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North America – October 2020
Are we really what we listen to?
Music and personality
There are many things to say about music and what it reveals about people who listen to it, especially when we are talking about certain musical genres in particular. It has been said that fans of a certain genre behave in a certain way and fans of another have a totally different behavior, while there are others who say that you can’t judge a person based on musical tastes, but how true is the latter?
There have been many studies showing this alleged relationship between the kind of music we enjoy and our personality and the way we are, but there are many who claim that this is a mere myth and that someone should not be analyzed based on the music they listen to. In this material, we will try to shed a little bit of light on this interesting and topìcal issue.
Why do we like one genre or another?
Something very important to know to better understand this topic is that the music we like now was not a product of chance, but of a number of factors to consider and one of them is the power and presence of music in our lives. It seems that every moment or situation we live has a soundtrack that fits perfectly well in what we are experiencing and feeling. We can all link one or several songs with something we are living, whether a party, social event, religious ritual, mourning for the lost of a loved one, love breakup, work stress, among other things.
Is that all of us have listened to music practically from pregnancy, at which time sounds are already familiar to human beings. Since then, our brain begins to associate all this information sonically speaking and translates it as memories or feelings in the future. That is why a certain cong can get us to remember past experiences, whether a person or a situation that made us feel a certain way.
What happens is that this piece of music leads our neurons to make very special connections that would not occur in another situation. Of course, the same piece would not evoke the same memories and sensations for everyone, as each case is very particular and specific. A song or melody can make someone look back on a failed love relationship, while another person can reflect on the value of friendship. It is all about understanding the environment and personal experiences.
Who are we based on our musical tastes?
One of the most important aspects to consider is that we are not going to choose the same kind of music for a party as we would listen to staying alone at home on a rainy afternoon, as well as we do not usually like just one kind of music, but many. It all depends on the occasion and state of mind in at the moment. However, everyone has a special interest in certain genres people listen to spontaneously and without impositions. These genres are usually associated or resemble each other, so it is not uncommon for a salsa lover to also like merengue and bachata.
In a 2007 study conducted by psychologists Adrian C. North and David J. Hargreaves from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom entitled ”Lyfestyle Correlates of Music Preference: 1. Relationships, Living Arragements, Beliefs, and Crime”, it is suggested that musical tastes may be indirectly related to individual lifestyle.
In this study, 2532 volunteers replied to a questionnaire asking them to indicate their musical tastes in a very specific way and talk about their lifestyles, interpersonal relationships, living conditions, economic situation, moral values, criminal record, vices, among other things. After analyzing the responses, we can see that there is an intimate connection between what respondents listen to and the way they live.
In the end, it was concluded that musical preferences can be taken as a means of discriminating between diverse lifestyles and liberal or conservative beliefs. In the vast majority of cases, ”liberal” music fans should have liberal lifestyles and customes, some of whom may become antisocial. In the opposite case, classical music lovers disployed much more conservative lifestyles and even showed more respect for the law.
Of course, these results cannot be taken as an absolute truth, as not everything is written on this subject. It is important to pursue research on this subject to reach further conclusions and take into account the new tools provided by science and technology.
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Oscar D’ León Will Celebrate his 50th Anniversary In Europe
50th Anniversary Europa Tour 2022 will start on July 10th in Bulgaria
In 1997, the album Sonero del Mundo, in collaboration with Willy Chirino, was nominated for a Grammy.
Salsa legend Oscar D’ León “El Sonero del Mundo” will celebrate his half-century of a uninterrupted artistic career with a tour of six European countries, and tickets don’t exceed € 70, so hurry up because there are few left.
The 50th Anniversary Europe Tour 2022 will start on July 10th in Bulgaria (Latin Beach Boom Festival), and he will continue in Germany (Frankfurt – July 12th, Munich – July 13th, and Berlin – July 16th). After, he will visit the city of Milan in Italy on July 14th, then land in Spain for a concert in Barcelona on June 15th, Tenerife (June 23rd), and Madrid (June 27th – The last live of the tour). Oscar D’ León will continue his Tour through Paris (France) on July 17th and Amsterdam (Netherlands) on July 22nd at Kwaku Festival.
