21. Valdaranes
To Model - "Pembe Mezarlık"
(OOC: Translation in grey, in italics and between brackets below the lyrics that are not originally in English)
(P.S.: The languages featured in this song are Aranese, English, Turkish and Hebrew)
Model is a soft-rock band formed by four men (Sergi, Can, Boaz, John) and a female vocalist (Çey). Their songs usually combine several rhythmic elements, and this one is influenced by the Valdaranean Turkic folk tradition of . Its lyrics were composed by the band as a whole, and they are in the four languages of the group: Turkish (mother language of Çey and Can), Hebrew (mother language of Boaz), English (mother language of John) and Aranese (mother language of Sergi, and official language of Valdaranes); and they express the feelings of a girl who is leaving his boyfriend after a lot of broken dreams and promises. That's also the reason the band is a bit gothic in appearance, and performs in vintage clothes (as can be seen in the tune's video) with tones of black, grey, crimson and white. This was ValdCanal's bet for something innovative and authentic for their début.
The band prefers intimate, down-to-earth humble performances; and that's why the whole performance is about the band itself playing and singing, and there's pretty much nothing else... No artists, no dancers, no pyros. The whole song will be performed from the center of the main stage, where the band's instruments are in a common layout. The only different thing is that in order not to make the stage look empty and huge around them; they are encircled by a ring of white candles. And for the first part of the song, they'll be the only source of illumination.
The song started right after the end of the Valdaranean postcard. Some sounds of birds and a yell are the prelude to the first notes of the song. The panoramic cameras attempt to capture the mysterious "dark" atmosphere of the band; and then, Çey starts singing. Throughout the song her voice and gestures will be marked by a deep sadness that borders on indifference, mixed with depression and a suicidal-like feeling-less state of being. With her aura and her acting, that complex (yet relatable) set of sensations is effectively conveyed to the audience [0:36-1:03]
The tea (the tea)…
Is warm still, I left it there
Over-the-counter, like the pills I take
And you dare (and you dare)…
Complaining about its bitterness
But you don't dare thinking a-bout myself
(Beni sarhoş)
((You intoxicated me, getting me drunk))
Just like in the video of the RL tune, the camera shots are basically revolving around the instruments and the female singer. Her gaze is captivating and at the same time full of despair. Somehow, she has changed the way everyone feels right now. There's no happiness, yet there isn't also a need to cry hopelessly. She continues with the Aranese language stranzas, quite full of meaning, like the language they're written with [1:04-1:29].
Par què vivim ùm soni, gortxos de raziòm?
(What's the use of living in a dream where we're satiated and choked with the false idea that we're good?)
Par què afogar-me amb antecomunicatziòm?
(What's the use of drowning myself with a lack of communication?)
Todes les oqás de joita ont-s'esfumat en
(All the occassions of discussion have vanished in a smoke curtain)
Petits mots ben hasaxines
(Of little assassin words that can -really- kill)
Qèstioms d'amora al cora ont amagárau
(Oh, questions of love have kidnapped this heart)
Gotes de mada als meus critets ont pragárau
(Drops of bad actions have captured my little shouts for help)
Los silenzis disen qu'els sorjets t'ascoltaràm
(The silences say that the deafs* will listen to you) *understood as both moments and people
Què mes te donará?
(Will you ever bother?)
The first chorus arrives, and with it, the attitude of the band changes. Instead of being as depressive and quiet as before, they start moving frenetically; with anger; as if they were having a schizophrenic crisis. It looks like they will destroy everything, and they indeed, destroy the circle of candles around them a little (most of the candles are still on), with slamming gestures. [1:30-1:56]
L'qlo'a chevel mitokh nofelet ha'sai'ar sheli [לקלוע חבל מתוך נופלת השיער שלי]
(Braid a rope out of my falling hair)
Atah yakol l'qshor oti im zeh, zeh [אתה יכול לקשור אותי עם זה, זה]
(You can tie me with it, it)
Ha'qarov bioter ani eyi pa'am aqabel [הקרוב ביותר אני אי פעם אקבל]
(Is the closest I'll ever get)
Yesh li maga enoshi [יש לי מגע אנושי]
(To have human contact)
And even though you will want to change this shit
And even though you will try to swiftly convince me
This is not the way this is meant to be
I am done with yaaaaaaaah* *you, long strong note
The rhythm changes again with the end of the chorus and eases the tension all over the place. The emotions and gestures go back to how they were before the chorus kicked in, and now we can see the delicate Çey shaking a bit, with her eye ticking, looking into the camera with amazement whilst singing (barely moving her lips) [1:59-2:09]
Da ra ra ra, da ra ra ra
Da ra ra ra, da ra ra ra
Da ra ra ra, da ra ra ra
Again comes the deep sadness that borders on indifference, mixed with depression and a suicidal-like feeling-less state of being; with the next stranza in Turkish [2:12-2:38]
Telefon (telefon)…
(The phone (the phone)...)
