My top list artists are…
Mariana Knabben, Journalist, Brazilian
I get lost thinking about the number of amazing artists that are out there that I would love to see. I mean I could spend my entire lifetime (and that of a few of my close friends) and still not scratch the surface. Out of all of them though, there are a handful that make it to the top of my list and I would drop anything to go see (apologies in advance to any friends who have birthdays on their LA tour dates). At the top of this list are Brazilian singers and groups, Aerosmith, John Mayer and Pink, among others.
Since I’m not attached to only one style, the variety is interesting. They are singers from different generations. I already knew all these “international” artists by listening to the radio. I have never thought that I would be able to see them live until I moved to the USA. The fact is that when they actually come to my home country to perform, it’s usually in Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo, the two major cities in Brazil and I live down south, in a city called Joinville (google it!).
First and foremost, there will be always room for Brazilian music in my heart. The melodies and the rhythms are incredible. The sounds are smooth; they make I feel like I’m floating in the air. At the top of my agenda is the concert with Caetano Veloso, a famous “Brazilian Popular Music” singer. I wasn’t born listening to him, but throughout the years I have become captivated by his words and his rhythm. My favorite song is “Sozinho” (“Alone”), one of his mega hits, because it’s only his voice and his guitar. Check it out at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb4RauhteFA.
Second, I’d say without a doubt is Aerosmith. They are one of the groups I grew up listening to. Last year when they almost broke up, I thought my hopes of seeing them were thrown in the trash. However, they’re back together according to what I read back in February. Yay! I think it’d be cool, no, more than cool, to have the chance to be a part of their concert and witness the moment with his craziest fans, in the middle of the field.
Third, John Mayer, who just had a concert about four weeks ago in LA, but I couldn’t make it. I didn’t feel well enough to go to. To me, he’s a dichotomy of my music passion. As a person, he’s always saying things that come to his mind, straight up, without giving any thought. I mean, he’s an asshole. As a musician, though, he’s just amazing. The lyrics, the melody, and everything else walk side-by-side. He’s definitely, one of my favorites of this new generation. His entire last album “Battle Studies” is over the top with compositions that speak from his heart, very personal. As so are a few songs such as “Gravity”, “Waiting on the World to Change”, and “Say What You Need to Say”. It’s songs like these that make a difference. The lyrics speak by itself.
Finally, Pink, not only because of her battle with pop music, but also because of the artist she has become throughout the years. A few years ago, I noticed her career moving towards the pop world like so many other singers. Take the song, “Get The Party Started”, from her second CD “Missundaztood”, it brought tears to my eyes. It was like watching a dear friend date an asshole, or John Mayer, I felt that girl I loved was lost. When she returned with her last two albums, Pink took back her career. She became the rock star she always was. Examples are the songs that she wrote like: “Who Knew”, and “Sober.” That made her more participative in the creation of her own music; from the lyrics to the post-production part. In my opinion, that’s a true musician.
All I can say is that I am happy to have already started accomplishing this mission. Yes, I call it a mission because it’s after I moved to the USA that these artists became a real possibility. The first one was Caetano Veloso, who will be featured in my next article. Right now, I’m looking forward to seeing them so that I keep checking their tour dates not to miss the opportunity again. As it starts to happen, you’ll be the first to know because I’ll be overjoyed to write about it and share the details of my experiences!
