Cordas do Sol Lume d'Lenha mixes the sounds of the world

Cordas do Sol Lume d'Lenha mixes the sounds of the world

The people who know me well will tell you that amongst many other things like writing, traveling, reading, biking, rollerblading, watching movies, photography and of course tasting wine, I love music, any genre and from anywhere.

That said, the music that makes me sing and moving to the sound (not dancing because I'm a really bad dancer, but at least I try...), is music with the sun in it. Music that put you at ease and warm you up with soft, generous penetrating sounds, soulful voices and lyrics that tell you a story about the men and women behind music itself and its various origins.

The music that really inspires me and put an exotic touch in my everyday life via the hear-pieces of my phone or music player, come from all around the world, but mostly where the sun is king and music is celebrated with joy as a full part of the culture and the everyday joie de vivre despite the misery that too often surrounds the people who live in those countries, like in Brazil, Africa, the Caribbean Islands, South America, India, and more. Music is for them an inspirational and complex form of spiritual and corporal healing process, an expression of all of their senses and emotions. You can feel their joy, fear, passion, stories as they usually express their lives, their status, the expression of what they really feel inside and what they want to say about themselves and the world the live in.

The last album of Cordas do Sol "Lume d'Lenha" mixes the sounds of the world in a beautiful way. It is a blend of Brazilian Bossa Nova and Creole music with Andalusian guitar and African accents and even some reggae notes part of their traditional Batuku and Kola SanJon music. The band created in the mid-1990 comes from the island of Sant'Anton, in the Cape Verde archipelago, which explain the Portuguese, African. Creole and even to a certain extend Spanish influence in their music. Their music is a bliss to my hear and I love the complexity and rhythm of their songs.

If you want to put a bit of sun in your daily routine, then this album is a must. 3 songs especially will delight your day and make you undulate and move your entire body following the cadence: "Manhe Joana", "Séte"and "Sorron Resóde".

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

FYI: if you want to know a bit more about this band, there is an interesting article on the following link:  http://www.museke.com/CordasDoSol

Charles Aznavour en Liberté...85 years old and still rocking!!!

Hi everybody, 

Yesterday, I took a black cab to go back to my apartment in Inwood (the northern upper part of the Island of Manhattan, for those of you who still have no clue where Inwood is...). And, while I was seating at the back of the cab, vaguely listening the background music, lost in my thoughts, the voice of Charles Aznavour and the melody of one of his famous song, "La Bohème", came to my ears (only difference, the song was in Spanish but it was Aznavour singing).  

At first, I thought that I was mistaking the song for something else, so I asked my cab driver: "It sounds like Charles Aznavour! Is it a CD or is it the radio?" While driving, my spanish Dominican driver started to talk to me in SpanEnglish...and said: "Yeah! Charles Aznavour es un cantante, compositor y actor Francés de origen Armenio. In Dominican Republic, people le gusta mucho Aznavour."

I responded that I love Aznavour myself and that I've grown up with his music, and I never stopped listening to him. I also told him that just a few months ago, Wednesday April 29th 2009 (to be precise), my wife invited me for my 36 birthday, to go to his concert at NYCITY CENTER (West 55th street between 6th and 7th avenue, New York). It was great!!!

It was my first Charles Aznavour concert and I loved it! This guy is really incredible. Born in May (like me) 1924, he is 85 years old and still rocking! He is amazing and his voice sounds incredibly intact after all these years of singing, deep, harmonious and soothing. A real one man show complemented by accomplished, talented musicians made this concert a fantastic, enjoyable and memorable gift. 

Memorable because it was a gift from my wife, but more especially because it was a part of his global farewell tour and probably his last concert in New York. You should have seen him, singing, dancing, joking, a touch nostalgic and melancholic, in perfectly good shape and ready for more. He sang more than 20 songs (roughly...I stopped counting...) in 2 hours, without really stopping or having a break (a few words here and there, but nothing much...). 

For 2 hours, Charles Aznavour fulfilled the demand of his attentive and excited New York public, by singing one song after another from his 65 years(+) portfolio of songs. Classic songs like: "La Boheme", "Emmenez Moi", "Les Comédiens", "Mes Emmerdes", "Le Temps", "Les Deux Guitares", "Sur ma vie", "Je me voyais déjà", "Il faut savoir", "Reste", "Dans tes bras", "Hier encore","Ave Maria", "She" et bien d'autres. It was really a treat from this world-renown singer who sings (and speaks) in many languages (French, Armenian, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and probably one or two more). 

I would have loved for him to sing a song that my wife and I love: "Quand tu m'aimes", may be not one of his classic, but surely one of these truly well written love songs that only Charles Aznavour knows the recipe how to write it with so much intensity and emotion.

Chapeau! Monsieur Charles Aznavour for your wonderful performance on stage and for your dedicated life to write love songs and everyday ballads about life and people. Merci beaucoup! It was a unique and memorable experience to see you live, in concert, on stage with so much talent, vitality and youth in your voice and still in very good shape for one of the most appreciated, recognized and enduring elderly French singer. At 85 years old, it is beautiful. It was a pleasure to hear you sing. 

