Looking back: My 15 most played songs of 2012

Happy new year, my beloved reader! I wish you a terrific 2013 filled with many good things, such as sunshine, brownies and music. Hopefully it is not yet too late to look back on 2012 and share my musical highlights with you. Yes, I know, I should have done it about two weeks ago, but I was busy eating too much delicious food with my family. Sorry about that.

2012 was a great year for me in many ways. I spent half of it in Cartagena de Indias, a city that made me dance many a night away. But no matter my physical location, I will always have my music with me. These are some of the songs, and artists, that I spent most of my time with this year, sort of in chronological order. Thank you friends for adding to my supply! Did I forget any?

Lykke Li - I follow rivers

Classy lady, great voice and beautiful videos

Maria Gadu - Tudo diferente

I just cannot get enough of this music!  

Mayer hawthorne - Can't stop

Mayer is a modern-day soul man, we need more of these guys!

Hector Lavoe - Todo tiene su final

Hector actually deserves a separate blogpost... This one song does not do him justice.

Juan Luis Guerra - Ojala que llueva cafe 

First heard this song in Spanish class learning about the subjunctive.

Joe Arroyo - La Rebelion

No night in Cartagena nightlife goes by without this song...

Diomedes dias - Amarte mas no pude 

My guilty pleasure.

J Alvarez - La Pregunta

Speaking of guilty pleasures... Yes, yes, I know this guy is a nasty sexist, but I can't help wanting to dance to this. 

Luis Enrique - Yo no se mañana 

Monsieur Perine - Sabor a mi

I had the pleasure of seeing both Monsier Perine and Bomba Estereo live at a festival. Both great bands that made the crowds go crazy.

Bomba Estereo - Pa' Respirar

Lianne La Havas - Au Cinema

This lady has made my year. Since I missed her performance in Amsterdam, I am hoping she'll come back soon.

Marques Toliver - Magic Look

Ben Howard -  Only love

Usually I am not so into white guys with guitars, but in this case... I am hooked. Cannot get enough of this voice, of this song, of this video.

Rihanna - Diamonds

At the time of posting this song has 127 million views - so I guess you have all already seen it. I do believe about 1500 of those views were mine. Yes, maybe I should be ashamed, but I'm not. I also love Beyonce. Ha! This songs just calls for dramatic dance moves in front of the mirror. Seriously, it does. Give it try! 

A day without music is a day wasted

Colombia, and especially its Carribean coast (and Cali, Colombia's Capital of salsa), is the place to go if you like to dance. There is music everywhere. Literally, EVERYWHERE. Every car, house, bar, shops brings a different kind of tune: vallenato, salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, cumbia, hip hop, house even. This leads me to dance uncontrollably all day long. I just can't help myself! Here's a glimpse of what Colombia sounds like:

Vallenato

To me vallenato is Colombia's equivalent of Dangdut (to which I have not even dedicated a blogpost yet!) and what we in Holland call smartlappen or levensliederen (croon songs). The songs are catchy and sentimental. It's popular music, or music for the working class. The themes is usually romantic, the lyrics often speak of lost loves. Lots of the Colombians I meet here don't like it (but all my neighbors so far definetely do). Even though I wouldn't want to listen to it all the time, I kind of like it (a lot). One of the things I like is that the accordeon is important instrument for vallenato and that the songs are sung straight from the heart. I will soon try to sing a song (like I did in Vietnam).

Salsa

On every street corner you can hear a salsa tune, often it´ll be one by Joe Arroyo, Cartagena's pride. This song always make the clubs explode - people in general all sing along to all the songs, no matter whether they can sing or not. I kid you not: the neighbor is playing this song as we speak, or well, as I am typing this - at twelve thirty at night on a Thursday, I might add.

Reggaeton
Many taxi driver's listen to radio Tropicana and will have reggaeton playing in their car. The lyrics are mostly very offensive to women or just disgusting (or both), but oh, is it fun to dance to this!

Music for the soul

As always when the year is about the end, I start to reflect on all the things I have done in the past twelve months. Besides many great adventures, 2011 has brought me music. More than ever before, my musical landscape has widened. I have always said I was into black music, because white music lacked soul. That is certainly not true, or so I found out this year. So here, I present to you my Top Ten of Most Played Songs in 2011. Thanks to all my friends for sharing their great music with me!

