There was an incredibly popular track by Jorge Sacco from his "Gaia Project" that often was not credited by title, but in some cases WAS. It's generally called "Save Your Mind" or the Medusa song. But, it's not entirely clear.
So, where is this song?
What happened to it?
Who was Jorge Sacco?
What was The Gaia Project?
Well, if you're looking up old Tribal Fusion bellydance Videos from back in the GW Bush Era & Early Obama Era (the mid 2000s & early 2010s) you will very likely still come accross footage of the Tribal Fusion belly dancer movement all over YouTube assuming the footage is still there, and the search engines are STILL WORKING.
During this time period the Belly Dance movement reached incredible popularity due to The Bellydance Super Stars, as well new forms of Belly Dance, such as ATS, and Tribal Fusion Belly Dance sweeping the globe and spreading due to Social Media Platforms such as: MySpace, TribeNet, LiveJournal, and many others that have come and gone.
The Tribal Fusion styles of Bellydance branched off from Cabaret/Raqs Sharqi & ATS bellydance, and merged with House Music, Hip-Hop, Popping & Locking, Breaks, Hitting & holds, and merged with so many international forms of dance whihc were on the verge of being lost forever, so the dancer movement learned, studied, and incorporated these ancient & ethnic dances and even began using Jazz choreography merged with imrpov, and Rave Culture mixed with the budding underground movement of "music festivals" due to Love Parade being permanently canceled in Germany, so EDC became a Massive phenomenon as an underground cultural movement, and the movement of "Summer Music Festivals" grew into world wide standards drawing from Burning Man, Woodstock, and more.
The Tribal Fusion movement of dancers drew from an eclectic mixture of Experimental Music, Arabian & North African Music, as well as "Goth" subculture, and often had a "mood" of eeriness, vamps, femme fatal, and the strange beauty, haunting beauty, or dark beauty. It was normal to hear a mixture of glitch-hop, dub step, slowed EDM, as well as Neo Pagan, and various ethnic alternative music fusion.
So, the track of Jorge Sacco very much capture the mood, tone, and style of that time period. It was eerie, haunting, dark, and strangely beautiful. It also blends the old and the new, which was very common not just in House Music, but in the dance movement,which often had dancers rescure antique and old discarded items from thrift shops & flea markets, or Ebay, and make new art to be worn on stage, at festivals, or in public fashion. "Everything Old is now new."
The REMIX CULTURE IN EVERY WAY.
The dance movement, altho often having a dark Gothic or halloweenish vibe to it, in general was very anti evil,and was more about sisterhood, and acceptance of all kinds of bodytypes, people, genders, etc. and was ahead of its time.
Here are EXAMPLES of THIS VERY FAMOUS TRACK by Jorge Sacco with LIVE DANCERS:
He's a Musician, Composer, Producer, DJ, and MC from Argentina, and most of his songs were popular with Spanish Speaking dancers, altho much of the video content was frequently in English, it was usually in Spanish, or bilingual listings, and most of his songs had English titles.
Altho you CAN STILL find his Gaia Project songs on SoundCloud from which this song originated, you WILL NOT FIND THIS TRACK AMONG THEM. Also, the majority of the links he put great care into listing on his SoundCloud are almost all broken links.
It is also unknown as to whether he is still alive, or perished, but also his music is NOT AVAILABLE on Spotify, nor is it in the YouTube Music system.
At this point, it's either lost media, or abandoned media.
Hind sight is 2020, so at this point, I love digging up old musical tracks that I thought were lost forever, and or even unknown, or "lost media", but you also can find that marketing can make you believe things that you never knew were not the way you were presented.
No hate to JLo, but this was, let's say, VERY INTERESTING!
Last week, I was on a Live Stream of my friend's DJ set, and he played this track, which was always a personal favorite of mine. I also like the Spanish version, and tend to listen to that one more. But, let's say some interesting details about JLo's music has come to light recently.
No hate.... but, INTERESTING nonetheless.
JLo's song "Waiting For Tonight" was an even bigger hit than her 1st single, which was actually also very popular, but "Waiting For Tonight" is still played in dance clubs, and even on the radio, where as her 1st single just isn't. I actually loved both of those songs very much. The Spanish version of "Waiting For Tonight" is actually pretty good as well.