A fan!

LeDom du Vin

Step into the green! Drink more Bio and Organic wines (and Food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! ... and listen more meaningful, well orchestrated and written Music and Songs. 

My music evolution over the last 35 years..

Today, I woke up with "Music" (John Miles, Jazz/Rock) in my head. Suddenly, I wanted to listen some old songs, bring back some memories hidden somewhere in my brain. 

"True" song (Spandau ballet, slow rock) and other songs by some of my favorite 70s and 80s bands and singers like: 

Rock: U2, Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Doors, Rolling Stones, Toto, Chicago, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Police, Joe Cocker, Eagles, Kiss, Aerosmith, Eurythmics, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Guns N'Roses, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Bowie, Robert Plant, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Yes, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, and more....       

Rock/New Wave/ Neo romantic: Depeche Mode, The Cure, OMD, and more... 

R&B/Soul/Funk: Sade, Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Kool and the Gang, Earth-Wind and Fire, Gill Scott-Heron, Isaac Hayes, Barry White, Terence Trent d'Arby, Marvin Gaye, Commodores, Bobie Brown, Lionel Richie,  The Jackson family, Bobby McFerrin, Donna Summer, Soul to Soul and more...   

Pop/Rock: Simple Minds, Beatles, Tears for Fears, Simply Red, Frankie goes to Hollywood, The Smiths, Queen, John Lennon, A-Ha, Talk-Talk, Beach Boys, Blondie, Culture Club, Elton John, B52's, Genesis, Cutting Crew, Peter Gabriel, Duran Duran, Fine Young Canibals, R.E.M, Murray Head, Simple Minds, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Supertramp, Soft Cell, Paul McCartney, Madness, INXS, George Michael, Huey Lewis and the News, Madonna, Paul Young, Mr. Mister, Sting, Level 42, Midnight Oil, Erasure and more...  

Hard Rock/ Metal: Metallica, Iron Maiden, ACDC, Trust, and more... 

Rock/Reggae: Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, UB40, Alpha Blondy, Burning Spear, and more...    

Jazz from various times: Miles davis, Herbie Hancock, Max Roach, Charlie Mingus, Dizzy Gillepsie, Telonious Monk, Fats Navarro, George Benson, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Art Blakey, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, John McLaughlin, Keith Jarrett Trio, Michel Petrucciani, Sinatra, and more...       

As usual, I put my Ipod on and started listening to some of my favorites tunes on my way to "Take the A train" (Duke Ellington, Jazz). 

The train arrived, I set down and all of us were going "Somewhere only we know" (Keane, Pop/Rock). All trying to avoid the looks, "Eye in the sky" (The Allan Parsons Project, Rock), or should I say down in our book, playstation, Ipod or up on the advertisement and the ceiling of the wagon. 

Everybody trying to "Enjoy the Silence" (Depeche Mode, Rock), lost in their thoughts, squeezed and surrounded by too many people, and somewhat already disturbed by the smells while "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" (U2, Rock) on my Ipod. 

Switching through the many songs and artists, I thought about the early 90s and how I came to fall into the Electronica / Dance movement growing up rapidly in the heart of this rebel teenager that I was. Computers started to urge the pace and were spreading around the world. 

A new method of communication and information was born, somewhat accelerating the beat of our everyday life and the rhythms on the dance floor evolving from Punk, Grunge, Hard rock, to Rock, to New Wave, Gothic New Romantic, Alternative, then Acid House, House, Dance, Ambient, Chill-out, Techno, Dance, Atmospheric to be finally known up until now as electronic or electronica. 

A band has really marked my life by the mid 90s and remains one of my favorites bands of all times: Faithless (thanks to the lyrics of Maxi Jazz, the music of Sister Bliss, and the mix/production of Rollo, and of course all of the great artists that worked with them). So many of their songs and beats have inspired my life and my actions in many ways. This band kept me going strong and somehow influenced me physically on the dance floor and spiritually every day of my life. It brought me energy.    

Amongst my favorites bands of the 80s, quite a few continued to please me during the 90s (U2, Depeche Mode, etc...). However, there were quite a few other bands and singers that I loved. 

They are still very important for me to this day and bring back a lot of memories to my mind (good and bad): 

Massive Attack, Radiohead, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvanna, Simply Red, Eagle Eye Cherry, Garbage, R.E.M, Duran Duran, Seal, Lenny Kravitz, Fat Boy Slim, Chemical Brothers, The Verve, Oasis, Beastie Boys, Finley Quaye, Travis, Everything but the girl, Foo fighters, Moby, Prince, Jamiroquai, Bjork, Cardigans, Limp Bizkit, Chicane, Aaron Neville, Groove Armada, Jeff Buckley, Jestofunk, Keziah Jones, Royksopp and surely a few more...

