Free live music and other cultural events in Las Palmas, May 2019

Another month, another great choice of live music and more.

• 1 May: Canarias FeelGood! by Arehucas @ Plaza del Pilar, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  Sponsored by Arehucas (yes, the rum distillery), this one-day festival presented seven bands from seven Canary islands. I saw the last song Abel Cordovez & Benahoare Reggae Band (naturally, reggae, from La Palma), the complete performances of Barrabass Sound System (also reggae and dub from Lanzarote) and Guineo Colectivo (Afro-beat from Fuerteventura) and the first two songs by El Monstruo de Funkenstein (as you can imagine, funk, from La Gomera).
  

• 2 May: Aubrey Logan @ Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Avda. Príncipe de Asturias
  Before playing two dates with Perinké Big Band, Aubrey Logan (of Postmodern Jukebox fame) gave an illuminating masterclass of jazz vocal and jazz improvisation.
• 4 May: Rocío Márquez @ Parque Doramas
  The cantaora from Huelva was accompanied by Canito (guitar) and Agustín Diassera (percussion).

• 16 May: Jonay González Mesa @ Teatro Guiniguada, Plaza F. Mesa de León
  I heard Jonay G. Mesa some three years ago as one-half of Touché! and last month with Althay Páez. I have to say that his masterclass, like the one by Javier Sánchez in January, was heavy on content — scales, harmony, rhythm — and light on interaction. There was very little of the latter. I loved the way Jonay plays samba/bossa nova and the fact he does not use any pedals or effects. In the end of the class, Jonay was joined on stage by his bandmates Ruiman Martin Leon (double bass) and Amilcar Mendoza Pros (drums) for a beautiful rendition of Someday My Prince Will Come.

• 18 May: Noche Europea de los Museos @ Museo Castillo de Mata, Calle Domingo Guerra del Río, 147
  We’ve never been to Castillo de Mata before, and this year the European Night of Museums provided an opportunity. It was a free event but we had to get the tickets in advance (two tickets per person only). Altogether, there was eight one-hour long shows/installations/whatever you call it, four on Friday (21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00) and four on Saturday, with up to 150 people attending the show. The programme included:
  • La compañía Pieles: Barco y Acequia
  • Ana Alcaide with Bill Cooley and Rainer Seiferth: Luna Sefardita
  • Arte corporal: Los esclavos en la Isla del Azúcar
  • Ludovica Rambelli Teatro: 23 Tableaux Vivants of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
  • Jeringonza & Ballet del Atlante: Danzas del Canario y de las Hachas
• 19 May: Moonlight Benjamin @ Auditorio José Antonio Ramos, Parque Doramas
  Last month I was wondering how better to call “the venue” in the Parque Doramas where I almost religiously go every week or so. Well, now it’s officially called Auditorio José Antonio Ramos, after the celebrated Canarian musician José Antonio Ramos (1969—2008). The Haitian-French singer (and Voodoo priestess) Moonlight Benjamin was the first to play in the newly christened auditorium. She presented her fascinating “voodoo-blues-rock” fusion in a company of Matthieu Vial-Collet (guitar), Yohann Marra (guitars), Quentin Rochas (bass) and Bertrand Noel (drums).

  

  More photos of Moonlight Benjamin @ Shutterstock

• 29 May: Cristina Ramos @ Plaza de Santa Ana
  Timur and I went to Vegueta to hear this by now world-famous Canarian singer and were not disappointed. It was almost like a night at the opera... with Bad Romance, Highway to Hell, I Will Always Love You, Love of My Life, Sabor a Mí, The Show Must Go On, Waterloo, and, pun intended or not, both It’s Raining Men and Hallelujah in quick succession.
• 31 May: La Noche de Cuba @ Auditorio José Antonio Ramos
  Originally scheduled for 11 May, this concert was postponed until yesterday. Absolutely fabulous night of son, guaracha, salsa, mozambique and timba performed by vocalists Diamela del Pozo, Edulman Aragon Gonzalez and Sofiel del Pino and the band of Totó Noriega (congas, vocals) featuring Yoriell Carmona (tres cubano), Osvaldo Hernández (timbales), Fofi Lusson (bass), Armiche Jonay Moreno Suárez (percussion), Josue Santana (piano), Arístides Sosa Benítez (trumpet) and Fran Suárez (saxophones).

And so, May is over.

