ETC #75 "Se Apago la Llama" and "El Boleto de Amor"

Song: "El Boleto de Amor" ~ Artist: Chino y Nacho

~ http://youtu.be/gcUlXzchJzI ~

Comments: Buenos dias, chicos! Good morning, guys. I am bringing a little Latin flare into your Tuesday. I've been a fan of this duo for a while. I have to say that occasionally they put out a song that's a little too pretty boy pop for me, but usually their songs have a really good, get up and dance beat to it and some light rap to keep things interesting.This is a song (I'm pretty sure a bonus track) on Mi Nina Bonita and I absolutely adore it. I can't tell you why, because there's nothing in particular about this song that stands out from any other pop song. I guess it's just the idea of grabbing a couple of tickets and escaping with the one you love to anywhere you want to get away from the pressures of everyday life. Here's what I found in the way of a translation. 

Song: "Se Apago la Llama" ~ Artist: Chino y Nacho Ft. R.K.M & Ken-Y

~ http://youtu.be/Fna_X2QFqXQ ~

Comments: I'm breaking trend by bringing to you guys one of their old singles. I wanted to share this one not only because it's a favourite of mine, but also because it is one of their slower songs. If you read the lyrics you'll see that it's a sad song, but either way it still has a way of getting me to sing along and the bridge brings it up tempo a bit which makes things a little less melancholy. Happy listening!

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ETC #70 "Si Te Vas" and "Escondite Ingles"

Song: "Si Te Vas" ~ Artist: Shakira

~ http://youtu.be/xZ1PoPRIuGk ~

Comments: Hey, everyone. I apologize for the lack of posting on Friday. Things have been crazy for me. And I apologize for any lack of posting this week in advance even though I'm not planning on missing any. I figured I would bring to you some songs by a popular artist, but some of her old music that you may not have heard before. This first song ("If You Leave") is a favourite of mine of Sra. Shakira off her album Donde estan los ladrones. It has an upbeat tempo to lyrics that are not so happy, and it just makes me want to get up and dance. The tune is one that I remember being stuck in my head for days at a time. And furthermore, this live performance, especially at the end, shows off her voice and the power that she really has. Her singing is actually comparable to what she sounds like on the album unlike some other artists who sound absolutely terrible live of who I will not name here. 

Song: "Escondite Ingles" ~ Artist: Shakira

~ http://youtu.be/AQhhFNVu5Xk ~

Comments: The second song "English Hide and Seek" from her album Fijacion Oral is one that starts out slow, but quickly speeds up and the entire way it doesn't necessarily show off the range of her voice, but it certainly does show the power and control she has by quickly switching between sweet and soft to deep and powerful. Unfortunately, neither of these songs have English versions. Usually on Tuesdays I pick songs that aren't in the spotlight for artists and usually the ones that have English versions for Shakira are her singles and that isn't even always true.  Either way, I hope that you all enjoy having a little bit of Shakira to shake up your Tuesday morning and I highly encourage you to listen to some of her late 90s music because it is just as good  and as much pop as her current stuff just more Spanish.  Happy listening!

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ETC #61 "Yerbatero"

Song: "Yerbatero" ~ Artist: Juanes

~ http://youtu.be/T8a4Tckeu1I ~

Comments: Ladies and gents!  I bring to you today on this Thursday a mildly trippy video. I love Juanes and in fact may be attending his concert soon as he is going on tour! He had gone off producing music and the like for a while, but again, apparently he is going around and making some passes through the United States coming this summer. This song is from his most recent album (P.A.R.C.E.) and the title translates to....um...that's an excellent question. Yerba is "herb" in Spanish and "-tero" refers to a person so I want to say it means something along the lines of "herbalist".  After reading the lyrics the video makes a lot of sense.  If you watch this and let your mind wander it's a small trip for your brain and really amusing. One of my favourite parts of this song is the drums and the "claps" that resonate in the background.  This sound is great because it is a classic sound of Juanes, but without the sad love song lyrics instead it's "let's pick yourself up out of the hell".  It's a nice mixture of the good ol' fashioned latin rocker with a refreshing change. It performed relatively well on charts and if you're interested in other aspects of the song here is the wiki. Happy listening!

