Music and Jane

[Suki]

Hello Jane and Stanley,
I am getting ready to go to bed. Stanley, it is hard for me to even talk about Elegia by Miguel Hernandez. My father bought "Las Obras Completas de Miguel Hernandez" a long time ago. My sister became a poet because of it. She won first prize in the UPR in both English and the Spanish competitions....she is so proud of her 'plaque'. My husband competed with her and lost. Lol. That is how I got to know him really. Through poetry. He would compose the loveliest little personal poems for me. I could see his feelings so easily and perceived what kind of person he was.

I think he is a little envious of my sister's poetic talents. JAJA. Though she is fair and stated the truth. He got an honorable mention and my sister was honed on the best poetry one could find. We had poetry from India, Japan, France, Africa, Europe, the Pacific Islands, Latin America. But who was by far my father's favorite? Miguel Hernandez....and thus the end of my commentary. I don't want to suffer Stanley. And that "Elegia" of his makes me suffer. Why? Because that is one of the last poems I read to my father at the funeral service....before they cremated him....and why did I read it then? Because I had such enormous grief at the time that all I wanted to do was break the earth in half with my teeth as well....and I had to face I could not bring him back. No matter what I did. I remember the music I picked out....it was a series of beautiful danzas by Morel Campos for the piano....

Well, I thought I should end on a happy note. I must. If I dwell on that poem I will be all messed up. And I want only happy thoughts tonight....

Jane, do you know my son knows I am going to scrub the bathtub when he hears this song by Daniela Romo....she sings this tune called "Todo Todo" and I substitute the lyrics....with...."Voy a limpiar todo--todo---todo...." For to make the dreaded task more appealing I put on Daniela Romo's tune.....imagine me with some gloves on and some cleaner going with a bucket and scrubbie to scrub the bathtub as the tune plays. Some songs are just fun for something light....I wonder if you have 'cleaning' tunes too?

YouTube - Daniela Romo - Todo todo

[Suki]

Do you know my mother in law loved Raphael the singer from Spain. I liked his exaggerated dramatic style. I like Rocio Durcal. But, what makes me smile is when my husband in his bad voice decides to start singing in the shower off key thinking no one hears him at all. He would never openly admit he remembers the lyrics to that "Yo soy aquel" but he does!!!

Some of those old tunes like Mocedades---"Eres Tu"----and Raphael's "Yo soy aquel" are just time capsules. But they are a lot of fun to listen to.

YouTube - Raphael: "Yo soy aquel"

YouTube - "Eres Tu"- Mocedades

When my husband does something I think is really sensitive and considerate I say, "Eres tu, como el trigo de mi pan." Lol. It always makes him smile.

My husband also had a bad crush on that Spanish actress, what was her name? Oh yes. Marisol.

Another song that is old but lovely and extremely popular allover Latin America is Piero's "Mi Viejo" I wonder if I can find the original version. I have it. But so many artists have made remakes of it over the years. I liked Rocio Banquells version. I wonder if I can find it? Let me look. Then I am going to bed.

The original version by Piero:

YouTube - piero - mi viejo - 2

The newer version by Rocio Banquells:

YouTube - ROCIO BANQUELLS - MI VIEJO

Which version do you like more Jane or Stanley?

Jane, BTW, I think you have great musical tastes too. What is better than Graciela and Machito? It is the best. Wasn't Graciela one of the Anacaona sisters? The 10 granddaughters of a Chinese Cuban and his Cuban wife? They still play in Havana I have heard. They never stopped playing those women. All women bands are not that common.

[Stanley]

Jane:

I was mistaken about who requested the change in the lyrics of Preciosa:

I found this on a Rafael Hernández biography:

****Durante la administración de Don Luis Muñoz Marín, Rafael fue nombrado Director de la estación de radio WIPR, propiedad del gobierno, cargo que desempeñó hasta que su estado físico se lo permitió.

A través de sus canciones Rafael Hernández expresó abiertamente su inconformidad con la pobreza en que vivía el campesino de su patria. “Lamento Borincano” es un reclamo profundo, expresado poética y musicalmente con mucha belleza y con un gran sentido de triste realidad, cuando pregunta qué ha sido de su país, en donde “todo está desierto y el pueblo está muerto de necesidad”. Luis Muñoz Marín, Gobernador de Puerto Rico en esos años, le insistió a Rafael en que le cambiara la letra a la canción y le diera un giro distinto a la situación, lo cual no aceptó el compositor.

