the LIFESTYLE

The Villa comes from my study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina during 2010. In Argentina “villa,” or “villa miseria,” describes temporary housing areas  found throughout urban areas. One day someone who worked in the apartment building I lived in invited me to dinner at his house in the outskirts of the city. He lives in Villa Caraza, south of the center and he plays in a band. During my visit I recorded an instrumental performed by a young keyboard player.

As a friend gave me a ride home back to the city we discussed life in Villa Caraza during and after the military dictatorship that ruled over Argentina from 1976-1983. I wrote the lyrics for The Villa the night after and chopped the piano player’s sample into the song. The sample in the middle is from Manu Chau. Whoever can guess what song it is on a comment gets a shout out on Twitter plus a bonus mini ep from me!

The Villa

The following is an acoustic version.

The Villa

I’ve never been to a place like this where the house is nice if it’s made of bricks

I’ve never talked to people like this who fondly remember that dictatorship

I’ve never been to a place like this where the house is nice if it’s made of bricks

I’ve never talked to people like this who fondly remember that dictatorship

Fondly remember years when/ People were behind bars that now offer drugs to their children/Psychos and they’re all on the loose/ There’s vice in the street when it used to be taboo/ Used to leave their cars unlocked/ Now there isn’t a single car left anywhere on the block/ Sure they tell me there were thousands tortured/ Now everybody is tormented by disorder/ Something we can’t understand where I’m from/ Dictatorship’s the antithesis to America/ But this isn’t quite Myrtle Beach/ I mean these places been told what do since they were colonies/ now it dawns on me/ The futility/ Of passing judgment on other societies/ Cuz life in the villa just keeps worse/ It’s hot out here these people hunger and thirst/They rumble and burst/ Quick to rob and usurp/ While we blog and research/ These places rot in the dirt/ And some of these people seem happy as hell gave me pollo a la parrilla and cared for me well.

I’ve never been to a place like this where the house is nice if it’s made of bricks

I’ve never talked to people like this who fondly remember that dictatorship

I’ve never been to a place like this where the house is nice if it’s made of bricks

I’ve never talked to people like this who fondly remember that dictatorship

The following is a short video of some of the musicians involved in the making of the Villa. The younger person is the one who plays the piano in the clip. They’re playing Chamamé, music that comes from Northeastern Argentina.

Reflection and Response.

P