Hey folks,

First, a repeat message from yesterday: Best Album Bracketeer @lanna.bsky.social has an idea she’d like to try, where we have a virtual party and give little presentations on albums we want to get into the Best Album of 1988 tournament. In her words:

Love DCs, but wish you could influence people sooner? What about a power point party near the end of the nomination period where you can discuss 1-3 of your favorite 1988 albums? Fill out the interest form to let us know what you think!

For real, click that link and fill out the form! It’s like 3 questions!

Then, we have another… Pre-Designated Cheerleader? Nomination Cheerleader? These things need a name. ANYWAY, Best Album Bracketter Kevin Finnerty would like you to listen to Alejandra Guzmán’s BYE MAMÁ and maybe give it a nom. Fwiw, I’ve heard it, I gave it a Like, and it’s getting a nom from me.

(If you’re a cinephile, Guzmán is the daughter of beloved Mexican actress Silvia Pinal. If you’ve never seen Simon of the Desert, that’s a nutty, nutty movie, and only 45 minutes long.)

Links for BYE MAMÁ: YouTube, Spotify

Take it away, Kevin!

The story begins, as these things do, in a club with the drinks flowing and the good times rolling.  The Americans (norteamericanos to the locals) in a study abroad program in Mexico loudly sing to the tunes they recognize, which is 50% of them, as the establishment alternates songs in English and Spanish.  By contrast, their counterparts know 99% of the songs.

Fortunately, music and sports act as a bridge as both groups of college students are required to interact with one another to improve their knowledge and comfort with a foreign language and culture.  I engage with some in the days that follow and they tell me what musical artists I might like based on my preferences.  Sometimes, I say “Este! Este!” if we’re at a club and music is playing.  If we watch a(n American) football game together, I offer my insights while they happily exclaim, “Touch-down… Arroz!”

During this period, I’m introduced to Soda Stereo, Caifanes, and Alejandra Guzman, among others.  I plan to nominate all three artists for the 1988 tournament, but my favorite Soda album is SIGNOS (1986) and my favorite by Caifanes is EL NERVIO DEL VOLCAN (1994), so I asked Kent to highlight BYE MAMA, my favorite by Guzman.

The opening track is a good one for those who don’t speak a word of Spanish (Hola!) because many of them will be able to insert English lyrics as they listen.  Lyrics in that song remind me the importance of befriending the locals and learning more than book Spanish.  For example, when I heard:

Mis jefes me dijeron ya no bailes rock ‘n roll

Si te vemos con la plaga tu domingo se apago

I translated in my head:

My bosses told me not to dance rock ‘n roll

If we see you with the plague your Sunday is gone

After asking a friend whether Mexican employers had so much control over their employees, I was told:

Mira, Kay-bean, tus jefes son tus padres and tu domingo es como se dice… allowance?[1]

I never became fluent in Spanish, though I used to be much more proficient before I lost much of my ability due to atrophy, so when I recently relistened to the second track, I wanted to be certain I was hearing what I thought I heard:

Life in the urss, life in the urss, welcome, welcome…

After a few listens my brain caught up to my ears and I understood (1) Alejandra had switched mid-song from Spanish to English; (2) Spanish sometimes orients abbreviations differently than English so that URSS is USSR; and (3) the Soviet Union still existed in 1988.

I enjoyed relistening to the album and immediately remembered lyrics of songs I had not heard in a while (as happens in English), got to practice a little Spanish, and was able to reflect on how I came to know the album.  I acknowledge most participants won’t come to BYE MAMA as I did, but the discovery part of the tournament is my favorite part.  It’s not always easy to be as open to new opportunities later in life as our likes/dislikes may have hardened (hopefully not calcified).  I’m happy in my younger days I left my comfort zone to study abroad and met people whom I realized were the same as me, only different, and encountered music similar to the kind I liked, only different.

Hopefully others will give BYE MAMA a try and find enjoyment.  I think it’s a lot of fun.  Sueltense!

[1]: In a similar vein, another track, Buena Onda, reminds me that one guy had a habit of saying Que onda? every time we met.  It took me three times listening to the question and thinking what response was appropriate to someone asking “what wave?” before I concluded the words were akin to someone asking What’s up?

Thank you, Kevin!

More 1988 tomorrow!

Best,

Kent