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Entry #57 "Besame" and "Entre Tus Alas"

Song: "Besame" ~ Artist: Camila

~ http://youtu.be/FupNSalklCE ~

Comments: Happy Tuesday, everyone. I am bringing a little Spanish flavor into your morning.  I came across this band ages ago and fell in love with them.  The lead singers have beautiful, soulful sounding voices. I can't say what it is, but in some of these songs they have almost a jazzy, pop feel to their music and it's a perfect beat to relax and even rock me to sleep. Anyhow, to the songs!  I am trying to sway away from providing singles, but seeing as how I don't think Spanish music is popular among you viewers I don't mind for today.  This first one is a single from Dejarte de Amar and the entire album is excellent.  Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about this one other than it's beautiful and I provided the live version because these guys can sing beautifully live as well which I highly applaud.

Song: Entre Tus Alas ~ Artist: Camila

~ http://youtu.be/EHSxYKSgxiw ~

Comments: This second song is not a single off their album, but it is one that caught my attention.  I really have nothing to say about this song that hasn't already been stated above. I highly encourage you all if you like their song to go and listen to some of the other things on their album and listen to some live videos. Happy listening!

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ETC #50 "Ni Freud Ni Tu Mama"

Song: Ni Freud Ni Tu Mama ~ Artist: Belinda

~ http://youtu.be/xrCtkMuypfU ~

Comments: IT'S FRIDAY! And as celebration of the weekend I have provided a fun and upbeat song for today. This artist is nothing new and in fact, I'm not sure where she stands in her music career. Last time I checked she was on a soap opera. But prior to that she was very popular musically. (Actually, just did a little search and it turns out she has a new album coming out at the end of February. Keep a look out!) Anyhow, this song has both a Spanish and an English version.  I will, however, make note that they do not say the same thing and to be honest I prefer the Spanish version.  The chorus to the Spanish version reads: "It's good-bye/ I can't anymore/ Forgive/ There's no guilt/ It ended. It couldn't be./ There's no guilt. Never."  And if I may date myself a little bit, there is a Raven Symone in the background at the end. And some really cool dancing as well. Happy listening!

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ETC #45 "Silencio" and "Vuelvo a ti"

Hey, folks! I hope your week is off to a good start. As Christopher mentioned yesterday, I am doing a new schedule: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  On Tuesdays I am going to be bringing you multiple songs (probably two) rather than just one. Why? Because, why not?  I'm calling it Two Timing Tuesday as I will be bringing you double the number of songs.  Now, whether or not this is going to be a consist theme, artist, etc. has yet to be determined. For right now, it is not going to be anything set, but that may change and if it does I will let you know.
Right, so now to get to today's blog.  I did say that I was going to bring around some variety for today's post. Even though this is still pop music I am delivering some Spanish.

Song: "Silencio" ~ Artist: David Bisbal 

~ http://youtu.be/SVoNefPBoL0 ~

Comments: Ah, David.  How we love, thee.  I went on a binge with this artist the other night so you're getting a double dose of him today. This song was something that I came across when I first started listening to Sr. Bisbal. It was one that became a favourite and was stuck in my head frequently.  This artist is well known in Spain and so don't be surprised if you don't know who he is. Although, rumour has it that he did a song with Miley Cyrus. Anyhow, this song is wonderful, catchy, and so is the video.  I like what he did with the background actions; they are making no noise even when they should (hence the name of the song "Silence").  Just like love, these actions are loud and powerful and if you read the lyrics this is what is killing him.  The chorus reads: silence/ eternal and deaf just like the memory of love that you gave me/ silence, so big, so empty, and dead/ as it burns this pain in my body/ as this silent love hurts.  Here are the full lyrics. 

