(ESP-ENG) Descubriendo la musica de Berklee // Discovering Berklee's music!

Hello friends, good vibes to all.

Source!

Today I am back with something I started a few weeks ago about bringing something new, something that I have discovered in the near past and that above all has surprised me greatly. I assume you all know what Berklee is but for those of you who are not familiar it is a private music college located in Boston, a very prestigious and recognized because it has been the cradle of great musicians throughout history and the home of study of other great and well known musicians such as Juan Luis Guerra, John Petrucci who is one of the best guitarists in the world and even Quincy Jones himself, among many things the producer of Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Logically, being a house of studies entirely dedicated to music, what has to be done in it is to produce music and that is what I come to show you today. On their YouTube channel I found some real gems made by their students, and it must be said that not just anyone enters, to enter they have to make a series of auditions or casting in front of teachers so that they can decide if you have musical skills or that "something" that in music is vital. Hence all those who are studying at that university are top musicians and what they are about to hear is so good. They are about four videos of different musical pieces and different styles but for me they are unique and incredible.

- Quizás, Quizás, Quizás - Tonina Saputo

I must say that this version, cover, interpretation or whatever you want to call it of this song which is one of the best known in the world in both English and Spanish is one of the best I have heard in a long time. There have been countless artists who have made this song composed by a Cuban if I remember correctly, Andrea Bocelli, Nat King Cole, etc, but none with the simplicity but at the same time authority as this woman did. All the musicians that you see there are students and the quality is maximum because that is what it is, behind that ease with which they play hides a very great talent. Tonina's voice is magnificent because it has that air of traditional Cuban music but with a jazz vibe that fits the song like a glove. And the second thing I want to emphasize are the brass arrangements, despite not playing any of them I consider myself a fan of that section of instruments since I know and practice music and here they sound great, they give another dimension to this cover. It's a different kind of music, that you don't hear nowadays but that I would really pay to hear live because besides sounding magnificent you can breathe music and that's what is essential.

- The Venezuelan Project - Roots Medley

If you are one of those people who enjoy music in its maximum splendor but also play some of the instruments that we see here such as bass, piano, cuatro or alternative percussion, as I call it, which is composed of all those small instruments that make a difference in how we perceive the song, then this arrangement is definitely for you. Four Venezuelan musicians decided to play a piece that is a journey through all the characteristic sounds of Venezuela, which may not be recognized first hand but are there. The final arrangement of "Pajarillo" is crazy because we are not used to hear it that way but when you tune your ear we realize that it is there, maybe very camouflaged but it is there and the truth and at least I liked it a lot because I feel that the typical music of my country, not only the llanera but the same merengue caraqueño can be very complicated to play, not everyone can do that and it is precisely that detail that makes it very enjoyable. It is difficult for me to choose any one of them because all of them, within their role, played at the height of each instrument, but well, I'll take the harp and the bass, very impressive everything.

- Juan Luis Guerra Tribute ft Juan Luis Guerra

For me Juan Luis Guerra is at the top of the pyramid of what it means to be a musician, I have always said it here but there are no two like him and I doubt that another one will be born again, so whatever he participates in, no matter how small it is, it will always sound special. If there is something I liked about this tribute is that they did not choose the most commercial songs of his, on the contrary they took the risk of playing pieces that may not be well known by many and an example of that is "Soplando". This song is one that challenges any musician because to understand it is complicated since in it there is a lot of instrumentation, sax solos, percussion, the vocal part is incredibly difficult and that these students decided to make it part of the repertoire is very audacious. As I told you in the first song they don't play with momentum or hard, they are calm but with an incredible precision and dexterity, the brass is very low in volume but enough to be noticed and the vocalists are another level I think they are the ones I enjoyed the most and well. In my life I have played several JLG songs and it is the most complicated even if it doesn't seem so and to see how this group of young people do it without any effort is brutal. The arrangements are 10 out of 10 and if the master Juan Luis Guerra sat down with them it is because he approves of them without a doubt.

- Noel Schajris - Berklee Tribute ft. Noel Schajris

To choose this last video I decided between the one of Noel and another one of Alejandro Sanz, the thing is that with the Spanish one I feel that the talent of the students is not so appreciated because he is the one who sings, so here we are, listening to the real stars of this post. What's really good here are the set of seven voices, with Noel included, who perform the four songs we hear. They all have unique voices, in different registers singing in different tones and even though Noel's songs are not great songs as far as interpretation is concerned they make it sound very special. It is impressive how I became a fan of this channel because here you will not find anything commercial, you will only see pure music in terms of arrangements and songs. I feel that you have to go out of the mainstream a lot of times to fall into these things that show us that there are still people who have the intention of being great musicians but not so much for the money and fame but for the quality and how particular they can be once they graduate from Berklee. They turned four simple songs into a very good and enjoyable tribute where you can see the wood that these students are made of.

Well friends that's all for today, I hope you liked it and take a look at this channel that is really worth it.
¡A hug to everyone, we'll hear you in the next one!