piece, he plays everything from traditional Latin music to The Doors' "Light My Fire."

One of the most interesting parts of the interview is when Contreras asks Santana why, when he was starting out, he chose to venture beyond the mariachi music he was raised on. Santana relates that while he appreciates the traditional music of his culture, it's not what stirred his soul as a young guitar player: "I knew it was best to respect it and leave it alone" (paraphrased).

Santana knew from a young age that he wanted to rock out.

Alt Latino appears to be primarily a music site and features shows in which musicians and music journalists discuss and play music by Latin artists that listeners may not come across anywhere else.

By perusing some of the shows on Alt Latino, I discovered a song that instantly became one of my favorites: Mia Maestro's "Llovera," a hypnotic ballad that appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Breaking Dawn in the Twilight series.

This song is so entrancing that I didn't even realize until after listening to it a couple of times that the lyrics are in a language other than English (I believe it's Spanish). You can listen to the song on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo0DRMQW1Ls.

I also learned that Latin music and salsa dancing is huge in certain parts of Japan. Who knew?!

A big part of mastering a language involves learning about the culture from which the language originates. By visiting the Alt Latino site, you'll definitely get a diverse sampling of Latin culture.

Prince's Band 3rdEyeGirl Rocks With One Voice

"A girl with a guitar is 12 times better than another crazy band o boys trying 2 b a star/when u're just another brick in the misogynistic wall o noise..."

These lyrics from the song "Fixurlifeup" from the new album PlectrumElectrum by Prince and his all-female backup band, 3rdEyeGirl, seem to sum up his progressive mindset toward women musicians. From his very first band in the late '70s, which featured keyboardist Gayle Chapman, Prince has always been inclusive of female musical talent.

In this regard, Prince presents an interesting paradox: being much more forward-thinking than many of his male peers when it comes to hiring female musicians, while at the same time dressing the women he employs in skimpy costumes that emphasize their gender.

3rdEyeGirl features the talents of Canadian guitar player Donna Grantis, Danish bassist Ida Kristine Nielsen and American drummer Hannah Ford. As the women have proven in numerous live performances with Prince over the past couple of years and on last week's episode of Saturday Night Live, they are capable musicians who can give any man a run for his money.

PlectrumElectrum is a collection of songs in which the 3rdEyeGirl members presumably trade lead vocals and instrumental licks with their formidable boss. I use the word "presumably" because the album's liner notes don't credit who is singing and playing instruments on which tracks. Perhaps this is intentional, with Prince trying to avoid the conflicts that can arise when one member of a band is pushed out front, forcing the other members to seethe in her shadow.

3rdEyeGirl's motto, apparently, is all for one and one for all. Girl power, right?

PlectrumElectrum opens with "Wow," which is pretty much a straight-out rock song with Prince handling lead vocals. "Wow" channels the Jimi Hendrix vibe that Prince seems to be exuding of late with both his music and his look, complete with '60s-style outfits and a wild afro.

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What does "PlectrumElectrum" mean, anyway? The American Heritage dictionary defines "plectrum" as "a thin piece of metal, plastic, or similar material used to pluck the strings of certain musical instruments, such as the guitar." And "electrum," as defined by Wikipedia, is "a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver."
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"Boytrouble" features lead vocals by a female singer (not exactly sure who, judging from the vague liner notes). This upbeat ditty about men hitting on women sounds like it could have been an outtake from the Vanity 6 or Apollonia 6 album in the early to mid-'80s, with a little Niki Minaj-style rapping thrown in by guest artists Lizzo and Sophia Eris.

The album closes with "Funknroll," a danceable number that channels classic Prince party jams like "Housequake" from the Sign o' the Times album.  "Funkroll" is also included on Prince's new solo album, Art Official Age, which was released simultaneously with PlectrumElectrum on Sept. 30. (You can read my review of Prince's new album at this link: http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-take-on-princes-new-age.html)

It's great that Grantis, Nielsen and Ford present a united front that speaks (and sings) with one voice. But it would help listeners to feel more connected to the band's music if we knew more about each of them as individual artists and people.

It would also be a real treat, as a longtime Prince fan, to see him launch a tour that would feature a female super-group. The group could encompass 3rdEyeGirl and many of the female musicians who have either worked with the Minneapolis Genius over the years or been inspired by him: Revolution members Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin, New Power Generation vocalist/keyboardist Rosie Gaines, saxophonist Candy Dulfer, bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, and legendary percussionist/vocalist Sheila E.

