Hive Open Mic ( #openmic ) is a virtual music stage, giving musicians a chance to freely share their music with an organized audience.
This past week, I visited the Gulf of Mexico, in order to capture some scenes for a music video, and also to fulfill a promise to my daughter, Rosalie. We planned to visit the ocean for Spring Break, but the beaches were closed due to social distancing. So we jumped at this first chance to vacation to the coast, now that the beaches are open again.
We captured some surreal scenes on camera, telling the story of a journey into the afterlife. In one scene, a guitarist and a guardian angel walk directly into the sea. In another scene, they fly across the coastal sky. This is a project I will share here on Hive as soon as it's ready—in the next few weeks.
Luar
A Hymn to Yemanjá, by Léo Artese
Returning to the coast rejuvenated my deep appreciation for the ocean and its great mystery. To me, being in the presence of something so colossal, so powerful, so secretive, so hidden... it humbles me. It makes my worldly troubles seem so small.
This week's visit was the realization of a life-long dream: surfing. I often daydreamed about surfing, fantasizing about the mermaids, mesmerized. And this time the conditions were perfect for a first attempt. The waves were about 6' high. My friend and I arrived at sunrise on a glorious golden morning. Simply amazing.
After returning home to Austin, Texas, we had to face the fact that our hometown is locked down due to fears concerning COVID-19. So it was a challenging integration at first, and it stirred up some emotions in us. Yesterday morning, I brought the ocean energy in again through the medicine song I'm sharing here. The healing is real!
In my interpretation, the process of illumination is all about facing fears and shining a light into the dark areas of awareness—this is called shadow work. Music is one of the primary tools we have for processing emotions in this way, working through pain and dissonance, if necessary, in order to arrive at comfort and resonance.
So, for my fourth entry into the Hive Open Mic, I offer a fresh cover song called "Luar," which is the Portuguese word for "Moonlight." For me, this song has an amazing ability to help me work through heavy emotions, leaving me feeling lighter. It's like the waves of this song pull me down deep, clean my heart, and then lift me up.
A year ago, I met the owner of this heart-strummingly beautiful hymn. His name is Léo Artese, a holistic therapist and scholar of shamanism. This artist and this hymn to Yemanjá made a lasting impression on me. I am thankful for the gifts that arrive each time I have the pleasure of hearing and singing this song, imagining and sensing the motherly love and comforts that our oceans give to us.
Luar is a well-known medicine song in some circles, honoring the Queen of the Sea: Yemanja. Yemanja is a spiritual symbol that represents the motherly qualities of our oceans. Of course, the ocean symbolizes the emotions, and so Yemanja is also associated with emotional cleansing and healing.
To me, this song is filled with wonderful imagery: a silver beam of moonlight illuminating the sea foam, with mermaids... So beautiful. So brilliant. One of the many outstanding lines in this song is this one:
English: Illuminate my deep waters so that I may decipher the mysteries of my sea.
Português: Iluminai minhas profundas águas para eu decifrar mistérios de meu mar.
Lyrics
Written in Portuguese. Rooted in Brazil.
Iluminando o céu e as espumas do Mar
Lindo clarão à beira-mar
Vejo Mamãe Iemanjá
Nos abençoar Rainha Iemanjá
Dona das águas tu és Mãe
Oh! Janaina Odoiá
Para eu decifrar mistérios de meu mar
Desse meu mar de emoções
Rainha vem iluminar
Amor fundamental tão puro e maternal
Iemanjá vem confortar
Oh! Janaina Odoiá
Translated in English.
Illuminating the sky and froths of the sea
Beautiful moonlight on the sea shore
I see Mama Yemanjá
To bless us, Queen Yemanjá
Lady of the waters, you are Mother
Oh! Janaina Odoiá
So that I may decipher the mysteries of my sea
Of my ocean of emotions
The Queen comes to illuminate
Fundamental love so pure and maternal
Yemanjá comes to comfort
Oh! Janaina Odoiá
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the musicians and music fans participating in the Hive Open Mic, making it such a pleasant and rewarding experience. Hive Open Mic - Week 4 is underway right now, with theme: "Song of the Sea." We're already hearing some awesome music this week, and I'm hopeful we'll have more entries and more encouragement from the Hive community.
I am so very thankful for the waters of our planet. I feel refreshed in our bonding as a family and in our relationship as a parenthood and in my selfhood. We saw a green alligator, pink spoonbills, white ibises, blue herons, a violet man-o-war, magenta hibiscus flowers, yellow prickly pear blossoms, leopard-spotted crab shells, rainbows... vivid colors everywhere.
Thanks for your amazing live music performance!
What a beautiful song. You sing it with a great dedication. This is also a great post with lots of good quality content. You've got it down to an artform! Awesome!
This performance has been cross-posted to the HiveStreet Community!
A virtual hub for street performers and live music on the Hive blockchain!
#virtualbusking
Thanks brother. Just trying to stretch myself, trying new things, celebrating the small successes. Cheers!
What an amazing cover. It's like Jesus is actually singing :D And also yay there's open mic again!!! Good luck :D
Happy to hear you're excited about the open mic! So fun to hear you're reminded of Jesus. :) Thank you.