#OnRepeat: Concha Buika's "Mi Niña Lola"

This week, I've had Concha Buika's song, "Mi Niña Lola," #OnRepeat. For those of you who aren't hip to Concha Buika, she is a Flamenco-Jazz fusion singer from Spain.  When you listen to her voice, you hear the low, powerful range mixed with a somewhat scratchy-like timbre that produces a memorable sound that you won't be able to get out of your head. I, myself, was introduced to her music back during my undergrad career and instantly fell in love with her sound.

The song, "Mi Niña Lola," is a beautiful song depicting just how much love a father has for his daughter. Below are the lyrics:

Dime porque tienes carita de pena
Que tiene mi niña siendo santa y buena
Cuéntale a tu padre lo que a ti te pasa
Dime lo que tienes reina de mi casa

Tu madre la pobre no se donde esta
Dime lo que tienes, dime lo que tienes
Dime lo que tienes, dime la verdad

Mi niña lola, mi niña lola
Ya no tiene la carita del color de la amapola
Mi niña lola, mi niña lola
Ya no tiene la carita del color de la amapola

Tu no me ocultes tu pena
Pena de tu corazón
Cuéntame tu amargura
Pa consolártela yo

Mi niña lola, mi niña lola
Se le ha puesto la carita del color de la amapola
Mi niña lola, mi niña lola
Se le ha puesto la carita del color de la amapola

Siempre que te miro mi niña bonita
Le rezo a la virgen que esta en la ermita
Cuéntale a tu padre lo que te ha pasado
Dime si algún hombre a ti te ha engañado
Niña de mi alma no me llores mas
Dime lo que tienes, dime lo que tienes
Dime lo que tienes, dime la verdad

Mi niña lola, mi niña lola
Mientras que viva tu padre no estas en el mundo sola

Her performance of the lyrics--where she chooses to pause, increase in intensity, decrease in volume, or even just speak the lyrics instead of sing--adds so much to the meaning of the song.  Her raspy-like timbre adds desperation to the message of the father's words to his daughter.  I also appreciate the fact that she didn't change the sex of the point of view of the narrator (father to mother). Sometimes singers do this and it makes the lyrics lose value. I might be slightly biased about this song specifically since I am a daddy's girl, but even so, this song is beautiful.

If you guys have any new music, musicians or groups to check out, leave a comment below!

Finding Your Own Practice Space

"Practice makes perfect." Practicing is the only way in which someone can improve their craft. Drummers, percussionists, and horn-players alike will tell you that shedding or practicing for hours at a time make them feel physically and mentally great. Though singers really shouldn't be singing for 8 or 9 hours like a drummer does, the concept of practicing is still the same for a vocalist.

Where you practice is just as important as how you practice and the length of which you practice. Here is a list of things that you should be conscious of and have in your practice space when singing.

1. Make sure you have some type of mirror. You want to be able to check your posture, your body when you're practicing breathing technique, mouth shape when you're producing vowels shapes or singing in different languages, and practicing performance technique. The best way to check this is to see yourself doing this. A floor-length mirror would be a good size so you can see how your whole body reacts when you sing, including your feet and legs.

2. Try to practice with a piano or keyboard. If you're anything like me, it is very hard to pull a pitch out of thin air. It is always best to practice with a piano so you can gauge your pitch with an actual instrument.

3. Have a recording device. Either audio, visual, or both. This is another way to check your progress in warm-ups and run-throughs of songs. You can check any nervous ticks you might have in your hands or face, intonation issues, and even mispronunciation of words or lack of inflection in a phrase.

4. Get a music stand. This is for any papers with lyrics and/or sheet music so that you can have your hands free when singing. It is always better to practice how you will sing onstage in the practice room--without sheet music in your hands.

5. Make sure the space is somewhere where you can make a lot of noise. I know this one sounds weird, but you don't want to be worried about neighbors when you're trying to hit that high note or belt that long note in a song. You should be worry free so that you can be free to work out weird notes, difficult melodies, and figure out the dynamics of a song for your voice.