(You can read my review of Sheila E.'s new memoir, To The Beat of My Own Drum, in which she talks about her years with Prince at this link http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2014/10/some-beats-about-sheila-es-memoir.htmland my review of her excellent new album, Icon, at this link http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2014/08/icon-sheila-e-releases-new-album-memoir.html)  

Next week, I'll further explore Prince's influence on other artists in a post I plan to publish on Saturday, Nov. 15. In this post, I'll take a look back at some of the most famous Prince "protégés" - and some who are not so well-known, but deserve to be.

Why Complain About Government Gridlock? After All, Our Votes Created It

Was Tuesday's election, in which Democrats lost control of the U.S. Senate, as predicted, a referendum on President Obama?

Personally, I think the president is unfairly being blamed for a set of circumstances that are beyond the control of any one leader. He just happened to take office during a time in history in which an unprecedented set of challenges are snowballing all at once:

Growing income inequality and jobs that once paid well with just a high school diploma becoming extinct. The global economy is now much more competitive than in generations past and workers need to obtain college degrees to succeed, but the cost of higher education is skyrocketing.

Increasing racial tension over incidents like the deaths of unarmed black teens Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. These incidents have shown that blacks and whites still hold extremely different views on how to address police brutality, reform the criminal justice system and improve race relations, in general.

Polarizing debates over immigration. A constant influx of new people enhances the richness of our racial and cultural diversity, but also strains resources and increases competition for scarce jobs.  

A more complex set of terrorist threats than ever before from groups like ISIS.

Extreme weather and widely differing views among liberals and conservatives on whether "climate change" even exists.

We get the government we deserve, based
on how we vote - or don't vote.

Both President Obama and Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is expected to become the new Senate majority leader, have vowed to work together to find solutions to these and other issues facing the nation and the world. But if gridlock in Washington escalates, the same voters who are responsible for the results of Tuesday's election will become increasingly cynical.

I think we get the government we deserve, based on the way we vote - or don't vote. Complaining about gridlock in Washington, when your vote (or lack thereof) is what led to this stalemate, is like looking out the window, seeing that a storm is coming, and then being surprised when you go outside without an umbrella and get drenched.

Taylor Swift's Digital Dilemma Prompts Analog Memories

There are many lingering issues and gray areas to be worked out when it comes to artists' rights and the digital world. The current conflict between pop superstar Taylor Swift and music streaming site Spotify illustrates many of these unresolved issues.

On Monday, Swift reportedly withdrew her music from the site because she's sick and tired of giving her songs away for next to nothing.

"Piracy, file sharing and streaming have shrunk the number of paid sales dramatically," Swift said in an opinion column in The Wall Street Journal in July. "People are still buying albums, but now they're buying just a few of them."

This statement is surprising, given Swift's youth.  Swift, 25, grew up in the digital age and would seem to be accustomed to how sites like Spotify work. It would seem that her generation, the millennial generation, knows nothing else but file sharing, streaming and outright digital piracy as a way of life.

Swift's argument sounds as though it came from a veteran artist like Prince or Madonna who rose to fame back in the analog days of the '80s, when artists earned way more money from vinyl, cassette and CD albums and singles, as compared to the pennies they now earn from digital downloads.

(The Atlantic magazine published an excellent piece about the problems with streaming sites like Spotify, which you can read at this link: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/11/taylor-swift-reminds-everyone-how-broken-online-music-is-right-now/382303/.)

I'm a Generation Xer, and while discussing the Taylor Swift/Spotify conflict with a 20-something friend who is just old enough to remember the analog days, we had fun reminiscing about the different music formats we've seen in our lifetimes:

When songs used to be released as vinyl 12-inch "maxi-singles" and cassette singles - aka "cassingles" - and would often include several mixes of the song and sometimes an instrumental version. Sometimes I'd use the instrumental as background music when recording the outgoing message for my old answering machine. I once did this with the instrumental of Quincy Jones' "I'll Be Good to You."

When vinyl and cassette singles used to feature B-sides. I had to educate my young friend about what a B-side is: a song that was pressed on the flip side of a vinyl or cassette single to give fans a preview of the artist's album beyond the primary A-side song - like a bonus track.

Sometimes the B-side would be a rare outtake that didn't make the album. Prince was especially known for this and some of his greatest music was released as B-sides: "Erotic City," "Escape," "Power Fantastic," etc.

When the so-called "indestructible" CD was introduced to the market. Consumers quickly found out that CDs aren't so indestructible, as they can refuse to work properly when scratched or smudged. And it was a big deal when manufacturers released portable CD players that supposedly wouldn't skip while you were jogging or doing some other activity. But, of course, the CDs always skipped at your slightest movement.

And cassettes weren't always reliable, either. My friend says she remembers when tapes would spit out all their magnetic stuffing and you'd have to insert a pencil in one of the reels to wind the tape back into the cassette.

