A New Hobby Started! And Yes Filtered Used But They Are My First Shots So Give Me A Break! Wandered Around

Évora, located in the hot Alentejo is full of history and culture! Don’t hesitate to visit! 

Tampere part 3. Don’t ask me how parts there are :D 

Now when it’s all cold, dark and so autumn like it’s good to remember the perfect first summer days..

Oriente train station and Vasco de Gama Brige in Lisbon. 

SHE uguale a lei

SO I’m breaking the silence by dedicating this entire post to an artist whom I could almost talk about like an old friend. And in a way she is. One of her songs became the title of this blog and I'm naming every post by a sentence from the lyrics of her songs, translated in English of course. It might be foolish and sometimes it's difficult too but..call me crazy pausiniana. Her 20 – Greatest Hits-release is the album I’ve been looking forward to this entire fall.

Most of the true fans of any artist usually hate these kinds of releases cause they usually include only a little of unreleased material if any. But Laura Pausini is different. Instead of just getting all her hits together and releasing the whole thing out just as it is, she made the effort of re-working to the old songs, updating their sounds and making new collaborations. For me it wasn’t the new tracks I was waiting for but the old ones. There are some songs which may not be her best-known work but they tell a story about the woman behind the artist and which in my opinion represent also the best of her career. She has included some very personal stuff for example her very first recording as a two-year-old and her daughter saying “mamma” for the very first time. They won’t increase the sales but it’s touching how she wanted to share such personal memories with us.

She isn’t just an artist whose songs entertain me in various moments. The songs which I used to adore already at a very young age but without being able to truly indetifying the lyrics on an emotional level, I’ve found them again in all kinds of situations of my life as I grew up. They’ve accompanied me when I’ve made big decisions, lost people, lived life-changing experiences or simply in the dullest moments of my everyday life.  

Resta in Ascolto live in 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbX7UyL-8SM

Listening to the new compilation album.. for me it was a journey through years, memories and songs. It does tell a story, hers and maybe a bit of mine as well. 2014 is my 20th anniversary with her. I still remember the times spent listening to her music from her album “Laura” as a 7-year-old, without knowing where she was from or what language she was singing in. I remember being fascinated by her voice, language which I didn’t know at a time and her beauty shown in the booklet. I remember how I didn’t know anyone else who’ve liked her music too and how no one seemed to understand (and some still don’t) why she touched me so deeply and still continues to do so.

(My very first Laura Pausini album: her 2nd one in Italian "Laura" 1994 and autograph from 2012 which I got in London)

It wasn’t until 2006 that I became a member of the official fan club. It was the best money I ever paid. I may have joined in for Laura but the reason why I am still a member is the people I’ve met and friends I’ve made over the years. Everything else is an extra. From the very first moment entering the Laura4u website and the forum I loved the the feeling of being a part of a community. I remember spending hours and hours in the forum, writing posts, sharing opinions about Laura but also about life in general. Making some of the best friends of my life.

Finally I had found people who resembled and understood me. There are people who I’ve never met in person but who know me inside and out.  Being a Laura Pausini-fan is so much more than just listening to her music and going to her concerts. I’ve done great things in great places with the greatest people in the world. She is also the reason why I discovered the beauty of Italian and Spanish languages.

Prendo te (2004) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PFqU08zL4I

On the DVD “My story” available in deluxe version of GH (which I highly recommend for everyone) she goes down the memory lane by visiting her old school and the house where she grew up, introducing friends and people who’ve been essential part of “her community” over the years.

She shares the memories along the way with the same enthusiasm as they had happened yesterday; how she came to collaborate and make friends with Phil Collins, how Jim Carrey was so sure of her success in US market that he even jokingly offered to marry her himself just to get her the Green Card. After all the millions of records being sold I admire her honesty, even about the things that might not be the most positive ones. She openly tells how she’s always been afraid of ending up alone, how she struggled to make a change in her musical style for her fourth album La mia risposta/ Mi respuesta in 1998 after her record company wasn’t happy with the sales of her previous release (whaaat?!? #shocked) and how she admits making mistakes with her English language album “From the inside” released back in 2002. In the liner notes of the booklet, there’s a story shared of each and every 38 songs on the album. And the first thing you see when you open the cover is this:

It’s so easy to love her, isn’t it?

