Diva Gash – great Electronic/House/Pop from Bogotá

I was very happy to hear that this great group Diva Gash is from my home town. I sometimes feel frustrated that most of what I recommend is from the english speaking world. Diva Gash sings mostly in english, but they are proudly Colombian, as they say comically put on their website “From Colombia, like Shakira…”

The House, Pop, Electronic group from Colombia, like Shakira, but with a twist of humor.

Their music is wonderfully produced and has a humor which is typically Colombian. Great sounds, great rhythm, light hearted music to get your body dancing. Their live shows are supposed to also be great. Would love to see them someday!

Check out their myspace and listen to Galacticock (my favorite) and Starmaster (their latest hit). But also see the video to Galacticock as well to get a feel for their visual imagery. Love their name, anyone know where it came from?

080705 – Monkey3/Bubble Beatz – Festival de la Cité

It was a beautiful Sunday evening at the heart of Lausanne and thousands of people were out on the streets enjoying the fabulous and free festival that the city puts on every year. At the main stage that night I saw two acts (both Swiss bands), Monkey3 and Bubble Beatz, though I must say there was a confussion of names.

Blue man monkey bubbles could be the name of this group.

First played the bandMonkey three, which Xavier and I had no idea what the monkey reference was in their name, but that the 3 was due to the fact that they were 3 members in the band. When I went to their website I found there are 4. Reading about their style “Stonerrock“, I quickly understood the monkey reference, mainly marijuana. Interestingly enough on myspace they categorize themselves as “Accoustic/Alternative/Psychodelic”, mostly I guess because MySpace doesn’t provide the option Stonerrock.

I guess what most caught me about the performance was that they had no mike and no verbal communication with the audience. The music is very riff based, slow and heavy, with plenty of rhythmic breaks and strong bass. A style very connected with the enjoyment of marijuana, which a couple times I could smell in the air. But I enjoyed it plenty without the drugs. Xavier and I have an easy time getting high on life.

Bubble Beatz reminded us immediately of the Blue Man Group (check out this cool video), except that they were two. When I went to the their website, I realized they want us to make that connection. They define their music as electro percussion, which sounds like a perfect description. Basically they play all kinds of percussion (pots and pans and the whole bit) to electronic music tracks. At the concert I thought they were called Beatz as they had a big barrel with that word on it. They have a cage in the center of the stage with all kinds of hanging stuff they jump around and bang on, so they maybe should consider the name Moneky 2. I didn’t really like Bubble Beatz, as it reminds me of the Swedish pop trio of 8 year olds, Bubbles. Oops, now that I look at their website I realize there are 5 of them, now 19 years old and called Bless. Interesting gap between what a band wants to portray and what the audience remembers.

What does Andrés Solé do a sunday afternoon at 4 pm?

Many different things… But I would say this last Sunday was rather typical, I was working, at least by my definition of work. I was out in the center of town having a pillow fight with a bunch of friends and strangers. The occasion, Gothemburg Flash Mob #7. We had a wonderful time and definitely made a lot of onlookers smile. I have always loved performance, theater, improvisation. Flash mob events are all that and also a chance to let your inner child out and play.

 

I don’t know why we adults have such a hard time with that. I am reading a book called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron which talks very much about how important play and the child within are an essential part of creativity. Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Carl Jung said, “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” That is the way I see musical composition, it is me playing with objects I love, rhythm, melody, harmony, sounds, textures, words. So I feel the exercise of allowing myself to play is part of my job, an important component in the success of my career as artist.

Doing theater somehow makes play seem natural and easy. I love painting my face and dressing up. Just recently I had an easter party at home where after painting eggs we went on to painting each other’s faces. As part of a anti-elitist artistic collective I am a different character at each gathering. Last time I was Pierre, the thief of kisses.

 

It is quite often that performance and dressing up shows up on stage in my concerts. I have a funny story of a concert where my dressing up only half worked. It was at a party with theme “Black’s and White’s (after a Carnival in Colombia by the same name). So I had painted half my face white and left the other half as is with only a black line down the middle of my eye, as you see in the picture.

I thought I looked quite nifty! I got off stage and went around mingling and ran into Brent, a good friend of mine who asked me, “When did you paint your face, I thought you just got off stage?” We’ll he was standing in the audience to right of the stage and during the entire concert seen only a rather common looking Andrés Solé perform.

Is palyfulness important? Have you tried being part of a flash mob, if not, why not? When was the last time you had a pillow fight? I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Hyperactive and misunderstood

I have worked as a music teacher at a Catholic School now for some years and the word hyperactive sits very close to my heart. Of course, sometimes in my fantasy I use duck tape to shut some of these kids up, but in general I think that these youngsters who cause so much havoc in the class room are simply kids who have a lot of brain activity, intelligent, talented, curious, funny, daring, creative. They are kids in a society, in an educational system which doesn’t understand them. What do you think? Watch the video, it’s hilarious… and he reminds me of some of my favorite students!

Thank you Anna for all the laughs you bring me.