smells like snow

i'd missed that feeling.

yesterday, walking through the beautifiul city center of bremen. lights everywhere, christmas in the air, the smell of mandeln and sweets, warm mixed with cold. and, most of all, the crisp air, cold. someone next to me said what i was thinking: it smells like snow.

the first snow of bremen's winter seemed to be felt in the air. and it was no surprise, but still a delight, to see the signs of that first snow when i left for school this morning.

i'd missed that feeling.

album 45: brand new day (sting)

last month i had the unique experience of attending a sting concert live. it was trully beyond words, much more than i had expected - his greatest songs in the setting of a great orchestra, some great arrangements and musical moments, and just a great performance by everyone, from his backing vocal lady (who i've been a fan of since his last winter album) over dominic miller to sting himself, in top form. and he did play one or the other tune from one of his great studio albums, the last one i cared to by (besides the winter album). "brand new day" had the idea of a brand new millenium, since it was recorded in 1999. the title song (with stevie wonder playing his harmonica) is okay, but the outstanding tracks are the opener (which is a sting tradition, always opening strong) called "a thousand years", the fantastic story and vibe in "after the rain has fallen" and the best tune on the album, "ghost story". once again, sting imerges into the worlds of the most different characters, so this album has a ten summoner's tale feel to it. "big lie, small world", "fill her up" and "tomorrow we'll see" help make the album an overall great piece of musical work.

you might want to try some of these songs out if you're not all to familiar with sting's later, post-the police, work. as always, the lyrics really give sense to the music.

album 46: mensch (herbert grönemeyer)

this album is trully remarkable. it was grönemeyer's first release of new music after his wife's and brothers death in the same week. grönemeyer had already been germany's most successful artist, but this album gave him his first number one single, the great title track "mensch". in midst of a summer crisis in germany (natural causes, floods) and his personal suffering, the song brought hope to a whole country. with this, the album was released and became the most successful to date, in 2002. in sales, but also in critical acclaim. it is a really good overall album, with two highlights: his homage to his deceased wife is the most beautiful peace of music i've ever heard, for that particular situation. his lyrics are once again beyond words, and the song is exactly what it should be. and the final track, "zum meer", uses the sea once again as an emotional platform and produces a very strong closing track, a mix of melancholy and hope. this album is rightly in my top 50 of all time.

character translated into music

he wasn't only one of the finest musicains i've ever known. a master of sensibility and creativity, with unbelievable talent and taste on the piano. he was also one of the best people i've ever met.

wendel mattos passed away a few hours ago. he's been battleing diverse diseases since seemingly always, and he'd overcome all of them, until the most recent one. there is no doubt that he left us much too soon, but his legacy will on in music and, most of all, example.

wendel's rarity consisted in him being a very authentic person. a true believer, who didn't talk about it, but rather chose to live it in every aspect of his life. his compositions and musical contributions were the best way of giving his God-given talent back to the Creator, but it seemed always in perfect harmony with his character. wendel would trully let himself be used as an instrument, and he gained his meaning and purpose of life from that fact, translated into experiences and musical notes. he didn't just talk about the Truth, he felt it and lived it. he never did it in such a way that everybody could see, but everyone who wanted to, could.

his testimony will remain. it will still inspire many lives, as it has up to now. and when that day comes, wendel will have the pleasure to meet people living long after him, but who got to know the Lord through his life works and example.

may God continue to use his now resting instrument. touching lives with that genius stroke on he piano, those beautiful and simple melodies, those profound lyrics and that shining example. he has touched my life many times, and his life will continue to be vital for mine.

can't wait to see him again.

my grandmother

she was very special lady.
incredibely loving and patient.
truthful, simple, grand.
her cooking was characteristic, the taste felt like a home i never knew.
she sat there, she smiled, she loved.
she cried everytime i left.
i shed a tear when she left.
we will meet again, vovó iolanda.

classics

okay, this post will be kind of old. and maybe a little corny. but it has to be.

i find myself really appreciating the music of the 1976-85 era. some of my favorite music bands and acts have their origin there, but in this little post i am not referring the the police's success (culminating to "every breath you take" in 1984), the beginning of the pat metheny group in 1978, simply red's initial steps with the classic "holding back the years" in 1985, or even michael jackson's albums "off the wall" and "thriller", all within that time period.

