relaxing sunday - the power of the Tibetan music: Sa Ding Ding

Apart from my beloved hip hop music, here in relaxing Sunday I have introduced quite a number of different songs and music: pop R & B singer in Taiwan, bossa nova band from France, fado from Portugual, the chanteuse from France, famous love song from Spain, etc. 

And now, here comes the power of music from the Tibetan: Sa Ding Ding (薩頂頂). 

Sa Ding Ding is a singer, musician, composer, performer and choreographer from China.  This song is named “Alive” (萬物生) in Chinese and this version is in “sanskrit (梵文)”.   

Sa Ding Ding’s new album, “Alive”, has attracted international attention.  Her sound is unique and her music is distinctive: representing an original creative passion affected by ethnic diversity and shaped by a modern China.

The song “Alive” is a show piece from Tibetan style, with the first part of the song (male singing) in Pure Tibetan music. The lyrics is in sanskrit and the music video shows very pretty scenes in Tibet.

After appreciating this song and the music video, do let me know how you feel about this new style from the East.

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relaxing sunday - Nouvelle Vague

Nouvelle Vague is a French band with the source of their songs from new wave and punk music and the use of ’60s Bossa nova-style arrangements (bossa nova meaning “new wave” or “new beat” in Portuguese) .

I love listening to their songs, especially in a relaxing Sunday afternoon. 

Would like to have a taste of their style and song?  Watch the following video:

If you want to know more about this band, do visit the following website:

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relaxing sunday - Gente da Minha Terra

I once talked about Peter KAM in one of my gallery’s posts earlier.

To recap, Peter Kam, 金培達, is a renouned Hong Kong film scoring musician.  He is the award winner of the Silver Bear For Best Film Music kudos at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival by the Hong Kong film “Isabella” in 2006.  

The film Isalbella is one of my favourite movies last year. The film takes place in Macau (I have introduced this little town next to Hong Kong in these two weeks’ travelling posts here: Macau - the good old days and Las Vegas of the East - Macau).  It gives us a very artisitc account of the change of governance of Macau from Protugal to China in 1999, through a story of a local Macau Police.

Today, I am not going to go deep into the movie, Isabella, but I would like sharing with you a beautiful music piece chosen by Peter Kam for the movie, the Gente da Minha Terra.    

The song, Gente da Minha Terra, is originally performed by the Portugual Fado singer, Mariza Reis Nunes and included in Mariza’s album Fado em Mim in 2001. 

Fado (translated as destiny or fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. It is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade, … (Home-sickness has an approximate meaning. It is a kind of longing, and conveys a complex mixture of mainly nostalgia, but also sadness, pain, happiness and love).  - Wikipedia

This beautiful Portugual Fado song, Gente da Minha Terra, is full of nostalgic emotions with a sense of sadness.  No wonder that Peter Kam has won the Best Film Music kudos, this song matches with the film Isabella perfectly, for its nostalgic feelings, the sadness and its origin in the Portugual. 

Let’s also appreciate the original version performed by the Portugual Fado singer, Mariza.

O Gente da minha Terra
Lyrics by Amalia Rodrigues
Music by Tiago Machado

O Gente da minha Terra Agora e que eu percebi Esta tristeza que trago Foi de vos que recebi E meu e vosso este fado Destino que nos amarra Por mais que seja negado As cordas de uma guitarra Sempre que se ouve um gemido Duma guitarra a cantar Fica-se logo perdido Com vontade de chorar E pareceria ternura Se eu me deixasse embalar Era maior a amargura Menos triste o meu cantar

Oh people of my land It’s only now that I perceive This sadness which I carry Was from you received This ballad is both yours and mine United by our destiny No matter how much is denied By the strings of a guitar Whenever we hear a lament Of a guitar playing We are soon filled With a longing to weep It would seem a kindness If I were able to soothe it And by releasing the sorrow Make my song less melancholy

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Related post:

• sophie’s gallery

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relaxing sunday - la vie en rose

Lyrics by Edith Piaf
Music by Louiguy
enr. 9 octobre 1946

Des yeux qui font baiser les miens, Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche, Voila le portrait sans retoucheDe l’homme auquel j’appartiens Quand il me prend dans ses bras Il me parle tout bas, Je vois la vie en rose. Il me dit des mots d’amour, Des mots de tous les jours, Et ca me fait quelque chose. Il est entre dans mon coeur Une part de bonheur Dont je connais la cause.C’est lui pour moi. Moi pour lui Dans la vie, Il me l’a dit, l’a jure pour la vie.Et des que je l’apercois Alors je sens en moi Mon coeur qui batDes nuits d’amour a ne plus en finir Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place Des enuis des chagrins, des phases Heureux, heureux a en mourir. Quand il me prend dans ses bras Il me parle tout bas, Je vois la vie en rose. Il me dit des mots d’amour, Des mots de tous les jours, Et ca me fait quelque chose. Il est entre dans mon coeur Une part de bonheur Dont je connais la cause. C’est toi pour moi. Moi pour toi Dans la vie, Il me l’a dit, l’a jure pour la vie. Et des que je l’apercois Alors je sens en moi Mon coeur qui bat

