Your Catalan fix of the day
It seems that we live a second wave of really decent Catalan music and this makes me happy. Today I'll share with you what I consider one of the best songs ever written in our language by the latest music revolution here, a group from Barcelona called Manel. One of the most intriguing features is that not a single verse is repeated through the song.
They have just released their second album. The second song released is called "Aniversari" (Birthday) and got the benefit of a well-crafted video-clip, which is a short movie itself. I will post the lyrics if you want to check but the images are self-explanatory. Note the über-sexy Sergi López as the chief inspector.
Els llums s’han apagat, han tret el pastís,aplaudien els pares, els tiets i els amics
tots alhora, agrupats en un únic crit,
“que demani un desig, que demani un desig”.
(Lights just went off, somebody has brought the cake. Parents, uncles and friends clap and, at the same time, they shout out loud "Ask for a desire")
I tu, nerviosa, com sempre que et toca ser el centre d’atenció,
has fixat els ulls en un punt imprecís del menjador
un segon, dos segons, tres segons, quatre i cinc.
(Then you, nervous as usual when you're the center of attention, have looked at an imprecise point in the dining room. One, two, three, four and five seconds)
Els teus ulls cavalcaven buscant un desig,
les espelmes cremaven i alguns dels amics
t’enfocaven amb càmeres de retratar,
una veu comentava “ai, que guapa està”.
(Your eyes rode looking for a desire. Candles were burning and some of your friends focused using their cameras. One voice said "she looks gorgeous")
i jo, en el fons, m’acabava el culet de la copa decidit
a trobar un raconet adequat per fer-me petit, petit.
Del tamany d’una mosca, del tamany d’un mosquit.
(However, I was at the end of the room, drinking the last drops of my drink, wishing to find a small convenient corner to become small, really tiny)
Per un cop empetitit, sota els tamborets
i la taula allargada pels dos cavallets,
fer-me pas amb prudència per un entramat
de sabates d’hivern, de confeti aixafat,
(Then, once I were tiny, I'd be able to wander myself around the stools and the enlarged table, through winter shoes and crushed confetti)
i esprintar maleint la llargada dels meus nous passets
i amagar-me entre un tap de suro i la paret
just a temps que no em mengi el collons de gatet.
I escalar les sanefes del teu vestit
(And sprint cursing how short my new steps are. Then hide between a cork and the wall, just in time so the damned cat cannot eat me. Then, climb your dress borders up)
i falcar el peu esquerre en un descosit
i arribar-te a l’espatlla i seure en un botó
i agafar un pelet d’aire i, amb un saltiró,
enganxar-te un cabell i impulsar-me en un últim salt final
i accedir al teu desig travessant la paret del llagrimal.
(And lever myself on some split seam. Then reach your shoulder and sit on a button, get some little air and then jump to seize one hair and then, with a final jump, access your desire through the corner of your eye)
Ara un peu! Ara un braç! Ara el tors! Ara el cap!
(Now my foot, now my arm, now my torso, now my head)
I ja dins del desig veure si hi ha bon ambient,
repartir unes targetes, ser amable amb la gent
i amb maneres de jove discret i educat
presentar els meus respectes a l’autoritat,
(Then, once inside your desire, check if the scene is good. Hand in some business cards, be nice to the people using manners of a discreet, polite and young man. Show my respect to the authority)
Escoltar amb atenció batalletes curioses als més vells,
fer-me fotos gracioses amb altres il·lustres viatgers
i amb un home amb corbata que no sé qui és.
I en el núvol de somnis que tens a l’abast
(Listen carefully remakable stories from the eldest, make funny photographs with other distinguished visitors and that man with a tie whom I don't know. Then, in the dream cloud you have at your hand...)
i entre d’altres que, ho sento, però ja mai viuràs,
detectar un caminet que m’allunyi del grup
o una ombreta tranquil·la on, desapercebut,
estirar-me una estona i, per fi, relaxar-me celebrant
el plaer indescriptible que és estar amb tu, avui que et fas gran,
(and some other dreams which, I'm sorry, you won't wever see, Find a small path that takes me away from this group or maybe a small quiet shadow where, unnoticed, I'll be able to lie for a while and then, finally, relax while celebrating the indescriptible pleasure that is being with you, today, when you're becoming a grown up)
They have just released their second album. The second song released is called "Aniversari" (Birthday) and got the benefit of a well-crafted video-clip, which is a short movie itself. I will post the lyrics if you want to check but the images are self-explanatory. Note the über-sexy Sergi López as the chief inspector.
