Gotyettes
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I’m Maria del Mar or just Mar (not Maria, thank you very much)
and I work as a lecturer and a researcher in one of the most
fantabulous cities in the world: Barcelona. If you ever bump
into me, chances are that I’ll be singing or listening to music
(or both!) no matter where I am: at the gym, in the street or
even in class. Ooops!
My love for music has two raisons d’être. First, I’ve been
listening to music since I was conceived in August 1979 (yeah,
back then). Both my parents being music lovers themselves,
not only am I familiar with music of “my era” but also with their
“oldies”, as well as with some of the superhipermegaoldies,
i.e. classical music, as I studied solfa and used to play the flute
in my teen years.
The second is my love of learning languages. As a child, I died
to sing along to the songs on the radio so, from the age of 8, I
would tape songs and tried to transcribe the lyrics by myself
with the little English I knew.
Back then there was no Internet, so those were hard times... I
soon got sick and tired of songs full of clichés (I-love-you-I-miss-
you-I’d-die-for-you), though, as they provided me with hardly
any new linguistic input!
That’s why, not only for the creativity in their lyrics but also for their uniqueness and distinctive sound, I ADORE Depeche Mode, Coldplay, U2, Bat For Lashes, Florence & The Machine, The Frames, Placebo, Queen, Snow Patrol and the latest albums by Take That, among a neverending list of faves for other reasons.
I got to know Gotye in the most unoriginal way ever: Facebook. January 22, 2012. A friend of mine shares STIUTK. He falls in love with Kimbra’s style. I instantly fall for the G-Man’s tune and can’t stop playing it on repeat. There was something so special about that song that I was eager for more music by him? Them? Who was/were Gotye? Never heard of that before?!
You know, alternative music from Down Under (and many other places) doesn’t usually get to Spain. So I started browsing the net (thanks, Internet, for existing) and two videos, 'The Only Thing I Know' live on JTV and the Making of Making Mirrors, made me resolve that I had to see Gotye live no matter what. So off I went! March 25, 2012. I sneak away from a congress in Boston and go to the City of Blinding Lights for the first time just to see Gotye. Terminal 5, NYC. 2nd row, right in the centre. Awestruck. Eargasm. Totally worth the sleepless night back to the congress in Boston.
If kind Gotye e-mailing and crazy tweeting had started before that Sunday 25 and went on and on and on, things could only get better. Meeting these lovely and honorable gals and talking with them about things Gotye and things not-so-Gotye on Gotyettes HQ every day is certainly a boat that I’m glad I didn’t miss. And here I am, enjoying the ride!