Music and rituals

 In my opinion music plays a very important role in rituals as like a very powerful thing for emotional connections and also the atmosphere of the ritual celebrating. For my first experience I am going to talk about my brother’s wedding. They played really meaningful songs all along the wedding it self. Some of them very romantic or some of them very exciting, specifically to make the people happy and dance a lot. Traditional wedding songs in my country are really cool and I would love to share one of them at least so they gain more popularity since I feel like Bolivian music is not very well known around the world. 

There is one special event that happens in many not only weddings but also in celebrations or rituals, specially in my city (Santa Cruz) in Bolivia. It is called “La Hora Loca” which is like a point in the night where lots of dancers come in the wedding and start playing music with lots of balloons and good stuff. “La Hora Loca” translated in English is the crazy hour. The song I am going to attach is called La Bomba and it is by Azul Azul, of course a bolivian band. Like I said, it is really well known in my country, specially in my city, but it makes it a traditional and cultural ritual to every wedding, and also of course to my brothers wedding. 

Last song was a traditional song that is very important to lots of Bolivian weddings as a fun thing where everyone celebrates and gathers together. But this song that I am going to talk about, it is even more traditional to my city cultural and traditional rituals, specifically for birthdays. I could say that at birthdays when we are celebrating we sing the happy birthday song (in Spanish), but this song is just used in my city, Santa Cruz. For people that were born here, it is really important to know it and sing it for every birthday of the family. Specially for old people, they use to sing it all the time for birthdays, but over the years people have been forgetting the song and Bolivian people really need to keep using it so it is passed to the next generations. For this song video, you’ll be able to see a man with a guitar and a really traditional costume of my culture with the our distinctive hat. He is singing the song in a very large and famous river that cross my city called “El Pirai”. I always remember sing it for all my birthdays so it makes it very special for me as well. 

Music and Fam

 Well, for this interview, I had to choose between my family members or even friends that are very close to me. However, I decided to interview my uncle Luigi (yes, his name is also Luigi and thanks to him I got my name) and also one of my cousins that I grew up with in the same house, her name is Ninoska. Both of them are grown ups, with families and living with their kids. So, I thought they might have really good anecdotes and opinions about music in general. Not gonna lie, I listen also to a lot of what they also listen to, thanks to them of course, because I know all this artists and bands since I am a child and I am very familiar with. Not to spoil anything, I’ll just start with the interview and I really hope whoever is reading it will enjoy it. (this interviews were in Spanish so I had to do all the work and translate them in English)

Uncle Luigi

Me: Who is an artist or band that really had a great impact on you growing up?

Unc: A band that really had an influence on me growing up is Enanitos Verdes. I remember a lot being a kid and living in this house that you wouldn’t even remember because you were just a baby, listening to this new band. Me and my two older brothers were really surprised when their songs started becoming really famous, it was kinda like a boom they had at that time. Even I remember your mom listening to them on the radio a lot, she really loved them too.

Me: That’s awesome, even I listen to them a lot till this day. Okay, so the next question would be: have you ever been to a concert? just in general, it doesn’t have to be from the same band.

Unc: Yes, of course. Actually the concert was from the same band as well. So it was in Carnaval (a very traditional thing we have in Bolivia), can’t remember the year exactly right now. Me and your uncles tried to buy the tickets at any cost. When we got the tickets and we were at the concert we really couldn’t process to be there, because it was my first concert as well and I was with who it is your aunt now and the mother of my kids. We really had a great time and I think it was the first time they came to Bolivia as well.

Me: I wish I was born before to be there, that sounds so sick. So, perfect, last question and I won’t bother you anymore, favorite song of all time and why?

Unc: Favorite song? That’s a hard one. If I had to pick one I’ll guess it would be Luz de día by Enanitos Verdes. It’s just my favorite song and I really can’t say why. I just love it so much and listened to it a lot back in the day. 

decided to add this one from the same band because it is my personal fav, hope you can give it a chance

Cousin Ninoska

Me: Any favorite artist or band you can tell me about?

Cous: Omg yes, I have so many tho. Between my favorites are Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Rakim and Ken, Los Wachiturros, Rombai, Ricardo Arjona. This are just some of the artists and groups I listen to a lot on a daily basis and also since I am a teenager. I would say my personality really comes from all this people, most of them are different genres but this are really the artists that made me who I am today.

Me: So many, but impressively I listen also to some of them till this day, kinda crazy. Next question: any concert you’ve been that you really liked?

Cous: Yes!! I’ve been to quite a lot but if I had to choose It’ll be Ricardo Arjona and Luis Miguel. You know how much I love them and if I could, I would go as many times as I can. I really love Arjona’s song and you know how Luis Miguel was when he was younger. He was the most attractive men on the planet, his concert was full of women screaming and crying for him, of course I know he is most known by Spanish speaking people but if you could show any song to your friends, do it because you know that he was attractive but he also had some very very good songs. 

I got to say that Arjona’s concert was a little better tho because I felt like the people there were more like calmed, if you know what I mean. And his songs are also something special, they really made me cry that night. 

Me: I actually remember you going to the concert that night, but not really clear memory tho. Okay perfect, last question: favorite song of all time?

Cous: Has to be Abrázame by Angela Aguilar and Felipe Botello. It is a very recent song but I feel like it really gives me the chills every time I play it and is giving me good vibes all the time. I even play it to my kids a lot so they can also remember the lyrics because it such a beautiful song.