Most importantly, don't worry about making mistakes. Your practice space is your space and your time to improve and learn more about your instrument: your voice. You can never improve unless you make mistakes at least once in awhile so why not make them while practicing?

Do you guys have any other tips for finding a good practice space or any other essentials for practicing? Let us know in the comments below!

#OnRepeat: Paula Lima "Água de Beber" (Acoustic Live)

This week's #OnRepeat is actually a remake of a Bossa Nova standard: "Água de Beber," music written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and words written by Vinicius de Moraes, but is covered by Paula Lima.  The Brazilian singer and composer, Paula Lima, is well-known for her music which blends influences of traditional Samba, Brazilian Soul and Funk, Rock, and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) or Brazilian Pop Music; and this rendition of "Água de Beber" showcases these influences. During the 1990s, she was greatly involved in the Brazilian Soul and Funk scene of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, performing as back-up vocalist for Jorge Ben (please look him up; famous for "Mas Que Nada" among other numerous hits) and performing with Brazilian rap duo, Thaíde and DJ Hum, and collaborating with (another one of my favorites) Brazilian Funk singer, Ed Motta. 

"Água de Beber" is a beautifully written song surprisingly in both Portuguese and in English. I only say this because sometimes the English version of a song written in a different language either doesn't make sense or the lyrics in English mean something completely different. Paula Lima sings the English version of the song, but I think because of the way she performs the melody and words, this version grooves way harder than Astrud Gilberto's version of "Água de Beber". Below I've included the Portuguese lyrics, the English lyrics and the English translation of the Portuguese version:

Portuguese Lyrics

Eu quis amar, mas tive medo
E quis salvar meu coração
Mas o amor sabe um segredo
O medo pode matar o seu coração

Água de beber
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará!

Eu nunca fiz coisa tão certa
Entrei pra escola do perdão
A minha casa vive aberta
Abre todas as portas do coração!

Água de beber
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará!

English Lyrics

Your love's the rain
My heart's the flower
I need your love 
or I will die
My very life is in your power
will I wither and fade or bloom to the sky

Água de beber
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará!

Água de beber
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará!

The rain may fall on distant desert
the rain may fall upon the sea
the rain may fall upon the flower
since the rain has to fall, let it fall on me

Água de beber
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará!

English Translation of Portuguese Version

I wanted to love but was afraid
I wanted to protect my heart
but love knows a secret
fear can kill the heart

This is sweet water,
sweet water, my friend.
This is sweet water,
sweet water, my friend.

I never did a thing so certain
I learned of forgiveness (Literal: I entered the school of forgiveness)
My house is open
I opened all the doors of my heart

This is sweet water,
sweet water, my friend.
This is sweet water,
sweet water, my friend.

Also, below I've posted Astrud Gilberto's version of "Água de Beber" and Paula Lima's version so you can have something to compare Lima's version to (and so that you know the origin of the covered version and how it has changed in Lima's).

Lima's rhythmic timing is on point and she shows this by the way she plays with the rhythm in the intro and the chorus section. Her melodic improvisation is simple, stylistic and impressive to listen to.  Her interpretation of the English lyrics is beautiful and reminiscent of the Bossa Nova style. Did I happen to mention that her stage presence is such that she gets everyone in the audience surrounding her dancing in their seats? Her performance is groovy, captivating, and something that any singer or performer should aspire to.

I know that this post in particular was a long one, but I wanted to provide both lyrical and musical context so that you guys can start to notice comparisons in the styles of music that you listen to and know how to listen and look for them so that you can appreciate not only your own music, but all music even more.

If anyone has any new musicians, bands or songs to listen to, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Jaw Tension & Its Role in Singing

When working with a student awhile back, I noticed that not only his lips were getting in the way when running through vocal warmups, but his jaw was very tense. It caused his sound to be very strained, nasal-sounding, and it looked as if he was experiencing discomfort from the issue. I myself have had problems with tension, both in my jaw and other areas of the body, so I wanted to share some basic information on the jaw, its role in singing, and a few tips on troubleshooting jaw tension.

