"Rolling in the Deep" in American Sign Language

I believe each one of us has at least once found the proof to the fact that we don’t value something strong enough until we lose it. To think about, we are so happy to live, to be able to breathe, hear and see the surrounding world, while some people don’t have even that. I’ve always been wondering in horror what it would be like to be deprived of some of the important parts of the world perception like seeing or hearing. And I honestly doubt I would have enough strength to cope with that and be able to enjoy life to the fullest. And people like this are actually not few, and I do look up to them for their willpower and character.

But even more of my admiration is caused by those who have gone a bit further and have made it possible for people who can’t hear to ‘see music’. Here is a great work (and it’s not the only one) that was created by a team of professionals, deaf professionals. The world famous hit by Adele “Rolling In The Deep” was re-created in American sign language. The music video was directed by Jules Dameron with Amber Zion starring as main actress. It is a very emotional thing to watch. I can’t put myself in deaf people' shoes but I do hope that they enjoyed it as much as I was touched by it.

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah Belongs to Everyone

Hallelujah. A song-legend, a modern timeless hit with a long and most difficult past full of both obscurity and fame. Who could predict that the original song that appeared in 1984 and dragged immense effort out of its author would reach such a peak in world music?

Leonard Cohen did spend a lot of time and energy on writing this song, sitting on the floor and banging his head in despair not being able to finish the work. And even after he did succeed in that, and even after re-writing the verses for 80 times – the record studio did not accept the result calling it awful and not compatible with pop music standards of the time. And so it lay down there in the couloirs for years waiting for a second chance which came with the young and hungry musician Jeff Buckley and his rendition of the song. Since then a wave of recordings flowed, each and every interpreting Hallelujah in a different way – some artists were stressing the religious part, others – the secular. But even now the song remains so universal that it can be played both at weddings and funerals and sound equally to-the-point. Talent shows, movies, church ceremonies, dozens of artists famous and not (Bono, John Cale, Regina Spector, k.d. lang, Timberlake, etc.) – Hallelujah has dwelt everywhere.

In a few dozen years Hallelujah ‘lost’ its owner, it became an international song, belonging to everyone in a way.

Father Ray Kelly sings Hallelujah to the bride and groom

John Legend: “All of Me”

Some say that the key to creating a successful song is first of all hidden in its personal background. That’s precisely one of the reasons why Adele skyrocketed that high with her songs, for example. Not counting the unearthly voice of the UK star, of course.

from music video "All of Me" by John Legend

I believe the element of ‘personality’ is a must  in such a music genre as power ballad. It is in itself a very personal romantic love story told to the public and love stories are hard to be faked – it would be too obvious and unnatural. The piano ballad by John Legend “All of Me” is a very nice example of a successful love song that ‘has it all’.

The song was born as a dedication to John’s wife Chrissy and can’t be more personal (judging by the lyrics and the video). No wonder that “All of Me” knocked off Williams’ “Happy” single from the US Billboard and peaked high in other charts (the UK, Australia, Canada, etc.). Seems like John had been waiting for it for ages – “All of Me” became his first number 1 song.

Beethoven’s 5 Secrets, The Piano Guys

I already paid a little tribute to this great music band earlier but I so love their creative ‘quality’ work that I’d gladly talk more about their lovely music concept and the new music pieces that they bring in to our spoilt ear. ThePianoGuys, hi again.

This time my attention was driven by another crossover music work by this this band – “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets”. Like most ThePianoGuys’ pieces, this work combines elements of pop music – it’s a cover of OneRepublic’s “Secrets”, and classical music – it contains elements from all movements of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. All in all, 5 different melodies (and hence the title ‘5 secrets’) from the Fifth were used and the listener is left to discover where they are played.

But there is another explanation as to why ‘secrets’. Beethoven believed that art was a mysterious phenomenon and if you want to get closer to understanding it you should discover some of its little secrets. Apparently, the great composer himself, despite being deaf, was able to approach that great mystery more than anyone else did.

