– Note: Although I would like you to read the story first and then play the music, I am including a link to the music here Here
About 10 years ago, I wrote a prose that after all this time came back to me by itself. I was dreaming a few days ago, like every night, and it appeared in the middle of my dream without a reason, like a TV commercial, and reminded me of that text that I titled “The scent of Havana”
After the dream, the idea of writing a song about the Havana subject, which is now a pre-teen at its 10 years of age, was planted in my head. I had to put some Caribbean music on those unstructured ideas and make them dance.
I did not dislike the task at all, on the contrary, the only problem was to find a time to make those sensations, now 10 years old, somehow return to my senses. As if it were so easy to put the sensations in the freezer to use them at some point in the future! No, I had to close my eyes, immerse myself in the heat of the memories for about a couple of hours and bring them back. This is not particularly easy when you’re at work.
I had a motif to start with, I mean a musical theme, as the subject of the song, has been already dictated from beyond, or from a little more here, to not go that far. I chose the phrase “Your scent Habana” would be my motif. I expected it would sing its tune. Every sentence in a given language have its own melody, rhythm and pace. This was no exception, the phrase sung itself, and I loved it. It goes like this: ♫ Your scent Havana – I am sure you can hear it.
With the motif and the piano on the fingers, I began to develop what would be the phrases that will accompany the main theme, that at this point lasts only 2 seconds. It should not be so difficult, I only had to add about 90 seconds to the left and 90 seconds to the right of the motif and would have a 182 seconds song, in other words, 3:02 minutes. 3 minutes is the industry standard to make the song “radio friendly” and although it was not my intention to be as friendly to the radio, was a good starting point.
I spent some time working on the sentences that would give meaning and unity to a broader idea, It will be something like “♫ Your scent Havana, ta ta ta… Ta ta ta ta, tata tata tatatata tata Tán” I was sure I could find the rest of the words. I decided to further develop the other sections and not to worry about those tata tatas. So I wrote a rhythm section with an twist of of Danzón or Cha Cha for the verses. Then I wrote a new musical idea, different from the original to function as an introduction and intermezzo.
My rebel subconscious wanted to throw a couple of dissonances here and there, but my conscious said, that would break with the traditional feel of the song. After several hours of negotiations, they agreed to put the dissonances only at the beginning and end. My subconscious was not very happy, but agreed to not create a bigger problem with his counterpart that after all is the one that brings the daily bread for the family.
After several hours of internal discussion I was able finish the remaining 180 seconds. I had to practice all the pieces together, make the glue between each part not obvious, lay the repetitions in the right places and not let their individual egos to kidnap the spirit of the song. The music was finished, I made a rustic recording just to not to forget its primo genus stage. Now I just have to write the other 180 seconds of lyrics to accompany the two seconds of “Your scent, Havana”
If anyone has some lyrics in the freezer that like to dance, send them here. Here, there is a voiceless song seeking some Cha Cha Cha.
For those that read the entire thing, Thank you! The music is here Here