Click to viewEls llums s’han apagat, han tret el pastís,aplaudien els pares, els tiets i els amics
tots alhora, agrupats en un únic crit,
“que demani un desig, que demani un desig”.
(Lights just went off, somebody has brought the cake. Parents, uncles and friends clap and, at the same time, they shout out loud "Ask for a desire")
I tu, nerviosa, com sempre que et toca ser el centre d’atenció,
has fixat els ulls en un punt imprecís del menjador
un segon, dos segons, tres segons, quatre i cinc.
(Then you, nervous as usual when you're the center of attention, have looked at an imprecise point in the dining room. One, two, three, four and five seconds)
Els teus ulls cavalcaven buscant un desig,
les espelmes cremaven i alguns dels amics
t’enfocaven amb càmeres de retratar,
una veu comentava “ai, que guapa està”.
(Your eyes rode looking for a desire. Candles were burning and some of your friends focused using their cameras. One voice said "she looks gorgeous")
i jo, en el fons, m’acabava el culet de la copa decidit
a trobar un raconet adequat per fer-me petit, petit.
Del tamany d’una mosca, del tamany d’un mosquit.
(However, I was at the end of the room, drinking the last drops of my drink, wishing to find a small convenient corner to become small, really tiny)
Per un cop empetitit, sota els tamborets
i la taula allargada pels dos cavallets,
fer-me pas amb prudència per un entramat
de sabates d’hivern, de confeti aixafat,
(Then, once I were tiny, I'd be able to wander myself around the stools and the enlarged table, through winter shoes and crushed confetti)
i esprintar maleint la llargada dels meus nous passets
i amagar-me entre un tap de suro i la paret
just a temps que no em mengi el collons de gatet.
I escalar les sanefes del teu vestit
(And sprint cursing how short my new steps are. Then hide between a cork and the wall, just in time so the damned cat cannot eat me. Then, climb your dress borders up)
i falcar el peu esquerre en un descosit
i arribar-te a l’espatlla i seure en un botó
i agafar un pelet d’aire i, amb un saltiró,
enganxar-te un cabell i impulsar-me en un últim salt final
i accedir al teu desig travessant la paret del llagrimal.
(And lever myself on some split seam. Then reach your shoulder and sit on a button, get some little air and then jump to seize one hair and then, with a final jump, access your desire through the corner of your eye)
Ara un peu! Ara un braç! Ara el tors! Ara el cap!
(Now my foot, now my arm, now my torso, now my head)
I ja dins del desig veure si hi ha bon ambient,
repartir unes targetes, ser amable amb la gent
i amb maneres de jove discret i educat
presentar els meus respectes a l’autoritat,
(Then, once inside your desire, check if the scene is good. Hand in some business cards, be nice to the people using manners of a discreet, polite and young man. Show my respect to the authority)
Escoltar amb atenció batalletes curioses als més vells,
fer-me fotos gracioses amb altres il·lustres viatgers
i amb un home amb corbata que no sé qui és.
I en el núvol de somnis que tens a l’abast
(Listen carefully remakable stories from the eldest, make funny photographs with other distinguished visitors and that man with a tie whom I don't know. Then, in the dream cloud you have at your hand...)
i entre d’altres que, ho sento, però ja mai viuràs,
detectar un caminet que m’allunyi del grup
o una ombreta tranquil·la on, desapercebut,
estirar-me una estona i, per fi, relaxar-me celebrant
el plaer indescriptible que és estar amb tu, avui que et fas gran,
(and some other dreams which, I'm sorry, you won't wever see, Find a small path that takes me away from this group or maybe a small quiet shadow where, unnoticed, I'll be able to lie for a while and then, finally, relax while celebrating the indescriptible pleasure that is being with you, today, when you're becoming a grown up)