The eyes that make mine lower A laughter that gets lost on his mouth There is the portrait without retouchings Of the man which I belong toWhen he takes me in his arms He speaks me all bottom I see life in rose (pink) He tells me words of loveThe words of every day And that made me something He entered in my heart A part of happiness Of which I know the reasonIt is he for me, me for him, in life He told it to me swore him for life And as soon as I see him Then I feel in me My heart that beatsOf love nights more to finish A big happiness that takes his room Boredoms, griefs fade away Happy, happy to dieWhen he takes me in his arms He speaks me all bottom I see life in rose (pink)He tells me of love words The words of every day And that made me something He entered in my heart A part of happiness Of which I know the reason It is you for me, me for you, in life You told it the ace juror for life, to me And as soon as I see you Then I feel in me My heart that beats

“La vie en rose” (French for “Life in Pink”) was the signature song of the French chanteuse, Édith Piaf (1915-1963).  The song is a classique and has been performed by numerous artists all over the world. 

Edith Piaf, was one of the greatest and famous chanteuses.  She was called the “little sparrow” (”Piaf”, French coloquial) due to her heartbreaking voice.  Her audience commented that “you made me cry, …… you are the voice of paris. ”

Her song, la Vie en Rose, means “the life in pink”.  However, the life of Edith was not that “rosy” and she died young in the age of 48.  The director, Oliver Dahan, has protraited the tragic life of Edith in the new film,  La Môme (Eng name: la Vie en Rose), which has just been released. 

 

           

The film is now on in Hong Kong and I would definitely watch this film.  If you are interested in this film, you may also wish to read:

• The official website of La Vie En Rose
• Interview with the director, Oliver Dahan
• Interview with the main actress, Marion Cotillard

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relaxing sunday - Historia de un Amor

These days, a romantic and beautiful melody keeps coming up to my mind.  Then I recall that it is the Historia de un Amor.  Let’s paint this Sunday with a brush of romantic tone.

Historia de un Amor (Spanish for “a love story”) is a Spanish song about a woman’s old love written by Panamanian songwriter Carlos Eleta Almaran. It was written after the death of his brother’s wife. It is also in the soundtrack of a 1956 Mexican movie of the same name. The song tells of a woman’s suffering after her love has disappeared.

 Lyrics

Ya no estás más a mi lado, corazón. En el alma sólo tengo soledad. Y si ya no puedo verte, Por qué Dios me hizo quererte? Para hacerme sufrir más? Siempre fuiste la razón de mi existir. Adorarte para mi fue religión. Y en tus besos yo encontraba, El calor que me brindaba, El amor, y la pasión. Es la historia de un amor, Como no hay otro igual. Que me hizo comprender, Todo el bien, todo el mal. Que le dio luz a mi vida, Apagándola después. Ay que vida tan oscura, Sin tu amor no viviré. Es la historia de un amor.

You’re no longer by my side, my love And in my soul I have only loneliness If I can no longer see you Why did God make me love you? To make me suffer more? You were the reason for my existence. Adoring you, for me, was religion. In your kisses I’ve found The warmth that gave me The love and the passion. That’s the story of a love. Which has no equal That made me understand All the goods, all the bads That gave light to my life Then turned it off. Oh what a dark life. Without your love I will not live. That’s the story of a love.

The song in its Chinese version is named 我的心裡只有你没有他 (Chinese for “I don’t have anybody else in my heart but you”).  It is very popular and has been performed by many artists over different period of time.   The lyrics is about the a person missing his / her true love, who has left. 

The latest version of this song could be found in a Hong Kong cartoon movie named “Mudull, Prince de la Bun (菠蘿油王子)” and the song is performed by a Cantopop band “At 17“.  This cartoon, together with the song, is a very touching piece of work. 

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relaxing sunday - can’t forget about you

for this relaxing sunday’s evening, how about pouring yourself a glass of wine and tune on your hi-fi to reward yourself for all the things you have achieved this week.

oops!  don’t want anymore chill-out music today and wanna find something to cheer up your mood a bit, to have a little bit of rhythm, yet to add a little taste of classic and elegance?

here is a good choice i would like recommending to you: “can’t forget about you“.  this song is in Nasir Jones’s album “hip hop is dead“ released in Dec 2006.  it interestingly mixes a sample of Nat King Cole ’s famous song: “unforgettable” into the hip hop rhythm, not only creating a new listening experience, and also saluting to the all time classic music piece of Nat King Cole. 

after listening to the “can’t forget about you”, you would certainly miss the classic “unforgettable”.  let’s touch up this sunday with this wonderful piece of music. this version is a duet with his daughter, Natalie Cole, created after 40 years of Nat King Cole’s death, which is a beautiful and touching re-presentation of the classical work.

here are the CDs you may probably be interested in:
Nasir Jone’s Hip Hop is Dead
Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable: with love
Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable

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