Almost there… tic toc
An essay…
Last Friday I finished my final composition for The Art of Letters, Symbiosis V. The moment I decided I was done, I could barely believe it. With much hesitation, I asked Tyson to see it. Of course, I asked him to close his eyes as I guided him upstairs to stand in front of it. Once he opened his eyes, he gasped. His reaction helped me come to the conclusion that it was complete. The image above is part of it. I can’t show it all yet. You will have to join me live for the presentation of this one and two others. I will let you know the dates.
This last composition took an entire different life and development. I had asked Tyson and my daughter which dance they felt the piece communicated before I layered color and words. They both said, independently from each other, waltz. I agreed and started a search for waltzes I could use lyrics from. In other words, they needed to be in the public domain. Of the ones I found only one meant something to me: The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II. I really love the instrumental version but can’t stomach the lyrics. Another off the list. I searched for other waltzes or danzas I grew up with either from my country and Latin America or Spain. None of them however, are in the public domain. I had already spent half of Friday on this search and I was feeling antsy.
Then, I remembered Tiempo de Vals by Chayanne. Chayanne is a Puertorrican artist and performer who I have followed since launching his solo career after leaving Los Chicos. Los Chicos was the rival boy band of Menudo of which Ricky Martin was part. These groups were famous during the 1980s. Chayanne and Ricky Martin took different paths mostly due to management differences. Ricky became a globally known performer while Chayanne’s career has focused more on Spanish speaking and Latin audiences.
Tiempo de Vals’ video debuted in national TV in Puerto Rico during late summer at 7:00 pm. This is an event that I remember distinctly. Everyone was watching. The video was well done and very sophisticated. The music as well as the lyrics are beautiful. I could have bought this album for myself but I wanted my Dad to give it to me, so I asked him. He did. Maybe because of that it holds a special place in my heart.
Remembering all of the above seemed to solve my problem. But it did not. The song is not in the public domain. I tracked down the composer, Jose Maria Cano. After an exhaustive search, I was able to find his son. I emailed him asking permission to use the lyrics but have not yet heard anything. I also tracked Chayanne’s email and emailed him.
Faced with the dilemma of wanting to use the lyrics and not having permission, I still had to make a decision. I woke up ready to finish my project. As in, I had to conclude the visual part of it so I could take photos, prepare my presentation, and prepare the short tutorial we all need to do. My heart and my mind were ready. Yet, here I was listening to the song on repeat and not sure what to do. When I say on repeat, yes, I mean it.
While listening I started dancing on the paper. I had socks on so it was okay. But as I was dancing I became aware of parts of the song I knew were there but had not really thought of them. Below are the lyrics in Spanish and in English.
Waltz time is backward time Tiempo de vals es el tiempo hacia atrás Where doing the usual is starting over Donde hacer lo de siempre es volver a empezar When the world stops and watches you spin Cuando el mundo se para y te observa girar It’s time to love Es tiempo para amar Waltz time, time to feel Tiempo de vals, tiempo para sentir And say without speaking and listen without hearing Y decir sin hablar y escuchar sin oír A silence that a violin breaks in the air Un silencio que rompe en el aire un violín It’s time to live Es tiempo de vivir Kiss me in waltz time Bésame en tiempo de vals One, two, three; Un, dos, tres; Without stopping dancing Sin parar de bailar Make this time waltz Haz que este tiempo de vals One, two, three; Un, dos, tres; Never end No termine jamás Waltz time, time to travel Tiempo de vals, tiempo para viajar Above the sun, below the sea Por encima del sol, por debajo del mar Without knowing if I take you or let myself go Sin saber si te llevo o me dejo llevar It’s really time Es tiempo de verdad Waltz time, hug time Tiempo de vals, tiempo para abrazar The passion you prefer and make it spin La pasión que prefieres y hacerla girar And rise violently like a hurricane Y elevarse violenta como un huracán It’s spiral time Es tiempo en espiral Kiss me in waltz time Bésame en tiempo de vals One, two, three; Un, dos, tres; Without stopping dancing Sin parar de bailar Make this time waltz Haz que este tiempo de vals One, two, three; Un, dos, tres; Never end No termine jamás Kiss me in waltz time Bésame en tiempo de vals One, two, three; Un, dos, tres; Without stopping dancing Sin parar de bailar Make this time waltz Haz que este tiempo de vals One, two, three; Un, dos, tres; One, two, three Un, dos, tres Never end No termine jamás Waltz time that we both use Tiempo de vals que empleamos los dos Drawing on the floor of an old living room Dibujando en el suelo de un viejo salón With three dance steps, a love story Con tres pasos de baile, una historia de amor It is time and it is, finally Es tiempo y es, en fin My time Mi tiempo For you Para ti
If you read it, you will notice the numbers. But if you dance to them, you will REALLY notice the numbers. And the tic toc. I thought, “well, I can’t wait sitting around for either of them to get back to me—if they get back to me. I will take a slight detour. I will use the tic toc and the numbers.” That helped me get going and after that it all flowed together.
Finishing this piece became very personal and emotional. With every stroke and color application, I remembered my Dad. Our conversations—and we had many—, our dinners, our fights—we also had many—, and our bantering. His idiosyncrasies when it came to raising me severely contrasted with what he expected from his female partners (yes, he had many). See, he was very traditional. But though he wanted his partners to be home makers, his daughters went to college to get not one but two degrees. He encouraged and even expected me to be financially independent. When it came to my first marriage, even though he really liked him, he opted for gifting me an apartment six months before the wedding so it would not be part of the joined marital assets. And gasp, the deed was only on my name. This caused much shock among some family members and friends. But my Dad did not relent. After moving to the US, I expressed desire to sell the apartment and my Dad refused. But, some years after, I found myself going through a divorce. After it was finalized, he called and said “now we sell.” He was very proud of himself because it was his wisdom that saved me from that headache.
Yes, the entire composition became very personal. Memories floated around while I was working and dancing on the piece. Somehow these memories or emotions made their way to the composition. Everyone who has seen it has reacted much more positively to this one than the others. It is as if there is something special in it. I choose to believe that there is.
Stay tuned for the dates and times of my live presentation in November. I would love for you to join me and cheer me on!
Love,
Alma