Saturday, October 15, 2005

trabajandito..........(meanwhile in the Bat Cave)


sometimes is amazing how much time a single piece of music takes me to be completed. In my case there is a composition of mine, which will be featured in the upcoming album, that took me literally a year to compose. Nowadays, well it's still hard, for me to write music. Is a proccess I love, for once is done boy, the elation I get to hear my music come to life being played by the band it's beyond anything I can imagine.
2 pieces are done in the preproduction stage of this new album, one needs a minor tweek and the 3rd one is about to be done...all sections are cleared approved, now it comes the annoying task of figuring out when do they sound good together and have the final product staged. I have a pretty good idea of how it will be, I've been procrastinating too much lately.
But, the aid of technology is here to stay...I dont' know what I'll will do without it.
With the help of GarageBand from Apple and LIVE from Abbleton, it's incredible how fast I can complete tasks.
I'm INCREDIBLY happy with the new piece, a groovy 5/4 time Afrocuban Songo, dedicated to the memory of my late cousin, Danilo Aponte.
I'm sure that he would be pleased with the piece wherever he went.
for you Dani.
A 3rd piece is done, but needs some arragements, so that leave perhaps 4 or 5 more to go!!!!!
Hopefully we'll get in the studio by end of Feb or March.
yeah!!

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

513.....

513 years ago today, something happened that changed the known world.
I don't mean to be political(we know how much hatred there is surrounding this event).
Don Cristobal in 1492, or Christopher in English(rather use the Castillian definition or the Italian: Cristofori)set up sails and ended up in this side of the world. Yeah, this side, not now USA, as many Americans still believe, but rather the minor antilles, South America
If Don Cristobal wouldn't have done none of that, none of Us would be here right now ...yes, that's right, like it or not, that event caused for us who lived and grew in this side of the world to become who we are today. So, yes this is for admiration to somebody who stuck to his guns and being true to what he knew...he did it...with the helps of others...despite all the bad things that happened after that(colonization, massacres, etc), his action gave opportunities for us to come to life.....this is just a break into my regular postings just to elaborate on my fascinacion for middle ages and its transition into renasaince....Cristobal, and with support of the Spanish Crown, gave us LatinAmericans, our identity that bizarre but delicious mixture of Spaniard, African and Indian culture...
to Colon, a brave dude..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

...Found!

....a surprise lurks, waiting for you.
it stares, it dances, it smiles.

a dance of eyes, a row of hellos.
one day it hits you, a powerful thunder
from bellow....

explosions within, striking blue,
a francophony of sounds singing of
new harmonies and tunes..

et Je'danse!!!!

Monday, October 03, 2005

more than a year ago


a little bit over a year ago(one year and 5 months!!!), El sonido de la risa...
el choque de las olas, la costa helada de Maine....y el sol calientito, como el desayuno que tuvimos...
tu pelo blanco, cada dia mas...tu curiosidad la misma.
la dificil tarea de envejecer a distancia, la de sentir la familia cerca, lejos,
alla....hace 18 meses que unas zancadas de Merida, pisaron una vez mas..

caminos de Merida a Caracas, de Caracas a Boston, Boston a Portsmouth...
cuantos cuentos??..Sao Paolo, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, ciudad Mexico, San Jose, Avila, Madrid, Barcelona, Taiwan, Oporto, Berlin, Londres, Buenos Aires, Panama, Habana, ....y siguen contando....camino al congreso.

playing away


New sounds, new goals, heck a whole new band.!!!
I'm the only one remaining from my original project which started back in the Fall of 2003, once we started the rehearsal, the seed to write music and record was planted. Of that powerful band, only I remain. Have no problem with that, it's my band, and I get to choose who plays who doesn't, even thou I have nothign to do with the changes. It's sad to see not everybody feels as intensely as you do regarding creation and expression of music. It's also ironic, some get mad because there are not enough gigs, other because we gig too much, and are not happy with going beyond the comfort level. But these changes are great, they have pushed me to a new level.
now I count with Dan Sure on piano, probably the most versatile piano player I've met, and his obsession with latin music has helped the new sound of the band, now I'm writing music with Dan in mind, this helps the music a lot and his involvement in the creative proccess is fantastic. Nate, on acoustic bass....incredible big sound, and enthusiasm....eager to learn.
I'm very happy with the band.......now we need more gigs
;-)