August 23, 2013
Miracler
Gioia diBiase
Location
San Francisco
Things Gioia Made Us
If you were to put all the comments Miraclers have written about Gioia mixes over the years end-to-end, they would stretch to the moon and back. Don't believe me? In addition to stuff you guys wrote about June '12's Ode to Max Fischer, Dec. '10's A Month of Sundays, March '09's Burst!, Nov. '08's The Sweet Do-Nothing, here are just the comments about Nov. '12's beloved Influential Mix, Color My World. To the moon!
Color My World comments:
Let me be the first to say "I love every single song!" What a time capsule! The cover art is perfect. I can't believe Color my World was a single, not a b-side that nobody heard. Shit was different then, people needed to feel a lot and let it out, and then maybe drift onward. / This Neil Young song is maybe among my top ten of his. Elvin Bishop painted a bummed out picture of falling in love. Phoebe was more to my liking. This Roberta Flack song haunted me. I can still see why. / You had me at Downtown but I have to say that Fooled Around has always been an all time favorite. Full blast every time on the car radio. At least when I'm alone. So many awkward memories there. Thanks, and good show. / Wow! I loved every song. The Neil Young cut is my favorite of his. It's heartbreaking. And Sly And The Family Stone was perfect. The Chicago cut is one of the best songs of all time, it's so sad and beautiful. Thank you Gioia. / Do we get prizes for having a majority of the tracks already in our libraries? I have half this time. ;-) / Back before all that sweet, sweet paper route money started rolling in, there was very little pop music in my house but one thing there was was Petula Clark's Greatest Hits so this mix kicked off some serious flashbacks for me. mrs. fritz also made several exclamations of enjoyment while giving this a listen last night-- thanks much! / That Dobie Gray is one of my favorites! Love this mix. I have many of these on vinyl; you're gonna have to come and DJ one of my Smoothdays with me, sister! / Agree with Stork – I'm all over that Dobie Gray song. And I'll bet that's one that Fritz didn't already have. But let's talk about CCR. I came SO close to including "Born On the Bayou" on my mix, but couldn't squeeze five more minutes into it. Wonderful music, Gioia. Thanks! / This playlist might have come from a San Carlos high school dance, circa 1975. All but three of these tracks are in my library and the newcomers are all headed over to my Dinner Rock playlist- Dobie Gray, Phoebe Snow and the Elvin Bishop, a song I haven't heard in years and forgot how much I enjoy. Thanks for the memories. And If I Had A Hammer is a family favorite to sing along to on car rides! / Did you grow up in my A.M. radio? Thanks for the memories back to the mid-70's. A time when I was probably more inclined to listening to DIsney records (the Country Bear Jamboree - a perennial fav). It would be a great soundtrack. / Petula Clark's "Downtown" is a song I was weirdly transfixed with in kindergarten. I can remember swinging on a swing in the fog (living in the Sunset District back then, the fog part is a given) and theorizing that though she was from England like The Beatles, Petula HAD to be singing about downtown San Francisco. The lights definitely are much brighter there... but I wasn't sure about "the rhythms of a gentle Bossa Nova" part, or even what a Bossa Nova was. / I'll add some props for Good Morning Starshine. One of those songs that sends me right back to where I was when I first heard it - a summer camp in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Nice mix, Gioia. Classics.
Now Miss dB has gone and made another regalo especial. ¡Escuchalo!
Liner Notes from GdB
I'm generally not one to have a lot to say about music, but I felt this needed some introduction.
There's not a lot of rhyme or reason to this collection. The majority of these songs are Cuban, with a few Argentine numbers thrown in for spice.Some are sweet, some melt my heart, others transport me.
Pour yourself a glass of anejo, relax and enjoy.
ARGENTINE FOLK
Atahualpa Yupanqui— (born Héctor Aranburu) adopted this humble stage name after two Incan kings
Facundo Cabral— popular singer/songwriter. Legend has it he could not talk until the age of nine, which raises some questions. Fancied himself a philosopher. Tragically met his maker at 44 when he was hit by a stray bullet that was meant for his promoter who may have had ties to the mob.
"Dos Palomitas"— this is a famous Argentine tune and yet I had a hard time finding information about its origins. I pulled this rendition from a children's album. Charlotte Gainsbourg covers it in the movie "The City of Your Final Destination".
ARGENTINE TANGO
Carols Gardel— his name is synonymous with Tango music. Also did some acting, which is not surprising given the dramatics of his voice.
CUBAN FOLK (Trova)
Carlos Puebla— a part of the Old Trova movement. "Hasta Siempre" is his most famous song and has apparently been wrongly attributed to Buena Vista Social Club. "Y en eso llego Fidel" is from the album "Canto A Mi Pueblo" which is purported to have lyrics by Pablo Neruda.
Sylvio Rodriguez— His music may sound sentimental. Don't disregard it. He is a poet. If you're interested in knowing more, check out "Los Grandes Exitos" produced by David Byrne which includes English translations of his lovely lyrics.
CUBAN GUAJIRA (literally "Country Music")
Guillermo Portabales y Conjunto Tipico Alborada— "Amorosa Guajira"
"Guantanamera" is probably the most popular song of this genre.
CUBAN MISCELLANEOUS
Bola De Nieve— (born Ignacio Jacinto Villa) known by his nickname (snowball) for his round face and black skin. Started playing piano for silent films and later toured internationally as a cabaret singer. Openly gay under Castro, buddies with Andres Segovia and Pablo Neruda. I like to think of him as the Cuban Rufus Wainwright.
CUBAN CONTRADANZA
Camerata Romeu & Zenaida Romeu perform "La Bella Cubana" composed by Jose White
Popular dance music of the 19th century, and just beautiful.
