Dancing Queen, Abba, version of the movie Mamma Mia. Today´s song.

Today I woke up with this song in mind but exactly with the version of the movie Mamma Mia:



The lyric:

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
Ooo.. see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the Dancing Queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they play the right music, getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing Queen, feel the beat, from the tambourine oh yeah
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
Ooo.. see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the Dancing Queen

You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
Looking out for another, anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine oh yaaa
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
Ooo.. see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the Dancing Queen
Diggin the Dancing Queen

My comment: I already liked this song when I was teen, as much as I like to dance, it was easy to feel identify with it. But as many other songs of that period, it was already off of my mind… till I saw the movie Mamma Mia! I love that movie! And my very favorite scene is exactly this one. The quip concerned women over 50 years singing as if it were just about doing the bangs to one side and the little girl of 17 who seduced all on the dance floor will come back, I just love it! That they go on rampage around the island singing and dancing and all of the island women were joining the party ... as the significant parts of the girl who is holding a ladder to a guy and when she does´t care if he could fall, but she goes to join the group ... or the older woman carrying firewood when watched them strip the wood on one side and raises his hands in a gesture of liberation while joins singing out loud the “oh yeah!”. Oh yes! They had placed many meanings towards women in the 4 barely minute song! That was to give an award just for that scene! : D For me this song is a cry of "Women! Look at you! No matter how old you are! You are entitled to enjoy yourself, your sensuality, your femininity; to have your own space, and to be happy! And let nothing steal your shine! "Then the rockers touch in the end, with Meryl Streep doing that rocking movement with the head ... wow!

What it makes me feel: eager to live! :D

What it reminds me: in this cases it´s not about reminding me a moment of my life, but gives me a reminder: I'm still young and much remains to be living! I´m eager to enjoy it!

Meet me halfway, Black Eyed Peas. Today´s song.

I start my “today´s song” section with one of the freshest singles of Black Eyed Peas: meet me halfway.



The lyric:

I can’t go any further then this
I want you so badly, it’s my biggest wish

I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you
every single day yes, i’m really missin’ missin’ you
and all those things we use to use to use to do
hey girl, wuz up, it use to be just me and you
i spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you
every single day, yes i’m really missin missin you
and all those things we use to use to use to do
hey girl wuz up, wuz up, wuz up, wuz up

meet me halfway, right at the borderline
that’s where i’m gonna wait, for you
i’ll be lookin out, night n’day
took my heart to the limit, and this is where i’ll stay
I can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish

girl,i travel round the world and even sail the seven seas
across the universe i go to other galaxies
just tell me where you want, just tell me where you wanna to meet
i navigate myself myself to take me where you be
cause girl i want, i, i, i want you right now
i travel uptown (town) i travel downtown
i wanna to have you around (round) like every single day
i love you always.. way

can you meet me half way (I’ll meet you halfway)
right at the borderline
that’s where i’m gonna wait, for you
i’ll be lookin out, night n’day
took my heart to the limit, and this is where i’ll stay
i can’t go any further then this
i want you so bad it’s my only wish
i can’t go any further then this
i want you so bad it’s my only wish

let’s walk the bridge, to the other side
just you and I (just you and I)
i will fly, i’ll fly the skies, for you and I (for you and I)
i will try, until i die, for you and i, for you and i, for for you and i,
for for you and i, for for you and i, for you and i

can you meet me half way (yup yup)
can you meet me half way (yup yup)
can you meet me half way (yup yup)
can you meet me half way (yup yup)
meet me half way, right at the borderline
that’s where i’m gonna wait, for you
i’ll be lookin out, night n’day
took my heart to the limit, and this is where i’ll stay
i can’t go any further then this
i want you so bad it’s my only wish
i can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish

My comment: this song liked me first due the music; I like a lot the energy it has. When I played attention to the lyric, in some how I felt it a bit simple but anyway it´s nice that young people talk about reaching a compromise in a relation that is having a bad moment but that use to be nice. And to hear him saying things like “girl,i travel round the world and even sail the seven seas, across the universe i go to other galaxies” oooohhh!! So cute! ;P

What it reminds me: a day some weeks ago, with Sil, going by car, we both alone, in the middle of the highway, playing that song over and over again, with high volume and we belting out! :D

What it makes me feel: it gives me a lot of energy! Makes me feel like dancing! :D

Today´s song. Introduction.

