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Thread: Bluegrass in catalan

  1. #1
    Registered User Isaac Casas's Avatar
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    Default Bluegrass in catalan

    Hi!

    Here's the link to a bluegrassy song that I wrote, which lyirics are written in catalan (the language from Catalunya, north-east of Spain). It's just a silly and humorous song about the tribulations of a middle aged hypothetic cowboy that could be based in true events (age-wise, not at all about being a cowboy).

    Not that anyone will understand them, of course (well, I guess you never know!), but I thought that some of you might find it interesting in the sense of a very american musical genre being sung in other languages.

    Hope you enjoy it!

    Isaac

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  3. #2
    Registered User Lucas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Fantastico!

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    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Can you provide a translation to English?
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  5. #4

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Va ser excellent. Grącies per compartir el vķdeo.

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    Registered User Isaac Casas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Quote Originally Posted by PH-Mando View Post
    Va ser excellent. Grącies per compartir el vķdeo.
    Grącies a tu, Ph-Mando!
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    Registered User EvanElk's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Herba Blava!
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  8. #7

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Awesome place, Barcelona. Never been there but am a big fan of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band. Young children up to teen age learning jazz and putting out many Youtube videos.

    Here is what I came up with the Catalan lyrics and English translation via Google Translate.

    M'estic fent gran - Isaac Casas
    I'm Growing Up

    M'estic fent gran (I'm growing up)
    M'estic fent gran (I'm growing up)

    Em fa rabia i fa temps que ho estic notant. (It makes me angry and I’ve been noticing it for a long time.)

    No vull dir-ho en veu alta, potser em fa parlar la malta, (I don't want to say it out loud, maybe it makes me speak Maltese,)

    pero aprofito que quelcom m'esta impulsant. (but I take advantage of the fact that something is driving me.)

  9. #8

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    M'estic fent gran
    M'estic fent gran

    Em presento amb vergonya, confessant. (I introduce myself with embarrassment, confessing.)

    La beguda i els burdells no son pas coses de vells! (Drinking and ........ are not old stuff!

    Es denigrant: (It is denigrating: )

    M'estic fent gran (I'm growing up)

    <breaks>

  10. #9

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    M'estic fent gran
    M'estic fent gran

    I he sentit que els mals s'espanten tot cantant. (And I’ve heard the bad guys get scared while singing.

    Encara guardo una pistola, pero seria una trola (I still keep a gun, but it would be a troll)

    si us digues que em queda impuls d'anar matant. (if I tell you I have the urge to keep killing.)

    M'estic fent gran
    M'estic fent gran

    I us prometo que no estic exagerant! (And I promise I’m not exaggerating!)

    Se m'enganxa la cadera quan m'assec sobre la sella de muntar i es humiliant; (My hip sticks as I sit on the saddle and humiliate myself; )

    M'estic fent gran

    <breaks>

  11. #10

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Tinc menys por d'anar a la trena que d'arribar a la cinquantena.
    (I’m less afraid to go to the braid than to reach fifty.)

    I he canviat els esperons per les pantufles del collons. (And I changed the spurs for the slippers on my collars.)

    No em ve de gust sortir a delinquir! (I don't feel like going out to commit a crime!)

    M'estic fent gran
    M'estic fent gran

    I estic fart de viure aixi, dissimulant. (And I’m sick of living like that, hiding.)

    La vida es un "estercolero"! (Life is a "manure"! )

    Jo que he estat un gran "vaquero" (I who have been a great "cowboy")

    i ara em sento un ploraner desesperant ... (and now I feel like a desperate mourner )

  12. #11

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    M'estic fent gran
    M'estic fent gran

    Condicio que sempre va empitjorant! (Condition that is always getting worse!)

    Ha arribat el major duel: Afrontar el desti cruel (The biggest duel has come: Facing cruel fate)

    i aguantar-li la mirada al mirall. (and hold his gaze in the mirror.)

    Si es que trobo criminal que s'acosti el meu final! (If I find a criminal my end is near!)