Canteca de Macao: El último trago

A few weeks ago, chatting about Spanish music with one of my students, I mentioned that Chambao announced the plans to play their farewell concert in January 2018. “The same story with Canteca de Macao!”, she exclaimed.

Really? That very evening, I went to check the band’s website only to find this...

CARTA DE DESPEDIDA

Ha llegado el día de daros la noticia. Quizá la más difícil y emotiva que hemos dado nunca. Después de 14 años de aventura, Canteca de Macao se despide como banda. Es la hora de cerrar un ciclo que ha marcado nuestro camino como individuos y como parte de una generación. Se agolpan muchos sentimientos que traduciremos en música durante este año y queremos compartir con vosotros cada segundo siendo conscientes del valor que tiene estar sobre el escenario formando parte de este sueño que ha sido posible gracias al trabajo de mucha gente y, sobre todo, gracias a vosotros. El sentimiento que nos invade es ante todo la nostalgia. Nos vienen miles de recuerdos. Nos miramos a los ojos sabiendo que es el momento de hacerlo y nos fundimos en un abrazo común para desearnos suerte, para consolarnos en cierta forma, para saborear todo lo que ha significado para nosotros esta banda que ha sido nuestra vida misma. Es la hora del cierre y de brindar con el último trago. A lo largo de todo este tiempo, hemos visto cómo nos colábamos en la banda sonora de vuestras vidas, os hemos visto crecer con nosotros y hemos recibido vuestro calor y vuestro cariño. Por eso os invitamos a brindar con el último trago en la única y gran fiesta de despedida que tendrá lugar el ..... de Noviembre de 2017. Un concierto único y a lo bestia en todos los sentidos, donde los sentimientos estarán a flor de piel y que significará el cierre de una etapa que llevaremos siempre en el recuerdo y en nuestro código genético.

Salud, compañeros. Ha sido el mayor de los placeres. Desde lo más profundo de nuestro corazón:

GRACIAS

Although their 2015 album, Lugares comunes, already sounded like a farewell, I couldn’t quite believe what I just read. I first saw the band five years ago in Fuerteventura and was hoping to see them again ever since... And here was my (and anyone else’s) last chance. Still incredulous, I went to Ticketea and, without much thinking, bought a ticket for the last ever concert of Canteca de Macao, to take place on 11 November 2017 in Palacio de Vistalegre, Madrid. Next day, I read on the band’s Facebook page that the concert was sold out.

Madriz!!! Until now, I’ve never been to Madrid. By some reason, I avoid places which are far away from the sea, but this time I had no choice. Believe it or not, the cheapest (as well as the fastest) way to visit Madrid that weekend was to fly with Iberia. Crazy but true: one-way ticket from Santander to Madrid costs more than return ticket. Madrid was a pleasant discovery for me. A big city, however quite negotiable by public transport and with easy-to-get-around (by foot) centre.

As farewell concerts — I never been to one until now — go... this one could have been organised better. The never-mentioned-before teloneros (support band) played some nondescript Anglophone pop for three-quarters of an hour. I wonder who invited them. What surprised me the most was the enthusiastic singing-along by many Canteca “fans”. I wish people didn’t smoke joints in a closed space. I wish the security (the very same security who checked my bag and didn’t allow anyone to bring bottled water etc. inside) could do something, anything, when a brawl involving some drunkards erupted. I wish all of them were banned from the future Canteca concerts. Oh, wait.

Just before the show, I decided to take a photo featuring Harold the hedgehog (not shown here).
“Is this a hedgehog?”, enquired one young concert-goer.
Yes, I confirmed (the obvious).
“Do you always take him with you?”, she went on.
No, I said, but we always go to Canteca de Macao concerts together.
“Enjoy”, she said, apparently satisfied with my answer.

CdM played non-stop for some two and half hours. As much as I wish they didn’t disband, I applaud their decision to sing their swan song now, at the top of their powers. Sure, it was sad, but in the same time happy and funny and full of positivity; also, of confetti and balloons. This is how CdM wanted to be remembered. I am glad I made it there. I wish you were there too.

Somos la vida que viene, somos la vida que pasa, somos la lumbre que queda y que la llama lo mantenga...

So long, Canteca. It was a honour.

Live music in Santander, February 2015

Man, there was a lot of it!

