I was blessed to cross paths with this man when I was 12 years ago, just about ten years ago. My first encounter with him was as a Capoeira teacher, Capoeira being an Afro-Brazilian form that changed my way of life and thus, my view of the world. But, along the way I encountered Manel as a human being who would take different forms when necessary. One day I'd see him as a brother, the next as a father, the next as something else. He's as flexible in his soul as he is in his physical form. However, throughout my times around this phenomenon of a human being, he constantly got me thinking about music. From listening to him create harmonies against whatever music was playing at the time to jamming with him a couple years ago, I'm always astounded at the natural mystic that seems to emerge from his vocal wisdom. Have a listen to this stunning cover of Jason Mraz's masterpiece "I'm Yours", dedicated to the woman he loves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmE829nJPFs
Amazing. Needless to say, it's missing the live energy he brings to his performances, but it'll have to do for now. If you ever get the chance to take a Capoeira class with him, I'm nearly certain that he'll sing, and that's where you'll get that incredible vibration that he fills the room with. Unlike certain singers who sing for the note, Manel sings for the passion of it (although I'm pretty sure he'd cringe at a bad note).
Anyways, let's talk about another cover of Manel's. A couple years ago a cover of Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father" appear on the same Youtube channel. I'm unsure who uploads the videos, him or his girlfriend, but in any case, I'm happy they are there for people to listen to. In this cover Manel gives the keyboards a try, quite successfully, considering he hadn't been on them for a while. I do wish however, that he had a good recording system to give his vocals a little more volume. There are so many Youtubers out there who sound "Amazing!", "Great!" or "The Best!" merely because of their recording equipment. If you were to apply some great recording equipment to Manel's voice, he'd be huge on Youtube by now. What are your thoughts? Listen to his cover of this great track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ELJKHhbtP8
Beautiful, thought it deserves more attention. I do wish that Manel continued to upload covers and somehow "got out there". I've always tried to get the chance to organise a performance with him but due to the distance and bad timing, it hasn't worked out yet. Keep your eyes and ears open though! Whenever I get the chance to put that project together, I'll let you know.
Anyways, you're probably wondering what I'm going to do since Manel hasn't uploaded an original song. Well, I was going through a bunch of his videos available on Youtube. And that's when it struck me. A Capoeira showreel of his has a Capoeira song that he wrote as its soundtrack. The song's title signifies humility and seems to capture Manel's essence at the time it was recorded. Accompanied by his Banzo de Senzala family (which I'm honoured to be a part of), he truly sings his heart out. Enjoy this mind-blowing video and get lost in Manel's vocals that fly like a free bird through the heavy percussion. I could write on about Manel endlessly, since I know him so well, but I guess a bit of mystery always helped. Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKu9xc3TZvY
Alex Hamel
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