“Who will share this tour of Europe loaded with hits and #Saborrr?” The Sonero de la Salsa wrote on his Facebook page on June 7th.
The king of Salsa, Oscar D’ León http://oscardleon.net/ was born on July 11th, 1943. His youth grew up in the popular area of western Caracas (Antímano). This singer and self-taught bassist, since his debut in Latin music, has become one of the most representative artists of the Afro-Caribbean genre. He has been praised for his participation in orchestras such as La Dimensión Latina and his work as a soloist.
His first jobs were as a driver of a school bus and a taxi during the day, along with his apprenticeship in the execution of the string instrument, double bass, and his numerous night performances in different clubs in the Venezuelan capital. His success came in 1972 with the orchestra La Dimensión Latina and since then, D’ León has remained at the top of popularity as one of the most respected and admired Salsa artists of his time, with more than four decades of experience in unsurpassed live performances and more than 50 albums of their own and collaborations.
Oscar D’ León sang “Mundo Perfecto”. Song in Spanish from the animated movie The Emperor’s New Groove (Disney – 2003)
He paved the way for musicians of his genre by being one of the pioneers to tour the Asian continent (Japan) and the first Latino to sign a record deal with the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, Oscar recorded the hit “Ariel” with the Billo’s Caracas Boys orchestra as a tribute to Billo Frometa and Benny Moré. He launched the version “Qué bueno baila usted” with the Venezuelan orchestra Los Blanco. He was a special and permanent guest at important Salsa and Latin Jazz festivals, in addition to sharing the stage and recordings with famous artists such as Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, and Tito Puente. Starting in 1998, every March 15th is celebrated in New York City as “Oscar D’ León Day”, and for seven years (May 14th, 2015) it has been “Oscar D’ León Day” but this once in the California state (USA).
In 2013 he received the Award for Musical Excellence awarded by the Latin Recording Academy and two years later he dazzled with his presentation in Viña del Mar (Chile) taking the Gold and Silver Gaviotas (Seagulls).
This year the master Oscar D’ León celebrates 50 years of trajectory and will celebrate it with you in Europe. So don’t miss this opportunity to sing his greatest hits such as El Frutero (1976), Llorarás (1986), Detalles (1986), Mi bajo y yo (1990), Frenesí (2001), and La Mazucamba (2002).
Mike Arroyo the guitarist Using Jazz to praise God
Mike Arroyo 40/20 The Concert (The past July 19, 2021, San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Using Jazz to praise God, guitarist Mike Arroyo performed yesterday, Sunday, July 18, 2021 at the René Marqués Hall of the Centro de Bellas Artes in Santurce. As Mike himself said in front of a packed hall, yesterday’s concert became a dream come true.
At 4:50 p.m. the first call was heard over the loudspeaker. Seven minutes later, the second call was heard at full volume, which interrupted the public’s excitement as they began to settle into their seats. Five minutes after the scheduled time, the third and last call was heard; which immediately gave way to the greeting of the moderator already on stage, but not before opening the show with the usual invocation. It became clear that although the concert honored Mike Arroyo’s career, during that time the guitarist has dedicated himself body and soul to praise God.
The title 40/20 originates from the 40 years since Mike Arroyo acquired his first electric guitar, an Ovation Thunderhead® that had belonged to the tres player Nelson Gonzalez.
The acquisition of the guitar is still an enigma difficult to explain in earthly terms. Thus life, this shocking story, which in 1981 transformed the lives of Mike Arroyo and Nelson Gonzalez paved a path that 20 years later would see Mike’s first Jazz album, Straigth To Heaven (2001) see the light of day. It would be good to bring up the guitar transaction for discussion, but not before exposing the provenance of the guitar.