• 1 February: Jam Manouche @ Rubicón, Calle del Sol 4
  Now already a tradition!
• 4 February: Funky Station @ Rubicón
  Funky Station, in that evening incarnation, was Sergio González (guitar and vocals), Francisco Gómez (guitar), Carlos Gutiérrez (bass and vocals) and Natxo Miralles (drums). Don’t be fooled by the band’s name: it’s not only funk, but also jazz, blues, rock’n’roll, even samba... Delightful, if somewhat directionless, mix. As it happens in Rubicón, some encores ensued featuring the guest artists who just happened to sit there at the bar.
• 5 February: Phil Grijuela and Iván Velasco @ El Cazurro, Playa de La Arnía, Liencres
  I saw these guys last month performing during La Noche Americana at Rubicón. To my surprise, the program was almost completely different. The highlights included Like a Rolling Stone and Whiskey in the Jar.
• 7 February: Gou Live @ Desafinado Wine & Jazz, Barrio Las Mazas 15, Liencres
  Chema Armengou (DJ set), Sergio Mayoral (trumpet) and Mabel Sierra (vocal) mix electronic and live music.
• 9 February: The Dustaphonics @ New Planet Rock Bar, Calle Santa Lucía 8
  The four-piece from London delivered a fantastic show.
• 13 February: Pepe Habichuela @ Salón de actos de la Fundación Botín, Pedrueca 1
  I simply had no right to miss a concert of this humble legend of flamenco (he played with Camarón de la Isla and Enrique Morente, among others). And what a concert it was! Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the names of the singer and the percussionist, who were just as outstanding as maestro himself.
• 14 February: El Pescao @ Carnival of Santoña
  I was told Santoña is about the only place in Cantabria worth visiting to see a carnival parade. Quite predictably, it was raining most of the evening, so my friends and I ended up in the big marquee in the centre of the town and saw El Pescao there. I never heard about this band before but, as I learned now, it is very popular. Lot of people actually knew the lyrics! I didn’t care much for their pop-rock songs but reggae/ska stuff was quite decent; I wish they played more of that.
• 17 February: Adriana Blu & The Sugars @ Canela Bar, Plaza de Cañadio
  A talented singer and a great band playing jazz, soul, bolero and bossa-nova standards. They are based in Santander so I hope to see them again soon.

• 18 February: Yakeen @ Rubicón
  A four-strong trio from Toulouse, comprising Adrien Aragón (steel string guitar), Matthieu Guenez (Spanish guitar), Dimitri Laboire (double bass) and a violinist who was introduced to the public as simply Matthieu. Not just another jazz manouche band, their repertoire includes compositions by Chick Corea, Paco de Lucía and Vicente Amigo. Two and a half hours (at least, not counting the interval) of pure sonic pleasure.
• 20 February: Cromática Pistona @ Café de las Artes Teatro, Calle García Morato 4
  Wow. When you see a band like this, you are spoiled for choice: either sit and stare open-mouthed; go dancing; or, if you are feeling adventurous, go dancing open-mouthed. I chose the first option, not least because I didn’t want to trip over the cables in front of the band, whereas if I went to the cable-free area, I would lose the view of them, and probably my seat. Anyway, there were more than enough people who even knew how to dance swing. (According to the band’s Facebook page, “El principal objetivo de la Cromática es lograr que el público baile sin parar en los conciertos”.) Wonderfully happy and diverse music played with lots of humour and style.

• 24 February: Hermes Quartet @ Canela Bar
  Hermes de la Torre (piano), Saúl Crespo (violin), Miguel Díez (cello) and Daniel Rodríguez (percussion) with special guests Eva Maza (vocal) y Jorge Pérez (recitative). A history of Cuban music from 1890 to the present.
• 26 February: Hula Baby @ El Cazurro
  This was the first time that I was unable to progress to the main sitting (playing, dancing) room of El Cazurro. So I and my friend stayed by the bar, enjoying beer, nice food and a view of the public trying to dance while closely-packed. As for music, it was rather straightforward good old rock’n’roll well played but, thanks to the acoustic properties of the place, I wasn’t even sure which songs were sung in Spanish and which in English.

I’m tired of winter. Thank you Cantabria for the Carnival break (unheard of in the UK, though rather short by Canarian standards) and for all this music.

Balkan Fever Helsinki

by Various Artists

Club Balkan Fever was born on May Day 2009.

It became a shining beacon of good times for a very heterogeneous crowd: young and old, Finnish and foreign, lawyers, kebab cooks, university students, folk musicians, pop music nerds, ad agency hustlers, traveling moustache wax salesmen, municipal infrastructure workers... It was like a harbor bar in a Kusturica movie based on a Hugo Pratt comic.