This style of music comes from a branch of Eurodance Techno, tho it's often just referred to as "Dance Music" or "Euro-House". It uses the 4/4 beats, and formats just like a Eurodance track, but incorporates some kind of stringed instrument like acoustic guitars, mandolin, zithers, dulcimer,or the like, and often has some kind of Mediterranean feel or sound to it. Pop Music was really starting to take off, yet again by the late 1990s, so this "pop" vibe was very popular, and despite everyone trash talking Techno & House as "not music", dance music was bigger than ever in North America!
Back in the 2000s, I actually remember watching something called cable TV, and I watched either some TV program on either VH1 or MTV about JLo's music career, and on camera, Jennifer was telling about the remix of her track "Waiting For Tonight" was being played in the music studio, and she heard the remix, and asked "Who's vocals are those?" and according to Jennifer, they told her "That's you. Those are your vocals."
I remember this story so many times over, that I always wondered why she didn't recognize her own signing voice.
But, it turns out the original singer's vocals were actually used in her version of the song "Waiting For Tonight" by "3rd Party".
But, there are a number of "ghost singers" in her music, and her marketing team was so good at branding and marketing her as a product that they created songs from other songs, and often mixed her vocals with the vocals of others frequently.
Often, these stories are spun that Jennifer was some kind of arrogant, driven harlot, with evil intent. But, sometimes, when I watch her interviews, she comes off like an airhead or a ditz, that it's difficult for me to wrap my head around her actually being entirely 100% so malicious. But, to this day, a number of female singers hate her guts and claim "No. I don't know her". The fact that JLo did an R&B/Rap song n sings "the N word" kinda makes me think she kinda of is an airhead, because WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT???? Tho it's often spun as she was so full of herself, and arrogant, that she did it just because she's a diva, is kinda difficult for me to fully believe. But, many people full on hate her, and view her as guilty as sin. I don't know.
I had always thought it strange that Jennifer Lopez, whom was known for her dancing skills, and had that big hit "Waiting For Tonight" which is still a very popular track, switched from dance & dance/pop and went strait into more R&B/Hip-Hop music or "Urban" music. Back in the 2000s, I frequently went to NYC, and JLo was a BRAND that was incredibly popular. But, it kind of seems to me like her music was more in the hands of her managers than herself.
She just doesn't seem all that malicious to me. She seems more like an airhead, and she has gone through many husbands. But, I kind of think its less, with her, to do with being a mean girl, and more to do with just being way too open, and possibly just being used for the benefit of others, like a pawn. When she talks about herself, or her opinions, she talks like such a ditz or an airhead, and she also is a pretty good actress when she rehearses, but when put on the spot, she is just kind of empty headed. It's like she doesn't even know herself, but has some stuff she wants to do, then those in charge use her like a pawn, or plays games using her, or her image.
It doesn't even seem like she even knows who made her songs, and thinks she did them on her own. Watching her talk in interviews is so strange because she will even talk about how people trash talk her, and she genuinely seems bewildered as to why they say that stuff about her. But, is this how a malicious guilty person acts? Or is she actually just an airhead that's very sexy? Mind you, many many men have made money from her in film, music, and television.
I'm not making excuses up, but when I watch & hear this woman talking in interviews, she is just so ditzy & airheaded that I just find it so hard to fully believe she's such a mean bitch out to steal everyone's talents, songs, etc. It seems like she's clueless as to what actually went on.
Anyways, if you like JLo songs, and I do like a number of them very much, you are allowed to, and it's OK. But, its also interesting to hear the other singers who made the music. I was just as interested to find out the origins of Elvis Presley songs & music earlier this year. So, its good to expand your knowledge of all things, especially music.
If you, like myself, enjoy the musical styles of JLo's 1st album, I would like to recommend others songs & styles from that time period late 1990s-Mid 2000s & Y2K.
I highly recommend Despina Vandi & "Antique", as well as "Milk and Honey", and a number of others if you like "Waiting For Tonight" and want to hear other songs in this style, which is actually Eurodance. I would also urge you to let go of the English Bias, because music is good regardless of whichever language it's in.
