Music, the rhythm of life

Have you ever wondered what life would be without music? It’s pretty hard to imagine, as it is something that is always there, and you never realize it. For example, picture you getting into your car, and the radio slot is gone, nothing there but a mere space, no turning knobs for volume or tuning. Or when you walk into a store and all you hear is the chit-chatting of the people around, no music whatsoever. Pretty hard, right?

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always found music an amazing gift to life. I honestly can’t imagine life without it! Sadly, in today’s world, we have been boycotted by a range of “musical creations” (if they can be called that), and if you look deep into these, you’ll discover that instruments are slowly disappearing from certain groups. It is a shame really, because music is such a pure and natural expression of art, and it should be full of instruments, (whether wind, or strings, or even voice!) and nice and funky rhythms. I love every kind of music, I think you have to be a true music lover in order to like every genre, (as long as there are always good instruments involved, none of the reggeaton malarkey!) I consider that every type of music can be good; it all depends on focusing on the right element, maybe a riff, or an arpeggio or even a falsetto, hidden within the piece.

I can talk for hours about music, it is a huge part of my life. There are certain songs I sometimes hear and they completely take me back in time, to a special place in my life, or a sad memory or even a hilarious moment. Music is transcendental, music portrays so many feelings; it makes you fly. Music seduces every corner of your very being, especially when you are a lover of the art. So many great and wonderful artists have astonished us with their awesome creations and musical performances. Jazz, is one of the very best musical genres. For me, it has it all: wonderful instruments (piano, saxophone, guitar, percussions), incredible beats, which aren’t just great but also they are somewhat complex, this is amazing, because you can listen to a single jazz piece, and it completely drifts you away. One of the main features and another element that makes jazz and all its pieces simply magical is improvisation. Over half of the jazz creations and fusions are based upon improvising a whole song or piece, and the best thing about it is that by doing so, you can tell the great talent that each performer withholds. Jazz has contributed a lot to the musical world: the charisma of Frank Sinatra, the quirkiness of Ray Chales, the amazing creations of Gato Barbieri and the incredible and astonishing voice of Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald and so many more.

Nowadays, jazz has been performed by many artists, who are simply trying to honour the genre by doing their own music, but always keeping that cool, soothing rhythm which jazz features in every beat. Artists like Norah Jones, (who is simply delightful and has the voice of an angel) Rufus Wainwright, Elizabeth Meza (the Mexican Jazz diva), Big Band Jazz de Mexico… the list is endless. There was a time, back in the 1920s, when jazz was the most popular music around, but sadly, that has changed. But there is hope, we still find great jazz performers, who hold great talent and portray so many feelings. Every time I listen to jazz, I am overwhelmed with melancholic feelings, happiness and I discover a new sense to life. Jazz makes me drift away and ponder upon the gifts of life and the very existence of "tiny me" in this huge world. Jazz causes in me, relaxing and nostalgic feelings, but at the same time, makes me thirst for more and more from life, awakening every sense in my body and inspiring me to become a better person day by day.

This is a small clip from Mexican artist, Elizabeth Meza. She has an amazing voice, and her songs are so charming they make me sigh everytime I listen to them...Hope you enjoy :) Feel more than welcome to comment!!! :) God Bless xx

May it be

This song is simply delightful! I love every single beat to it, every word and lyric and the vibe it portrays is of peace and calm. This version is performed by "El Coro de la Ciudad de Cancún", which is Cancun's Choir, but it is originally sung by Enya.

Hope you enjoy it and just relax and medidtate upon the wonders of life and gaze upon nature's gifts while you let the melody's embrace your every core. Really think about life and how great it is to be a part of it!

The journey of a great life and a wonderful man

There are so many things I feel like writing about, but first things first. Just like in any book, this blog has a dedicatory. They say it is bad luck to have a book (in this case, a blog) without someone to dedicate it to, just as it is bad luck to have a boat and not name it. Well, my blog is completely dedicated to an amazing, outstanding and wonderful man who sadly had to leave this world and be with Jesus (or reincarnate, turn into dust and so on, depending on your beliefs). He was by far one of the most dedicated, caring, loving men I ever knew, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my father, but he was a true definition of what a great man meant. I could write forever about him, and it is such a shame that he never got the chance to read all the stuff I’d write. I’m sure he would have loved every word of it. He always had high hopes for me, (works out since I am the eldest of three, and the only girl, and by far the cleverest hehe, btw, my brothers will hate me for this), I even remember when I was about 13 or 14, he would always joke about me becoming a writer, and he even offered to pay me £5 per every chapter I wrote, of supposedly, the book of our lives (my family’s life). I always thought he was pulling my leg, but once I wrote a mere chapter, he actually paid up! It wasn’t that good a chapter, but it was back then when I knew he was for real. I’m not only dedicating this to him because he loved reading about my stories, but also as an honour and great privilege it meant to be his daughter. My dad was one of them dads who never ever used to hug, or show affection; however his eyes were like gates to pure, down to earth feelings. He was an extraordinarily strong person, on the inside and outside; even though he was very small (he was roughly 5 ft 4). His biggest challenge was overcoming cancer, and he fought the disease with such integrity, strength and hope, and all the way up to the last minute he never gave up. Even during the darkest hours of his illness, during the last breaths he took, when I placed my head against his tiny chest (after losing over 30 pounds) I was simply overwhelmed by the great strength and character he portrayed. A very close friend of ours, in his memorial service stated that he was a real motivation to life, every single step along the way of the illness, he never let his guard down; he was the definition of endurance, perseverance and faith.

My father had such grand wisdom and knowledge, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as smart and intelligent as him (well, except for my mum, but she’s a whole different, but also fun character). Besides his growing thirst for knowledge which always used to surprise me, he was one of them guys who had the answers to everything. I remember when I was a small girl, he just had a solution to absolutely every problem, and even when I grew up, he was still amazing me with all this creativity and imagination and great ability to solve problems and answer any kind of question. He wasn’t just smart in his field (I haven’t mentioned that he had a PhD on Ecotourism and a bunch of other degrees concerning tourism and related topics, on Mexican economy, and so on, he published many books and articles too), he was also street smart. And smart wasn’t the only thing that was great about him. My dad had the most amazing sense of humour. I remember there was never a dull moment when I hung out with my dad, and along his sense of humour came his humongous heart and charisma. I tell you, I could write so much about my dad, but I think it is enough for now, I will definitely write more about him further on, but this was just a quick review of his life. It goes without saying how much he meant to me and my whole family. We all miss him dearly but I think I miss him in a cool particular way, as he never had another daughter and I’ll never have another dad. Our love was one of a kind in a way; I always thought we had a special bond, and I miss that like hell, but life keeps on going. One last thing, this isn’t like a memorial blog, in remembrance of my father and so on, I merely wish to dedicate it to him. As the pastor said during his memorial service, we are not mourning a dead person, but instead celebrating the life and journey of a great man.

Welcome y'all :)

Hey everyone! I'm Elisa and I am a wonderful, 24 year old who loves life and tries to enjoy up to its very last minute. Just to give you all a big welcome and thanks for stopping by and reading my thoughts and articles and cool adventures lol.

This space is completely free a dedicated to all those who love reading and also writing. I’ve loved both (read and write) for as long as I can remember, but hadn’t had the courage to actually speak my mind and portray it across. Every time I’d write something it would just sit in a dusty notebook right at the bottom of my pile of clothes (clothes which I stopped wearing over 5 years ago). So this is a pretty big step for me, nonetheless I’m sure I’ll enjoy every minute of it, and hope you do so as well! Feel free to comment on anything, just keep it clean and respectful J