To celebrate their 2½ (!) anniversary, the club released this epic compilation album. I doubt you’ll find it anywhere but Finland. Which, depending on perspective, is either a shame or one more (good) reason to visit Finland. The CD showcases “crème de la rakiya” (I keep quoting the album’s liner notes) of Finnish Balkan music. (I have to admit, “Finnish Balkan” sounds a bit weird. Last time I was checking, Finland was not in Balkans. But modern Balkan music does not have to come from Balkans, just like flamenco does not have to come from Andalusia or, indeed, Finnish music does not have to come from Finland. Even though it often does.) And then something else entirely: rap by Paleface, ska-style polka by Liljan Loisto, Finnish bhangra by Shaya, and prog-jazz from “prophets of fictional world music”, “half-Satanic klezmer punkers” Alamaailman Vasarat.

Balkan Fever Helsinki The Bad Ass Brass Band: Suitsutus 4:48 Liljan Loisto: Säkkijärven polkka 1:51 Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha: Malja elämälle 3:18 Slobo Horo: Hora Lăutărească 3:12 Hortto Kaalo: Mustalaiseks olen syntynyt 2:33 Shava: Suomenmaa 3:40 Freilach mit Kneidlach: Hangu/Freylakhs 2:46 Transkaakko: En ennen ollut tällainen 2:52 Alamaailman Vasarat: Luonto tuli lähelle 3:03 Serefe Sound System: Ota osasi 3:31 Paleface: Talonomistaja (Svengali Baltik Bass Remix) 3:49 Teija Niku & Grupa Balkan: Finsko Pajdusko 3:08 Duo Tinalo: Loli Phabay 1:29 Orkestar Bordurka: One Star 4:26 Jätkäjätkät: Kallion kierros 4:33 DJ Emil vs. Markku Lepistö: Thunderbird 4:53 Afrocola: Näitä polkuja tallaan 3:55 Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha: Sivutien kautta 2:59 Bonus track: Anders & Jargeli: Kaunotar Istanbulin 3:31 Compiled by Djs Borzin & Levy Produced by Arwi Lind / Helmi Levyt & Balkan Fever Ry Artwork by OH design Mastered by Esa Santonen @ Liiteri Liner notes by Arttu Tolonen

Fuerteventura en Música 2013

How time flies. That’s how I finished my post about the last year’s festival:

I have a year to sort the accommodation out.

It was not until last week though that I finally sorted it. By that time, I couldn’t find any reasonably priced hotels in El Cotillo for two nights. So, guess what, I booked our stay for three nights. Which provided us with a welcome escape from extremely noisy neighbours who arrived for holidays. (I never thought I am going to say this, but here you are: I am counting time till we leave this house for good.)

What I wrote last year remains true. Still, no publicity. Maybe because this year marks the 10^th anniversary of the festival, they managed to print the colourful booklets and posters, although I only saw them in El Cotillo. The festival website had a list of bands, but it was not even said which band plays which night. The DJ breaks were still far too long. The police, even in greater numbers, were still hanging around the centre. This time they brought red and blue LED traffic flares, so their stretch of road looked more festive. The special buses seemed to run on time.

For me, the highlight of the first night were The Monos from Gran Canaria. I was more than impressed by their versatility and level of musicianship. Yes, it’s “only” rock’n’roll. Plus cumbia, funk, rancheras, reggae, ska, and even tango. And what a killer horn section! Who said that Canarians can only play timple? Oh, by the way, they also have a killer timple player. Listen to Llora la Tierra and Canarito de sangre and hear for yourself.

On Saturday night, as I was walking towards Playa de la Concha, I heard music coming from one of the streets. I came closer. It was a garage used as a dining room. Inside, a middle-aged woman was sitting near the gate, another was standing, probably cooking. An old man was at the table, playing timple and singing, paying no attention whatsoever to the beat from Playa de la Concha.

I guess every outdoor festival struggles with the problem of waste. In the early hours of Sunday, the garbage containers were overflowing. Maybe they were not emptied on Saturday morning. I don’t know what was happening with portaloos, I did not dare entering them this year.

The Palestinian rap trio DAM played an electrifying set on the second night. They even taught the audience some clapping patterns and a few Arabic (I believe) words. My only wish was they were backed by a real band. And, magically, my wish came true, for the next act, Babylon Circus, graciously invited DAM on stage and backed them for a truly great performance. That, I thought, is how Palestinian rap should sound.