Going on road trips and lugging your whole music collection with you. Before the invention of MP3s, taking music with you on the road was cumbersome, to say the least. I used to pack up my car with a whole crate of CDs and several portable cassette cases. Inevitably, I'd forget one of my favorite CDs or tapes and, of course, that would be all I would think about as I cruised down the highway despite all the other music I'd crammed into my Ford Escort.   

Nowadays, it's so convenient that all you have to take with you to be able to enjoy your all of your favorite music on a road trip is your MP3 player or phone. We've come a long way since the analog days...

 

Why I've Stopped 'Blessing' People When They Sneeze

"Ha-choooo!"

"Bless you."

Nope, not anymore.

Here's why I've stopped saying "bless you" when people sneeze:

I've been in situations lately when people don't say "thank you" when you bless them after they sneeze. At first I thought maybe they didn't hear me when I said "bless you," but when they sneezed again and I blessed them again, there was once again silence.

I began to wonder, does my saying "bless you" when they sneeze offend their delicate atheist sensibilities?

Apparently, for some non-believers, not saying "thank you" when people bless them after they sneeze is a way of making a BIG STATEMENT. It's a way of advertising in big, bold letters: "I'M A NON-BELIEVER AND I DON'T APPRECIATE ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH RELIGION."

I'm a Christian and I attend church regularly, but I have a "live and let live" attitude toward life and respect other people's choice to believe or not believe whatever they choose. In my view, saying "bless you" when someone sneezes has no religious connotation, it's simply a social nicety.

Saying "bless you" when someone sneezes and the other person responding with "thank you" is just good manners - in a totally secular way. It's like saying "please" when asking someone to pass the salt at the dinner table or saying "thank you" when someone holds the door open for you.

When I first stopped saying "bless you" when people sneezed, it felt wrong. It felt like I was being intentionally rude and going against everything I was taught growing up about manners and how to function in polite society. But I just began to accept that certain people perceive being "blessed" as being cursed, if you will, so around them, the more polite thing to do is to actually remain silent.

As with anything in life, you have to adapt to each situation. So there are settings in which I still say "bless you": when I'm around people whom I sense will not be offended and will actually appreciate the gesture and around people I'm meeting for the first time, so I don't come across like some kind of manner-less jerk.

I think society should just do away with the whole "bless you" thing. It's an outdated custom that no longer serves any purpose. I mean, is anybody in really in danger of their heart stopping when they sneeze?

What Is The Purpose Of A Blog?

My job as a blogger is to put myself out of business. I want this blog to become obsolete...

What is the purpose of a blog?

If you're like me, a writer who works in various mediums, including journalism and creative writing, a blog can have several purposes:

To promote yourself and your writing; to advance your "brand" as an author.

To log your accomplishments and serve as an online resume/curriculum vitae.

To serve as an online portfolio that demonstrates your writing style.

To serve as an online "newspaper column" that enables you to expound on a variety of topics. A blogger can comment on events in the news, make observations about events in everyday life that strike you as noteworthy, and/or review books, movies, music, plays, et cetera.

This last purpose is the primary one I've adopted for this blog. Whereas some writers use their blog to post only about projects they're working on or promote an upcoming book release, etc., I tend to view my blog as a general-interest newspaper column.

A newspaper columnist may comment on how gas prices have gone through the roof, go on about some obscure movie they came across on DVD and how the movie is an underrated gem, rant about politics, and pontificate about how manners seem to have gone out the window in modern society. Any and all topics are up for grabs.

Blogging has also helped me hone my writing. It can take me anywhere from 20 minutes to just over an hour to write a blog post, depending on the topic and whether I need to double-check facts, the spelling of names and other details.

I try to post at least six days a week, Monday through Saturday, and I'm learning to get my point across in a few words as possible. One thing I've discovered in blogging and also Tweeting more frequently over this past year is that I'm pretty good at coming up with puns and plays on words.

For example, I drafted this headline for a recent blog post about former Prince and the Revolution band member Matt "Doctor" Fink's recent Prince tribute concert: "Fink's Purple Nostalgia Trip Is Just What The 'Doctor' Ordered" (you can read the post at this link: http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2014/09/dr-fink-whisks-prince-fans-away-on.html).

When I'm blogging, I try to come up with topics that appeal to me organically. I only write about items in the news if it's something I have a strong opinion about, such as an Aug. 27 post about the controversial sitcom Black Jesus, which has been criticized as blasphemous. This topic is of interest to me since I'm a Christian but I also believe in freedom of expression (you can read my post at this link: http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2014/08/yes-black-jesus-is-offensive-and-yes-it.html).

And I do use my blog to log my "accomplishments" and promote projects I'm working on, such as a book I'm currently co-authoring that will chronicle the history of legendary Chicago comedy club All Jokes Aside (you can read my most recent post at this link: http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2014/09/all-jokes-journal-avoiding-predictable.html). 

