TUNES // Hermanos Gutiérrez – Cerca De Ti

Post by Misha

I decided to finally get serious about learning Spanish this year. I realized over the last few years that it is really quite easy to never do new things if you’re not inclined to – which I’m not, particularly. I am a creature of habit. Of knowing what I like, of seeking old comforts in difficult times, of favorite songs on repeat. But recently (call it the pandemic, call it growing up, call it a good natured fear of turning into my dad) I’ve begun to see the shortcomings of this way of living. I’ve watched my world shrink in avoidable ways, and gained a new appreciation for newness, for its scarcity, for inviting it into my life, in all its hard edges and discomfort and difficulty. I’ve been listening to new albums every morning. I’ve been reading the novels my friends recommend to me. I’ve been writing poetry. And I’ve been learning Spanish. It’s something I’ve always meant to do. I love the way the language sounds, and I love the feeling of seeing the world through the dizzying kaleidoscope of an unfamiliar grammar. But I never seemed to get around to it, until now.

All of Hermanos Gutiérrez’s songs are without lyrics, so as language learning tools they’re not that helpful, but I like putting them on anyway as I study my little workbook, reading through the bite sized titles and smiling at this new world of meaning cracking open to me. This one is called Cerca De Ti, which means ‘close to you’.

Buy Hermanos Gutiérrez’s music on Bandcamp.