The Jaw & Its Effect On a Vocalist's Sound 

The jaw is an essential part of the mouth and can either help or hinder you when singing. The main jaw joint incorporated in the movements necessary for swallowing, eating, yawning, and talking is the temporomandibular joint (or TMJ).  Although there are ligaments, muscles, and bones that make up this joint, singers should be primarily concerned with relieving tension in the muscles surrounding and supporting the hyoid bone and upper-neck region. For a more in-depth explanation and for images that show where these different ligaments, bones, and muscles are located, here is the link to a very informative site: physio-pedia.com The tongue, lips, and larynx work together to create different mouth shapes, postures, and sounds vocalists use for singing and can drastically effect how easy it is to manipulate your sound and the type of tone each individual singer can produce. Tension in the jaw or inexperience with moving your jaw when you sing can result in your tone, diction, and overall sound being unclear, unsupported, and can even lead to overcompensation in other parts of your body resulting in strain and discomfort. By making some minor adjustments and following some of the tips below, you can improve the quality of your tone.

Tips to Help Ease Jaw Tension

Make sure before you start applying these simple exercises to your vocal routine that there is no pain when you move your mouth open and closed. Pain could indicate a more serious issue with the joint. A good indicator of how much tension you have in your mouth and jaw is trying to fit three fingers into your mouth, between your teeth. Any less than this could indicate jaw tension or another issue. 

1. While singing scales, incorporate a chewing motion. This could be as simple as opening your mouth (jaw movement up and down) or opening your mouth side to side (jaw movement side to side while moving up and down). Some of my vocal instructors have also told me to practice scales while moving the jaw in a circular motion (jutting out your jaw and then moving it back and forward in a circle). 

2. While singing scales, try to make your ear touch your shoulder, first with your right and then your left. You can also practice this one with other simple vocal exercises too. This is a form of stretching for the sides of your neck and shoulders, which, when tense, can put more stress and tension on the jaw muscles. This exercise also helps to relieve tension in the tongue.

3. Massage your jaw and surrounding muscles. Using your fingers, gently massage the muscles surrounding your jaw to cause more blood to flow to this area, making everything more relaxed.

4. Try singing in front of a mirror. This not only helps you with performance technique, but aides in helping you become more aware of how much your jaw moves or doesn't move when you sing.

5. Gently press downward on your chin to help lower your jaw more while singing. This exercise also helps you to become more aware of what it feels like to actually open your mouth (I have this issue as well) when you sing. As with all other tips and exercises, though, if you feel any pain or discomfort, stop. You don't want to strain any muscles and this discomfort may be a clue to an issue with the jaw joint.

Just like different personalities, opening your mouth more is not an issue that every vocalist has to worry about. Every singer is different, bringing their own unique timbre and performance style to every musical situation. Articulation, forming vowel shapes, and even singing in different languages create room for many different techniques and approaches when utilizing the jaw in relation to singing. I hope that these basic tips help anyone out there who has issues with tension and/or jaw tension when performing. 

If you have any other tips or techniques to try to relieve muscular tension for vocalists, please leave a comment below!

#OnRepeat: Roberto Angleró "Si Dios Fuera Negro"

This week for #OnRepeat, I'd like to talk about Roberto Angleró and the song, "Si Dios Fuera Negro."  While researching and listening to different types of Afro-Latin music this past week, I came across this song and was intrigued by the message conveyed in the lyrics.  The title, "Si Dios Fuera Negro," means "If God Were Black" and is a song written by Angleró, giving a light-hearted, yet thought-provoking view on race relations.

This song is also interesting because it is a bomba sicá written in the salsa style. Bomba is an umbrella term used to label a family of Afro-Puerto Rican folkloric music styles; similar to the way Rumba is used in Cuban music or Samba is used in Brazilian music.  The three main styles of bomba are sicá, holandés, yubá. The sicá and the holandés are both in duple meter (meaning, subdivided into groupings of two pulses) and the yubá is in triple meter (subdivided into three pulses).  The sicá, which is the style used in Roberto Angleró's song, is the most well-known and is used in other types of Latin music, like salsa.