Song: "Vuelvo a ti" ~ Artist: David Bisbal Ft. Chenoa ~ http://youtu.be/GGYEPyGyUhY ~

Comments: Here's another song from David. I don't have too much to say about this one. However, it does show off his vocals in more of a ballad form then a lot of his other songs.  Chenoa I haven't heard much from, but she also does a fantastic job with her voice in this song.  The chorus here reads: Through the desire that never ended/ through that time that was for two/ I go back to you, dying for your love/ by the illusion that still beats between you and I/ your bitterness is lost in the innocence/ I return to you, dying for your love/ dying for your love.  Here are the full lyrics.  Happy listening!

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ETC #26 "Tic Tac"

Song: "Tic Tac"
Artist: La Oreja de Van Gogh
Link:http://youtu.be/3C9cZNpnanI

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C9cZNpnanI]

Comments: Hey folks. Sorry this is going to be a short post today, I'm exhausted because I haven't been sleeping. Also, apparently it is Hipster Week here.  I missed the memo so unfortunately I don't have anything terribly hipster to add for this entry and next. However, here is a song by an artist I've used on the blog before that doesn't have more than 60k views (for what it's worth this is an outlier, most of the songs don't past 13k).  As for the title it does not refer to the little orange piece of candy, but rather it means "tic tock" in Spanish.  Here are the lyrics if you're interested. Apologies for the normal lack of translation.  Happy listening!

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Stuck In My Skull 326 -- "Danza Kuduro"

Song: "Danza Kuduro" || Artist: Don Omar feat. Lucenzo || http://youtu.be/7zp1TbLFPp8 ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/7zp1TbLFPp8]

Comments: Happy Monday, y'all. Yep, I just said (well, wrote) "y'all." My weekend has been a little loopy. For example, I just had the pleasure/misfortune to send an email with the gist of "I fixed all of our problem but now we need to re-image the hard drive." Anyway, song. This song is catchy as heck, even if you can't understand a word. Do yourself a favor. Stand up, turn it up, dance like an idiot. It'll make you feel good, even if nobody else has any idea what you're doing. "Danza Kuduro" is one of those really great Spanish songs that anyone who parties has heard, but nobody has actually heard of. Enjoy!

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ETC #8 "Bajo Otra Luz"

Song: "Bajo Otra Luz" (Under Another Light)
Artist: Nelly Furtado Ft. La Mala y Julieta Venegas
Link: http://youtu.be/tEAOxnCDhd8

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEAOxnCDhd8]

Comments:  Hey, everyone.  Originally, I came across this song while my playlist was on shuffle and had forgotten about this particular artist in my music collection.  This song in particular used to get stuck in my head a lot during my senior year of high school, a time when I had an explosion of Spanish music enter into my music world.  Then when I went to watch the music video I figured it would be a perfect fit. At this point in time, I'm sure many of you have already picked your costume for Halloween, but you can still admire the ones in this video and for those of you who don't already have a costume here are some ideas.  Anyhow, many of you may not recognize La Mala the featured artist for this song, but I'm sure you recognize Nelly Furtado.  She is a Canadian born, but of Portugese decent and popular for songs like: "Promiscuous", "I'm Like a Bird", and "Maneater".  Julieta Venegas was also recorded with the two other chicas for this song, but doesn't appear in the video.  According to Wiki it was due to pregnancy.  For those of you who don't speak Spanish I have left a translation of the chorus below.  Enjoy the funny costumes and happy listening!

Chorus Translation: Maybe it's me, maybe it's you/Everything is so different, it's you/Maybe it's me, maybe it's you/Everything seems under a different light

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Entry 274-- "No Te Pido Flores"

