Saint Cecilia's Day: Belén Sánchez

Music has been an important part of my life since I was very young. Nobody in my family is a musician, so I just ended up in this "world" by chance. Even so, I'm very grateful that one day my parents decided to take me to music lessons.

Learning to play an instrument is not an effortless task. Sometimes it can be very tough, especially when you are a teenager and all your friends are doing fun things such as watching TV or going out, whilst you have to stay at home practising for endless hours. That is one of the reasons why sometimes I was tempted to give up and do something else. I’m happy I didn’t, because now I honestly cannot imagine myself doing any other thing not related to music. I know I am very lucky, in the sense that it is great to make a living by doing something that you really love.

One of the best things about being a musician is having the opportunity to perform in front of the public. I can hardly put in words what you feel when you are playing for an audience. At the beginning, it is exciting albeit sometimes a little bit terrifying, but once you take a deep breath, relax and the concert starts, it is one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever experienced, above all when you feel you are getting an emotional response from the public. 

You asked us to post one of our favorite songs. I want to share with you one of the most beautiful opera arias I’ve ever heard: Nessun dorma, from Puccini's Turandot. In this performance, Pavarotti was singing in front of thousands of people. Can you imagine how he felt?

Thank you so much once again, dear Belen, for your personal story and indeed for such a wonderful aria. I get goose bumps whenever I listen to it, simply mind-blowing!

My favourite advert

Belén Sanchez: 

Do you remember the legendary ONCE summer advertising campaigns in the early / mid 2000s? They had great success across the country, mostly due to their popular jingles, which are still hummed by many Spaniards. Some of their catchy melodies became the “song of the summer”, namely “Tapitas”, “Cremita”...

They were created by advertising agency DDB, and funnily enough, the striking lyrics were written by the publicists while having a beer.

They wanted us to associate the "Cuponazo de la ONCE" with some typical Spanish summer scenes, and there is nothing more typical in July and August, especially in the South of Spain, than a waiter “singing” the tapas you can taste in a bar, or someone applying sunscreen protection on someone else’s back on the beach.

The same agency workers - who were truly surprised by the overwhelming success of the campaigns - lent their voices for the radio commercials, and starred the famed TV ads. Almost everyone in the agency took part in the advertisements, from the secretaries to the cleaning staff. In my opinion, not only are these adverts absolutely brilliant, but also a good example of how to make a successful campaign without paying millions of dollars to a media star.

Thanks Belen! Your post brings good memories of past summers. I also remember the hilarious ONCE commercial breaks on the radio featuring the voices of Gomaespuma. Let me remind you of one famous example:

Diana Dominguez: 

TV ads are, in my view, part of the so-called seventh art (like short films). I must admit that, by and large, ads have improved a lot over the last few years.

We are used to watching them without paying much attention - probably because of the large amount of crappy ads we usually watch (for example, soap ads. I just can´t stand them). But suddenly, one day we are sitting idly in front of the TV and we become absorbed in a song, a feeling or a funny slogan. 

Unquestionably, this is the goal of the ads: captivate the viewer / consumer. Many big brands have shown that ingenuity and creativity are the key to advertising success.

One of the ads that have hooked me lately is the one for Fanta: it´s witty, funny and realistic. I just love it!

Well done, Diana. I do like this extended version of the ad, which I'd not seen before. Now, you told me you were looking for an equivalent in English. Well, how about this other one starring ... Mr Hitler himself! - sometimes fiction is larger than life!

C'mon folks, keep sending your fave ads!

The film corner: Belen Sanchez - My Big Fat Greek Wedding

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a lighthearted romantic comedy, perfect for a rainy autumn evening.

It tells the story of a disenchanted “ugly-duckling” Greek-American girl in her thirties (Toula Portokalos), who falls in love with a charming ”non-Greek” guy (Ian Miller). This seems to be a huge problem for her traditional family, especially her stubborn father, who cannot understand that his little girl wants to marry a man who has no Greek roots whatsoever.

The film treats, in a funny way, something that is still a big issue for some cultures: mixed marriages. Albeit it is becoming more and more common for people with different religions, races or cultures to get married, incredibly enough this kind of couples do still have problems nowadays with their family and friends, or even society in general. Fortunately, this is changing little by little.

Though I’m not a big fan of Nia Vardalos, the leading actress, I think her acting is, if not brilliant, not bad at all. At any rate, I prefer her partner, John Corbett, who I know very well for his effective roles in two of my favourite TV series: Northern exposure, and Sex and the city.

The character I like most is Toula’s father, Gus. An unyielding, devoted family man, who sometimes may look like an old fuddy-duddy but in fact feels really proud of his Greek roots. He loves his daughter most of all, but too often he can be really annoying and pigheaded. In my opinion, Michael Constantine, the actor who plays this role, does a great job and is the protagonist of many of the funniest scenes.

To finish, I have to say My Big Fat Greek Wedding is not the best film I’ve ever seen, and probably it won’t appeal to everyone, but undoubtedly it is easy to watch, full of enjoyable moments, and I would recommend it to all of you who want to have a nice time in front of the TV screen with your family or friends.

Belén Sánchez: ICELAND, A COUNTRY THAT MAKES YOU FEEL ALIVE

Last August, I was so lucky to spend two weeks travelling around Iceland. I had never been so enchanted and impressed by a place.

Iceland is an amazing island located halfway between Europe and North America. Though not so far from Spain as many people may think, it is not the place to go if you are looking for a relaxing holiday lying on the beach, but, if you are looking for some adventure, this is definitely your destination!

The first thing that struck me in Iceland were its empty roads, and the absence of people. Despite the fact it is becoming a very popular tourist destination, everyday you find more fluffy sheep and small Icelandic horses than people.

The island became famous for a volcano with an unpronounceable name, Eyjafjallajökull, which caused an enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe when it erupted in 2010.

The natural landscapes across the country are so great and diverse that you hardly get bored: breathtaking waterfalls, huge glaciers and volcanos, hotsprings, geysers, blue icebergs, astonishing landscapes ... The view of the icebergs floating in the lake leaves you speechless.

The mind-blowing iceberg lagoon Jökulsárlón.

Something that you cannot miss in Iceland are its natural hotsprings and geysers. Thermal waters are not only a tourist attraction, but also an important source of energy. Imagine hot water (100 degrees) rising 40 metres into the air every ten minutes. Simply spectacular!

Geysir, the most famous geyser

But besides its stunning nature, one of Iceland’s many charms is definitely the people. Icelanders are extremely friendly and always helpful. Never chatty but ready to give information if asked for. Most of them are very proud of their country and are always delighted to show it to foreigners. Another thing I liked about them is that they really trust people. They leave the doors of their houses and cars open, and usually nothing happens. As a matter of fact, Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world.

Something that surprised me a lot is that a high percentage of Icelanders believe in elves and trolls! Incredibly enough, many roads in Iceland have been rerouted in order to avoid disturbing the rocks where these fantastic creatures might live.

Finally, if you go to Iceland, you definitely should try the extraordinary fish. Cod, salmon, even whale if you like it, are really fantastic. Also, if you are brave enough, you can try rotten fish, which is one of the national delicacies.

So Iceland is worth a visit for many, many reasons. I would thoroughly recommend this country to whoever likes travelling and discovering different places.

No doubt I will go back soon. It is, so far, at the top of my repeat-vacation travel list. Next time I will go in winter. There is one thing I missed this time that I’d really love to see: The Northern lights.