People often remark to me (including young people) that somehow the contemporary music of today is not so good. Tho' I don't not entirely agree, I do understand what you mean, and I do understand. If it's "the old days" or "the vibes of days long past" I urge you to LET GO of the English only bias, and search for music from those time periods OUTSIDE of the English language, because it is often the case the music made with the intention TO SOUND LIKE decades ago, still sounds like music of today in a way.... but, whether it's the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s u long for, I would urge u to search for it in OTHER LANGUAGES. U will get over the culture shock of it not being within your own vernacular, and realize that many nations TODAY not only speak English, but also happily consume media content including movies & music in other languages, without any distaste whatsoever. It's just another day, and just another song they like, which makes them feel good.Once you open your mind to this way of viewing the world, you will find that your whole life so many talented musicians have lived & died within your own lifetime, and you never even knew about them.
You will ALSO find THAT VIBE u were nostalgically longing for, but it will feel new & fresh!
So, here's a Sampling of THAT STYLE you liked about JLo's song "Waiting For Tonight" which was a style branch that sprang from Eurodance Techno & Euro-House:
I personally came across several of these tracks in the late Bush Era & early Obama Era. So, I was so delighted to have found music in the styles that I loved so much! To me, it felt NEW at the time, even tho years had passed.
I've never stopped searching for lost music, or songs that were unknown to me in my youth, as well as indie music today.
Why would I spend my entire life ONLY listening to what some mainstream establishment richards TELL ME what I'm supposed to like, dislike, etc. when it changes frequently? There is SO MUCH amazing music EXISTING ON THIS PLANET RIGHT NOW, so during my lifetime, there's potentially A LOT OF MUSIC that I KNOW I will enjoy SO MUCH MORE than what some rich tycoon wants me to think exists.
As for JLo, I have no hate towards her. I know its VERY VOGUE right now to trash her. You are allowed to think, and feel whatever you want. There's JLo films I still like. She is very pretty. And her dancing is way better than mine. I'm not a fanatical fan, but its interesting how my favorite songs of hers happen to be reworked tracks of others'. But, the positive side of that is I GOT TO KNOW THOSE MUSICAL STYLES, and NOW I get to KNOW who those singers & musicians are. I also was opened up to music I would've never known otherwise. Whether it was due to her, or her handlers, doesn't matter in the long run. I just don't have the heart to hate Jennifer as some evil bitch, because I find it so hard to see her that way when she is talking off-the-cuff. She just doesn't seem like a cunning, vicious, evil, master mind at all. But, I do know that her handlers have a track record of this sort of thing.
Even when Ashanti talks about Jennifer, she doesn't seem like thinks JLo is a bad person, but I can hear her frustration & aggravation, since her own career was pushed to the side. If JLo was actually as bad as all that, then why doesn't Ashanti behave like it's that way?
In 1999, I was attending The Art Institute of Philadelphia in Center City, when I was liberally exposed to people of all walks of life. I had an interest in ALL kinds of cultures, music, arts, and movies from EVERYWHERE outside of the USA. In 1 of my Life Drawing classes, I met a guy from Taiwan, and he needed help with his Art Homework, so I went to visit him at his swank JFK apartment which he shared with other rich kids from Taiwan attending the other local Universities & colleges in the area, usually it was Drexel U, or U Penn.
While I was hanging out with him, he played a lot of Dance & House Music. I had only a limited amount of knowledge of Chinese Pop Music back then, which was mostly from Hong Kong which was USUALLY in Cantonese (the Southern dialect) however it wasn't uncommon to have Hong Kong Music in Mandarin (The Standard National Dialect in the Peoples Republic of China). My friend, Allen Yang, was from Taiwan, so he spoke Taiwanese Mandarin Chinese (which sounds funny, since to me Taiwan people sound like foreigners...ironic, right?). [I lived in Mainland PR China, so it makes sense if u understand that part, but I'm not even Chinese, I'm American.]
Whilest I was hanging out with Allen, and we're listening to music, I asked him if he had any Chinese Pop Music, since I didn't know what was the newest ANYTHING from way over there, and was curious to know ANYTHING about it. [1999] and I only had music by Kelly Chen, or "various artists" CDs I'd gotten in Chinatown (Philly). So, he put on some music video samplers, and then he put on Coco Lee.
At the time I'd never heard of her....
BUT OH BOY! WAS I ABOUT TO!