Song: "No Te Pido Flores" || Artist: Fanny Lu || http://youtu.be/4fjaBAp359Q ||

Comments: Hey everyone! It's Miriah bringing some Spanish to your Thursday morning.  I have to admit that I haven't listened to a lot of this particular artist, however, I will say that the few songs of hers that I own have all had the opportunity to seize control of my brain and play over and over.  I think everyone has a song where only a line or two plays in their head even if they remember the tune and this is one of mine.  Anyway, the song's title translates to "I Don't Ask for Flowers" and it is very catchy.  The creator of the video definitely wanted to make the distinction between her misery and the cheery part of the 'I will be stronger than this breakup' portion. This song a kind of stereotypical love song, but I have to say that I really enjoy the lyrics to it.  Below is a translation of the chorus.  Enjoy!
Chorus Translation: I don't ask you for flowers/ or that you give me candy/ I only want a caress/ and that you tell me you love me/ I don't ask that you confess/ or that you promise or pray/  I only want you to tell me that there isn't any other woman you admire more./

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Entry 239-- "Torre de Babel"

Song: "Torre de Babel"
Artist: David Bisbal Ft. Wisin y Yandel

http://youtu.be/Y2E-M9Kes_U
Comments: Hola todos!  Hello everyone, it's Miriah.  I have brought today a little bit of Spanish music again. Sr. Bisbal is a favourite of mine and is mainly pop music in Spain, and Wisin y Yandel have more of a hip-hop style, but together they made an amazing song.  The beat itself is excellent (I've had it stuck in my head several times) and admittedly this video has some good dancing. I am sharing the English lyrics with you. I'll admit that this translation that I found is not great, but the point of the song is what I am trying to share not whether or not someone understands every word. I was going to translate just the chorus like last time, but I feel like all of the song should be understood; it's intense, but good. Finally, if you like this song I would recommend looking up both Bisbal and the duet W y Y.  Enjoy!

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Entry 234-- "Dulce Locura"

Song: "Dulce Locura"
Artist: La Oreja de Van Gogh

http://youtu.be/by2E2m4thNM
Comments: Hey all!  It's Miriah (finally) getting some foreign language in here for ya.  I figured since it's been a while I would do a song from my favourite Spanish band.  This band from Spain (Van Gogh's Ear) has been extremely successful and as I mentioned a favourite of mine.  I'm sending you an older song because their vocalist Amaia Montero has, unfortunately, left them in the last couple of years and I personally think she's the better of the two.  Anyhow, this song is excellent. It's the stuck in my head, writing the lyrics on my notebook instead of anything scholarly type of song for me.  It  also has a very cool video.  Enjoy!
     And the chorus, for the non-Spanish speakers, roughly reads "I understand that you left and now I pay my condemenation/but don't ask me if I want to live/without your moon, without your sun, without your sweet insanity/I'm returning small and petite/the night dreams of you and it mocks/I try to hug you and you shield yourself."

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Entry 229: Heart Week 2, Part 4-- "Addicted to You"

Heart Week 2, Part 4
Song: "Addicted to You"
Artist: Shakira

http://youtu.be/MntbN1DdEP0
Comments: I have to admit, when I first heard this song, I only understood about a third of it. But from what I did understand, I knew that I had to look up the rest, and I'm glad I did. Con este semana, solamente quiero decirte que te amo. (No, I didn't look that up.) "I'm addicted to you / Porque es un vicio tu piel / Baby I'm addicted to you / Quiero que te dejes querer."

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Entry 17-- "Loca"

Song: "Loca"
Artist: Shakira
http://youtu.be/KewfYKJy8YU (English Version)
http://youtu.be/XAhTt60W7qo (Spanish Version)
Comments: If you are fluent in Spanish, or just don't mind listening to songs in another language, I highly recommend listening to the Spanish version. The English version loses a certain something in translation, like the ability to be euphimistic. "Soy loca con mi tigre" sounds so much better (if slightly less entertaining) than "I'm crazy but you're naked."

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Entry 17-- "Loca"

Song: "Loca"
Artist: Shakira
http://youtu.be/KewfYKJy8YU (English Version)
http://youtu.be/XAhTt60W7qo (Spanish Version)
Comments: If you are fluent in Spanish, or just don't mind listening to songs in another language, I highly recommend listening to the Spanish version. The English version loses a certain something in translation, like the ability to be euphimistic. "Soy loca con mi tigre" sounds so much better (if slightly less entertaining) than "I'm crazy but you're naked."

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