Pero sí lo hizo con “Preciosa “. Muñoz Marín también le pidió que le cambiara a la canción, la alusión que hace al colonialismo norteamericano. Las palabras “del tirano la negra maldad”. Y Rafael cambió la palabra “tirano” por “destino”. Lo cual le produjo enormes críticas de sus paisanos que lo llevaron a tener un gran arrepentimiento de su actitud, volviendo a restablecer la palabra “tirano” en la canción.

Rafael Hernández falleció el 11 de diciembre de 1965, a la edad de 69 años. Sus restos mor°©tales fueron llevados al Capitolio Nacional, en donde recibió múltiples homenajes del Estado y de sus queridos paisanos. Sus funerales fueron la mayor manifestación de duelo que se recuerde en Puerto Rico.*****

It is hard for me to believe that LMM asked for the change in the lyrics. I guess LMM saw himself as the architect of the ELA and did not want to look bad with the Preciosa song. During those days Preciosa was the anthem of the independentistas and there was always a roar when the song came to the point of “El Tirano”.

I also had no idea LMM had requested a change in the lyrics of “Lamento Borincano”. Jane, Lamento is one of the saddest songs I have ever heard. It is sad because it describes how el jibarito is full of optimism and then is crushed with disappointment when he cannot sell anything. He has no money for his family and sinks into major depression, which is hard to take because at the onset he was so full of hope. Then he looks around and sees the island in despair. And then it goes:

*************************************

Y triste, el jibarito va
pensando así, diciendo así
llorando así por el camino;
¡Que será de Borinquen
mi Dios querido!
¡Que será de mis hijos
y de mi hogar!

Borinquen, la tierra del Edén
la que al cantar, el gran Gautier
llamó la perla de los mares,
ahora que tu te mueres con tus pesares
déjame que te cante yo también.
Yo también.

***************************************
In the end he still loves his Borinquen.

So I am here in a pool of blood because this song was firmly engraved in my mind as a child. And now I learned that LMM wanted to change the words??? This is disappointing because to me LMM was like a member of the family. LMM is the only governor I knew during my entire childhood and early adolescence. I never saw a more charismatic man in PR politics, perhaps there will never be another like LMM.

And he wanted to change the lyrics because the song implied to much poverty in the island??? Hmm, maybe he thought the song diminished what he had done for the jíbaros. That is why the PPD was the party of “La Pava”.

Suki:

When Raphael Martos came to PR in the early 60s he was the most famous singer in all of Latin America and as a tribute to PR he sang Lamento Borincano on TV.

I can't believe you knew Mocedades------being so young!! I remember seeing American choirs singing “Eres Tu”---that was a popular song.

As for Mi Viejo---I think I like the female version. The other may be the original, but it is too solemn.

Here is Daniel Santos, probably among the most famous singers in the generation of my parents. Note how he says "Lleiga" instead of "Llega"----typical Daniel Santos.

YouTube - Daniel Santos--Lamento Borincano

[Suki]

Daniel Santos? Guess who is a big Daniel Santos fan? Yautia's Mexican from Michoacan husband (whom I really love and like deeply). Yes. He was un 'locutor de radio' for years. He loves music with a passion. And his son (my stepbrother) won an American Music Award in 1992 for a song that was co-written by his father, (Yautia's husband). Lol. I told Yautia's husband's son, that I thought his style a little too populacho for my taste. But, the Japanese girls went wild for his good looks and sexy lyrical du-wop with a modern hip-hop feel. His son though found out the music business is not for the naive. It is for sharks. But his father was always surrounded by musicians and music. And his eldest son is a fine singer. That is how el mexicano met Yautia. He had the radio show and was interviewing her and he liked her style. Hmmm. I hope Mami doesn't mind me saying this....but she marries men that have been exemplary fathers their whole lives. And to me, that is the height of good taste. It is.

Talk about knowing every tune coming down the pike. I think that is why he and Yautia get along so well. They both love to communicate, they both cook extremely well, and they both love a good verbal exchange. Lol. You get him and Mami in a room to compete on who knows more singers and the most obscure and hard to know bolero singers in the world in Spanish....and it would be one tough competition. Both of them are musical encyclopedias ( I don't honestly know who might win a name-that-bolero-or-that-bolero singer for a million bucks, of the two, they both can talk about the littlest details of such an such a singer). I do know El Michoacano Simpaticon padrastro mio, ABSOLUTELY LOVED DANIEL SANTOS and went out of his way to go to his concerts. I was surprised to learn Daniel Santos had a huge Mexican fan base. I am small potatoes. But, I still know a lot of songs Stanley. I do. Even the ones way before my time. I also try to keep up with the latest trends in music that is worthwhile. What I don't know about are the rap artists and the crass commercial bands and singers with no talent but a lot of connections and money behind them. I avoid those like the plague and deliberately make an effort not to know about them. But if they have something of talent....I try to know about them.