1. Ane Brun - One
 
2. King - Supernatural


3. Lizz Wright - Salt

This is actually a very old song from Lizz, which I had apparently missed before.

4. Mayra Andrade - Kenha ki ben ki ta bai

In September, I saw Mayra play live - definitively the best concert of 2011!

5. James Blake - Limit to your love


6. Edward Sharpe - Home

7. Avishai Cohen - Dreaming


8. James Vincent McMorrow - Higher love


9. Norah Jones - Chasing pirates

This song is actually from 2009, but I only discovered it a few months ago.

10. Fink - Trouble is what you're in


May 2012 bring you all lots of happy melodies and soulful tunes!

Very superstitious

It seems nobody listens to Stevie Wonder here in Indonesia. In any case, the average Indonesian probably wouldn't sing along to "When you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer." Because superstition IS the way! In the past two weeks here I have gotten to know some new superstitions, which I shouldn't refer to as such of course. They are "facts''.

As always my health is slightly unstable with a change of temperature of 20 degrees and an invasion of polluted air into my pores. Thus, my eye is irritated. I must have been peaking in on someone taking a bath, someone tells me. No, someone else says, you gave someone something and took it back, or was considering it - after I heard this, I did actually start contemplating asking back a dress I had given to Esther a few months ago. Today my ear ached: someone misses me, or so they say. Last week I learned that unmarried couples shouldn't visit the botanical gardens in Bogor together, or they will certainly never get married. Finally, when a child stands on all fours, they want a little brother or sister. I wonder what more I will learn in the next two weeks. In the meantime, I'll sing along to Stevie...

Presenting: me singing a Vietnamese song

For a long time now, I have had the idea to do a 'musical trip around the world' visiting all the places where the music I love is born (Portugal, Spain, Cape Verde, Cuba, Brasil, The USA -New Orleans- and more). It's on my bucket list. However, in the meantime I travel a lot to countries with other great music to explore. Since I love to sing, I figured singing a 'local' song would be a good way to get to know a culture. I already know several Indonesian songs, but will work on something less popular later this year (Indonesian friends, do feel free to send suggestions).

As I found myself in Vietnam in June, I posted an add offering English conversation classes in exchange for being taught a Vietnamese song. Before I knew it, I was practising 'Vao Chua' with my lovely tutor Trinh. She was very patient, explaining the difference between 'tuh' and 'thuh' - a difference I could vaguely hear but certainly not reproduce... It costed quite some blood, sweat and tears, but here it is, my version of Vao Chua, about the joys of going to the pagoda. Enjoy! :)

 

Looking for a soulman

Since Amy Winehouse disappeared into a world of drugs and rehab clinics, I've been searching for a soulman or woman to fill the gap. Some great artists came along, old and new. I still love Mary J. Blige, have recently discovered Janelle Monae and really like soulwoman Sharon Jones. When it comes to male singers, I really like Daniel Merriweather and the French Ben L'Oncle.

But when I first heard Liam Bailey, I knew this is the guy I'd been waiting for! His voice - frail and worn yet strong - goes straight to the heart. His single 'Breaking out' has been lingering in my head for several days now. Liam released his first singles on Amy Winehouse's lioness label and will release his debut album in January 2011.

Mayra makes me happy

According to my iTunes playcount, Mayra Andrade's 'Comme s'il en pleuvait' was the most played song in 2009 (75 times). Thus, I figured a few weeks ago that it was finally time to find out what else she had to offer. Wow, what a happy surprise! In Mayra, Cesaria Evora has found a good successor to spread that Capeverdean vibe. She does it so very convincingly. The songs are cheerful and sometimes tender. Her voice and the languages (Portugese, Creole and French) match perfectly. And better yet, she's young and very pretty too. All the ingredients for a successful career, I would say. Well, whether she becomes as big a star as Cesaria or not, I'm completely hooked to her album 'Storia, Storia'. It wouldn't surprise me if in December Mayra tops the playcount list again!