I´m interrupting my story for a moment to introduce you a new section.

As I said at the post “music gives me life” I love music!

I usually have music at the background the whole day, as far as it´s possible, of course.

I usually have a song around my mind for one or 2 days, a song that if it´s played at the radio I should have to give it more volume, or if it´s a CD I´ll play it again at least once. Usually are songs that I like but time to time also happens with songs I don´t like.

I thought it could be a good idea to share with you more or less daily the special song for that day to me. I´ll try, but I don´t promise to do it always, to place a video, the song lyric, the translation in case it´s in Spanish and comments about why I like the song, the memories it gives me back and how I feel listening to it.

I give special importance to the lyric, because I think there are so many people all over the world singing or humming songs with no idea of what it says and you see, not all the songs you like the music, have a nice or good words on it.

I usually like the whole: music plus lyrics.

So, from now on, no matter what I´m already talking about, time to time I´ll include a post for this section.

I hope you´ll enjoy this section!

Michael Jackson: This is it!

Yeap! Of course I went to watch it! I went with Sil, my daughter, to Principe Pio cinema, today, October 31st at 16.00.

I had been so excited waiting the movie since the first time I saw the trailer, I bought the entrances asap, thinking I could miss the chance to watch it if I shouldn´t.



First of all I was expecting a crowded cinema with thousands of fans dressed as MJ… and not. We were just few people there. I want to think it was a matter of the hour I went.

The movie itself was great. Maybe I would like to have a more extended version, especially with the part of him selecting the dancers. To see the dedication he gives to every single detail to be perfect, the magic he created no matter if it was just a rehearsal, no wonder his team was shouting for joy watching him dancing and singing.

In several parts I was tempted to stand up and dance… but well, I went with my daughter, I think this is the kind of things she wouldn´t ever forgive me if I do it… (I´m grown enough to not to care what anybody else says about me… but my daughter…). I do think it was a privilege to be selected for being part of the dancers group.

I also liked the approach they gave to the movie, no yellow press, no talking about his death and what came next… it is a film about how he created everything for his last show. Actually it was done more thinking about his fans than thinking about him.

I just love it!

Madonna´s Concert in Madrid!

Last night (July 23th. 2009) took place a Madonna´s concert at Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid.

From the moment they started to sell the tickets, everybody said they were so expensive (between 96 to 400 Euros) and I really don´t know if that was the point or maybe that it´s summer (but I remember Madrid Rock in Rio of last year and being summer wasn´t a problem to make the place to be completely full), but wondering, the stadium was just 3/4 full.

A speciall presence: Infanta Elena was part of the VIP public, but they took her by the normal public stands (that was unnecessary as far as I remember) and the public received her with a lot of applauses and camera flashes.

I really enjoyed a lot the concert (even after a guard told me that I shouldn´t take more videos or I´ll be in troubles) :/ and the music selection for the concert was quite ok for me... and I should tell: Wow! What an energy, muscles and resistance the diva has!

Here some videos of the concert: (really sorry about the sound quality, I didn´t know how the power of the concert sound would affect the record… and been honest I really have no idea about how to prevent it next time).



Here with the white limo at the stage:



Here celebrating: ;P



Here skipping the rope:



The time for saving the word is almost over!





Here clamming our right for a holiday! ;P (We need a holidaaaayyyy):



The moment of Michael Jackson Tribute:



Let´s continue with a bit of "Music":



And I´m finishing with a bit of “Like a Prayer”:



Of course there were more! But I´m afraid I´m taking the videos with a photo camera and the card gets full so soon! :( (Yes, to buy one more is planned…).