I liked her voice, and he was apparently a fan of Coco Lee, when this song came on "Di Da Di", and he remembered I loved Techno, Dance, and House Music A LOT. "Club Music". So, he said: Oh, there's an ENGLISH VERSION!
Then, he grabbed a tape, and played it! He'd recorded it from the radio somewhere.
It did sound ACTUALLY very similar!
Well, not long after THAT, I'd actually gotten the Coco Lee album "Di Da Di" at Tower Records, as well as Amber's Single CD "Sexual Li Da Di".
Also, not long after that, I used to hang around South Street, and visited many Comic Book shops, and other places that sold magazines, and unique Anime related stuff all over the city, not just South Street & Chinatown. I had some magazines that talked about all the usually art stuff I liked, such as cartoons, animation, Sci-Fi, comics, anime, Kung Fu movies, etc. Back THEN that stuff was considered "guy stuff" but I AM FEMALE. But, go to a Comic Con TODAY n LOTS OF GIRLS THERE!
IN 1 of the magazines were several pages of interviews with Coco Lee, and she not just fluent in English, she's American, altho she was born in Hong Kong. There was this whole long story of how she became a Pop Singer.
Anyways, I didn't understand why Coco Lee never had her own English version... I also have her English Albums. Apparently, also Coco Lee is rather popular!
Since Allen, introduced me to Coco Lee, it was like within 2 months many of my classmates knew of her, then it was like a thing. And many people knew of here, not Just Chinese.
Here's Coco Lee's Version (1998):
Here's Amber's House Music Version (1999):
Well, I didn't know this until JUST RECENTLY! The Coco Lee SONG "Di Da Di' was actually a remake of Maria Montell's Song "Di Da Di - And So The Story Goes"
I managed to dig up a few old music videos from the 1980s with Animated parts. Some you may know, but other you might not know as well.
Most people are probably very familiar with A-Ha's video:
And, in case you missed it, "Weezer" had a new rendition of the song, and art/animation style with the actor from "Stranger Things':
Here's a rare one by "Heart" which seems to have paint on glass, stop motion, and even 3D extruded character bits:
Cyndi Lauper had a very vibrant personality and artistic/creative side. This one has cell animation with herself inside the cartoon:
Classic Experimental animation and film art video by "New Order":
Pop singer/dancer, Paula Abdul, has a childhood dream of tap dancing with a cartoon like her idol Gene Kelly whom danced with Jerry the mouse, and then her dream came true:
Well, I often come across these things, over the years, so I figured I'd make a list and blog them.
If you have any others from the 1980s, leave a link in the comments.
The Gorillaz new video has a bit of a creepy vibe when it first starts playing, but it becomes more palatable as it goes along. I think it was intentional. It kind of looks like Venice Beach. *shrugs* I haven;t been there in over a decade, so I might be wrong.
Studio Killers has been teasing out the release of this new track and video all year. It's actually kind of simple, and flat, and even tho' it emulates social media it kind of reminds me of old E-Greeting cards back in the 90s, like BlueMountain.com stuff but more stylized. The music style is Electro EDM style. -which is kind of generic, but does fit with their previous works.
I'm not particularly a fan of Teen Titans GO, I liked the original one a lot, but if there's something good, then I will like it. Ergo, these are good, and I like it.
I know these were form 2015-ish but I'd only JUST found out about them recently:
Despite how lovely these Teen Tintans GO music videos are, the actual show is NOTHING like this. I watched the episode the videos were from and as you watch it the vibe changes drastically from these parts, which are lovely, and the actual gags and bad abrasive comedy in the show.
Honestly, I WISH WISH WISH Teen Titans GO had a comedy style more like Tex Avery, like Droopy shorts which have better gags, takes, delivery, pacing, and punchlines.
Anyways, since we're on an 80s kick (and those were 2015-ish) here another one:
"Video Portraits" can vary in styles and can include talking, or no talking.
Video Portraiture or Video Portraits tend to have a visual documentary style, but they are heavily more subjective and not objective. There's generally no action to action scene cutting, unless the premise is action or stunts (like Parkour, skateboard stunts, dare devils, cliff diving, acrobatics, race cars, etc.). It tends to be more about mood, or themes, and can often be biographical, autobiographical, or expressing a theme of message. However, they are also often vague, ambiguous, or enigmatic, or even cryptic. Examples of Video Portraits/Video Portraiture:
