Things that make you Wonder

I have been Ella Fitzgeralding* for some days now. Not that I have just found something different from this chaotic mess of senseless music, and found Ella. I would like to think that she found me, like when a beautiful golden sunrise glow hits your face on a chilly dewey morning. (Sipping a cup of stinging hot coffee). The thing is that someone is a genius if they can describe her golden voice, scatting up your emotions into a happy crescendo. At this point you are ready to take on anything, like that nosey neighbor who can’t stop looking into your yard and commenting on the state of your struggling shrubs, or the boss who believes that weekends are for them to suddenly call and ask you to come to work A.S.A.P, since they have scheduled a meeting for Monday morning at eight.

So, what makes great music? Music that can make you listen to it, groove to it, sway and simply relax and let yourself go. Music that when you can listen to it over, and over, and over. There are many different genre of music like Jazz, Rock, Alternative, Classical, Hip-Hop, Bossa Nova and so on. Did you know that Soca and Calypso are also in the mix? Local music is just a good as the others (when they have real lyrics), 

In New York, I met a very Techno fellow, who listened to nothing else preferring artists like Janine Monet, and a variety of Japanese pop artists. He also enjoyed Manga comics and all things Japanese. When I told him about Ella he simply said, “Meh”! I also youtubed# some of our local soca music and the dances. He showed some interest, especially in the dancing part.

About four years ago, I explored the possibility of owning on CD any of our ol’ time calypso music from long dead artistes. I was warned that some of them had double meaning and the like, but somehow I just wanted to have a listen. Thinking that I would find it on iTunes, I typed up my search to find Roaring Lion under world music. I then typed soca to no results. Wow. I scrambled Machael Montano only to look under Genre to find ‘reggae’? Didn’t someone give iTunes the memo that soca is not reggae? However, since I was out of pocket I dropped the whole music collection idea. It has not died as yet.

Lately, I have gathered a good bit of locally inspired steel-pan music from Laim Teague and Andy Narell. I have got my Etta James, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaugn and the like (thanks to my dad relentless pursuit of jazz legends). I have heard of Yellowjacket and lately Yellowman. There are still avid Slinger Francisco (The Mighty Sparrow) and Kitchener fans (I never forgot the ‘Bees Melody’ when I got a grade B in a test). On times spent with my mom, there is a guarantee that during the course of the day I would hear Byron Lee and the Dragonairres. Driving to work or the beach brings out the Bob Marley. Jill Scott and India Aire blazes the way for empowerment, and Beyoncé is for girls night out. Machael Montano and Shurwayne Winchester are for parties and just plain liming. Michael Jackson is for music videos and moon walking. Ella is for everything else, but I still want my ol’time calypso music.

* CafféLatté Dictionary Ella Fitzgeralding v. enjoying exclusively Ella Fitzgerald music; scatting mood
#CafféLatté Dictionary youtubed v. searching for videos on...