I have believed in the healing powers of music all my life. Ever since I was a kid, music has always chased away all my worries. It just happens. I hear music and I’m transported to a different world, an alternate universe of sorts. Whatever terrible or challenging is happening around me doesn’t have that much relevance once the needle hits the groove. In lack of a better way to put it, it’s magic.
I vividly remember having lost my wallet once. Luckily, I was young enough then not to have any credit cards. All I lost was thirty bucks but of course, to a thirteen year old that’s a small fortune. I came home that day and listened to some Duran Duran and by the time Rio (the album) came to an end, the thirty dollars didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. Why am I telling you this? Well, this very same thing happened again a few months ago, when I heard our track of the week “Yellow” by Gaumar for the first time. An incredibly bad day, during which I had gotten a speeding ticket amongst other things, took a turn for the better suddenly.
“Yellow” is an incredibly enticing tune that will stay with you for weeks once you’ve heard it. It mixes R&B with jazz, soul and pop and does all that extremely well. Truth be told, it’s one of those tunes that is very difficult not to like even if you are not in the target audience. I love the guitars, the harmonizing in the “rap” section of the track and the playful lead vocals. Oh, and the hook “Do you want to, do you want to, do you want to know?” is simply put brilliant!
I asked Gaumar what the song is about. Her response was:
“Yellow” is a song about my favorite color first, and the feeling you have when you’re peaceful inside, when everything is fine. It’s a song about mojo and good vibes.
Indeed it is. If this track doesn’t put a smile on your face then probably nothing will.
With its irresistible chorus and great production values, “Yellow” is one of the best and most exciting tunes submitted to Music to Celebrate Life during its existence and establishes Gaumar as an artist to keep an eye on. The rumour has it that she has an album coming out in 2019 – something to definitely look forward to.
Oh, and about good vibes. One of my dad’s old sailor buddies John always insisted that you can force some happiness into your day by smiling even if you don’t feel like it. It didn’t always work however. My favorite memory of him is when he was forcing a smile after he’d had a huge row with his wife. He walked out of the kitchen with the biggest phony smile I have ever seen – you know the type that looks more like a seizure than an actual smile. We were visiting them that day, so of course I asked him sarcastically if the “power of smiling” (that’s what he called it) was working. He looked at me angrily and asked, “Is she still breathing?” I responded with an affirmative. He blurted out, “Well, then it sure as hell isn’t.”
You can learn more about GAUMAR here:
About the curator - Tommi Tikka
Tommi Tikka is a linguist, poet, professional songwriter, recording artist and a music aficionado. He started playing guitar when he was four and writing songs when he was six. Consequently, he doesn't remember a time when he wasn't playing or writing. It's fair to say, music and lyrics are not just something he loves to engage himself in. To him, they are a way of life.
You can check out his current band The Impersonators here:
And the music of his previous group Carmen Gray here: Spotify
