{Today brings a close to my 33 1/3 challenge to start off the “new” Melting Pot. It’s been an interesting time, being compelled to keep coming up with content without a single day off. I will now be taking a little time off before settling into a rhythm of 3-5 weekly posts. I’ve got a lot on the back burner, including monthly Melting Pot Radio show, a bunch of records to highlight, and new Jazz & Psychedelic mixes to work on…onwards and upwards!}
If you read my original post back in 2014, it probably wasn’t much of a surprise that my single favorite song from the first seven years of Melting Pot would be “Minha Gente.” Unlike “Glowin'” or “Life Could” which present more of a direct philosophy for life to the individual, “Minha Gente” is more about the aftermath of choosing to live “that” kind of life and the community built around it.
Carlos’ song strikes me as a conversation between old friends, perhaps getting reacquainted, but definitely a conversation around how do you explain the joy you have with people who don’t see the world in the same way that you do. It’s nigh impossible when people won’t listen or won’t take you seriously precisely because of how different your way of life seems to what is “normal” or “expected” for them. But Carlos sees his lifestyle and his community as having greater worth. It is a sentiment that runs through a lot of the music that I truly love (Looking at the closing lines, it’s clear that Carlos would be more than happy to travel to Rahsaan’s Eulipia). I feel truly blessed to live the life that I do, one that is primarily filled with poetry, music, art and beauty and especially thankful to share it with those who have the ears and heart to listen…you are my people, minha gente.