I won't tell you which of the singers is Mom's stepson, but he is one of the lead singers and he is HISPANO. He's a very nice person. He is married and has two beautiful kids now. I think they live in Texas and he works for Sony music. I hope he forgives me for being musically honest....I would not buy the music. It is not up to my 'standards'----but a lot of people loved them. Especially the young women at the time. And they were a hit all over the world in the 1990's.

Here's the name of his group, they were popular in the early 1990's---but the touring and the demands were too much. I am glad he is happy now and settled down. I wonder if he remembers I told him that if he wanted to have a permanent place in music he had to have a lot of originality and songwriting talents. Those are the ones who make it for the long haul. Nevertheless, he had a lovely voice. He was a good dancer. And he is a gentleman and a fine son to his father and his whole family:

YouTube - Color Me Badd - Live @ the AMA's 1992

El Michoacano is very proud of his plaque of his gold record that he helped write for the band. The Spanish part of "I adore---mi amor" was El Michoacano's idea. I tease him with that and he just chuckles. Para ti Senor J---que se que eres un fanatico de Daniel Santos. Quizas haya gente que son fanaticos de tu cancion tambien. Se te quiere de gratis tu hijastra..... Stanley is coming up with all these people and songs and singers like Daniel Santos that makes me think of my family? Stanley are you psychic or something? I am just kiddin' with you. But, truthfully Daniel Santos is one of my stepfather's favorite singers of all time. He even imitates him to perfection....he says, "Dile adios a los muchachos---por que me voy para la guerra" and he sings it EXACTLY like Daniel Santos....it just about knocked me out one day, and I laughed my butt off hearing him do it. It was uncanny. SUKI.

[Yujike]

My mother sang constanly while doing chores or putting us to bed or thinking about our father far away in an Army post. Sometimes when I dream of her, she is singing something too! Don Pedro Flores and Don Rafael Hernandez, Carmen Delia Dipini, los Panchos, Tito Lara, Libertad Lamarque, were some of her favorites, she believed Daniel Santos was a bad man since he owned one of the biggest whorehouses in Latin America and was a "borrachon". Did not like Felipe Rodriguez either and she hated salsa till her death and prohibited us from playing any of it around the house ( "Every generation, blames the one before...) and rock and roll, despised it, aunque siempre creyo en los EU y en la estadidad para Puerto Rico. I'm her youngest son who became a rock and salsa musician ( I finally retired from the circuit last year due to arthritis in my hands), and she respected that, but I also love the old songs and pay tribute to those remarkable singers of our past and the sweet memories they evoque.

[Suki]

Yujike, you are definitely a man who knows how to describe someone in great detail with a few words only. Your mother's personality came out with the few things you mentioned about her.

The old songs are beautiful aren't they? What I like about the music scene in Puerto Rico is that it continues to evolve and create new and exciting themes and trends. Yet, it retains its strengths. If one understands Puerto Rico deeply one realizes we are a very musical nation. Culturally we are. There is music in many human societies all over the world. That is true. But, that they are as consistently musical and produce the sheer amount of musicians the island has over time is a testiment to Puerto Rico's commitment as a culture, to music as an art form. Before many Puerto Ricans attended public school in consistent numbers, Puerto Ricans have ALWAYS since before Columbus---before the clash of the two worlds---has been a musical nation. And it will remain so.

Do you know Yujike what I liked the most about you from your writings? I liked your deep and abiding sense of love for your culture, your language, your music, your childhood sweetheart wife, your father and mother and family. And for refusing to conform or to accept that which maybe you have been taught to be the 'correct' course. Some people have lives that have been filled with strong and permanent relationships that are rich and provide a lot of depth in a sense of belonging. And I read just a few of those things from you Yujike over the years. And I knew you had an irreverant and artistic bent somewhere. I LIKED IT from the very very beginning.

Do you remember this song? Se llama "Como Fue?"----no se decirte como fue, no se explicarte la razon pero de ti me enamore.....? Do you remember that one. That is the great songwriting and content that makes the old songs so beautiful. Do you not agree with me?

And even more 'commercial' and more modern singers like Luis Miguel tap into those old songs. Because the newer compositions are less poetic and less 'simple' in the purity of the song's intent. It is more contrived. As technology has made it possible to filter music and refine it---it has lost its more live and immediate qualities. That which makes listening to a lovely old song---a communal and enriching and very human experience.

YouTube - Como fue -Luis Miguel

I love this video of Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo from the BVSC...singing an old Rafael Hernandez tune....."SILENCIO" it is so beautiful.

YouTube - Ibrahim Ferrer y Omara Portuondo - Silencio