And whereas this blog provides an enjoyable outlet for me to express myself on a variety of issues, I have to be honest that one of the main purposes - if not the main purpose - is to promote myself.

I'm hoping that blogging consistently with quality writing is one of the tools that will help me reach a level of name recognition as a writer so that I don't have to blog anymore. Name any best-selling author - Nicholas Sparks, Terry McMillan, Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz (you can read about my funny, awkward encounter with Diaz at this link: http://chrisbournea.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-funny-awkward-moment-with-pulitzer.html).

Do any of these world-famous authors blog on a regular basis? Not unless they enjoy doing so in order to connect with their massive international fanbase.

My goal is to reach that level, where my books, movies, plays and other forms of creative writing have developed such a following that they sell themselves and I don't have to blog anymore. I'd like to get to the point where I can blog occasionally to thank fans for their support and give them a sneak peek of my upcoming book or movie, but the time that I now spend blogging will be spent committing the story ideas swirling in my head to paper.

So, in essence, my job as a blogger is to put myself out of business. I want this blog to become obsolete.

This post is part of a series on "Adventures In Social Media." In the next post in this series, which I plan to publish on Monday, Nov. 10, I'll explore the murky line between expressing yourself freely and being careful not to alienate people with the things you say on Facebook, Twitter and your own blog.

My Take On Prince's New 'Age'

I'm looking forward to seeing Prince perform on Saturday Night Live tonight, promoting his new album, Art Official Age. 

The new album marks Prince's first release on Warner Bros. Records in nearly 20 years following an acrimonious split in the late '90s. Prince was so mad at Warner Bros. for refusing to grant him ownership of the master tapes of his extensive catalog that he notoriously went around with the word "Slave" scrawled on his cheek.

But as the show-biz saying goes, everything can be renegotiated.

 

Here is my informal review of Art Official Age, comparing several of the tracks to Prince's classic Warner Bros. albums from the '80s and '90s:

"Artificial Cage," the opening track, has a techno dance feel. Prince has veered into this territory before, mixing his trademark funk with "house music," as he did on "Melt with You" from the '92 Love Symbol album and on "Loose!" from the '94 Come album.

"Art Official Cage" explores a familiar theme in Prince's music: how technology is affecting relationships between people and the world, in general. This theme goes back as far as 1982's "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" from the 1999 album to "Computer Blue" on the '84 Purple Rain soundtrack to "My Computer" on his '96 Emancipation album.

"Clouds" is a laid-back R&B track with a funky underpinning. It's reminiscent of "Letitgo" from the Come album. And like "Letitgo," it's kind of hard to figure out the meaning of the lyrics of "Clouds." Is it a love song? A breakup song? A psychedelic head trip like The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"?

"Breakdown" is a ballad that seems to be a reflection on Prince's decades of fame: "I used to want the house with the biggest pool..." It brings to mind to mind another introspective tune: "The Ladder" from '85's Around the World in a Day album. It also reminds me of Madonna's contemplative "Drowned World (Substitute for Love)" from her 2000 Grammy-winning Music album.

"The Gold Standard" is a dance groove that recalls "Party Man" from the '89 Batman soundtrack.

"Breakfast Can Wait" is one of those classic Prince "love doctor" grooves like "Do Me, Baby." Similarly, "This Could Be Us" features his familiar falsetto and seems to be a lament about how great a relationship could be if only the other person would put forth a bit more time and effort.

"This Is What It Feels Like" is a mid-tempo tune about a relationship on the rocks in the vein of "Strange Relationship" from the '87 Sign o' the Times album. "This Is What It Feels Like" also shows Prince's propensity for clever rhymes: "Been a couple hundred hours since I got your call/Used to treat me like David, but now I feel like Saul."

"Funknroll" is a party jam that is a throwback to "Housequake" from Sign o' the Times, complete with Prince's slightly speeded-up, odd-sounding vocal.

"Affirmation I, II & III" feature a female voice with a British accent offering commentary. This is another common technique in Prince songs, with the voices of Revolution members Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin prominent on "Computer Blue," his then-wife Mayte Garcia and TV star Kirstie Alley talking over several tracks on The Love Symbol Album, and an unknown woman greeting listeners with the phrase "Welcome 2 the dawn" on '95's The Gold Album.

 

It's interesting that the woman's voice  on the "Affirmation" tracks refers to Prince as "Mr. Nelson," one of the few times he's publicly acknowledged his last name. Obviously, the Minneapolis genius continues to evolve.

 

Next week, in a post I plan to publish on Friday, Nov. 7, I'll review PlectrumElectrum by Prince's band 3rdEyeGirl.