Saturday, July 9, 2016

#BoTB — Results (Ojalá Que Llueva Café)

This one was quick and dirty; Café Tacuba took the lead out of the gate, but Señor Guerra didn't let that stand for long.

Café Tacuba: 3
Birgit
Lee
Dixie

Juan Luis Guerra: 5
Cherdo
Michele
Jeffrey
Mike
John

I love the original, both for its musical integrity and for the lyrics, for Guerra's mastery of both craft and art, and for the subtlety of its lyrics, and it gets me dancing every time. But Café Tacuba's version gives me chills. Yes, of course it's related to my Mexican identity, to how the Son Jarocho speaks to my soul... Perhaps I can't be objective. Perhaps it's a myth to think we can judge any form of art objectively. So, with apologies to Señor Guerra, whom I admire deeply, my vote goes to the Mexican band. (Not that it makes any difference to the result... At least in that regard I can avoid the guilt.)

Loved hearing your take on this one, guys. Until next time! (And I promise I'll be on time... not just for posting my Battle but also for visiting yours. Missed too many this time.)

To close, I leave you with Bachata en Fukuoka, from Mr. Guerra's 2010 album 'A Son de Guerra' ("To The Beat of War", literally, though it's a wordplay on his name).





I'm not sure how popular bachata is in your corner of the woods, so in case you have no idea what it is, let me tell you it's a musical form originally from Dominican Republic (and still mostly popular there), a 4/4 beat that sounds deceptively simple but is incredibly complicated to dance to. Watch these guys:



Now you have something to keep you busy over the weekend :) Have fun!

6 comments :

  1. I'm a fan of Bachata with several albums in the genre in my collection.

    Maybe the sound of Cafe Tacuba is a bit alien to most listeners unaccustomed to their sound. I became intrigued with their sound from the first song I heard by them (the hit to which I referred to that would be an eventual upcoming battle unless someone else does it first). I do like the way they integrate the traditional sounds with rock and avant garde sounds.

    Good battle even though late. I've got my results posted at my site now.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  2. Wow what a dance! That was incredible. I love to dance but I'd never be able to pull that off! Thanks for sharing.
    Great battle. I enjoyed both versions...
    See you next time around. And thanks for making it to my battle! I appreciate that.

    Michele at Angels Bark

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  3. Wish the other would have won but oh well. Love the dancing couple!

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  4. ON the plus side, I was on the winning side of this battle. On the flip side, I'm sorry but I'm unfamiliar with the bachata. Still, the video was interesting to watch. They can really dance well to that can't they? I'd be all over the place. LOL
    Looking forward to your next battle.
    Hope all is well with you.

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  5. So lovely. The music. The dancers. The joy of it all. I need a bachata moment more often.

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