This Saturday @ The Hidmo

I know it's been a minute. But it has been straight up craziness since I have been back.

I am happy to announce that this Saturday, April 3rd. I have a show coming up at The Hidmo (2000 S. Jackson). It will be a short set featuring my very good friend, Tim Carey, on guitar.

Most people know that I sing a lot of Samba, from Brazil. But on Saturday, I will be performing a Zamba, which is a dance from Argentina. It is, rhythmically very different from Samba. First in that Samba is in 4/4, while Zamba is a mix of time signatures. Some say that it is either all in 6/8 or all in 3/4. The way I feel it, It's in both. The melody is definitely in 6/8 while the guitar is in 3/4. This makes it very difficult to sing.

Zamba was originated in Peru and traveled down through Bolivia and Chile before resting in Argentina.

If you would like to listen to some Zamba you can find it on YouTube. Obviously, the great Mercedes Sosa sings it the best. Or you can come to The Hidmo This Saturday at 9, and listen to mine and Tim Carey's rendition of, "Zamba Para Olvidarte." Which means, "Zamba to Forget You."

Also be sure to check out the origins of this rare art form in more detail. There are hundreds of genres from Latin America and each one is truly special. I encourage you all to broaden your musical horizons!

See you this Saturday!

Two Barulhinho Bom videos made looooong ago...

Barulhinho Bom= Me, Tim, & Jeff! Enjoy!

A Round Trip Reunion!

Hey Everyone! Thanks for letting my know that there really are people out there that read what I have to say! In this post I will just be recapping and talking about two different shows that my Brazilian band, Sambatuque, performed during this past week! If you weren't at either one, I hope you will make it out to the next!

Sambatuque Reunion

As many of you know, my Brazilian band, Sambatuque, played our first show since I returned from Florida a little over a month ago.  We were so proud and glad to finally be back together after all this time.  So we put on a "Welcome Home" and Reunion show at Cafe Solstice last Saturday (1/16/10).  When I say 'reunion', it wasn't just a gathering for us as a band, but for everyone to celebrate us being able to come back and reconnect with our fans and community.  We truly missed all of you SO MUCH!

Those of you that know about Brazilian culture, know that it's all about gathering together in massive numbers and having a celebration!  Full of life, full of energy, and full of love.  Our reunion show was nothing less than just that. We had two AMAZING sets filled with the most heavy-hitting, melodically intoxicating, and hip-shakin' songs we have in our repertoire; like, Cheguei Meu Povo/Tanta Saudade, Berimbau, and 100% Voce.  People were singing along and really diggin' the grooves.

As is normal at our shows, when we start, people are usually kind of shy to dance.  We are very lucky to have a variety of professional Brazilian dancers that come out to help the crowd creep out of their timidness.  At this show, we were very fortunate to be able to have Dora Oliveira and Mestre Pacifico to get the crowd going.  Both of them are well known Brazilian dance instructors in the community.  It wasn't too long before everyone was crowding the dance floor.  And since this was an all ages show, we invited all of the kids to come out to the floor to dance as well.

I don't think any of us, in the band, expected so many people to come through to the show.  We, as a group, truly do music because it is a great gift to be able to share with an audience.  So we literally wouldn't have a reason to do what we do.  W can't wait for the next show!  Please keep coming out, because it's not us, it's you all who make it a great experience!

Round Trip Birthday Bash!

We also had a show at Nectar Lounge for the "Round Trip Birthday Bash" for both DJ Tomas and, Brazilian Dancer, Lisette Austin.  Another show to go down in the books as one of the greatest performances EVER!  There were so many groups featured; Paris & Truth Awakening, TubaLuba, and Samba Assim.  The night started off with local Hip Hop/ R&B group Paris & Truth Awakening.  I gotta give them props.  They started at about 9pm when the crowd was barely there (9pm is really early in club world) and still managed to rock it.  I AM looking for local artists that would like to be featured in my new "Music to my Ears" Blog.  Maybe, I will feature them sometime in the near future. ;)

Next up, was a brand new group, in its formation and also its style (Seattle really hasn't seen a group quite like this before), TubaLuba!  A traditional New Orleans band that is comprised of just brass instruments, drums, and is lead by vocalist, and Brazilian dancer, Shanetta Brown.  I honestly had SO much fun hearing this group.  A high energy performance that included the audience so nicely.  They started out by marching into the venue and played all but the last song among the crowd.  We, in Seattle, are so lucky to have such a group form in our PNW city.  I look forward to more performances from this group! 