The end of the 90s and early 2000s marked the beginning of a new era for me, first because I met my future wife and because it was the opening on a new millennium full of "Hopes and Fears" (Keane, Rock). 

The last 8 years brought a lot to my life in general and personally, because I moved to the United States in 2002 after nearly 5 years in England; I married my wife twice (2004 in New York, USA and 2005 in Bordeaux, France) and it resulted a beautiful child born in 2006. 

All these events were "rhythmed" by all sort of musics, sounds and beats...and the most memorable were and still are from bands like: 

Faithless, Keane, Depeche Mode, U2, Coldplay, Radiohead, Bowie, Simply red, John Legend, Daft punk, Nouvelle Vague, Air, Blur, Beck, Blue States, Blue Six, Ben Harper, Bob Marley, Buena vista Social Club, Erykah Badu, Estelle, Gabrielle, Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, Green Day, Jack Johnson, James Morrison, Michael bubble, Jehro, Korn, Mark Ronson, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Morrissey, Muse, Norah Jones, Queen Latifah, Seal, Sade, Scissor Sisters, Telepopmusik, Thievery Corporation, and many more...

I nearly forgot the french singers, bands and actors that inspired me over the last 35 years: 

Serge Gainsbourg, Henri Salvador, Cali, Benabar, Calogero, Manu Chao, Sinclair, MC Solaar, Alain Souchon, Sebastien Tellier, Charlelie Couture, Etienne Daho, Claude Francois, Yves Duteil, Jacques Dutronc, Raphael, Jean Gabin, Lino Ventura, Gerard Depardieu, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Arthur H, Michel Jonaz, Eddy Mitchell, Jeanne Moreau, Yannick Noah, Pascal Obispo, Florent Pagny, Jean-Louis Murat, Patricia Kaas, Julien Clerc, Telephone, Paul Personne, Gilbert Becot, Charles Aznavour, Leo Ferre, Yves Montand, Georges Brassens, Francis Cabrel, Jean-Michel Jarre, Laurent Voulzy, Edith Piaf, Charles Trennet, Bourvil, Fernandel, Maurice Chevalier, Boris Vian, Ray Ventura, Luis Mariano, Francis Lemarque, Claude Nougaro, Daniel balavoine, Coluche, Antoine, Carlos, Barbara, Guy Beart, Bobby Lapointe, Alain Bashung, Michel Berger,  Jacques Brel, et tellement d'autres....

Here are most of my favorites singers, bands and music artists of the last 35 years, I probably forgot quite a few and didn't necessarily wrote the name of some that only had one good songs through a short period of time. 

And I didn't mention Classic music, but I love: 

Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Vivaldi, Carl Orff: Carmina Burana, Chopin, Handel, Bach, Wagner, Brahms. 

As you can see, like when I buy wines for the store or for myself, I like to be eclectic and open minded with my music and in my life in general.     

I hope you agreed with me on some of the above artists, singers and bands, and if you didn't, it is fine too, because after all music is like wine, everybody has his own taste for it. 

Enjoy, 

LeDom (du Vin)           

Nouvelle Vague and Bande a part: just before Hollywood, Mon Amour

Hi everybody, 

FYI, listening to "Hollywood, Mon Amour" led me to discover two other great albums recorded prior "Hollywood, Mon Amour" by the same team, including the mastermind Marc Collin behind the concept. 

If you liked "Hollywood, Mon Amour", you should listen to "Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague" and "Nouvelle Vague: Bande A Part". Here again, the concept is to reconstruct and reinvent old classic Punk, Rock, New Wave, Indie, and more from the end of the 70's and the 80's with a zest of Bossa Nova, detached yet seriously involved female vocals and a hints of Chillout, Ambient,retro-house and a big touch of posh 50's and 60's lounge, cocktail party music.     

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Hollywood, Mon Amour: beautiful female voices sing some of the 80's classic

Hollywood, Mon Amour

Hollywood, Mon Amour is a great compilation of some of the best songs from the 80's, reinvented and sang by some of the most talented female artist voices of the moment: Yael Naim, Skye, Nancy Danino, Nadeah, Leelou, Katrine Ottosen, Juliette Lewis, Inga, Dea Li, Cibelle, Bianca Calandra (with of course the ingenuity and talent of Marc Collin).

This album delivers outstanding vocals complemented with tender, soft, ambiance music on some classic Rock, New Wave, Funk, R&B and more from the 80's.

People of my generation will surely appreciate it and recognize great songs of their youth: When Doves Cry - Prince; This is not America - David Bowie; Don't you (forget about me) - Simple Minds; and more...

It is a must buy in my opinion. It will bring a cool ambient atmosphere where ever you play it and will softly enhance a dinner with friends or a warm night with your partner and a good glass of wine.

For more info, go to their website at: www.hollywoodmonamour.com

There is also another website that you should pay a visit to. It is link with the above website and speaks about the original precursors and pioneers behind this new trend of transforming classic songs with new sounds and voices (orchestred by Marc Collin): www.nouvellesvagues.com

Enjoy!
LeDom du Vin