Below are the opening lines for the song, "Si Dios Fuera Negro":

Si dios fuera negro, mi compay, cómo cambiaría.
fuera nuestra raza, mi compay, la que mandaría.

If God was black, my friend, everything would change.

it would be our people, my friend, who would be calling the shots. 

The lines are simple, yet significant, conveying the sentiment of alienation, displacement and encounters with racism that people of African descent (Afro-Puerto Rican, Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Peruvian) have historically dealt with. The lines after tell of a black presidents, governors, lawyers and doctors, as if to challenge stereotypes and negative stigma institutionally perpetuated in society against people of African descent. This song conveys a serious message of race relations and positive sentiments of success that can even be applicable in present-day. 

I hope that this song inspires you to look into other types of music from countries of the African diaspora and find elements of these songs that are reflective of the culture that they are from. If you guys have any new musicians or artists to check out, let us know in the comments below!

Musical Exposure & Its Importance

I was asked a very interesting and important question by a reader the other day: "How important do you think it is to be exposed to different musics--even those we don't like? How has this helped and should it be something that is taught in common-core curriculum?" Exposure to different things and situations is something that is essential to personal growth.  Music is no exception. 

It Starts At Home

Exposure to different types of music (even ones that we may not be used to hearing or maybe even don't like to listen to) should start at a young age and it begins at home. Parents should be willing to play different styles of music either on instruments themselves, on the radio, computer, C.D., tapes, and take their children to music concerts whenever possible. From as far back as I can remember I was listening to Disco, Salsa, Andean music, R&B, Jazz, Pop, Heavy-Metal, Country, Brazilian music, musical theater numbers, . . . The list goes on and on.  My parents were always very open to different musics and instilled that in me from a very young age.  I also have very fond memories that stem from musical experiences that I had with my parents, which is why I also think that when a family engages in the child's new musical experience, it makes it more fun and meaningful for them.  Just like learning a new language or trying to get used to a different type of food, the process is much easier the earlier you start.  Therefore, this sense of constant musical exposure must take place first in the home.

This also brings me to my next point: exposure that starts at home at a young age prepares the person for when they experience new musical situations outside the home and inside the classroom.

In the Classroom

In the classroom, I believe that during that music class that we all took throughout elementary school, we should be taught how to listen to and appreciate different aspects of different types of music, using musical terminology. Let's face it--not everyone is able to have private, focused musical lessons in the home so the best place and time to learn basic musicianship and music theory is during this class time.  What better way to expose students to potentially difficult material but by using it to learn how to play a classical piece or possibly, a Latin Jazz standard? I also believe there should be an allotted amount of time during class for students to just listen to a new type of music they've never heard of before and discuss it in class. Many would argue that this could be done in college, but I feel like this exposure should happen at an earlier age to benefit the students by instilling a sense of curiosity and musical discipline through practice.

Personal Experience

Being exposed to different types of music at a young age helped instill in me a sense of discipline and helped me discover who I was as an individual and a musician.  My focus and background (music that I've been able to connect to musically and listen to extensively over several years) is in Funk, R&B and Brazilian music. This background helps me when studying or learning other types of music to connect better to those new musical experiences by relating through that already learned musical vocabulary.  I can bring different licks, inflections, lyrical phrasing, and other aspects of performance style from these genres that I know well--or feel comfortable performing-- to create something new for myself and the listener.  It also helps me connect better with musicians who are familiar with the type of music that I'm familiar with, making the process of creating music more fun. 

Musical exposure is something that is essential to musicians because we are always looking for new sources of inspiration everywhere--we are artists, after all. I think the one thing that can be taken from all of this is to remember to always try to be open to new experiences, no matter what.  During my undergrad years, I came across some absolutely beautiful classical aria pieces that I couldn't stop listening to and some Jazz pieces that I found I could only listen to once and never again.  You never know what you music you will potentially love if you never give it the chance and you can potentially grow as an individual and musician from potentially just one random experience.

If you have a musical experience that changed you as an individual, for better or worse, let us know in the comments below!