When asked which song or album or even a live album I’d play for one, who’s never heard of Laura’s music before. It’s an impossible task. Even writing this post was full of tough choices.. which stuff to bring up and which ones to leave out. My favourites are mostly from the last decade but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love the music she’s released before that. And no studio recording can do her justice compared to what she’s like while performing live. Every release brings up different sides of her and has its songs and stories I’d love people to discover about her.

I hope with this post, pics and vids shared I've managed to show you even a little bit of her beauty as an artist and as a person but also to open up a bit what it means to be a "pausiniana" to me.

Con la musica alla radio (2013 version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PHfcaoDQFU

More information: http://www.laurapausini.com/eng/

Some shots from my weekend trip in Nazaré a while back. This where the surfers come usually for the biggest waves during the winter season. 

Music is..

Not pictures this time :) But as a passionate music lover I’ve felt the urge for a quite a while actually to share a list of albums that have gone under my skin, given me chills or just simply lived with me during an important time of my life. These aren’t album reviews so please don’t read them as such. I can only talk about what’s been like to listen to them. These are albums where the pleasure to listen is complete from the first seconds ‘till the very end. No fear of the unnecessary songs. I have a tendency to prefer female singers over men and not many male artists have managed to impress me with their work. 

Some of them have been more successful commercially than others but that’s not the reason why I’m talking about them. Most of them are from recent years which you could also conclude that these are the times when I’ve grown the most emotionally. This is pure POP music! There might be hints of rock in them, sometimes theatrical even dramatical, electronic sounds but mainly this is pop music. So if you don’t enjoy it, this might not be your thing. Some of these albums are made by artists I adore and follow religiously, others not but I gotta give credit for an album well made. The ten albums appear in an alphabetical order. 

ARIA (2002) by Gianna Nannini

This is THE album that I discovered the queen of Italian rock music given to me by cousin. At first listen I was doubtful but was won over by her talent and extraordinariness. Respect that the woman has been doing proudly, loudly and openly her thing for almost 40 years in music business. Years go by, even decades but she always sounds good. So does this album.

Aria was her 17th album to date, filled with electronical twists and sounds which make it stand out from the rest of her production. Don’t let the calmness of the title track ‘Aria’ fool you, there’s a lot aggression, pain (Meravigliosamente crudele) and speed (Volo, Immortale) on this album. Even haunting tunes (Crimine d’amore) can be heard but also lighter, catchier beats and rhythms (Mio, Battiti e respiri) when ‘Sveglia’ is wonderfully awakening.

Key track

D’EUX (1995) by Céline Dion

This one is a timeless classic. Forget the artistic and musical image that the name Céline Dion holds. In my opinion Dion has always been better in French. Just simply because there’s more thought in her production in her native than in her English albums. The songs are written especially for her and her voice is used in a much more diverse way. D’eux is the finest example of this. Almost the entire album is made by Jean-Jacques Goldman who before writing music to the French-Canadian star got to know her through interviews, earlier production and meetings so that he’d know what kind of music to write for Dion.

Everyone should listen to this. It’s by far the most diverse album of these ten I’m listing but also among Dion’s production. Discover her singing jazz (Le ballet), catchy guitar pop (Destin), rock (J’irai oú tu iras) but also more fragile, personal, delicate performances (Vole). D’eux refers to male persons and it means ‘from them’. It can be understood to indicate the male songwriters with or without Dion. In 2007 a female version was made in the form of D’elles (from them) which refers to the album’s female songwriters with or without Dion. A beautiful experience also!

Key track

FLAMINGO (2010) by Brandon Flowers

Never been a fan of The Killers, the famous rock band that Brandon Flowers is known for originally. That might be the reason why I love him as a solo artist cause his musical style by himself is far deeper than the rock band production. For me, this is pop music at its best. The music is often light (Only the young, Swallow it) so you can easily get lost in its sounds without paying attention to the fact that many of them carry somewhat heavy theme. There’s something 80’s kind of style also involved (Crossfire). It’s ridiculously real somehow (Jilted lovers & broken hearts). There are moments when I find Flowers as a playful and careless as a little boy but then as serious as an only grown man can be. He has also an exceptional song writing skills in lyrics. He reaches the essence of loss, love and life with small words and gestures in his singing. Personally, I find ‘Playing with fire’ as one of the greatest songs ever written. The intro, for over one minute long prepares you for the words that will sweep off your feet.

Key track

INEDITO (2011) by Laura Pausini

I assume everybody knows how big LP fan I am and it was seriously hard work to choose only one album that has made an impact. Because for me they’ve all made an impact, some more than others and in different ways. Instrumentally I think this is one of the most diverse album from her..I could listen just the instrumental versions of these songs and still be blown away. The use of flute and harmonica are like fresh winds among the orchestras and pop/rock tunes.