I really liked the concert, maybe I already got the habit of knowing that when the diva puts “Game Over” at the screens it means exactly that: it´s over! No way to encore for more and her public, that knows her, not even claim it. I´m also ok with the included songs and the performance, even after watching something that pretended to be a Flamenco dance but actually it was tap (that I like, but at least not to do it with something alike Flamenco music and a man dressed trying to simulate, and I insist, to simulate, being a Flamenco´s dancer… I think someone should give her a bit of advised about the country customs she tries to present before making it wrong). Or the moment when she pretended us to know the meaning of a Rumanian phrase just because “both are Latin languages”… Anyway! I went out really happy of the concert! :D

Madonna´s Sticky & Sweet Tour Celebration Party at Hard Rock Café Madrid

Tonight had been the party previous tomorrow´s concert in Madrid.The sponsors were: DivinaMadonna.com (fan club), Sing Star and Hard Rock Café.



I´m afraid it was less people of what I thought, I want to believe the reason was it´s summer but maybe also was a matter of not so much publicity of the event.

The entrance cost was 4 euros, including a drink and the participation on a raffle.

Around 21.30 a Sing Star conquest started. We were in total something like 10 participants but actually it was really difficult to make people to do it. At list the public was very understanding.



This girl danced prety good:





More:







A brave guy:



A group:







The good part was that all the participants of the conquest owned a price! :P And there were also a lot of posters, 3 dinners and 2 VIP Madonna´s concert entrances in raffle.



The pity: I really have no idea why, but before and after the conquest, there were no more than 6 songs being played again and again. Also just 3 songs in total as possibility to being sang at the conquest.

Anyway it was really funny. Tomorrow: Madonna´s concert! :D

At Debo´s Temple: Fans in Madrid Saying "We´ll Miss You" to a King

As I said in my previous post, the call was for going to during the whole weekend, but the end should be at Atocha, Sunday 28th. 20.00.

I went there… but… NOBODY THERE! :(

So we decided to go to the Hard Rock Café again… there I found some people around an altar and a note saying: On 28th. at 18.00 a homage at Debo´s Temple, come all!.



It was already 20.45 when I saw it… but well, it wasn´t so far away, we decided to go there as well.

I haven´t ask, but I can imagine there were more people before, when I got there few people, listening his music with an ipod that someone took.





At the center, at the floor, some posters, gloves, notes, flowers, candels, but what impressed me more was a “copy” of Michael Jackson´s Hollywood star that was really well done:





In a moment, spontaneously, people started to took the hands to each other in order to make a big circle. Then someone started to shout things like “Viva Michael!” and everybody started to clap.




When finally a very well known song started, Billie Jane, we all had sung it.



One fan danced Dangerous, this time I got the whole song, but it was almost no light there, I´m afraid.



Other videos:

Michael Jackson: Fans in Madrid Saying "We´ll Miss You"

I was writing my good bye post when they mentioned on the news that in Madrid the fans will go to the Hard Rock Café to make him a small tribute… so there I went.

It was very spontaneous and simple, nobody organized it, just the fans accorded to go there. Was amazing to see over there people of all ages.



When I arrived, there were already a lot of fans, but it was very quiet, mostly people with sad faces, some crying. Several tv cameras and news photographers. Wasn´t easy to hear the music, due it was being played in a car CD player, that one of the fans had the good luck to find there a parking place and had open all the doors (even the back one) to ad music to the tribute, at first slow music like “I´ll be there”, “We are the World” and “Man in the Mirror”.





Suddenly music started to be livelier and so do the fans. A few, in order, started to dance a bit and from then on it became into a party!









We also had one minute silence.










The one with the music had to go around 23.00 and something magical happened: some fans, again in order, started to sing his songs, with the rest of fans doing the choruses.












I´m afraid I had to go more or less at midnight seems the call is for going there the whole weekend and also in front of the entrance of the Wash Museum, where they had put M. J. statue out there.

The pity: I do think would be nice from Hard Rock Café marketing staff to find the way to place a screen with Michael´s videos out there. Anyway some of us went there to at least drink something…

Good Bye to a Genius

This blog has as goal to talk about happy/nice issues… a death won´t ever been something happy/nice to talk about but I would like to express my modest tribute to this genius, Michael Jackson, that had dead yesterday.

He “had being there” my whole life. When I was a child, he was already singing at tv. When I become into a teen, he gave me and my school friends new dance steps to copy (or at least to try to!). I can remember free moments (like when a teacher didn´t appears or the study time) with a tape at the background and all of us trying to dance like him. He was the first one involving all the greatest in an inspiring video to call to our conscience to help the ones that need more help at the world. He revolutionized the video industry. Even today everybody still dance at the discos with his old songs or the new versions of some of them.

