I might not be an avid poet, but my passion for music has brought me close to Leonard Cohen. His works have been inspiration for my artwork, for a mood change and for a time of introspection. I still remember the time I shakily performed "Hallelujah" at my 6th grade talent show, overcoming a fear of public performace to share one of my favorite songs.
There might be one more person who appreciates Leonard Cohen than I. (Kidding, I know of his popularity) Perla Batalla, Leonard Cohen's backup singer for many years (and trusted friend) wins the appreciation spot. She worked closely with him throughout the majority of his career and went on to have a solo career of her own. I was lucky enough to see her perform recently, and I was blown away by her ability to share so much emotion during her singing.
As a Mestiza, she spoke of her relationship to the Spanish language and some of the struggles of translating poetry accross different languages. I had never even considered that the same emotion, metaphor and imagery from a poem could be lost in translation. She and Leonard were determined to explore his songs and poems through the Spanish language. I must say that the emotion present in his original works were carried through to the performance of the song in Spanish during the concert. I was blown away.
There might be one more person who appreciates Leonard Cohen than I. (Kidding, I know of his popularity) Perla Batalla, Leonard Cohen's backup singer for many years (and trusted friend) wins the appreciation spot. She worked closely with him throughout the majority of his career and went on to have a solo career of her own. I was lucky enough to see her perform recently, and I was blown away by her ability to share so much emotion during her singing.
As a Mestiza, she spoke of her relationship to the Spanish language and some of the struggles of translating poetry accross different languages. I had never even considered that the same emotion, metaphor and imagery from a poem could be lost in translation. She and Leonard were determined to explore his songs and poems through the Spanish language. I must say that the emotion present in his original works were carried through to the performance of the song in Spanish during the concert. I was blown away.