i want to write about those great radio songs there used to be (sounds old, but it's true, we just don't have them anymore). i'm sure you can think of quite a few of them, but i want to remember only three.

i first heard john miles' "music" in the late eighties - and it is one of those timeless classics that will always pop up on radios anywhere, at the most unexpected times. i really like this song, until today, although it is one of the famous cases of "one-hit-wonders", originally released in 1976 by the pianist and studio musician (abby road) john miles. here's a recent live version:

the next artist had more than one hit: christopher cross might not be a household name to most, but at least three of his songs are extremely recognizable, even after three decades: his debut single "riding like the wind", released in 1980 and, even more so, "arthur's theme", which is more known as "best what you can do" and is famous for the phrase "when you get caught between the moon and new york city". but who doesn't know this eternal radio megahit? i must say, it is a personal favorite, corny as that may be. but that's just some good music! here a live version:

and finally, the classic chicago. a phenomena in terms of popularity of albums and songs, the band based in the illinois capital had top 15 hits in all of their first 10 albums, but it took them until their 10th album in 1976 to get their first number one. and it is quite a beautiful one at that, a classic from 1976. enjoy. by the way, the brass was always an essential part of the band.

seven years

today is july 15. i woke up to the song of birds, familiar to me in the past. a cool breeze met me when i left the little bed & breakfast room to head for a 7 am breakfast - a delicious one, at that. yesterday, it was 35º even at 5 pm, but today should be a cooler day after the rain over night.

i'm at my new reality. bremen. i got to know my future flat yesterday, and both it and the surroundings are much better than i dreamed.

i feel a great amount of gratitude. to God, first and foremost. but i've been thinking of someone else lately, someone who's always been there for me.

i've known him for almost 31 years now. we grew up together. but it wasn't until the summer of 1992, when my older brother left for boarding school, that we got to live as a duo instead of a trio, for the first time. that 92/93 year was the first year leo and me would get to know and admire each other a little more than before. then it was my turn to leave, and we were only reunited as a duo in 1995, this time at the brazilian boarding school. once again, our crowds were not the same, but it brought us together another bit. just like 1999, when andre once again had left, this time to work. leo and me spent quite a bit of time together, some of it with edson and didio, two good friends from university.

these three years in particular had brought us together quite a bit; musical influences were now going both ways, talk about girlfriends and similar life situations became deeper, and the incredible connection we three brothers always had was revealing itself more and more in those years.

then it was my turn to leave, to take a job in south brazil. at the end of 2003, it had been 4 years later, and quite a lot had changed. now in são paulo, leo had become a professional singer, besides concluding his studies in literature. we moved in together, in what was to be our longest period as a duo - two and a half years. although he travelled a lot, i have inumerous great memories from that time, mostly involving music, movies and talks. i'd always been a great fan of his creativity, which was first revealed through his writing when he was still a young teenager. i'd always admired his firmness and natural leadership, which he has had since his first years at school. and i was becoming more and more impressed by his great generosity, so authentic and meaningful.

in 2008, we moved back in together, for our seemingly last year as a duo. you must understand, i had only lived with andre and without leo for 3 years, and they've never lived only them two, without me; and leo and i were completing 6 1/2 years without andre. i remember feeling empty the day he left, but it was for a good cause: he was getting married!

january 2010. once again, leo's generosity showed its face in my life, and because of his iniciative, shared by his wife dani, we had a wonderful trip to snowy north germany. and he took me to the interview in bremen. which is were i am now, with a big smile on my face.

but that was not enough - after i accepted the job offer, i moved in with him and his wife, who took me in for this last half year, helping me to save up some money for this new, fresh start, this comeback to germany.

we completed the seven years.

and i am so thankful for this last semester, and for all of these years.

i'm not someone who misses places or peoples after i move on to other things. i love nostalgia, but i don't miss.

i miss leo.

it's so good to know that he doesn't only root for me and my happiness, but participates so actively in it. thanks.

boatdrinks.