Inedito was the first LP album which it took me some time to understand. Back in 2011 I was in crossroads, lost and confused. To reach the things Pausini is singing about on this album I had to travel far and come back (Non ho mai smesso). It took me years to reach the soaring happiness of being alive like in ‘Benvenuto’ or ‘Le cose che non mi aspetto’ and be as grown as the woman in ‘Mi tengo’ who’s lost but also loved or truly see where the line goes (Bastava). I needed to feel the pain, hit the rock bottom and climb back up for these songs (Troppo tempo, Ognuno ha la sua mattita, Come vivi senza me). ‘Celeste’ dedicated to all the women trying to have a baby without success, is probably her most profound songs ever and the hope touches also those who don’t want any children. This is the album that comes after the storm, after you’ve struggled and realized that you’ve survived.

Key track

LE SECRET (2013) by Lara Fabian

I have some Lara Fabian albums in English and in French. I’m not a super fan but the voice does stop me. This album is a masterpiece. Piece of an art, from the beginning ‘till the last second. I find it brave to make such an album considering how the music industry works in these days. The gay community embraced the album since her performance of ‘Deux ils, deux elles’ in favour of equal rights of getting married. 

These songs are stories and Fabian has been writing all of them. I cannot name any of my favourites cause I refuse to ruin the pleasure of this album by cutting into pieces. It’s at its best when taken the time to be listened entirely from the start ‘till the end eyes closed. All the 17 tracks coming to one combination of music that’s pure perfection nevertheless it’s dramatic, theatrical, simple, fragile or almost silent. Just as an instrumental version this album would take your breath away and Fabian’s divine singing, voice and the French language are jewels in the crown.

Key track

LOVE SAVE THE EMPTY (2009) by Erin Mccarley

She’s one of the smaller artists I like since she hasn’t been truly discovered by the world even thou there’s something very Sara Bareilles or/and Sheryl Crow-kind of in her sound. Great discovery suggested by a great friend around 2010-2011. I remember listening to this album, which is her debut btw, while I was doing an Erasmus exchange in Spain. The playful, light melodies (Love save the empty, Sticky-sweet, Blue suitcase) accompanied my new exciting experience abroad, everything that was going on outside but the serious lyrics were telling what was happening in my head what was waiting for me at home (Gotta figure this out, Hello/goodbye, It’s not that easy). She is definitely worth following for.. Great things might happen.

Key track

MANA (2012) by Anna Eriksson

For many years my musical taste included only foreign music or music never sung in Finnish. Don’t know if it’s been the experiences abroad or have I grown to appreciate the artists/ songwriters in Finland and especially those who do it in Finnish. In these days, I gotta admit that songs sung in my native go deeper than in any other language. Anyroad…

Anna Eriksson is one of the most succesful female artists in the country since the 1990’s but it wasn’t until her 9th album called Mana caught my attention. She’s been mostly known as an ‘old peoples’ favourite if I may say so. Entirely produced and written by Eriksson herself, Mana is an impressive and big leap from the stuff she used to make before. It runs in deep (Kulje ohi, Orjantappuran ruusut) and dark waters (Jos mulla olisi sydän, Paha mies). It’s about staying alive (Sanokoot ne mitä vaan, Maailma palelee) and came out in the time when this was just what I needed. Musically it’s quite dramatic at times, accompanied by brilliantly her developed singing. A true break up-album if someone is in a need of one. Several videoclips of almost all the songs were published which I highly recommend also!

Key track

THE SEA (2011) by Melanie C

This might be the album that I’m most eager to talk about but I’m also the saddest for the too little success it has received. Again forget the name and image this artist has. Despite of the ups and downs Melanie C has experienced during her solo artist-career, by 2011 she had proved to be a gifted vocalist and songwriter. The Sea was her fifth solo effort nevertheless and perhaps the most ambitious one also. Big names worked with her on this album but also some long time collaborations.

Again released in 2011 when I was living an emotionally rich or poor, depends how you look at it, life. This was the music that was with me before and after my big turning point in life and managed to fill my emotional needs in both times. If it had been possible to worn out a music file in these days, I could have just done that with this record. These songs have travelled a long way with me. There are rockier, dancier tunes (Rock me, Think about it, Stupid game) but then more sensitive melodies (One by one) and then dramatic ballads that got even electronical (Enemy, Drown) and latin sounds (Weak). ‘All about you’ and ‘Get out of here’ represent the heavier side of the album. Another break up album… A great one and it’s such a shame that the wider audience didn’t find it.