Here's a song from her first album Navega (also great), Mana

And then the song that makes me happy whenever I'm sad or (more often) even happier when I'm already doing good, Comme s'il en pleuvait

Let's take a walk

Some people say that the music of today is nothing compared to the classics. They feel that all popular music was somehow derived from the better original. And yes, to a large extent I agree. But sometimes, there is an artist that does something entirely new or that knows exactly how to revive that 'oldies' feel. Raphael Saadiq is one of them.

His album 'The way I see it' is one extended trip down memory lane for those of us that enjoy Motown classics. Last week, he played Amsterdam's Paradiso and it was a blast. His background singers were pumping with energy, the band played smooth and steady and Raphael was slick in his yellow suit.

Let's take a walk!


Performing my other favorite, Big Easy, live
Here you can find a 38 minute clip of Raphael playing at GoogleTalks.

And now that I'm on the subject of old music going new, I just need to praise Amy Winehouse for helping her goddaugther Dionne Bromfield record an album. Even though the 13-year-old singer still has a lot to learn, her potential sure is visible. Thanks, Amy! Now hope you sort yourself out for once and for all...

Un historia de amor

He looks a bit like Al Pacino. He could walk right into a Tarrantino movie alongside Javier Bardem. But he's not an actor. Diego El Cigala sings. And he sends chills up and down my spine.

On my thirtieth Birthday I had the pleasure to see him perform in Amsterdam's Temple of Pop, Paradiso. Diego apparently started his career singing Flamenco on the street and in bars. He has played for Spain's best dancers until he decided to sing on his own. He has worked together with Cuban artists and gave extra soul to famous songs we mostly know from the Buena Vista Social Club. 

Couleur Cafe

A few weeks ago, I spent a weekend at the Couleur Cafe festival in Brussels. The festival celebrated its 20th Anniversary and the program was jampacked with great artists. Possibly, this was also its last edition as the location where it was being held will be renovated. That's very sad, because it is a great feast! I have had the pleasure to see and hear; Ben Harper, Oi Va Voi, Cubanismo, Ozomatli, Alpha Blondy, Zap Mama, Solomon Burke and Cesaria Evora.

Solomon invited fifteen people on stage and handed out roses and necklaces to the audience (which we were able to lay hands on too!). The way he performs his songs is amazing: seated in a big chair the whole time, he never ceases to keep the audience involved. His lyrics are great too, by the way. I especially like:

"And there are people still in darkness,
and they just can't see the light.
If you don't say it's wrong then that says it right.
We got try to feel for each other, let our brother's know that we care.
Got to get the message, send it out loud and clear.

It's a simple truth we all need, just to hear and to see.
None of us are free, one of us is chained.
None of us are free.
now I swear your salvation isn't too hard too find,
None of us can find it on our own.
We've got to join together in sprirt, heart and mind.
So that every soul who's suffering will know they're not alone"

Even though she's already 68 years old, Cesaria Evora definitely rocks the stage. Her voice is beautiful and when she sings her (relatively expressionless) face completely lights up. My favorite moment of the concert was when she said there would be an instrumental song, so she could sit down and smoke. And that's what she did: in the middle of the stage, she sat herself down on a chair, lit a cigaret and took her time. "Always enjoy life to the fullest" is what she seemed to say.

Dutch girl becomes Indonesian superstar

On a holiday on Bali, Rebecca Reijman rocked a microphone at a Karaoke bar and what many people dream of happened: she was 'discovered' by a producer and offered a record deal. Now, one year later, she's a superstar. Rebecca is of Surinamese-Javanese descent; she has Javanese and Dutch features and fits the Indonesian beauty ideal. She had never visited Indonesia before. As she didn't speak the language yet, she took Indonesian lessons for two months and started recording. Her CD is a big hit and soon she'll star in a Singapore film.


Her first video Tanpamu (without you)

So, who know.. maybe I do stand a chance after all! ;)

Here are some videos taken of my performance with Chester Brandes at the Anak Wayang Benefit dinner. More can be found here.

Tribute to Tompi

Now that I am practicing Indonesian songs for the Anak Wayang benefit dinner on May 23rd, I again realize how much I love Tompi. That man is the bomb, especially on stage. Here's some evidence to prove it, including the (mostly female) fans all singing their hearts out.

Single ladies doing it

Must say that I really like Beyonce's video, so I was especially happy to see this! In reply to Miriam's post and with thanks to Maike, here's some great dancing!