The Tudo Beleza dancers are always an enjoyable performance.  From the caliber of the dancers that are performing and their soaring energy to the beautiful costumes.  I always have fun performing with these ladies because they always work the crowd into a frenzy and leave them ready and excited for more show!  In other words, Tudo Beleza ALWAYS delivers!  Backing them up was a new batucada group, formed by Sambatuque drummer Jeff Busch, called Samba Assim.  I am also a part of this group, but not as a vocalist, as a percussionist (a life-long goal of mine is now fulfilled!).  On stage, there were about 9 or 10 of us percussionists just cranking out samba, sambarreggae, and maracatu, to name only a few rhythms.  On top of that, we also had 7...let me repeat that... SEVEN Tudo Beleza dancers, in full costume, join us on that tiny Nectar stage.  'Pure Madness' is a proper way to describe this part of the show.  But it was, as it always is, loads of fun!

 

Finishing the night was my Brazilian band, Sambatuque!  I don't really have much to say except, WE ROCKED THE HOUSE!  Everybody was feeling the grooves and it was so intense on stage AND watching the audience.  From this performance, I have started to realize that I have really come into my own as a performer, since I graduated from Cornish 3 years ago.  I'm not shy anymore, I am more engaging, and I really have gained confidence in my ability to lead and work the audience.  I have never said this before, but I am really proud of myself!  I feel like now is the time to start thinking about my own project. Hmmmm...What do you all think?  That, in NO WAY, means that I would ever give up on Sambatuque because I love that band.  But I feel that it's time to demonstrate who I really am, musically, and to make my dreams and visions a reality.  Sambatuque will continue on, though.  We are actually going to be revamping the repertoire starting this week.  We hope to add a variety of new rhythms, as well as more English songs to our arsenal. STAY TUNED!!!

-Keep your ears open...

Artists mentioned in this Blog:

Paris & Truth Awakening

Tudo Beleza

TubaLuba

Sambatuque!

Redefining, Music, and Future Endeavors...

Ok, so I know I said that I would be back in 18 days. It's been a bit more than that...my bad.  However, I have been taking all this time trying to piece my life back together after a pretty extensive series of unfortunate events.  Now that I can finally breathe easy again, there are a few items that I want to touch base on...

When I first created this blog, I had high hopes of letting people know about the musical aspect of my life.  But for some reason, it actually turned out to be focused on my personal life.  This is going to change, because my life has been too complicated for me to vent to complete strangers and I don't want people to get the wrong idea about me.  So, this blog is seriously going to be for my music and music in my life; my projects and progress as a person trying to make a living through music in the PNW.

That being said, allow me to share with you my experiences since returning to the 206.

Upon my return, I have a had a few shows (ofcourse, it will be a bit slow since I am just coming back into the scene).  The first of which was just a small cameo in the Cornish senior recital of an old classmate.  I sang 'Mas Que Nada' (a classic Brazilian favorite) and then 'Sun Goddess' as an instrumental.  A very short performance for me, but it felt so good to get on stage again after not singing for so long...And on the very first stage I ever performed on in Seattle: Poncho Concert Hall.  It was very nostalgic for me.  Like "Beginning Again"...

The second show that I did was as a featured and backing vocalist for the Winter Classic 2009 at Nectar Lounge in Fremont, put on by The Big World Breaks (a local heavy-weight band that explores different world music elements thrown into a funky Hip Hop and R&B oriented base).  I was featured on their latest album singing "The 12th of October" (ironically track 12 on the CD), a song I co-wrote with band-leader and good friend Aaron Walker-Loud.  Also performing, were a slew of MCs and vocalists from Seattle.  It was an unforgetable evening with heart-pumping rhythms and a packed house.  Needless to say, I am very excited about the next Classic.  In whichever season it chooses to appear.

Thirdly, on New Years Day, I was fortunate enough to be able to sing back-up for Choklate; international R&B/Soul songstress, very near and dear to The Town.  This has been the second opportunity I have had to back her up.  I am very honored that she chose me again for the job! :)...  She was performing at The Triple Door Mainstage opening for Grammy nominated independant artist, Eric Roberson.  It was my first time hearing him perform and it was beyond inspiring.  Listening to and watching both Choklates and Eric Robersons performances motivated me to reach for more as an artist and to explore new avenues in my songwriting. 

Lastly, I just wanted to make a quick mention that aside from this blog dedicated to my own musical experiences, I am starting 2 other blogs! (Joy!)  One will be a blog to feature the vast assortment of local musicians in Seattle (all genres).  I will be interviewing as many local musicians and musical acts as possible, in hopes of being able to bring a wide variety of sounds to you all and possibly gain more fans for these local talents.  The other blog will be about what we, as Americans, physically consume on a daily basis.  I have experienced a lot of maladies because of some of the foods and products that I have come in contact with.  Through this blog, I hope to awaken people to their own physical well-being and light the fire of change in our habits.

I am just keeping it short and simple for now because I have more blogs to write. I promise that while things are still fresh in my mind I will be ever so much more detailed in future posts! 

Please stay tuned for these 2 new blogs!

Next on this blog: I will recap the Sambatuque Reunion Show that went down last Saturday! You should have been there! ;)

--Keep your ears open

PS- Don't be afraid to comment or give feedback.  Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated!

Little Quickie Message!

