Tag Archives: Musicals

WEEK 05 – 25 JULY to 31 JULY 2014

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29 FRIDAY 25 JULY 2014

El Padre Antonio y Su Monaguillo Andrés – Rubén Blades – Top 10 Contender

029 The Cali Sessions

Although I grew up in Latin America, you may have noticed that my music taste gravitates towards Broadway musicals primarily. There are only a handful of songs in Spanish in my iTunes library, so if you see one of them on the list, you’ll know that it must be a song close to my heart. Such is the case of this beautiful gem from Panamanian Rubén Blades.

El Padre Antonio y Su Monaguillo Andrés (Father Antonio And His Altar Boy Andrés) is a ballad/salsa inspired by the assassination of El Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980. It tells the story of Father Antonio Tejeira, a Catholic priest from Spain and his altar boy Andrés Eloy Pérez.

Father Antonio is a pacifist; he condemns violence, and in every sermon, he talks about love and justice. Andrés is a ten-year-old who loves swimming in the river, playing soccer and day-dreaming. One Sunday mass, during communion, an assassin enters the Church and opens fire right in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer. Father Antonio falls to the ground not knowing what is happening; a host is still in his hand. Andrés passes away next to him. On the wall, the wooden Christ on the crucifix dies again.

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WEEK 04 – 18 JULY to 24 JULY 2014

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22 FRIDAY 18 JULY 2014

Act II: The Game – Richard Kind, Howard McGillin, Michele Pawk, Herndon Lackey

022 Bounce

First Sondheim appearance on the list and you may wonder why I’ve chosen a song from this 2003 unsuccessful musical. Let me remind you that I’ve arranged the records by alphabetical order, so that was the first Sondheim record in my iTunes Library. But rest assure there’ll be many Sondheim songs on the list.

Originally titled “Wise Men,” the musical tells the story of Addison and Wilson Mizner, a couple of brothers whose accomplishments include the urban development of Boca Raton in Florida. It was eventually revised and retitled Road Show, but more on that when we get to the letter “R.”

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WEEK 03 – 11 JULY TO 17 JULY 2014

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15 FRIDAY 11 JULY 2014

Cuban Pete – Desi Arnaz

015 The Best Of Desi Arnaz The Mambo King

I know you must be wondering why this one moved to the list so soon after only being on the runners up list for a few days. Well, it’s not the same version. Desi Arnaz recorded this one in 1946. The one on the runners-up list is the version Desi recorded with Lucille Ball for their 1950s mega-hit “I Love Lucy.”

Introduced by Desi himself in 1946 in the movie of the same name, Cuban Pete, along with Babalu, is closely associated with of Desi Arnaz’s act.

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WEEK 02 – 4 JULY TO 10 JULY 2014

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08 FRIDAY 4 JULY 2014

I Got The Sun In The Morning – Ethel Merman

008 Annie Get Your Gun (Original Cast Recording) [1988 Remaster]

People! Turn down the volume on your iPods; Ethel Merman has arrived at the list. Oh! Don’t act surprised, you knew La Merman would be on the list, how could she not? Yes, there’ll be more belters joining her.
For almost 25 years I Got The Sun In The Morning has been one of my all-time favourites. It is kind of poetic that it comes on the list on the 4th of July. You see, that is the day I left Venezuela in 1990, exactly a week after my 25th birthday.
At the end of the summer, I arrived in Washington, D.C. I had been accepted in the Film and Video Master’s program at AU (American University.)

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WEEK 01 – 27 JUNE TO 3 JULY 2014

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These are the songs I picked on my first week, between 27 June and 3 July 2014.

01 FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2014

The Spirit of Adventure – Craig Copeland

I was introduced to this song when I saw the movie “Up” in 2009, and I instantly liked it. Actually, the entire soundtrack of this movie is a masterpiece. Effortless, yet multi-layered, this Academy Award-winning score by Michael Giacchino no doubt will be regarded in the future as one of the greatest scores of this early century.

When I chose this song, I hadn’t created any of the playlists yet. I picked it that day at the gym after I read the “Packing for a Long Trip” chapter on Jane Pauley’s book. I decided to include it perhaps with the idea of what the year ahead had in store for me or how special I would make the next 12 months. There may not be any big adventures, but no doubt that the catchy and inviting syncopation of the melody made me believe at that moment of a great year full of possibilities.

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LET’S START PACKING ON 6 JANUARY 2015

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HOW TO PACK 365 SONGS IN A SUITCASE

On 27 June 2015 I’ll be turning 50, so, I’m making a list of songs to bring with me into the future. These are songs that I have collected in my first 50 years of life, songs that in the future will make me feel alive, and give me a purpose to still dream and let my imagination fly.

LET’S START PACKING ON 6 JANUARY 2015

27 June 2014 was the first day of the last year in my forties. It is not as if it worries me to get old, but turning 50 is a milestone nonetheless. So, a few months ago, in preparation for my fiftieth year on earth, I started to take care of certain things, such as having a physical, organising my finances, etc. Things I did not want to deal with or worry around my 50th.

However, I was in search of something unique to do before I turn 50, something it could keep me occupied for a year, a build-up to my birthday.

Right around the time I turned 49 I was reading a book by Jane Pauley called Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life. On chapter eleven, Packing for a Long Trip, Jane Pauley talks about the things that figuratively we want to pack and bring with us into the future. Things that will help us shape our future. The things that will make us look forward to being 70, 80 or even 90. Jane Pauley quotes columnist Cary Tennis from Salon.com, who, among many things, talks about having in your suitcase a song that gives you goosebumps.

I happened to read that chapter while on an elliptical machine at the gym, on the morning of my 49th birthday and thought it would be a cool little project. I was going to collect my favourite songs and make the ultimate playlist for the future.

I took the over 7500 songs in my iTunes library and organized them alphabetically by album into four playlists. The plan was to listen to the playlists during the day. Then, every night I would choose the song that for whatever reason touched me the most during the day. If there were other songs I liked, I would put them on a new playlist to be revisited after listening to the original playlists.

Now, after six months of collecting songs and writing about them, I’ve decided to share the list.

By 26 June 2015, on the eve of my 50th birthday I will have finished packing 365 songs in a suitcase that I will bring with me into the future.