With him I discovered that I can admire the art of a genius no matter what I think about his problems and eccentricities. Anyway how can we judge someone that had whatever but not a normal life? Otoh: I do think anybody would be eccentric having the money to! And… why nobody thinks Walt Disney with his Disney parks was childlike as well, as everybody say Neverland is the clear prove that M. Jackson was? (And who wouldn´t like to have money enough as to build a funfair at the garden of your house?).

So, I celebrate his artistic genius, the legacy he left to the whole word. Thank you for that, Michael!

A Mystic Experience: Lamas in Beijing Final Part

During the dinner different artists had been singing and playing Tibetan instruments, wearing as well typical cloth.






When we were finishing our dinner, someone of the staff was with a lot of white neckerchiefs and started to distribute them to the clients.



So, everybody should give (as far as we want), neckerchiefs to people, no matter if you knew them or not, wishing them good luck, with a special music played for that. In one of the tables were several Lama´s Monks and they were the ones that started, after the musicians went to sing specially for them. So, it became in some kind of “wishing good luck dance” with all the people at the restaurant. After exchanging the neckerchiefs, the leader of the group invited all of us to continue dancing, so, we all, including the monks, made a big circle taking the hand of people situated at both sides and started to jump-run-“dance”. I should say it was really happy and funny surrealistic moment! :D




At the end Zoe took me to the monks table to great them, so the one that was some kind of the Dalai Lama´s representative gave me a special blessing plus a signed pic of the Dalai Lama. I had been searching info about that to explain it better at this post, but I´m afraid I have no clue if it´s normal to be a Dalai Lama´s representative in Beijing, I was quite surprised of that.

(Hem... yes... he was talking by the mobile when I took this pic! ;P )

Yeaph! Was such a great experience! A Tibetan party with a lot of strangers including Lama´s monks! :D



As far as I had took some vacations days during my stay in China, I was willing to go to Tibet, but all the people I talked about it, told me it wasn´t a good idea to du such travel having just 3 days, they said the problem was that Tibet is so high and usually people get sick and need at least one day to recover at bed… a real pity!

Music is my life! (Final part)

And of course, I LOVE ROMANTIC BALADS! In this field I really don´t care about the style… but I should say that I´m afraid the best romantic music is done by rockers! Let´s see some examples:






(You have no idea how it feels when someone of the group sings you this song at your ear…) ;)


I can imagine how a philharmonic Orchestra should enjoy playing this kind of music! ;)









Ok, maybe next one is not exactly romantic… but… how can I not include it?


Actually I think that violin in the middle of the song, tells the most beautiful love poem ever known! (At least my heart feels that while I´m listening it).

Even the newest are so good!



But as I said: for daily normal life, I prefer to have radio music at the background. I do need the bum! bum! bum! of modern music to maintain the normal life speed. For going to dance: as far as it has rhythm, I dance it! Just that I prefer discos that offer a good variation of all styles and times... but that´s not so common to find, I´m afraid. In Madrid I use to go to “El Palacio de Gaviria” due they had 3 different rooms with different styles in each one, so, was just a matter of being moving from one to the other, but since a year ago it´s closed! :( So, now it depends on the mode I am before going out, but usually I go to New Garamond or Garamond (same chain but quite different music).

Hear some examples of what lately I like to dance:



My current hymn:



Yeap, I know! That´s not exactly rock! :D but… time goes by!

Music is my Life! (Second Part)

So, of course I was a fan of the typical Pop Stars: Madonna, Michel Jackson (with him I discovered that I can admire the art of a person no matters what I think about that person), The Police, Kylie Minogue, Eros Ramazzoti, Dido, Robbie Williams, Spandau Ballet… etc, etc, etc!

Actually other of my hymns was:



Other great one:



I always hear commercial music, I´m not anchored on 80´s or 90´s music just due my adolescence was then. While I was single I use to say: “in music, men and food, I´m veeeeeeeeery ooooopen mind!” ;) It doesn´t mean I like everything, but talking about music, for having as background sound or for dancing, I prefer last hits music. The radio stations I hear:

40 Principales is the one I usually hear. I don´t think it´s the greatest one I had ever hear, actually maybe I would take out of their program more than the half of what they have, but is the one I tolerate better.

