Liberal Arts Blog — Ricardo Arjona, Guatemalan Icon, “Jesus Es Verbo, No Sustantivo” (Jesus is a Verb, not a Noun)
Liberal Arts Blog — Thursday is the Joy of Music Day
Today’s Topic: Ricardo Arjona, Guatemalan Icon, “Jesus Es Verbo, No Sustantivo” (Jesus is a Verb, not a Noun)
Last time, a medley of “It Must Have Been Love” by Swedish duo Roxette, “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, and “This Cold War with You” by Floyd Tillman.
Two weeks ago, Jethro Tull. Three weeks ago: Canned Heat, the Mamas and the Papas, and Van Morrison. Four weeks ago, three classic Neapolitan songs featuring Luciano Pavarotti. Five weeks ago a two part series on Joseph Haydn.
Seven weeks ago, Miley Cyrus. Eight weeks ago, the beloved “Butterfly Song” from Vietnam. Nine weeks ago, Tracey Chapman, Luke Combs, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and the Papageno-Papagena duet from Mozart’s Magic Flute. Ten weeks ago “Rwanda Nziza” the most beloved song from Rwanda. Eleven weeks ago, “Chang, chang, chang, chang, chang” a classic childhood song from Thailand.
Today, a song introduced to me by a Guatemalan Uber driver two weeks ago on my drive into Cambridge. He told me that Arjona is the greatest Guatemalan singer of all time and that this is his best song.
I have written about Guatemala before on “Foreign Policy Day.” That note included a section on the song “La Luna de Xelaju” — the unofficial national anthem of Guatemala. (See last link below).
Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
JESUS ES VERBO, NO SUSTANTIVO (1988) — “Jesus is a verb, not a noun”
1. “Ayer, Jesus afino mi guitarra y agudizo mis sentidos, me inspiro, papel y lapiz en mano apunto la cancion y me negue a escribir porque hablar y escribir sobre Jesus es redundar seria mejor actuar.”
2. “Yesterday, Jesus tuned my guitar and sharpened my senses, he inspired me, paper and pencil in hand, he dictated the song and I refused to write, for talking and writing about Jesus is redundant, it would ve better to tak action.”
3. “Luego me dijo que la unica forma de no redundar es decir la verdad, decir que Jesus es accion y movimiento no cinco letras formando un nombre decir que a Jesus le gusta que actuemon no que hablemos, decir que Jesus es verbo, no sustantivo.”
NB: “Then something told me that the only way to avoid redundancy it’s by telling the truth, saying that Jesus is action and movement, not five letters making up a name, saying that Jesus wants us to take action not to talk, saying that Jesus is a verb, not a noun.”
JESUS ES MAS QUE UNA SIMPLE, LLANA TEORIA (Jesus is more than a simple, shallow theory) Below: Merced convent in “Antigua Guatemala”
1. “Que haces hermano, leyendo la biblia todo el dia, lo que aqui esta escrito se resume en amor, vamos ve practicalo, Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo”
2. “Jesus is more than a simple and shallow theory, what are you doing brother reading the bible all day, what’s written in it can be summed up in Love come on goand practice it. My brothers, Jesus is a verb, not a noun.”
3. “Jesus es mas que un templo de lujo, con tendencia barroca, el sabe que total a la larga esto es no mas que roca la iglesia se lleva en el alma y en los actos no so te olvide, Jesus es verbo, no sustantivo.”
NB: “Jesus is more than a lavish temple of baroque style, He knows that ultimately this is nothing but rock. The church is carried in the soul and in one’s deeds, don’t forget that, my brothers, Jesus is a verb not a noun.”
RICARDO ARJONA (1964 — ) from basketball to Mexican soap opera to Latin pop star
1. Born in Jocotenango, Guatemala. Grew up in Guatemala City.
2. “Arjona was a talented basketball player who played for Leones de Marte and TRIAS. He toured Central America as a member of the Guatemala Nation basketball team. Until recently, he held the record for the most points scored (78) in a single game by a Guatemalan.”
3. Other big hits: “Fuiste Tu,” “Desnuda,” “Historia de Taxi,” “El Problema”
NB: Ever been to Guatemala? Favorite geographic wonder? historical site?
Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo — Wikipedia
Ricardo Arjona — El Amor Que Me Tenía (Official Video)
Iglesia de La Merced, Antigua Guatemala — Wikipedia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPN1CfbjlpI
Gaby Moreno ft. Oscar Isaac: Luna de Xelajú | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Thinking Citizen Blog — Guatemala — What Should Every Thinking Citizen Know?
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My spin — then periodically review, re-rank, and exchange your list with. those you love. I call this the “Orion Exchange” because seven is about as many as any human can digest at a time. Game?
LAST FOUR YEARS OF POSTS ORGANIZED THEMATICALLY
Updating PDFs: 2023 — Google Drive
ATTACHMENTS BELOW:
#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).
#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, (11/17/20)
YOUR TURN
Time to share the coolest thing you learned in the last week related to music. Or the coolest thing you learned in your life related to music. Say your favorite song or songs. Or your favorite tips for breathing, posture, or relaxation. Or some insight into the history of music….Or just something random about music… like a joke about drummers. jazz, rock….or share an episode or chapter in your musical autobiography.
This is your chance to make some one else’s day. And perhaps to cement in your memory something important you would otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than you otherwise would about something that matters to you.