And of course, as always, the guys found a beautiful natural spot for filming their video: this time it’s St. George Mountains in Utah. Enjoy the view and the music:

Two Arabesques by Debussy

We know Debussy as one of greatest impressionist composers of all time, if not The greatest (‘the’, however, is not quite the right thing to use when talking about art). Anyway, what we know is that the French master of piano set a very high music standard. We also know that it took Debussy quite a while to come to impressionism, even though he preferred not to be called impressionist himself. At the early stage of his career he was experimenting and seeking.

Claude Monet. Clifftop Walk at Pourville

One of the first delightful works of composer’s early impressionist style are represented by the Two Arabesques that he composed around 1890s. Those are the remarkable examples and early standards of the romantic impressionist form of art. The lines of music match those of nature, the light touch of innocence and a daydreaming character – it’s all in these wonderful baroque arabesques. But there’s more than that. Both music works have something of a danceable kind of music form, and that was clearly noticed by the American R’n’B singer Alicia Keys. She sampled Debussy’s 1st Arabesque in her song “Like The Sea”.

Bob Marley: Some Facts About The Legend

The unparalleled impact this man made on the world music is and will be remembered and acknowledged for many years ahead. So much has been said, filmed, sung, written about Bob Marley and his rebellion music that there is hardly much to be added. However, those who are familiar with Marley’s life and work only superficially might find some of these facts curious and useful. I’ve picked a couple of those that seemed lesser known. Enjoy:

• Bob’s original name is actually Nesta Robert, but since comments were made that Nesta sounds quite feminine, his parents swapped the name of the kid. And that’s not the only thing to be ‘false’ in his passport: Bob was in fact born in February, on the 6th, but it took his mom quite a while to register the kid so the passport had it as ‘April, 6th, 1945’.
• Bob Marley used to be able to read palms and surprise people with the things he could see and predict looking at their hands. However, after starting his music career, Marley quit the habit and never got back to it again.
• Bob was born to a white British naval captain and a dark-skinned Jamaican mom. His skin was lighter than that of an average Jamaican boy and that made Marley very uncomfortable as he didn't like being called a “white boy” by his peers. 
• Bob Marley was sure that smoking weed makes you a free person.
• The legend of Jamaica used to be quite a ladies’ man – the official number of his kids is 11, though there were more. “Yuh wan have ma baby?” – one of Bob’s popular phrases.
• Knowing how hard the poverty can be, after earning enough money Bob would often buy his friends houses and offer money to the poor of Jamaica.
• Bob Marley drove a BMW, but not because he liked the mark but because he read the abbreviation his own way: BMW = Bob Marley and the Wailers.
• A devoted Rastafarian, Bob Marley was a vegetarian. Rastafarianism was also the reason for his refusal to amputate the toe when a melanoma was found there. That decision ultimately deprived him of life, when the malignant illness spread further.
• No one still knows what ‘reggae’ actually stands for or how exactly this term had been born.

The music of Bob Marley is still listened to in most countries of the world. This year, in less than a fortnight, on May 11, Bob Marley will be remembered on the 33rd year of his decease (he died on May 11, 1981 in Miami, not being able to make it to his motherland).

The Hobbit: I See Fire by Ed Sheeran

They say the most memorable parts of a work – be it film, book, music piece and so on – are the impressive beginning and the powerful ending. The latter sometimes even more important as it carries the aftertaste that will stay with us for quite a while forming the impression of what we’ve just watched, read or heard. Therefore, director Peter Jackson was quite careful when selecting a person to compose music for “The Hobbit” end-credit song.

The candidacy of Ed Sheeran, a young English singer-songwriter was suggested by Jackson’s daughter, Katie who got her father acquainted with Ed’s music. Being a fan of Tolkien, Ed Sheeran watched the film on the same day. The surprising part is that the song itself, its recording and release were all done ON THAT SAME DAY TOO. Only some overdubbing was added next day and the song was ready to go and capture people’s affection. Ed was so excited about the work that he even learnt to be a ‘violinist’ in a day – through overdubbing.

“I See Fire” was released as a digital download and was soon nominated for Satellite Award. In the video you can follow the whole one-day process of collaboration in a behind-the-scenes style, with Peter Jackson present himself. And, of course, some favorite movie parts are added too. All in all, nice song, great lyrics, good work.