Key track

UN ALUMNO MÀS (2014) by Melendi

Melendi is a rock artist from Spain whom I discovered roughly a year ago. And also his latest album Un alumno más.. love at first listen. He reminds me of Juanes but more rockier and jagged I guess, if you can say that. Don’t like his previous material thou he’s got some more special and rockier stuff if someone finds this too commercial.

There’s a lot of passion and drama on this album. In the music he’s chosen and the way he sings them. An artist that has a strong voice also in songwriting, I find a lot personality and humour in his texts but also an emotional and serious side. There are powerful ballads (La promesa, La saraluna), acoustic tunes (El amor es un arte, Posdata), playful melodies and beats (El gordo y el narco) 80′s kind of sounds (Septiembre, Cenizas en la eternidad) and more upbeat tracks (Tú de Elvis yo de Marilyn). Different instruments of guitars and relaxed, latin based rhythms are constantly present and of course that charm that only a Spanish man can have.

Key track

VAPAA JA YKSIN (2009) by Chisu

The last one! Chisu is a brilliantly talented Finnish artist who produces and writes her music mostly by herself. She’s just released her fourth album which was also an amazing piece of work and it was a really tight struggle to choose between these two. This is her second album and perhaps the most successful one also. She is unique in songwriting and she handles Finnish language in the way I’ve never seen anyone doing. She can be broken to pieces, as fragile as a fine glass or hitting back fiercely or have a wisdom of an old lady who’s seen it all. So are her songs and everybody has an opinion about her. You either love or hate her. There’s no between.

Vapaa ja yksin handles heartbreak, leaving and coming back... the uncertainty whether the choices you’ve made are right ones. The songs may start quietly, calmly, being very acoustic, stripped of everything unnecessary and then rise into this big storm with dramatic, electronic sounds (Lähtö, Etsijät). Or they may be ridiculously goofy and playful (Baden baden, Kerrasta poikki, Saaliit), deadly serious (Sama nainen), fragile acoustic performances (Yksinäisen keijun tarina) or theatrical drama (Miehistä viis, Muusa). As an artist and as a singer super-diverse, she is! I cannot praise enough of her singing and interpretation. It cannot get any deeper than that. Even the language barrier won’t stop the listener noticing the great talent, she is.

Key track

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy listening, in case some of these artists or albums caught your interest :)

Tomorrow Lisboa! 

Praça do Comércio

by:  fbosch

Coming back is feeling growth

Hey guys. Felt like rambling again.

Leaving Montréal and Québec behind me was as difficult as expected but it feels good to be home too. Autumn is on top of its beauty with the multicoloured trees, the air is briskly cool, leaves are falling down slowly. Rain or shine, this kind of autumn is my favourite time of the year. 

So I made it home allright. In one piece. With all my luggages this time.

At the Toronto airport, very cool lounge I must say. Luggages were full so I was forced to wear my winter stuff..

On my way home, on the flight from Reykjavik to Helsinki, there was this old man on board.An  80-year old, originally born and raised in Finland and on his way home for the first time for the 30 years which he had lived in the States.  As life-changing I’ve described my Montréal experience, it made me and my year feel quite small…and it is compared to that! His eyes were shining when he told how he hadn’t heard Finnish language been spoken so widely for decades and how he had missed Finnish food during the years he was gone. He had his grand-daughter and son-in-law with him to whom he wanted to show the country where the family's origins are from. It was touching to listen to his stories.

And when I did arrive in Helsinki, there was a pleasant surprise since some of my friends were waiting for me at the airport. What a luck also for them that my changes of flights went smoothly and I arrived as scheduled.

My favourite: Sallad with goat cheese buried in DEVIL'S JAM!!! :)

Surprisingly didn’t experience any jetlag. I just went to bed on the first night and that was all the sleep I needed. Almost disappointed, I was so prepared for it.

And as for what am I doing now. I’m back at my studies, more or less back at my old job and I’m living with my mom for the simple reasons that I don’t have any money for a flat of my own or any idea of a city, a place which I’d like enough to live in at the moment.  Not exactly the place in my life where I’d like to be at 27 but… However there are possibilities, good options even in Finland but I just haven’t made up my mind yet. Somehow moving to a new Finnish city not knowing much people or having a job, scares me more than what moving to Montréal did. Weird eh?