Babylon Circus were the heroes of the night. To label them as “ska and reggae group” is, at best, misleading. Of course they do play ska and reggae, but these are fused with chanson, rock, swing and, yes, kind of music you’d expect to hear in circus. They sing in both French and English (yes, with cute French accent). The audience were exhausted from all this singing and shouting and jumping, while it looked like Babylon Circus were ready to play another set!

A hard act to follow, they are. Perhaps inevitably, the next band sounded, well, less great. I felt really sorry for them. To avoid further disappointment, I went back to the hotel. The formerly musical garage was dark and silent.

More photos of El Cotillo @ Shutterstock.

Este Mundo

by Rupa & The April Fishes

Until a couple months ago, I never heard of Rupa & The April Fishes. Quite by chance, I came across Por la Frontera and loved it so much that I simply had to get the album. And buy a few copies more for my friends.

Many things in Este Mundo — the trilinguality, the sound of the cello, that feel of cabaret / circus / Gypsy caravan — reminded me of Lhasa’s The Living Road. But The Fishes got the sound, joy and nostalgia of their own.

Fuerteventura en Música 2012

No, this is not Glastonbury, WOMAD or Cambridge Folk Festival. Although I never been to any of these myself, I am sure that Fuerteventura en Música festival is something else altogether, judging from the following:

1. I was able to attend it
2. It is a free event (no tickets)
3. It was not raining

The festival is one of Fuerteventura’s many “best-kept secrets”. It’s not that anyone is paid to keep it secret, it’s just not publicised well. So, take a note: Fuerteventura en Música happens every year about this time in El Cotillo, on Playa de la Concha. It takes about quarter an hour to walk from the bus stop, and the stage is difficult to miss.

The first day, or should I say night, I came to El Cotillo with Yuri. Opening the festival were majorero sambistas Crazy Drummers, drumming crazily all way from the beach and finishing in front of the main (and only) stage. The first band on stage was a rock trio Electrolapas, also from Fuerte. Afterwards, Yuri said that he enjoyed this band the most.

The programme continued with Senegalese-Canarian reggae outfit Nayaband. That was my favourite band of the evening. I love African music and dance, and Nayaband provided the treat.

Cuban Chila Lynn has great voice, and her piano playing is not bad either. It’s just not the kind of music I like to listen to: well-crafted, commerical-sounding neo-soul sounded out of place here, and the (lack of) public reaction confirmed that.

We went to catch the midnight bus to Corralejo. Special bus services were organised, departing to Corralejo and Puerto del Rosario from Campo de Fútbol, about 20 minute walk from Playa de La Concha. Five or six policemen were busy diverting traffic in the centre of the village. I asked them where exactly the bus stop was. They assured me that at this time there are no buses to Corralejo or anywhere and suggested to take taxi. Thinking that this is just another manifestation of the festival best-kept-secretness, we went to the bus stop opposite of the Campo de Fútbol and found there two ladies waiting. The bus duly arrived and departed exactly on-time.

On Saturday, all four of us went to El Cotillo. The second evening kicked off with Los Jables del Timple, the majorero jazz-funk band featuring the timple virtuoso Althay Páez, pianist Domingo Saavedra, bassist Carlos Cabrera and drummer Leo Olivares. I was considerably less impressed by Marujita, maybe because of their singer’s voice. Once the band was playing an instrumental, with Althay Páez joining on timple, it started to sound much better.

They were followed by the Belgians Krema Kawa — kind of Manu Chao meets Gogol Bordello uptempo reggae-ska-gypsy-Afrobeat fusion, very energetic and danceable. (By that time, Tamara and kids left, first to look for more civilised cafeteria and then for bus.) I would enjoy Kawa even more if not for annoying branding (I mean, we got the message, no need to repeat the band’s name ad nauseam).

Both nights, Guatemalan DJ Meneo was filling the gaps between the acts with electronica ranging from mildly amusing to mildly irritating, but never really good. Even so, some people were spotted dancing to it while the others made their way to the refreshment stalls. I wish these breaks were shorter though.

The last band I saw were my copyleft heroes Canteca de Macao. No gimmicks, no chitchat, no pauses, just pure music from start to finish the moment I, sadly, had to leave to catch the 1:30 bus (and if I didn’t, I would have to wait until 4:30 am). I hope to see their performance in full another time.