Oh, and the photo is of the Casa de la Trova music hall in Santiago de Cuba. Take me there!
Mix is UP. Same password—check your inbox. Make sure you come back and comment! To comment on this mix, click on the 'Comment' button below the post and write something. If you don't have/want to use your Google etc. accounts, just type your name in the "Name" box and you are done. See you back here or on our members-only Facebook page soon. XOK
20 comments:
Perfection, Gioia.
Feeling all crapped out from a week of crappy-crap crap-ugly soul-sucking jobs, I decided today would be the day to do some collage art. Put the clutch in, slip the brain into neutral, and coast. I downloaded your mix and it turned out to be the perfect soundtrack.
¡Muchas gracias!
I knew from the opening notes of the first track, that I was totally in for this mix. I was right. Each song is moody and singularly beautiful. I am mesmerized by the Facundo Cabral cut. Perhaps he didn't speak until he was 9 because he just wanted to get his thoughts together first. The Bola De Nieve cuts are beautiful as well. I am also taken with the distance to the sound of the Facundo Cabral track. It's like he singing from a distant meadow. This is a wonderful mix that has filled my morning with joy. Thank you, Gioia.
Thank you Gioia for Hasta Siempre! Perfect on a hot August afternoon.
Lovely companion mix to the See Do Nothing.
Muchos Gracias.
Oh Gioia......what a special little gem of a mix. SO unique and unexpected. By turns wistful.... soulful and full of Latin fire. I will be honest when I say I wasn't sure what to expect—it was such departure from most of the compilations. And I can't tell you how fantastic it is!!! Some standouts for me: the Carlos Gardel tango, the Camerata Romeu track (beautiful), Carlos Puebla....everything is new, yet familiar. Me encanta el regalo!
Oh one thing....track #9 (the Carlos Gardel tune I really like) thru track #11 seems to cut short. Is anyone else having this problem? They stop early and then skip to the next track. Not sure if the prob is on my end and I simply need to re-download??
Wow, special mix. I am a long time fan of musica latina, and there are gems here. Speaking Spanish may give me an extra in to this, but the Silvia Rodrigues is flat out captivating beautiful song. Thank you for the mix, thank you for the education. And the Facundo Cabral comes from a deep well of a place, Gracias
I really enjoyed this -- it took me far away, in a good way.
I'm having the same problem as Alix, although it begins with track #3 for me. I've re-dl'd with the same results (currently using Windows Media Player here at work).
A mix to match its maker: sweet, soulful, spicy, cinematic.
For me, a much-needed transportive aural respite.
[my mix also has some wonkiness. track three cuts off at 1:59, track seven at 1:37, track eight at 6:39, track nine at 1:59, track ten at 2:50, track eleven at 1:53, track twelve* at 4:31, track thirteen at 4:26. *had to go back three times to find cutoff time, because it was so hard for me to listen to this track without closing my eyes. so beautiful!]
PS - I forgot to mention how much I love the album art! lovely
(sorry for andy psychouts due to over-commenting)
This mix has been making my wife and I dance around the kitchen! Though it's very "Ugly American" of me, since none of the tracks are Colombian, it's also made me very excited for our trip there (we fly to Bogota in the morning). I'm particularly interested by the older tracks, hearing another culture's take on the popular music of the past. Beautifully assembled!
Hi guys,
Glad to see more comments here—pretty lovely mix, eh?
I don't know why some of you had problems with tracks skipping and some didn't. That's weird. Regardless, as noted yesterday on our Facebook page, I have re-uploaded this mix in case those of you with probs want to try it again.
In the future, please feel free to shoot me a private email if you're experiencing a problem with a mix. I always test mixes on my computer before uploading, and in the past, some individual's computers have had wonky moments which weren't related to the mixes. But if I hear from multiple people that something's amiss, I'm more likely to suspect that the mix needs attention.
Cool? Thanks,
Your Hostess
Hi guys,
Glad to see more comments here—pretty lovely mix, eh?
I don't know why some of you had problems with tracks skipping and some didn't. That's weird. Regardless, as noted yesterday on our Facebook page, I have re-uploaded this mix in case those of you with probs want to try it again.
In the future, please feel free to shoot me a private email if you're experiencing a problem with a mix. I always test mixes on my computer before uploading, and in the past, some individual's computers have had wonky moments which weren't related to the mixes. But if I hear from multiple people that something's amiss, I'm more likely to suspect that the mix needs attention.
Cool? Thanks,
Your Hostess
Thanks Kelly, and thanks for this mix - a step into the unknown for this reviewer (one of many blind spots sadly), and perhaps like Tim Buckley's Starsailor some way from safe Prodge waters.
Without the necessary Spanish you go for mood and vibe - and this mix has that in spades.
Paul Rhodes
¡Ay, caray!
Definitely one of those mixes that feels like a box of delicate little jewels. As someone who grew up wedged in the Norteño/Tejano/Ranchero/Mexipop corners of new-world Spanish music, it's great to be reminded of the beautiful branches and diversity in that family tree. Thank you thank you thank you.
Having really no exposure to Cuban music at all, I am really enjoying this mix. I've downloaded it for the second time and am still having issues so perhaps it is my computer. But regardless, the music breaks up the monotony of endless work hours in front of my computer quite nicely.
Mixes like this are a special reason why I love being a part of the group. All this music is new to me and all of it is terrific. I really like the closer, La Bella Cubana.
I'm glad you've all enjoyed! Not sure what's causing the problemas. Thank you Kelly for uploading a second time!
i like the music but i caint hardly understand a word theyre singing
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