Motomami

Twenty-first commandment of a motomami: a Motomami will finally be able to write a post today and feel satisfied! So here I am to accept the challenge, after three weeks of failed attempts.

There are many things I have to talk about and many feelings that I would like to express, but obviously you can't do everything on command, it takes the time it takes and you have to wait for the right moment. The one where thoughts and words finally come together.

But let's start with the definitions... what is a Motomami? It is not really easy to explain but certainly the Moto of all Motos and the Mami of all Mamis is her, La Rosalía! I can perfectly say that Rosalía is one of the most successful Spanish singers in the world today. And I am not exaggerating since with her album "El Mal Querer" released in 2018 and with some prestigious collaborations, she has managed to arrive where no other female singer of this nationality has ever arrived before.

I remember well the first time I listened to one of her songs. I had recently traveled to Spain and partly to learn the language, partly to fight the melancholy, I started listening to a lot of music in Spanish. Although initially I listened more to Latin music such as Morat, Sebastián Yatra, Cristian Castro or Lalí and Mau y Ricky, little by little I began to discover new artists, also thanks to the random proposals of YouTube. Indeed, it was YouTube that initially continued to show me the song "Malamente" of Rosalía. I always skipped forward because I thought she was just another urban artist who sang half naked, but one day I listened to her by chance and she left me speechless.

She has a unique style that blends flamenco with reggaeton and mixes a bunch of other completely new sounds with it. She also has a very personal way of dressing, making up, combing her hair, getting her nails (kilometric) and moving her hands when dancing, which is why she cannot be confused with any other artist. And of course I was fascinated by her since the very first moment.

Now we were saying, Motomami. Motomami is the title of her third and last album, released just a few months ago, in which Rosalía changes and transforms, reinventing her musical genre once again. Motomami is a lifestyle, Rosalía's personal definition of herself as a woman who is strong and fragile at the same time, but which each of us can apply to herself as she wishes.

Motomami also gives its name to her world tour which started on Wednesday 6th July right here in Almería. When the dates were announced months ago, I didn't believe it. I thought it was a joke. Why should an artist like Rosalía start a world tour right on a courtyard in this small Andalusian town? Couldn't she have started in Seville, or in Madrid or in Barcelona? Instead it really happened, and I was among the first fans to see her performing her new songs, along with other hits from her past.

Among other things, I was excited about the idea of returning to live the experience of a live concert after the restrictions of the pandemic. Not that I particularly love being squashed among other people (often drunky), but in this case it was certainly worth it. It was a real show. Maybe not at the visual levels of international pop stars, but certainly full of personality and above all talent. Yes because La Rosalía is one of the best artists I've ever seen. And ger voice is wonderful. Strong and feeble at the same time but always vibrant. And when she sings flamenco you feel the goosebumps. No other one sings like her.

However, La Rosalía is also a controversial figure. For her sound which is so particular, that you love it or you hate it, but also for the bold and sometimes explicit lyrics, for her look or for the way she presents herself on the social media. All this to say that although her talent is almost never questioned, not everyone likes her. I had already gone through a phase similar to this, when I was literally in love with Lady Gaga and everything she stood for. To tell the truth, Rosalía reminds me of her for many things...and I get passionate about these characters who are so strong and often so controversial.

Perhaps because there is a part of me that would really like to be like them. And I'm not talking about physical appearance, career or lifestyle. I'm talking about people who have been able to make the most of their gifts and talents in spite of adversity, and have built their success by remaining true to themselves. This does not mean that we must always remain the same or that we must necessarily please the masses, but that we must be people who seek ourselves, know ourselves and live fully according to our own conscience.

Speaking more in general, you will surely know how important music is to me. Music accompanies us throughout life, makes us remember, makes us reflect, can relieve pain and lift our mood. I always think that music is one of the ways we have to transform our life. Because if I am sad and cry it is only sadness, but if I do it accompanied by the right music, then it is art.

Music has accompanied me in every period of my life. This is why I write about a concert, this is why I write about a singer, because while I write about these things, I am also talking about myself. Today my playlist actually ranges from different styles and genres. From the classic American pop that will never go out of fashion, to flamenco, from electronic dance to relaxing music, from progressive metal to the Maghreb hot hits on Spotify.

I guess being a Motomami is mainly being yourself, without being ashamed. I don't know why writing is so difficult for me right now. A moment in which things are better in my working environment, but also physically and emotionally. Maybe because despite this, I am still going through a phase of evolution and I find it hard to define my feelings, but also my dreams and my wishes for the future. And then I wait for the right moment to come when I will understand something. For the moment I will let the music talking for me.

And maybe we will meet again on December 1st.