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20 de Abril, 2007
A Voice That Lives On
Categorized under Viernes Noche Música | Tags: Victor Jara, YouTube
HEY HEY HEY it ain't Friday Night until we bust out the YouTube and get celebratory with some sweet música. Last time we featured Argentinian rebel-hearted artist Mercedes Sosa, it was to listen to a beautiful, beautiful tune called Gracias a la Vida. Today we open our ears and heart to a tune called A Victor (To Victor). This is yet another tribute to the late, great, Victor Jara.
I love many things about this song. I really enjoy the evening-laced feel of minors and fifths that begin the tune (ending on "tendrán que matar el viento/ que dice a lucha y amor." (they will have to kill the wind / that says to fight and love)), which gives way, then, to a change in feel; to major chords and possibly major-7ths (I think I'm hearing major 7ths there; over "tendrán que callar el río / tendrán que secar el mar", "they will have to quiet the river / they will have to dry up the sea"), and all the while Mercedes' strong, strong voice and pure tones. Comes from the heart and the belly and the spine and the soul.
It's a very poetic song about how Victor Jara's voice will never be stilled. That those who wish to quiet him haven't succeeded with the death they brought him. They will have to still the wind that says to love and fight, they will have to dry up the rivers, extinguish the sun, stop the rain before they can forget him. A beautiful statement about the life lived in the name of the heart and the truth.
Take this dulcet flower of hope with you into the blooming dusk of our evening. Enjoy the sounds, sights, smells, joy—in just being alive.
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Comentarios (4)
Pat Logan dijo:
Wow. What a great song.
I feel humbled that I never heard of Victor Jara...he sounds like MLK a bit from the Wikipedia article. I intensely dislike the American public school system for their lack of teaching.
Palabras por Pat Logan spat forth on el 20 de Abril, 2007 at 07:42 PM
Man Eegee dijo:
That was awesome! I plan to overdose on mariachi this week with the 25th Anniversary of the Tucson Int'l Mariachi Conference. Got to meet Nati Cano last year, what an experience. This year, Pedro Fernandez will be performing along with Vargas, Cobre, Los Camperos y Los Arrieros. To contain my excitement is an exercise in futility.
Palabras por Man Eegee spat forth on el 20 de Abril, 2007 at 11:03 PM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez dijo:
i love this.
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez spat forth on el 20 de Abril, 2007 at 11:20 PM
A.E. Roman dijo:
Hola Mexico,
I just found you. Gracias for your meandering, verbose, and self-congratulatory blog posts. I likes, hermano.
-Puerto Rico
Palabras por A.E. Roman spat forth on el 21 de Abril, 2007 at 01:39 PM