Today's DailyOM Offerings...
December 14, 2011
Momento
Bebel Gilberto
2007
The daughter of legendary Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto and vocalist Miúcha, Bebel Gilberto has grown up surrounded by the sounds of bossa nova. It's in her blood, and on her third album, the lilting, haunting, delicious, and fun Momento, her lithe and sensual vocals pulse with an ease and tropical sophistication that make the album ideal for nights under the stars with wine and lovers, or sunny brunches under the palm trees with a table full of beautiful friends. You can feel the tidal tug in your bones from a day of swimming in the Rio waves the day before with every breathy purr from Bebel's lips. Songs are in Portuguese except for the Cole Porter classic "Night and Day," which she socks out of the park with a silky samba swat from the love bat.
The opener title track coasts in on wafts of organ and ghostly echoes that might have come in from the cold North, before the familiar classical guitar and bouncy tropicalia percussion come bouncing in, letting us know we were right to not pack our coats. Still, for all the sunshine, this music is cool to the core, with Gilberto's vocals wrapping clear, long vowels and the sensual consonants that make Portuguese such an alluring language. "Night and Day" lilts along on classical guitar, wood block percussion, and the feeling of long skirts fluttering in the evening breeze over bare, sandy feet, with long saxophone notes falling like waterfalls. Then there's the playful opening shuffle of "Um Segundo," with its detours into electronica's sci-fi atmosphere as if you're following Bebel on a tour of the party grounds, weaving out of earshot of the guitarist on stage and into the darker, stranger corners of Brazilian celebrants.
Through it all the sensuality of Gilberto's voice never wavers, whether she’s purring over soft classical guitar notes or rocking on the skittering shuffle of "Tranquilo." People expecting Gilberto to sit still on the throne of the modern tropicalia she'd stormed with her debut, "Tanto Tempo," are in for a surprise. Bebel Gilberto has bossa nova in her blood, after all, and she now has the confidence to go farther away from her comfort zones while remaining always sultry, warm, and true.
December 14, 2011
Intellectual and Intuitive Guidance
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may find yourself looking for answers today. A simple search for a fact or memento can transform into a desire to know more about yourself, your fellow humans, the world, and the machinations of the universe. As you strive to satisfy the passions of your intellect, you may be inclined to approach teachers, explore halls of your local library, travel, or immerse yourself in new activities. You can make the most of your curiosity by letting it lead you to the answers you're looking for. Your intuition will likely point you toward the discipline, philosophy, or spiritual practice where the wisdom you seek can be found. Once you have had such a general epiphany today, your rational mind can help you uncover the specific knowledge that will fulfill your craving.
Allowing your intellect and intuition to guide you in your search for understanding can help you make conscious choices that are the building blocks of the existence you desire. The mind and the heart work in tandem-relying too much on one or the other weakens us and causes us to miss out on knowledge that can positively change our lives. Intuition can guide you toward information that helps you enjoy a more emotionally rich and spiritually invigorating journey. Intellect, however, is the key that unlocks your learning potential and allows you to assimilate what you discover into your everyday experience. With both, your search for wisdom will be well-rounded. When you utilize your intuitive mind and your rational mind in your quest for knowledge today, your reward will be a broader perspective.
December 14, 2011
As Good as Your Word
Promises
We forget how powerful our words are and when make promises it is up to us to make sure we keep our words sacred.
Ever since human beings could speak to one another, they have been making promises and keeping them or not keeping them. Those who keep their promises are regarded as people of integrity, while those who don’t keep their promises are regarded as people who at best can’t be taken seriously and at worst can’t be trusted. Sometimes we forget how powerful our words are, and we use them haphazardly or unconsciously, creating expectations that are never fulfilled, leaving disappointment and distrust in our wake.
On an even deeper level, there are promises we may have made to ourselves that we don’t remember because they have slipped into our unconscious. An early heartache may have been followed by a promise never to trust love again. Without realizing it, we may be fulfilling that promise and wondering why our love life looks so grim. At an even deeper level, many people who recall past lives become aware that they made a promise lifetimes ago that they are still keeping. For example, a vow of poverty taken in a lifetime as a monk may be holding someone back from fulfilling his earning potential now. Upon realizing that we have made a promise we no longer wish to be beholden to, we can perform a ritual of requesting release from that bond. In doing so, we clear ourselves of outmoded connections and patterns, returning ourselves to a clean slate. Then we can resolve to remember that our word is sacred and to be very conscious of any promises we make to ourselves or to others.
We may ask to be released from any promises made to ourselves or others in our present, past, or future lives, consciously or unconsciously, that are holding us back from fulfilling our greatest good. We may ask that love, light, and healing be sent to any souls who have suffered from our inability to be true to our word, including ourselves. We can ask for the wisdom to do our best and from this point forward to be true to our word, promising only what we truly intend to deliver. The resulting clear conscience and liberated energy will illustrate this truth: We are only as good as our word.