Bir sebep olmadan yüzük
(Rings without a reason)
Ile sohbet etmek için hiçbir ruh
(There's no soul with whom someone can chat)
Neden? (neden?)…
(Why? (Why?)…)
Acı yanında bıraktı
(You left and pain left with you)
Boş gözlerde bakışları yokdur
(There lies no gaze in a pair of blank eyes)
(Beni sarhoş)
((You intoxicated me, getting me drunk))
A new chorus kicked in, and this time, the wind machines of the stage were at its maximum power, blowing out all the candles of the stage. At the same time (and since until then the only source of lighting had been the candles), the lights of the whole arena began flashing like strobe lights in a pulsating rhythm that emulated the rhythm of the bass. Due to the power of the wind machines, Çey's long hair is now flying all over, surrounding her, and she's singing with a lot of anger, pointing (even somewhat rudely) at the cameras as they film her [2:39-3:06].
De fet, tu non saps quan gran es la rancor
(In fact, you don't know how massive can rancour be)
Les teves ceinas seràn els meus recórs
(Your chains will be forged by my memories)
Ùm cos a la xida sense ous no pot, com hoi
(A body that tries to run away cannot go on without bones; it's as hard as having)
Els yos buidats de vois
(The eyes emptied of dreams; or having the empty eyes dreams have)
And even though you will want to change this shit
And even though you will try to swiftly convince me
This is not the way this is meant to be
I am done with yaaaah* *you, long strong note
The climax of the song began, as it was a solo by Sergi. The strobe lights stopped and lightning-like light effects illuminated Sergi every second he played; like a clock that instead of ticking, releases "thunders" every second. The cameras captured this, but interposed close-up images of Çey's eyes every now and then. It looked totally and completely crazy, but that was the idea.
The last chorus of the song is here, and the stage transforms completely. The background screen shows a lot of broken glass, as does the floor of the stage; and a lot of rays illuminate the arena... But they're not normal lights, they're like a set of white and blue lasers that bounce on every piece of "broken glass" and go moving around the arena; the final result is a cobweb of lights and glass that serves as the perfect setting for the end of the song [3:34-4:00].
De fet, tu non saps quan gran es la rancor
(In fact, you don't know how massive can rancour be)
Les teves ceinas seràn els meus recórs
(Your chains will be forged by my memories)
Ùm cos a la xida sense ous no pot, com hoi
(A body that tries to run away cannot go on without bones; it's as hard as having)
Els yos buidats de vois
(The eyes emptied of dreams; or having the empty eyes dreams have)
And even though you will want to change this shit
And even though you will try to swiftly convince me
This is not the way this is meant to be
I am done with yaaaah* *you, long strong note
All the lasers are now centered around the circle of the main stage, where the band is standing. For this stranza, the panoramic cameras above the stage are being used. For the first verse, the floor displays a letter being written, and in the second verse, the words are zoomed in; we can clearly read 'goodbye'. In the third verse, the letter burns, and in the fourth verse, the ashes of the letter from the shape of a kissing couple [4:00-4:14].
Dexa meas llarmas ser la tua tinta cosí
(Let my tears be the only ink you will use)
Per les teas letras, si escriuràs al qordamí
(For your farewell letters, if you'll write any)
Afí poc pretendar q'em battú, ben sur
(That way I can pretend we truly deeply made)
Ales de bo, els dos junts
(Something good together)
For the end, the camera focuses on Çey, who starts crying and at the same time is able to shout the final verses of the song with a lot of vocal power and emotional empowerment [4:15-4:28].
No se pot vivar axí!
(Living is impossible like this!!)
No se pot amar axí!
(Loving is impossible like this!!)
No se pot morer axí!
(Dying is impossible like this!!)
No se pot vorar axííííí!
(Getting away from reality is impossible like this!!)
Suddenly, right in sync with the last note of Sergi's guitar, a column of black smoke is shot directly out of the stage, encircling the main stage. When the smoke is gone, the stage is empty.
The crowd cannot help but release a thunderous applause for the Valdaranean entry.