Otherwise haven’t had much difficulty with settling in back to my old routines if you don’t take into account that I still keep adding tax to all the prices I see in the groceries, cafes, restaurants etc and that I find myself repeating ‘how are you?’ or ‘have a nice day’ to total strangers which is not the most common thing in here. I also have a strong desire to do so in French. Apparently I’ve picked up on some of the local ways of Montréal. Also some of the news that were just distant headlines in Québec are happening If not right here but pretty damn close anyways, across the eastern border. Scary eh?

Lahti

My québcoise journey had a bit of extension, if that is the right word for it, when a friend of mine from Montréal made a stop in Finland on her travel through Nordic Countries. Four days we did almost non-stop sightseeing in three Finnish cities and I gotta admit it was a quite eyes opening experience for me as well. After the year being abroad my perspective has definitely changed and I look at my country and culture differently. I appreciate the smallest things the most.

There is a change going on in my home town which seems to be noticeable only to my eyes. But still for my comfort the most important things are never changing like friends, family, the lake and ice cream section at the local groceries. People have been welcoming and it's been nice to see that I wasn't forgotten. 

So for four days I fed my friend with traditional Finnish delicacies like salty liquorice, different ice cream flavours, blueberry cider and more or less fascinating facts about the Finnish history and society. Good trip overall! Merci Annick and I’ll see you in UK!

A medieval castle in Turku

Through my studies I also took part of the ArtSaturday which is a day version of La Nuit Blanche which I told you about last spring. Clearly way smaller over here and the reason why the night version was changed into this new day version is because people got too drunk. This is Finland for you! Anyways it was a blast this year, bigger and wider program of different activities than ever before in the city center.

Shame on you, Lahti folks who missed it for some crappy excuse! I was positively surprised by the entire project, the people organizing it and the experience itself. Good networking it was, met cool people. I wouldn’t have imagined that there are people in this town who care about this city enough to make such efforts for better Lahti happen.  I wanna do it again next year! If I’ll be here.

So this what I’ve been up to after my québecoise experience which seems like a dream that happened only in my mind at this point. I can’t believe it, a year ago I was just beginning my dream, searching for trainee job and building up my new life. I miss the city, endless amount of possibilities whether it was about a job, social life or any free time activity you were looking for. Couchsurfing community and the friends I made.

Even thou I’ve been totally broke and I don't know if I'm ever gonna see any of the people I met in Montréal… Some might say that it was total waste of time.. But I still don’t regret a thing about the year I spent there. However I have a feeling that I might not be returning to Montréal anytime soon. Unless something super-surprising happens to me. But so far it looks like I’m gonna stick with Europe. UK and Spain attract me the most. But now as it feels it might not be a bad idea to live in Finland either. Feels kind of nice actually for a change. 

UMK 2023 song review - Keira

The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool kicked off with a banger! 

Keira - No Business on the Dancefloor 

The 18-year-old Keira became known to Finnish audience in Voice of Finland where she did fairly well becoming third on the final last year. Since then while waiting and searching for her momentum UMK came up in the discussions quite early on but finding “her hit song” took its time. 

This is her first single and what a hit indeed it has become! Currently it’s in top 10 most listened tracks in Finland on Spotify and on Youtube it’s the second most watched UMK23 clip with over 440 000 views! But as we saw last year becoming a hit song is not enough to win the ticket to ESC! 

No Business on the Dancefloor was written actually by Finnish ESC representative from 2011 Axel “Oskar Paradise” Ehnström  (can you believe it?). The Finns will probably also recognize the other songwriter Teemu Brunila (Jenni Vartiainen, Anna Abreu) and how the song definitely has some familiar Brunila vibes. 

Keira herself tells her song that she wants people to liberate their “inner party animals”. I’m not quite sure if it manages to do that but this still ticks all the right boxes for a catchy dance entry and it’s completely stage and Eurovision ready. Well done UMK and Finland! 

Some compare her to Rihanna - I can recognize some resemblence there also. Vocally this is a safe effort, they could have gone further with her vocal range but maybe she will surprise us in the live show of UMK on February 25th? 

Track like, this is strong. The beat is memorable, the flute gives an ethnic vibe to it and sets the song apart from other dance tracks of UMK. Lyrics are cheeky and full of pop references which some find them corny but for me they add personality instead. However, would I have added some volume, some power to this - yes I would and I’m really hoping the live performance gives to it its much needed extra spice! 

What do you think of the first UMK23 track and would you vote this to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!