Inside Nokia Music

I came across a nice little website for the band Labuat, a Spanish group that play a fusion of styles. The website is an interactive one that allows you to draw or trace a pattern in time with the music that’s playing. It plays out a story with the inky style and the various animations which I think is quite relaxing.

http://soytuaire.labuat.com/

Appears (although my Spanish is rubbish) that you can record the traces you make and replay them.

Inevitably had to go onto YouTube and check out what their other stuff is like. Have to say, I think they’re rather good. Definitely will be adding to my collection! They apparently supported Beyonce when she played in Barcelona in 2009 and were the first act onstage.

Here’s another track – a good slide into the weekend methinks.

You can download Labuat’s album ‘Labuat’  from the Nokia Music Store - if you’ve got  ‘Comes With Music’, it’s completely free!

I’m a big fan of Shakira, she has a great voice and well, certainly rates highly on the hotness factor!

But, I actually don’t think her voice is great in English and personally prefer a lot of her Spanish language songs instead.

Even her English hits like “Whenever, Wherever” I think sound much better in the Spanish version.  Perhaps it’s because Spanish is a rather deeper and seductive language that suits her very unique voice.

If you listen to the two versions, then I do think the Spanish version feels a lot better! (Must apologise for the lack of embedding capabilities for the below YouTube video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKS7QkYvum0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_LkjpYx8do

It does make me think about the culture around music and the subtle differences that I think exist when it comes to regional tastes. I’m bit of a fan of the Latin genres of music. Perhaps it’s the romance and passion - the perfect antidote to the Stiff Upper Lip and British sensibilities?

As an example, I recently picked up, what is in my view, one of the definitive versions of the folk song Guantanamera which is sung by Joan Baez.

In any case, here are a few of Shakira’s other Spanish language tunes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyXTMjF7cWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m-Se_oeyLw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LznYGrYSVG4

Duke Special’s Songs from the deep forest is available on Nokia Music