Even though by now we know that one can rely on buses, next time I would prefer to stay in El Cotillo for both nights. I like the idea of camping on the beach (didn’t like the act, went to the tent) but I also need little luxuries such as proper bathroom. Well, I have a year to sort the accommodation out.

More photos of El Cotillo @ Shutterstock.

Agua pa’ la Tierra

by Canteca de Macao

By their third album, Canteca de Macao perfected their trademark flamenco/punk/reggae/ska fusion sound: less ska/punk, more fusion and memorable melodies.

The CD is shorter than the band’s previous offering, and a good thing too: not “simply” great songs (I know, I know, there’s nothing simple about that) but the whole album glues together. There also is a “hidden” anonymous bonus track, which I suspect is called Agua pa’ la Tierra. As is the case with most bonus tracks, it is quite disposable.

The DVD contains (excerpts from) the concert on 8 September 2007, and two “official” videoclips, Bellas and Contigo. I love the music (coming from the band’s first two albums) but the video of the live performance could have been so much better — image, camerawork, sound, everything. Still, it is worth checking out, if only for the last song Moliendo Café with guests Alamedadosoulna. Don’t watch if offended by hairy armpits.

CD		DVD
Música Se va y no vuelve Vida de Carretera Green Yin Caños Agatea Madrizz Paco Jazzmín El atonte del vino Así es la vida La Lumbre Bonus Track		Concierto Circo Price (Madrid) 8 septiembre 2007 Backstage No llores La rabia Bellas Chistosos Sin solución Qué pasa?! Contigo Alternativa libertaria Despedida (con Alamedadosoulna) Videoclip “Bellas” Videoclip “Contigo”

Pafuera Telarañas

by Bebe

A wonderful, uncategorisable album which just gets better and better with every listening. Better still, this special edition has two awesome bonus tracks: electronic rap number Corre and Que Nadie Me Levante La Voz, flamenco-infused collaboration with Los Delinqüentes. Bebe rocks! (Also raps, folks, funks, punks, skas and so on.)

Annoyingly, the cover art is spoiled by the “Parental Advisory — Explicit Content” sticker. Which is ridiculous since the album is in Spanish (at least they could have bothered to translate the sticker). In any case, the only offending lyrics seems to be this verse of Malo:

Mi carita de niña linda
Se ha ido envejeciendo en el silencio
Cada vez que me dices ¡puta!
Se hace tu cerebro más pequeño.

Given the topic of the song, it is rather benign. Personally, I’d ¡@x%$#*! that %^#~*&$' son of the $%^*x.

Camino de la Vida Entera

by Canteca de Macao

I bought this album from an Amazon UK seller and it arrived just before the New Year — from Argentina, of all places. What a great record. In fact, two records, because this package includes both Camino de la Vida Entera (2007) and Canteca’s previous album, Cachai? (2005). It is far too difficult to pick up a favourite song, they are all gorgeous. Probably the closing number, Chic tu Chic (I am pretty sure the pun is intended).

I admire the attitude of this band: all their music is freely available under a copyleft license. The sleeve includes the band’s Manifesto, which is concluded with this: COMPRA, COPIA O DESCARGA ESTE DISCO. TÚ MISM@. Similarly, the inscription on the disc itself goes: Canteca de Macao te permite legalmente la copia de este CD So there, Warner Music Spain!

La Semilla Escondida

by Sergent Garcia

The first album of Sergent Garcia I ever got, and (imprinting and stuff) it remains my favourite. Not a single weak song here.

si hemos de morir yo quiero que sea esta noche en tus brazos yo no me asustaré si hemos de morir yo quiero que sea esta noche abrazamé contigo yo me quemaré, contigo yo no moriré porque contigo yo renaceré

Alright, Still

by Lily Allen

I do not normally listen to pop music. Not to the pop music of the 21^st century anyway. But, after reading an article in The Big Issue, I thought I may give Lily Allen a try. Not bad, I have to admit, even if some songs there make me cringe. (No, it is not because of the ‘explicit lyrics’ — in my view, mostly justified. I was amused that you can find a ‘clean’ version of Alright, Still, where all the swearwords are somehow edited out.) Apparently, Lily herself said she cringes when listening to her debut album. I don’t think I will listen to it over and over, but still, thumbs up. My favourite tracks there (musically) are Everything’s Just Wonderful, ska-ish Friday Night and reggae-ish Friend of Mine.