tisdag 2 februari 2021

Musikminne från Nadedja


Nadedja släppte singeln Unfold i januari. Debutsingeln Water släpptes förra året. Den Brasilien-födda artisten bor numera i England och gör innerlig och vacker popmusik. Unfold har varit en av mina mest spelade låtar den senaste tiden. Fantastisk. Idag gästar Nadedja bloggen för att berätta om ett musikminne! 

It was August 2014, and I landed in Manhattan, Kansas, USA – My first taste of foreign lands. Before then, I spent my whole life in North-East Brazil. I was wide-eyed, nervous and armed with only basic English. The heat reminded me of home, but the landscapes, people, accents, and most importantly the music, was completely different. 

All my life, I’d listened to US artists from Jimi Hendrix and BB King, all the way through to Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles, my two first loves! Now I felt energised to consume and absorb as much music as I possibly could in the year I was to spend there as part of a study exchange program. At that time, music was my passion and hobby, but I hadn’t yet accepted it as my career path. 

I gradually settled into my new surroundings, all whilst meeting people from all over the world. I naturally gravitated towards those who shared my love of music. Quickly, I got talking with one guy from the UK. One of the first things he said was how he’d love to go to San Francisco listening to that famous Otis Redding song – this was someone on the same wavelength! 

The next thing I know, myself and this guy are heading south on US Route 99 through rural southeast Kansas, taking in the alien backdrop of the American Midwest from the side-windows. He’d just wasted most of his savings buying this car on his own year abroad, and now we’d decided to go to the nearest big concert together in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were overwhelmed with the freedom and adventure; deep down we knew that this trip would be something special. 

It was concert day, and we were late! Running through the streets of downtown Tulsa with the dwindling crowds, we could hear the music starting. Running up the stairs and into the stands of the stadium, we quickly found our seats. The height was dizzying!! The show was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, supported by Steve Winwood. I have to confess, at that point I had a limited knowledge of their back catalogues. However the power, energy, honestly and beautiful songcraft by Tom meant love at first sight. It was the purest soul-food, sparking a lifelong adoration for his and his band’s work. If you haven’t explored Tom Petty, listen to his crowning masterpiece, Wildflowers. It simply shimmers with emotion, lyrical beauty and craftsmanship. 

The power of inspirational music and concerts against the backdrop of your life can never be underestimated.

/ Nadedja 

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