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There is always a lot of expectation around New Year´s Eve. Basically, two main groups dispute endlessly the right thing to be done on this particular night: the ones who prefer to sleep over it and start the New Year fresh and renewed, and the ones who believe you´ve got to have some sort of ritual to assure an auspicious year to come.

As I mentioned before, in Brazil a New Year´s classic ritual is to dress in white. It is one of my favourite traditions, but I have many other personal ones. My mental personal retrospective. As the first dawn of the year approaches, I let my mind fly back to the same period, a year ago. No doubt we moved a few steps forward.

Need an example? The single fact of having a vaccine developed in such a short time is already a huge development for humanity. It should be a sign of hope for humanity, but then again, there is all the mess going on everywhere. Future generations will have problems trying to understand how could we be so brilliant and so dumb at the same time.

Nevertheless, it is hard to pretend that there is nothing going on and that we should live our lives “old normal” style. With protocols changing all the time, it is very hard to plan anything at all, from a single performance to a tour. Artists, booking agents, venue owners, regulars: everyone is frustrated. And tired. Everyone is really tired.

I wish I had a flawless plan for the year starting today. Something that I could share with you, some sort of “5 steps to get it done in 2022” list, but I don´t. There is a lot of uncertainty going on, that´s for sure. Do you know what is also for sure? We will make mistakes. A lot of them. Wanna know why? Because life is like a concert.

As I say to my musicians before going on stage, it doesn´t matter how many times we have rehearsed and prepared ourselves for the show. There will always be some surprise in the middle of the way.

You don´t have to look for the unexpected (you don´t need to), but when it comes, don´t fight it. Embrace it, adjust the route and move on.

Enjoy your New Year.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Corporations always win. The average individual, caught in the net of big companies, which will decide all aspects of their lives. From what you eat, to where you keep your money; from how you spend your leisure time to with whom you spend your pleasure time, there is always a corporation involved. Not even religious dates manage to escape the voracious radar of corporations and Christmas is no exception.

My story begins early in the month, on December 6th. On that day I bought online eighteen packages of Panettone to give as a present to family and friends. In Brazil, the Italian yeast-leavened bread, usually made with raisins, candied fruit peels, almonds, and a bit of brandy is a holiday traditional, and I was very happy for the good deal. With the delivery due to the fourteenth, what could go wrong? Well, quite a lot, as I would find out.

By the 10th it was clear to me that the package would not arrive on time. My account on the web store kept showing: “preparing your order” and the web chat was not a big help either. One day, I waited online for seven hours (I started in the 79th position on the line) just to be automatically disconnect, when the counter showed there were three people ahead of me. Pure evil? A total lack of organization? A mix of both?

I was not only very angry about not getting any kind of attention by the company, but also totally frustrated about the lack of my (already plaid) gifts. My sister came with a partial solution: a local super market had enough packages to replace my lost, by the same price. Great! The big corporations would not ruin my Holiday, although there was still the matter of the money to be solved.

On the 15th, since the delivered date had expired, I logged in again on my account on the web store and canceled the purchase. No need to tell you that, again, the company did not contact me. Little did I know, the plot twist was about to happen.

On the 20th the order arrived. Watching that huge box with all the packages laying on living room I felt confused. No sign from the company, no money back, double costs to me, double profits for them (if you consider the replacements bought at the supermarket). I simply did not know what to do, and hated the fact of being made “a hostage” by a big company.

I felt really angry and quite guilty for having such a feeling so close to Christmas. After all, no situation is so bad that it cannot be made worse by guilt. On the following day, I had a great idea, which turned the situation in my favor. A second plot twist: instead of trying to reach the company for a refund, I would simply donate the Panettones to the orphanage I usually help. Of course!

This way, it does not matter anymore, if the company will ever pay me back or, at least, answer one of the numerous e-mails I´ve sent. The packages had already paid themselves, so to speak. This time, the big corporation would not win, for a change.

The next day, the box with the Panettone packages was gone and there was a big empty space in my living room, but my heart was overflowing with pure joy. Since then, I feel ready for a Happy New Year.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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I am Sagittarian. December 19th is my birthday and no, this is not a bad thing “because you probably get just one present for both Christmas and birthday, right?”

Wrong! Wrong! All wrong! You might find it hard to believe, but most people tend to be generous to December born kids. Why? Maybe because of our tremendous charisma (ha, ha) or maybe it is just a nice side effect of the season.

Actually, December-born folks believe they are kind of blessed for being born close to Christmas. I mean, do they decorate the city on your birthday´s month?

We are aware it is not for us, but still a tiny part of our hearts is convinced that all the fuzz in December, must have something to do with our birthday. Go ahead and ask any Sagittarian, but I warn you: it is hard to discuss with a Centaurus carrying a bow and arrow.

