What I Like: Happy Birthday Disco Monk!

Hard to believe it Disco Monk has turned five this month! and to celebrate here is nice one that pretty much sums up the backbone of this blog. "What I Like" by Anthony and the Camp. It was written and produced by the legendary Jellybean Benitez. Thank you to all of you wonderful followers of dance music. Yeah, this is what I like and I hope you do too.  Here is to many more years of Disco Monk! 

What I Like - Anthony and the Camp

Disco Photography: Madonna and Jellybean

Sidewalk Talk: The Terra Perma Experience

I was in Canada this past week to be one with nature and re-connect with some dear friends of mine that are close to my heart. I went to visit Terra Perma which is located two hours north of Montreal. It's a beautiful growing residential and eco entrepreneur permaculture community in the heart of the Laourentians, located in the Mont-Tremblant region. There are 800 beautiful acres of land set to be preserved and promote sustainable developments. It was an amazing, unique and invigorating experience where I got to relax and learn a lot about myself and the land.  I did some canoeing at the lake, slept in a yurt, did some meditation, yoga, swimming, some fun tie dying and painting projects and ate some delicious vegetables from the land.  Also, I got to meet some quite amazing people who are working hard and putting their hearts and souls in making this project a reality.

Terra Perma, Lake Green

To get there,  there was some time spending traveling by car and got to listen to Quebec radio which is quite amazing. While driving around this beautiful land full of luscious scenery "Sidewalk Talk" by Jellybean feat. Madonna came on the radio which had nothing to do with nature and more to do with city living.  While listening to it, it dawned on me that I probably haven't heard it since it's release in 1984! This was a collaborative project between Madonna and Jellybean Benitez when they were a couple trying to make their mark in NYC.  I simply love the rawness of it and to top it all, once the song ended, the disc jockey did something quite clever, he left the needle of the record continue bumping with it's scratchy noise making a point that we were listening to vinyl. Yes, vinyl on the radio! A true Canadian experience that I will never forget with some amazing company. Thank you Alfonso Tarazona and Philippe Leclerc for making this past week beautiful and memorable.

Sidewalk Talk - Jellybean Benitez feat. Madonna

Donna Summer 1948 - 2012

 

This has been the hardest and most devastating loss I've experienced from any performer who has left us so far.  I'm not sure if is the shock of her untimely death at only 63 or just simply realizing how much this legendary icon has been such an influence in my life.  I have been going around in circles deciding what to write and can't even find the words to express the love I have for Donna Summer.  I remember hearing for the first time the historical and radical "Love To Love You Baby" coming from my mother's record player as I giggled silly at her orgasmic moans and strange sounding tempo.  It was not until the age of fourteen in 1981 when I fully became enchanted by her magic. During that time she already held the indisputable title of Queen of Disco and was already transforming her music and crossing over into a more pop, rock, experimental, R&B, electro funk and new wave sound.  I was in the middle of nowhere outside Managua, Nicaragua teaching the "campesinos" how to read during the early years of the Sandinista government when a fellow "brigadista" had the cassette version of On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volume I & II.  We would listen to the record over and over and act out every epic song in it for months in my humble room and I knew then my life would never be the same again.  I had no clue what she was saying on those songs and worse yet, Disco was officially and stupidly declared over by mass culture by then and went underground again.  Nevertheless, I was entranced by what came out of that cassette player and was mesmerized like everyone else by the warmth, purity, love, sensuality, soul, magic, edginess and clarity of that mezzo soprano voice.  Jellybean Benitez put it perfectly on CNN recently when he said "how she was always accepting of club culture and her songs were about love, falling in love, being in love, enjoying life... since disco before her, was all about 'get up get down let's boogie, let's dance'...she brought something different and unique...and that's why her songs are still played today and still putting smiles to people on the dance floors".   Also, I have to say it  has been extremely difficult to choose which songs to include here that could do justice from her extensive list of brilliant songs and mixes that surpassed and defied any genre.   Her incredible talent, amazing live performances, the soulful beauty and clarity of her voice that actually became even more powerful as she aged always remain true.  I could probably devote a whole blog of her music alone.  In this case, I rather let the music speak for itself. She had an amazing life and a legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.  My heart goes out to her husband Bruce Sudano, their daughters Brooklyn and Amanda as well as daughter from a previous marriage, Mimi.  I love to love you Donna Summer!