Momento
Bebel Gilberto
2007
The daughter of legendary Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto and vocalist Miúcha, Bebel Gilberto has grown up surrounded by the sounds of bossa nova. It's in her blood, and on her third album, the lilting, haunting, delicious, and fun Momento, her lithe and sensual vocals pulse with an ease and tropical sophistication that make the album ideal for nights under the stars with wine and lovers, or sunny brunches under the palm trees with a table full of beautiful friends. You can feel the tidal tug in your bones from a day of swimming in the Rio waves the day before with every breathy purr from Bebel's lips. Songs are in Portuguese except for the Cole Porter classic "Night and Day," which she socks out of the park with a silky samba swat from the love bat.
The opener title track coasts in on wafts of organ and ghostly echoes that might have come in from the cold North, before the familiar classical guitar and bouncy tropicalia percussion come bouncing in, letting us know we were right to not pack our coats. Still, for all the sunshine, this music is cool to the core, with Gilberto's vocals wrapping clear, long vowels and the sensual consonants that make Portuguese such an alluring language. "Night and Day" lilts along on classical guitar, wood block percussion, and the feeling of long skirts fluttering in the evening breeze over bare, sandy feet, with long saxophone notes falling like waterfalls. Then there's the playful opening shuffle of "Um Segundo," with its detours into electronica's sci-fi atmosphere as if you're following Bebel on a tour of the party grounds, weaving out of earshot of the guitarist on stage and into the darker, stranger corners of Brazilian celebrants.
Through it all the sensuality of Gilberto's voice never wavers, whether she’s purring over soft classical guitar notes or rocking on the skittering shuffle of "Tranquilo." People expecting Gilberto to sit still on the throne of the modern tropicalia she'd stormed with her debut, "Tanto Tempo," are in for a surprise. Bebel Gilberto has bossa nova in her blood, after all, and she now has the confidence to go farther away from her comfort zones while remaining always sultry, warm, and true.
December 14, 2011
Intellectual and Intuitive Guidance
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may find yourself looking for answers today. A simple search for a fact or memento can transform into a desire to know more about yourself, your fellow humans, the world, and the machinations of the universe. As you strive to satisfy the passions of your intellect, you may be inclined to approach teachers, explore halls of your local library, travel, or immerse yourself in new activities. You can make the most of your curiosity by letting it lead you to the answers you're looking for. Your intuition will likely point you toward the discipline, philosophy, or spiritual practice where the wisdom you seek can be found. Once you have had such a general epiphany today, your rational mind can help you uncover the specific knowledge that will fulfill your craving.
Allowing your intellect and intuition to guide you in your search for understanding can help you make conscious choices that are the building blocks of the existence you desire. The mind and the heart work in tandem-relying too much on one or the other weakens us and causes us to miss out on knowledge that can positively change our lives. Intuition can guide you toward information that helps you enjoy a more emotionally rich and spiritually invigorating journey. Intellect, however, is the key that unlocks your learning potential and allows you to assimilate what you discover into your everyday experience. With both, your search for wisdom will be well-rounded. When you utilize your intuitive mind and your rational mind in your quest for knowledge today, your reward will be a broader perspective.
December 14, 2011
As Good as Your Word
Promises
We forget how powerful our words are and when make promises it is up to us to make sure we keep our words sacred.
Ever since human beings could speak to one another, they have been making promises and keeping them or not keeping them. Those who keep their promises are regarded as people of integrity, while those who don’t keep their promises are regarded as people who at best can’t be taken seriously and at worst can’t be trusted. Sometimes we forget how powerful our words are, and we use them haphazardly or unconsciously, creating expectations that are never fulfilled, leaving disappointment and distrust in our wake.
On an even deeper level, there are promises we may have made to ourselves that we don’t remember because they have slipped into our unconscious. An early heartache may have been followed by a promise never to trust love again. Without realizing it, we may be fulfilling that promise and wondering why our love life looks so grim. At an even deeper level, many people who recall past lives become aware that they made a promise lifetimes ago that they are still keeping. For example, a vow of poverty taken in a lifetime as a monk may be holding someone back from fulfilling his earning potential now. Upon realizing that we have made a promise we no longer wish to be beholden to, we can perform a ritual of requesting release from that bond. In doing so, we clear ourselves of outmoded connections and patterns, returning ourselves to a clean slate. Then we can resolve to remember that our word is sacred and to be very conscious of any promises we make to ourselves or to others.
We may ask to be released from any promises made to ourselves or others in our present, past, or future lives, consciously or unconsciously, that are holding us back from fulfilling our greatest good. We may ask that love, light, and healing be sent to any souls who have suffered from our inability to be true to our word, including ourselves. We can ask for the wisdom to do our best and from this point forward to be true to our word, promising only what we truly intend to deliver. The resulting clear conscience and liberated energy will illustrate this truth: We are only as good as our word.