No more blues

Wanting to practise this song, I went to look for others who'd sung it. And what do you know? My favorite singer of all times, Carmen McRae, did her very own version! Love it. And the lyrics.. well, they speak for themselves ;)

No more blues
I'm going back home
No, no more blues
I promise no more to roam
Home is where the heart is
The funny part is, my heart's been
Right here all alone
No more tears, and no more sighs
No, no more fears-
I'll say no more goodbye
If travel beckons me, I swear I'm gonna refuse
I'm gonna settle down, and there'll be no more blues
Everyday while I am far away
My thoughts turn homeward, forever homeward
I've traveled round the world in search of happiness
But all the happiness I've found
Is in my hometown
No more blues
I'm going back home
No, no more blues
I'm through with all my wandering now
I'll settle down and never roam
And find a man and build a home
When we settle down, there'll be no more blues
Nothing but happiness
When we settle down, there'll be no more blues

Ain't nobody but Chaka

Well, there's not much I can say, but damn.. can she sing! Another thing I can cross off my wish list!

Dutch music rocks too!

When I say something about music on this blog, it's always about some artist from a far away country that come to play for the Dutch crowd. But actually, we Dutch folks have some pretty good bands ourselves!
At Paradiso on the 23rd of December, I danced the evening away during the Kraak & Smaak concert (thanks, Daph!). And last weekend in Leiden, I got to enjoy Zuco 103, Gare Du Nord, the Young Sinatra's and Candy Dulfer. Funky stuff - for the record...


Kraak & Smaak


Zuco 103


Candy Dulfer

My Romeo

I am a groupie, and a proud one. My very own 'little' brother, Lennart, starred as Romeo in Shakespeare's famous play last weekend. Of course, I was gleaming with pride! Not only is he a great singer, he can act! And, he even persuaded the directors to allow for one song (as this was not supposed to become a musical). They made him sing in Italian, which he did marvelously. Naturally, the image quality of my recordings is not perfect, but (especially in the last two) it's the sound that counts. I'm already looking forward to next year! And, do check out the X-factor: Lennart auditioned and we have reason to believe his story will get some airtime...

The famous scene; Romeo, oh Romeo, Wherefor art thou Romeo?
"Jij mag me opeten, alleen jij! Ik wil alleen door jou opgepeuzeld worden, Julia!"



Strani Amori

Gotan Project @ Melkweg

Sunday was the big day that Gotan project came to perform in Amsterdam. They put up quite a show; they first appeared behind a screen where images were projected onto - of Argentina, of people dancing the tango, pretty lips from up close. Then the screen lowered and the full band was shown with all its style. First wearing black suits, later all dressed in brisk white. The tango dancers naturally made me want to take lessons, so I can do what they do...

Despite the signs saying 'No recording of any kind', I decided to try my luck. Not the most fantastic quality imaginable, but at least it's evidence to the fact I was there ;) They played my favorite songs 'La viguela' (see below) and 'Mi confesion' of which I post the music video.

Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Paradiso

Soon the entire concert will be available via www.fabchannel.com (and hopefully so will Lizz Wright's concert...), but for now I only have my own amateur recording to show here. Pretty amazing what music they make with just the two of them. They sure have great fingers - and knuckles ;) Paradiso was buzzing, the crowd (including me) was happily into it; very nice concert!

Addicted to music

What would I do without my daily shot of music? I honestly wouldn't know. That's why I am especially happy with inventions such as Ipods and YouTube so I never have to do without. This specific trip I've been addicted to several songs, which are all so beautiful that I thought I'd share them with you...





I added two videos of Julieta Venegas, who I think is just fantastic. Too bad I didn't know of her existence when I was in Mexico, otherwise I would have bought every song she ever made (yeah, I know, I can still so that online). Both songs are great, but that duet with Marisa Monte.. wow! Due to a copyright issue, Sony has had the one posted here before removed - not sure how long these will be available...


Mariza - Minh' Alma


I first heard this duet by Jason Mraz and James Morrison on Singapore Airlines In Flight Entertainment and then had it entertain me for hours in a row - together with 'I'm yours' of course! Once a song is in my vains, just can't get it out again....


Red Hot Chili Peppers - Hard to concentrate works especially great in airplanes - but anywhere else too actually