    No soporto aquest declivi; jo voldria ser immortal! (I can't stand this decline; I would like to be immortal!)

    Em torturo si maduro! Es molt desmoralitzant: (In torture if mature! It is very demoralizing: )

    M'estic fent gran
    M'estic fent gran

    ---------------------
    Cool song, Isaac! Thanks for sharing it with us.

  13. #12
    Registered User Isaac Casas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Wow, James!!!

    I'm baffled and honored that you took the time to Google-translate the song! And I have to say, you and Google did a pretty good job! Now that you went into it, let me contribute with a couple of things.

    More that "growing up", it's about "getting old". I'm about to be 42 years old and I've been kind of joking with my wife about starting to feel the pass of time, especially physically, so I wanted to write a silly song about that. "Malta" would refer to "malt" (as in beer), not to Malt (as in the republic). So, the lyrics would say "malt is making me more prone to speak up about my ailings", so to speak.

    By the way, so cool that you like the Sant Andreu Jazz Band!! I actually studied jazz for many years with its director, Joan Chamorro. He's an awesome teacher, jazz player multi-instrumentalist and a great great guy!

    Thanks again for taking the time to check my song, James! When you finally come to Barcelona, shoot me a message. I can show you around for sure!

    Isaac
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  15. #13

    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Quote Originally Posted by Isaac Casas View Post
    Wow, James!!!

    I'm baffled and honored that you took the time to Google-translate the song! And I have to say, you and Google did a pretty good job! Now that you went into it, let me contribute with a couple of things.

    By the way, so cool that you like the Sant Andreu Jazz Band!! I actually studied jazz for many years with its director, Joan Chamorro. He's an awesome teacher, jazz player multi-instrumentalist and a great great guy!
    Is it true that Joan uses colors to teach improvisation? I read that somewhere, but there were no details.

    There is one lyric that I didn't understand.
    Tinc menys por d'anar a la trena que d'arribar a la cinquantena.
    (I’m less afraid to go to the braid than to reach fifty.)

    "... go to the braid", was that a bad GT translation? Meaning?

    Thanks.

  16. #14
    Registered User Isaac Casas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Quote Originally Posted by James Vwaal View Post
    Is it true that Joan uses colors to teach improvisation? I read that somewhere, but there were no details.

    There is one lyric that I didn't understand.
    Tinc menys por d'anar a la trena que d'arribar a la cinquantena.
    (I’m less afraid to go to the braid than to reach fifty.)

    "... go to the braid", was that a bad GT translation? Meaning?

    Thanks.
    I'm not sure that Joan has a "whole musical approach based on colors", let's say, but he's the kind of guy that could talk about music using color references and other concepts from outside of music, for sure. And the he's such a good teacher that it would make absolute sense to every student. To tell you the truth, though, I studied with him for many years, but that was about 15 years ago, so who knows how he's teaching right now...

    About the lyric you mention, "Tinc menys por d'anar a la trena que d'arribar a la cinquantena". "Trena" is slang for "jail", so the meaning would be "I'm less affraid of going to jail than turning 50". Silly, I know.

    There's other parts that Google messed up a little, like "I he canviat els esperons per les pantufles del collons." It would mean "I changed my boot's spurs for my damn slippers" and it ends "since don't feel like going out to commit crimes anymore". Again silly.

    Thanks for the interest, James!

    Isaac
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Thank you Isaac. I seem to remember that you posted a video of your band playing Tipsy Gypsy. I can’t seem to find it. Was it taken down?

  18. #16
    Registered User Isaac Casas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Quote Originally Posted by kwd View Post
    Thank you Isaac. I seem to remember that you posted a video of your band playing Tipsy Gypsy. I can’t seem to find it. Was it taken down?

    Hey kwd,

    The video is still up, under the name of "Al Ras Band" -a band made for a festival that never happened because of Covid. Thanks for asking!

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  20. #17
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    Default Re: Bluegrass in catalan

    Thank you. My brother lives in Barcelona. Perhaps I can see your band when I visit.

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