Maxima F.M. is the one I prefer for taking a shower, for example… or before going out a Saturday night. You see? It´s interesting, but it´s quite easy to hear Dance music, there are a lot of “oldies” that someone just had ad a bit of speed and some “Dance music effects” and voila! A new hit had born! Here an example of that:



Europa F.M. is like the one nobody will complain to hear while travelling by car. Or sometimes just to remind good oldies, btw time to time they also play some lately hits.

Kiss F.M. should I explain this one? ;)

Otoh: I also appreciate other kind of music, like José Luis Perales, Mercedes Sosa or Serrat, for example... and there are moments when I do need to hear something from Enya or Yanni, that btw I would love to go to one of his concerts, but as far as it´s not possible right now, at least let´s enjoy him in youtube! ; )


Wow! What a nice voice he has! It´s a pity he doesn´t sing.

And yes, I also like some Tropical Music, just that here I usually like an specific song, not all the production of a group or singer, maybe the only one exception of this is Juan Luis Guerra, I even had been several times in his concerts and I just love his music…

Here my JLG favorite song:



I also love this one from Marc Anthony:



I should say I´m not exactly one of his fans (actually that´s his only one song that I know the name), but that song is great!

This is a song that I should dance every time I hear it!


(I swear I liked the song before watching the video!!) :D

(To be continued)

Music gives me life!

I love commercial music. Yes, I know, that´s not really something to be proud about, but that´s how it is. I really have no idea why, but everybody all over the world, once I say I love music and to dance, always think my very favorite music should be Tropical one. O.k. I had born in Guatemala, tropical music rhythm is somehow part of me… but actually on first place I´m a rocker! Even the song I have in my personal mobile is this one:



That btw already gave an embarrasing moment in 2007. I was in a meeting in Geneve, at the office of a client that was an important Swiss Bank. Some of my colleagues were late and my work mobile wasn´t working, so, while waiting them in front of the Bank, I was contacting them with my mobile, but we had to go inside first due they will take a bit more time (and nobody would like to be late with a Swiss Bank!) and I forgot to disable the sound of my mobile... So, after shaking the hands of 8 serious gentlemen and just one of them a bit younguer than me, sounds: "pum! pum! it´s my liiiffeeee it´s now or never"... my collegues calling me to ensure to which floor they should go... a big silence and 7 pair of eyes watching me like more or less killing me... just the one younguer than me laughing and laughing... gulp! But after that all was perfect in that meeting. :D

Here some of the rock songs I love:



Next one was for long time some kind of hymn for me... even now when I hear it, my whole body reacts! I need to "have my space" to hear it!



Some of the classics:


I had the chance to met him at the backstage in 2005! (That´s why the pic of the headline of this post).




Oh God! What great voice he has! I think his "uuuuoooooooo!!" is the one most shouted loud all over the Spanish speaking world! :D (Yes, I know, I could be exaggerating). ;)





A Guatemalan rock group:



My very best Guatemalan group is Alux Nahual that has done a very good denounce of daily problems in Latin America.:





I had the privilege of known them, I even had been learning how to play drums with Lenín, no, I´m afraid I haven´t learn a lot! That actually is so embarrasing when you think about the Def Leppard Drummer has just one arm! :$

That´s how some Alux Nahual members looked in 1988:



But I also like groups of the last decade:



Lately I haven´t hear rock I really like, I think the last ones were:





So, on second place, I love pop music. My very favorite of all is Phil Collins and his concert in Barcelona in 2004 was one of the betters I had been in my whole life! This DVD and the Bon Jovi´s concert one (where I also was, in 2008, Barcelona), are the ones I play and play at home time to time. Point is, ok, maybe I don´t play them so often, but when I do, it´s a matter of playing it no less than 3 times in a row! Yeap, I usually do it when I´m alone or in the Bon Jovi´s case, when I´m with my 21 y/o daughter! (I prefer to avoid taking conclusions of this fact!)

Here the song I liked more of Phil Collins concert (not my video, not in Barcelona, but it was exactly the same anyway):



(to be continued)