The beginning....

Lady Of The Night - Donna Summer  

    

Need A Man Blues - Donna Summer

Dance Into My Life - Donna Summer

Bad Girls (Demo Version) - Donna Summer

Unconditional Love - Donna Summer

Carry On (Histeria Radio Mix) - Donna Summer

I'm A Fire - Donna Summer

Donna Summer 1948 - 2012

Previous postings on Donna Summer:

I Feel Love

Autumn Changes

Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012

Today we mourn one of the greatest voices of our times.  Whitney Houston was undeniable a true diva and will always be remembered.  From her beginnings in Newark, New Jersey as a choir girl under her mom's Cissy Houston, her cousin Dione Warwick and her godmother, Aretha Franklyn's guidance and inspiration.  Her stunning looks and modeling career and then molded to perfection by Clive Davis making the world love the voice and the woman behind it.  Her life struggles aside, her voice was  her gift and that will always remain pure no matter what.  I remember being 18 years old when I heard her first LP and was blown away instantly by her voice and beauty.  She gave us countless and unforgettable number one hits that became the soundtrack of our lives.  On the dance floor,  she gave us so many memories and made pop music fun to dance to again from the emblematic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" to "Love Will Save The Day", "I'm Every Woman", "Queen Of The Nigh", "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not Right But It's Ok", "My Love Is Your Love", "I Learned from The Best", "Watchulookinat", "Love That Man", "Try It On My Own" and recently "Million Dollar Bill" which is featured here.  Those songs were all number ones on the US Dance Chart.  There was not a night out where you didn't hear a Whitney song in the clubs or on the radio during the past three decades.  She was so full of life and her energy and magic was spread on the dance floor every time one of her songs would be played.  Countless mixes, remixes, edits have been made of her songs and even some bad remixes but it didn't matter because as soon as her voice would start, we were there on that dance floor.  Here is the acapella version of "Love Will Save The Day" to prove it and of course the David Morales and Jellybean Benitez classic house mix. There is a huge void in music today.  My heart goes out to her family and friends.  Bless your soul and hope you found peace!

Million Dollar Bill (Mike Simonetti Edit) - Whitney Houston

Love Will Save The Day (Acapella) - Whiney Houston

Love Will Save The Day (Morales/Jellybean Classic House Mix)

Love Is

 Here is a brilliant re-work Al Green's 70's classic "Love & Happiness from Nicholas of the Small World Disco Edits series.  Last night  I celebrated the New Year New York style by going to the event:  Keep On Dancin' Remembering Mel Cheren with the music of The Paradise Garage. A benefit party organized by Lifebeat, GMHC and Area at Santos Party House for AIDS/HIV prevention.  It was quite a party and a truly New York experience to be surrounded and dancing with many veteran Paradise Garage members. We danced to the wee hours to the classics and saw a great performance by Ten City's front man Byron Stingily who did an amazing renditions of "Devotion" and "That's The Way Love Is" and not to mention Sylvester's "Mighty Real".  The turn tables were manned by Jellybean Benitez, David Depino and Joey Llanos all great legendary DJ's that never fail to amaze.  "Love & Happiness" by First Choice brought the house down so here is another twist of that song that has taken Al Green's classic to new heights.  The night ended with the original version of left field dance classic "Voices Inside My Head" by The Police.   Love is and long live the Paradise Garage!

Love Is - Nicholas - Kojak

Voices Inside My Head - The Police