Shortly before the transaction described here, Nelson Gonzalez lost his house with all the belongings in it due to a fire. To Nelson’s surprise, the guitar, which later passed into Mike’s hands, was not only the only item to survive the fire, but remained intact. That fact alone is incredible, but in the face of a structure that was totally destroyed it looks even more dramatic. Nelson took the surviving item – his guitar – into storage. However, the custodian of the guitar decided to dispose of it as payment in exchange for a service. That third person who received the guitar as payment for that service, must have understood that the guitar had not been acquired in a lawful manner, so he sold it for $140.00 to a young Mike; who had to commit himself to pay small amounts until the agreed amount was paid off.
Shortly thereafter, already in the process of normalizing his life after that same fire that had spared the guitar, Nelson returned to reclaim the guitar from whoever had deposited it. Since the custodian of the guitar no longer had it with him, Nelson set about the task of locating it. Nelson received information about the whereabouts of the guitar itself, which at that moment became – unsuspectingly – the link between the two musicians. Nelson went to Mike Arroyo’s home where he saw with his own eyes the effort the young man had made to get his hands on that guitar.
The respectable Arroyo family explained, the young musician pleaded and Nelson Gonzalez decided to part with the guitar, the only material object that had survived the destruction of the Gonzalez home, to give it to Mike. At that moment, Nelson became Mike’s musical godfather and the guitar became the divine plan that made Mike a pioneer in Sacred Jazz, a Latin rhythm of light and spiritual tonalities. The surprise of the night was the presentation of Nelson Gonzalez with Mike Arroyo, eternally united by the musical instrument that was also the instrument of that divine plan that remains intact.
Mike is recognized in the music scene as a pioneer and precursor of “Christian Jazz” with 6 record productions and two video DVD productions. In 2017 he innovated the stages by performing a concert in the traditional format of “Jazz Organ Trio” being Brian Charette and Vince Ector the international guest musicians of that event that took place at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico.
Aware of the need to strengthen us as a people, through his “Jazz with a spiritual touch”; just as 40 years ago Nelson gave Mike that magical instrument, yesterday Mike gave the public a masterful concert, presented by BCC (Breñas Community Church). It should be noted that BCC is the church where Mike has been pastor for 15 years.
The select group of accompanying musicians included the piano of Puerto Rico: Luis Marín, Gabriel Rodríguez, Jimmy Rivera, Héctor Matos on drums, José Nelson Ramírez, Tommy Lee on tumbadoras and Giovanny Rodríguez in his first performance with his former teacher -Luis Marín-. I imagine that no one will be surprised if it is stated that Luis Marín’s chords were gravitating towards salsa, while Tommy Lee prophesied in correspondence on the leather of the tumbadoras. Also singing were: Yanira Torres, Gilda González, Janet Hernández, Alma Galarza and Vanessa Rosado.
Photos: Miguel Rojas Candelario ©.
During these 40 years Mike has stood out musically with Christian groups and singers such as Renovación Cristiana, Abba Padre, Manuel Román among others and several recordings. He has participated with the Symphony Orchestra of PR, a Symphony Orchestra in the Dominican Republic, The Quique Talavera Orchestra in the Chucho Avellanet Show accompanying other singers such as Ismael Miranda, Braulio, Tito Rojas among others, The Pijuán Orchestra, where besides the Sextet, he also accompanied Danny Rivera and Wilkins. Mike also had the joy of dedicating a piece with his guitar to his favorite artist Jose Feliciano when he came to celebrate his 50th artistic anniversary in Puerto Rico. With his guitar he has participated in International Jazz Concerts and Festivals (PR, NY, Chicago, Curacao, among others) and has also performed in Germany.
Mike is also a musician/pastor of the Breñas Community Church (BCC) IDDPM.I. in Vega Alta for 15 years and Chaplain of the Police of PR. He is also a Music Teacher in his academy “Mike Arroyo Music” in his hometown of Vega Baja and is a Biomedical Engineer in Clinical Laboratories and Hospitals.
“Mike Arroyo 40/20 El Concierto” was dedicated to his graduating class of Lino Padrón Rivera High School of Vega Baja 1983 and to his “Padrino Musical” Nelson González.
Article of Interest: Tito Rodríguez, Jr. “The Palladium legacy lives on”
By: Bella Martinez “La Escritora Irreverente de La Salsa”