#OnRepeat: Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds"

Having come down with a horrible cold for the past week and the weather being gloomy these last couple days, Bob Marley's song, "Three Little Birds",  has been a good pick-me-up song for what's #OnRepeat this Thursday. For those of you who don't know who Bob Marley is--or maybe you just know him by his music--he is a musician, singer, and songwriter from Jamaica who fused spiritual ideologies into his music. Some of his hit songs include "One Love," "Wait in Vain," and "I Shot the Sheriff."

I like Bob Marley not only for musical reasons--his songs groove hard, he has a very distinct voice, his melodies are simple yet catchy--but because of what he and his music stands for.  Bob Marley was a Rastafari, and his Pan-African ideologies and political beliefs were apparent in his music.  His music promoted peaceful rebellion against what was happening at the time.  His beliefs and songwriting changed reggae music, making him a cultural icon still to this day.

Bob Marley's music is especially important to me because while doing research on music, ideologies, and social movements that have influenced the development of Afro-Brazilian music and identity, Reggae music, along with Pan-Africanism, is something that came up throughout my readings.  I grew up listening to Bob Marley's music, but for no reason in particular, stopped listening to it for awhile.  This rediscovery has only made me appreciate the music all the more.

"Three Little Birds" is a very feel-good song whose form reflects the simple message: "Don't worry about a thing. 'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright." This alternates with the verse several times. The song is simple, yet the message is reassuring and positive. Listen below:

Do you know of an musician or group whose music reflects their personal beliefs? Do you consider them to be an important figure in our society or in music? Let us know in the comments below!

5 Tips To Help Get Through a Gig or Performance When You're Sick

This past weekend I had the pleasure of performing with an internationally known singer while coming down with one of the worst sinus infections I've had since high school (it's been almost ten years since I graduated), and this happened the day before the gig.  I could say it was rotten timing, but I choose to look at it as a learning experience and as an opportunity to share some helpful tips on how to get through a gig when you are sick.

Let me just say, that although these are helpful tips, the most beneficial advice you can take is to cancel your show or gig, if you can.  If you feel at any time, any pain or strain in your vocal chords, stop immediately.  Singing when you are sick can potentially strain or damage your vocal chords even more than you would by just being sick.

That being said, if you absolutely have to take the gig, then here are some tips to help you get through:

1. Get plenty of sleep before and after the performance.  
The quickest way for you to recover from sickness and stay healthy is to get a lot of sleep. People  call it beauty sleep for a reason--sleep is your body's chance to heal.

2. Drink plenty of water and clear liquids.
Water flushes out all of the toxins in your body, lubricates your mouth and your throat, thins out mucus and gives you more energy. Herbal teas with lemon, honey, and ginger work really well too because they soothe and coat your throat.

3. Don't over-exert yourself during your gig.
This may seem obvious, but sometimes we get caught up in the moment, forgetting ourselves, forgetting all our preparation, and even the fact that we're feeling under the weather. Try to focus on other aspects of your performance--facial expressions, communication with the audience, and lyrical interpretation.

4. Try to rearrange your set list.
This tip is in conjunction with Tip#4. Try to rearrange and/or shorten your set or song list to make it easier on your voice and the rest of your body. The longer the set, the more time you will have to be standing, trying to focus on lyrics and music. Without making it more difficult on the other musicians in the band, try to change the keys of songs so they fit within your new (temporary) range so you don't have to work your voice as hard.

5. Take a hot, steamy shower before and after the gig.
The steam from a hot shower will clear out your sinuses, relieve sinus pressure and the cough, and most importantly, relax you.  You should be free of all tension when you sing for your performance or gig, otherwise you will cause additional stress (on top of the stress you already have from being sick) from a closed throat.

You should become very familiar with your voice because not only is it your instrument, it is a part of your body.  Only you know how well you can handle performing in not the best of conditions (cold weather or sickness).  You may not feel like you need these tips.  However, when I'm feeling under the weather, I take all the help I can get.  I know how overwhelming it can feel to perform, let alone perform and be sick at the same time. The most important thing is to remember to have fun--you're singing after all.

Have any fun or interesting stories about times you have performed while being under the weather? How did that experience turn out?