By Sebastian Izaciga @sebastinizciga1
Editor's note: One of the fastest-growing Colombian bands on the music scene this year has been Mad Tree. This Bogotá-based band has grown its audience thanks to airplay on major rock radio stations and performances in Bogotá and the surrounding areas. Capitalizing on their rising popularity, we have invited Sebastian Izaciza, lead vocals and guitar, We asked her to tell us her ten favorite Latin songs. Her answer held some interesting surprises:
1. Project One –Shark
I danced to it at my baptism, at the mini-discos during my pre-teen years, at my prom, and I'll dance to it on my wedding day. It's one of the few songs that really gets me going, it brings out the islander in me. Plus, I love the whistle arrangement taken from the American song. Got to be real by Cheryl Lynn. This song brings back wonderful memories of celebratory moments with my family and friends.
2. Tom Jobim – Waters of March
It reminds me of those days I spent in São Paulo taking a short course in improvisation in popular music. The harmonies of this song transport me to Avenida Paulista and that contrast between the helicopters, the skyscrapers, and the favelas. From a specifically musical perspective, Jobim was a genius and left us songs that will last a long time; I owe him some clichés of the genre. One Hundredth Human.
3. Silvio Rodriguez – Whoever
The lyrical richness of Silvio's work is very evident in this song; universal literature is presented in a noble way in his verses. The way this song builds, without needing much instrumental density, is among the finest I've ever heard. It's worth mentioning that he's a brave man for daring to play alone with his acoustic guitar and sound more powerful than any orchestra. He's one of the few remaining troubadours.
4. Jorge Drexler – Guitar and you
A single Lydian loop is enough to overlay a magnificent play on words. The messages inscribed in these lyrics are tremendous; they are a journey through the history of technology, through human emotions, and through the significance of returning to the basics in order to know ourselves.
5. Willie Colón – Without Being Able to Speak to You
My family loves salsa, and I disappointed them because I'm a terrible dancer. But I've learned to appreciate the musical quality of these pieces. In the case of this song specifically, I really like the string arrangement and the characteristic ostinato. I also think the lyrics are very sincere, straight from the heart and soul; I believe Willie when he says what he feels.
6. Joe Arroyo – Night of Sunsets
The vocals in this song are incredible, the horn arrangements, the percussion atmospheres. This type of salsa, with its depressive and dark undertones, strikes me as a spectacle; it's a testament to the constant contradiction of the Latin man, who expresses an innate happiness with his rhythm, but at the same time also conveys, through melodies, a constant feeling of sadness and disillusionment.
7. Café Tacvba – Throw me
The melancholy present in this song uplifts me; the audacity with which they manage to depict a wild love, an ungrateful love, a dog-like love, is truly intense. The way the strings take over the guitar to the point of consuming it is a brilliant aesthetic moment, which is subtly placed at the service of the narrative of the text to give the song a greater meaning.
8. Serú Girán –The Fat of the Capitals
The fat of the capital cities covers your heart…
For those who speak ill of Charly's music, you can look up the two Seru Giran albums on Spotify and while you're at it, give La Maquina de hacer Pájaros a listen. Then I give you permission to be quiet and go home to cry for a while, while you write a page saying "Sorry Charly, my ignorance is very bold.".
Charly Garcia, Pedro Aznar, David Lebon, and Oscar Moro deliver a masterclass in musical harmony, composition, and performance in this song. Beyond being a lyrical scathing critique of the West at the time, it's a fabulous piece with several high-caliber musical moments.
9. Luis Alberto Spinetta – Running in Front of You
I really like the unplugged version, but the original is fantastic too. I'm captivated by the piano being the backbone of this song; it gives it a unique feel. The piano is sorely needed in Colombian rock. The harmony of this song reminds me that we must intelligently break free from clichés by using musical tools, which are endless. I recommend listening to this song in the dark, maybe before going to sleep.
10. Gustavo Cerati –I've seen Lucy
With this song and with (#), Cerati bids us farewell; his vast light has gone to shine in another dimension, but he left us with a wealth of information and codes to decipher in his songs. Almost ten years later, we aesthetically understand the songs on his last albums—a man ahead of his time. I've seen Lucy It has a Beatlesque feel, with parallel major chords and a very melodic bass line in the style of Paul McCartney. The saxophones at the end also remind me of David Bowie. The lyrics are fantastic; for some, it might be a crazy acid trip, but for me, it represents his first encounter with the most abstract source of inspiration he's ever reached as a human being.