So I figure that I should not blog until I get back to Seattle. Reason being that, while I am hear, I really don't do much except work and pack. Nothing too exciting AND nothing musical about my life right now which is kinda why I started this blog. So I am gonna hold off on the blogging until I get back to Seattle and have more exciting news to talk about. Still not sure if anyone really reads my blog. So if I am just typing into nothingness, a big thank you to WHOEVER may be reading! See you in 18 days!

Patiently Waiting

Hey all!

So this is attempt numero 2 at trying to keep my blog alive, whether people read it or not. But either way, it's all good.

This week has been a pretty intense one. I'm kind of delirious right now (explanation on it's way) so forgive me if my babbling makes no sense at all. But the reason for what, to me, seems to be a drunken stupor is I have had the flu practically all week and I have been hopped up on all sorts of meds thanks to the helpful advice of my sister. She suggests that I keep taking nyquil every 4 hours so that I knock out, then my body can rest and heal. BUT now, the nyquil isn't knocking me out its just making me really high. LOL. So I have stopped taking all meds and am just relying on vitamins and fluids. I am also trying to rely on laughter (I been watching a lot of George Lopez.)

Anyways, last week I talked about wanting to go home to Seattle. Well, it's official. I am coming home at the end of the month. I don't have a job or an apartment but I have faith that I am making the right decision. So I am not worried about what will happen. What I need to do is just focus on my goal; become a hot spicy superstar! With the way things are right now, financially and physically, it is really hard to stay positive and focussed. But I am really lucky to have a great support system. I really commend my parents for putting up with my crap and complaints about life. I also thank them for being so tough on me and pushing me to "man up" (even though I'm female" lol). I know I let myself slip into self pity all the time. It's easy to do. No one is perfect, but I am still learning. But as my folks have pointed out to me on numerous occasions, I could have it a lot worse. That I am really quite lucky compared to a lot of people. So out of respect to those who are struggling harder than me, I will try harder to live my life without complaints. Though sometimes it feels like nothing could top what I am going through, I will swallow all self inflicted negativity and march on into the battlegrounds of life. I think that everyone should do the same. If you really think about it, we are all so lucky to be here and to have so many gifts and to have eachother.

Alright, getting a bit mushy. So I will change the subject. On a final note...No matter how badly you want something. Never sacrifice yourself or your dignity to get it. If someone offers you the world for a little action, it really isn't worth it and, no matter how much influence, power, or money that person has, neither are they. Find your own way to your dream. If people are willing to help you because they believe in your talents, thats great. But if someone only wants to help you because they think they can get something out of you, forget about it. There are a lot of dirty nasty disgusting people out there that will try to manipulate you. Just be strong and help yourself. Because you are the only person that can truly help yourself.

Did any of this make sense? I hope so. I might read this later and go WTF?!? But I know on some level, I made some kind of point!

Punto y peace!

And so I return to blog...

Wow.... I almost forgot that I had this blog. I guess it's because I haven't really had any readers. But that's cool. I will have to make an effort to get some.

So I was reading through my last blog and I was talking about how great Florida was on my last trip here. Well since then, I have actually moved here and am really sad to say that now that I am here and experiencing the residency side of it.... Hmmmm.... I'm not too happy with it. I really miss home. And by home, I mean Seattle. I miss the lush greenery and the fresh air. The view of the Puget Sound from the SR-99 Viaduct at Sunset still haunts me and I long to go back. Yet, how can I go back? There are so many things keeping me from hopping in my car right now, and just lugging it back to WA. Where do I begin?

Well, I guess the first thing would be money. I need, I need at the very least, $1000 to travel cross country and to mail belongings that wont fit into my car to myself. I have a part-time job working at Macy's (.......) barely making enough to pay for my food. I have few friends back home that said that they would help me out on the monetary side, but who's to say what these friends are actually willing to do. My parents said that I would just have to save as much as possible and they would help me find a way to move back after the holidays. But there are other issues at hand....

When I made the decision to move out here, I thought that there would be a plethora of opportunities just lining up to knock at my door. I thought that maybe the music scene would be better for a Latin singer. But I have barely been to a live music venue since I have been here. I came out here with the intention of doing better than I was doing in Seattle. But it seems as though I am doing worse! How can I go back and face all my friends and fellow musicians that I left behind with nothing to show for myself? No proof of my efforts out here? I can't face them with nothing. I feel like a failure and would look like a fool.

The only other thing keeping me from leaving is Lola (my 1999 Acura 3.0CL that I love with all my heart). I don't really think that my girl can do another cross country trip without breaking down. So I would not only have to save the money for a tune up and possibly new tires but the trip itself.

So as you can all see, as far as coming home right now, I am sorta screwed until I save enough dough or win the lottery... :) HEY you can't win if you don't play ;) So until then, I will be reaching out to you, Seattle, and praying that I make it home to you soon. Hopefully you wont forget me and keep me in mind for when I actually do return...

And I promise to try to Blog atleast once a week ;)

Goodnight ALL!