Under the influence of Jupiter, we want to expand the limits of the body, mind and soul. It may be a beautiful thing, but it can also lead to all sorts of excesses and self-indulging experiences. Reaching for the stars, Sagittarians hate to deal with daily mundane conflicts, but are always ready (and glad to) discuss politics, religion or any other “hard subject”, the ones people usually avoid. Crazy, you think? So do we.

A true member of the Sagittarius Club, Argentinian iconic singer and songwriter Carlos Gardel was born on December 11th 1890 and and in his homage today is celebrated Tango Day.

I have a complete EP on cumbias and tangos, recorded in Montevideo, with local musicians. It is called La Nueva Milonga. The selection of the repertoire involved a lot of research on the typical rhythms of the Río de la Plata region, including the overlaps with the Brazilian music.

The influence of tango in Brazil is the motto for the podcast La Nueva Milonga – Tango e Música Brasileira, available now in all major streaming platforms.

Native speaker or Portuguese language lover, enjoy yourself!

Be seeing you!

G. F.

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The satirical paper’s headline cut to the chase: “Person Who Bought Something He Really Needed on Black Friday Intrigues Scientists”. Of all the fashions recently imported from the USA, Black Friday is the one that most feeds the consumer monster that lives inside each one of us. First restricted to one day, in Brazil the concept was extended to the entire month of November, with special emphasis on the last Friday, when consumer tension levels reach their highest peaks.

Even if you managed to escape all the “super offers”, it is very likely that the personal item you really needed to buy anyway, ended up in your virtual shopping cart. And then, my friend, before you knew it, a thing or two that perhaps you might need someday have also found their way to it, you know, just to round up the bill (it would be a shame to miss the free shipping after all).

I think there are a lot of elements involved in this equation, and advertising handles them all very well. Greed, timing and, above all, willingness to take part in a collective movement certainly play an important role in this hugely successful formula, to the point that now even banks (!) have started announcing Black Friday deals. Unfortunately they didn’t include really useful things like a mortgage reduction for example, but so what? The important thing is to take part in this party, isn’t it?

Musicians tend to take advantage of the date announcing discounts on the price of their catalogs and merch, and I believe that if you do your homework well, there is a real possibility of extra earnings. And this is precisely my problem with taking advantage of the consumerist delusion for my own cause.

Every year, the last week of November comes too fast for me. I suspect it has to do with the shock of the realization that the end of the year is just around the corner, waiting for us and there is nothing we can do about it. Anyway, I understand you, dear reader, and I know that just like me, you appreciate doing things at your own pace. I also know that this year hasn’t been easy and you need a little help getting ready for 2022.

So, here is my kind of Black Friday, actually Cyber Monday deal: for thirty days you can use the coupon LASTCHANCE for an incredible 65% off on the price of The Touring Jazz Musician – A Guide to Jazz Festivals Worldwide.

The guide has a list of jazz fests that accept entries made directly by artists. It can be consulted by event date, name or country, and the best part is that you get all updated editions of The Touring Jazz Musician – A Guide to Jazz Festivals Worldwide for free!

If you are an independent jazz musician who knows the value of a tool that saves your time, you will not miss this opportunity. Click here to use your coupon.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Do you know when you have a full scheduled day, but destiny keeps testing your will, by putting a million little problems on you way? Welcome to my week! From medical appointments to groceries delivery, this week I had to exercise my patience and tolerance for other human beings on a daily basis. Not always successfully, but the really important thing is trying, right?

Here is my trick, when things go wrong: repeat to yourself “it is all Maya”. Again, now breathing: it is all Maya. Felling better already? Sure you are aware of the concept, but just in case, let´s refresh: according to Hinduism and Buddhism, the world we live in is a mere illusion created by gods and demons. Maya is the name of this illusion, by which the universe becomes manifest (did anyone say “Matrix”?).

Write that down, kids: everything you hear, see, smell, taste and touch is nothing but Maya. It does not matter how expensive it was, it does not matter how many “views” and “likes” you were able to pile. Still Maya.

I wonder how this concept could blow the minds of so many people, in a way they cannot even imagine, if they would bother to care. Maya can be a cozy place. However, I doubt it can be enjoyed permanently, unless you double the bet and drown in your own illusions.

It works for a lot of folks, sadly (or not) I does not work for me. I dare to say it does not work for anyone who wants to be considered an artist, for art use our senses to question reality, to doubt what is taken for granted, offering a different perception of the world. That book you love, that song you play, when you are felling sad, that painting that makes your imagination fly, they all use your senses to take you beyond them.

Art defies Maya.

Be seeing you!

G.F.