Culture Corner
The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By ALYSSA JAZMIN PULIDO — arts@theaggie.org
Song: “La Media Vuelta” by Luis Miguel (1994)
Luis Miguel’s version of “La Media Vuelta” — originally written by José Alfredo Jimenez and which translates to “The Half-Turn” — takes on a ranchera-bolero form with its horns, strings and classical guitar. It raises the tempo from the original song and really draws out the story presented by the speaker about renouncing and scorning his ex-love while retaining control over her (very anti-feminist, if we’re being completely honest). What makes this song special to me is the memory of harmonizing with my mom, who had me practice with her until I could get the tone right. As this piece is more concerned with its classical quality, I can appreciate the musical aspect more than its lyrical side, which is something I don’t often do when listening to music. For anyone who has adopted their music taste from their mom, this is one of those songs that brings me comfort while I’m away from home and missing her, singing along to Miguel’s music in the kitchen.
Album: “Amor Prohibido” by Selena (1994)
Keep the microphone far away from me if we ever do karaoke and any song on the “Amor Prohibido” album comes up. This is the kind of music you belt your heart out to, and if you’re like me, you put it on loudly in the background while washing dishes, sweeping floors or making pozole. In her fourth studio album — which translates to “forbidden love” — Selena gracefully combines cumbia, ranchera, Latin rock and elements of pop to create a beautiful Tejano sound that portrays the spirit of Mexican American music. The central cumbia rhythm in the majority of the album makes you want to do nothing but dance — something we all need as we approach finals season to lift our spirits and get us out of our seats. My favorite song on the album, “No Me Queda Más,” is a heartbreaking ballad that recognizes how beautiful it is to love someone, even when it’s unrequited. Even if you don’t understand the language, it’s easy to be mesmerized by the elegant arrangement of trumpets, violins, acoustic guitar and of course, Selena’s longing voice, as it is with the other songs on the album.
Album: “Dark & Wild” by BTS (2014)
As the release of BTS’ new album draws nearer — March 20, for those interested — “Dark & Wild” takes me back to their rebellious-emo-lover-boy era, which was essential to my teenage years. The album features a mix of hip-hop, R&B, incredible vocals and some of the boys’ most iconic rap lines — “Yes, I’m a bad boy, so I like bad girl.” With their raw teenage angst displayed across the album, both in their desire for success and search for identity, it’s incredible to see how far BTS has come in establishing themselves as international K-pop legends. I can listen to this album on repeat and feel a spark of confidence in myself and a drive to follow through with all my ambitions. It’s the best pick-me-up album, not only because of that intensity in their lyrics, but also because of their yearning for love in songs like “Embarrassed,” “24/7=Heaven” and “Outro: Do You Think It Makes Sense?”
Book: “100 Love Sonnets” by Pablo Neruda translated by Stephen Tapscott (1986)
The first poem I ever read by Pablo Neruda was titled “A callarse,” which some translators have interpreted as “Keeping Still” or “Keeping Quiet.” So, when I stumbled upon this bilingual collection of Neruda’s 100 love sonnets at Logos Books, I was curious to see how Neruda’s beautiful lyricism and evocative imagery would have been interpreted by the translator. It’s difficult to translate a poem, especially a sonnet, while keeping in mind its structure, form and meaning. While I do feel that some of the poems were translated more literally, Stephen Tapscott does a great job of illustrating Neruda’s obsession and love for his wife, Matilde Urrutia. I can open this book up to any poem and find it to be full of emotional lyrics that draw from images of the Earth and the sensuality of love. Thanks to its bilingual aspect, these poems are meant to be shared, and what meanings don’t survive in translation are saved by Tapscott’s preservation of Neruda’s voice — captivating and full of passion.
Written By: Alyssa Jazmin Pulido — arts@theaggie.org