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Filming the music video

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 02:02:37 +0100

As anyone who has me on Facebook knows, Legend's Ghost just made a music video. And was it ever an adventure!
It was something I had wanted to do for a long time, but when Legend's Ghost was asked to open for the Fallacy, I began to feel some pressure to put out a music video already. We were going to have a TV interview, and I was told that the TV station wanted a video to play after the interview. So I did what anyone with a talented director/cinematographer brother would do: I asked him to make me a video!

We didn't have much time. I wanted a full moon for the outdoor night scenes, and we all know those don't last very long on this planet. And even without the moon situation, the concert with The Fallacy was fast approaching. So I found my prom dress from junior year, made it look a bit more gothic-Victorian, bought enough candles to last through several power outages, and proceed to travel around Quito with my brother and start filming!

The main thing I remember about the filming process was how cold it was. A lot of the scenes are either at night or in the rain, and I do not wear a coat in any of them. So, as you can imagine, I froze! In one scene, I was using all of my will power just to stop myself from shivering. As soon as Paul (my brother) stopped filming me, I would just start shaking because you can only hold in a shiver for so long! Also, one day we were out filming and it started to rain. We didn't have nearly enough footage, but Paul needed to protect the camera. So he sat in the car while I stood out in the rain and sang! Let's just say I was very thankful for the car's heating system on the way home!

But in a way, I felt like the rain was just what I needed to give the video what it needed. After all, the album is about an artist's search for her muse, the Songweaver. Her music means everything to her. To sing in the rain when I'm freezing cold and my body would like nothing more than a cup of tea and a hot shower, but my brain is loving every minute of freezing my ass off to do what I love...to me, that was exactly what my character was all about, especially since the thunderstorm is one of the Songweaver's sacred symbols. ;) (more on that when the album comes out.

Legend's Ghost en la Semana del Rock en Quito

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 22:21:50 +0100

Estoy muy emocionada anunciar que Legend's Ghost va a tocar en la semana del rock en Quito el 22 de julio a la 1 de la tarde! El día en que tocamos es el día de la mujer en rock.

Cuando me pidieron tocar este día al inicio, tuvo una reacción mixta. Yo estaba super feliz por tener la oportunidad. Pero como femenista quien no cree para nada en estereotipos de genero, quien prefiere poner mas importancia en lo que hay entre mis orejas que entre mis piernas, me parecia un poco raro tener una tocada solamente porque nací con un útero y sin una cromosoma Y. (Aunque todavía es chevere celebrar las mujeres rockeras, porque usualmente son mujeres fuertes e inteligentes que no dejan que la sociedad dicta como deben ser o como deben actuar, como deben sentir.)

Pero lo mas que pensé en la idea, lo más chevere empezó a parecer a mi. Como dijo antes, no hay muchas mujeres en rock y metal. No se si no hay muchas mujeres que quieren vivir esa vida, o porque la sociedad no les dan mucho apoyo en perseguir una carerra en rock o metal, o porque piensan que no es "femenino." Tambien, en está epoca de la historia, aunque mujeres tienen más derechos que antes, todavía hay ideas negativas acerca de ser femenino. Para muchos, es chevere si una mujer quiere jugar deportes, o cortar su cabello, o portarse "como un hombre" o hacer cualquier otra cosa tradicionalmente asociado con ser masculino. Pero si un hombre quiere ser amo de casa, o poner maquillaje, o cuidar a niños, la gente tiene problema con eso. No solamente no es justo y es un ridiculo estandard doble para los hombres, tampoco es justo para las mujeres, porque con esa idea viene otra idea que dice que es bueno ser masculino y malo ser femenino.

Tambien no pienso que la sociedad de hoy (o de antes) nos a dado ideas muy interesantes acerca de que significa ser mujer. La iglesia aveces quiere decir que ser mujer significa que la unica opcion en la vida es encontrar un esposo, ser su criada toda la vida, tener muchos hijos y quedar en la casa todo el dia cambiando pañales. Y la sociedad secular muchas veces no tiene mas para ofrecer que Cosmopolitan, Sexo y la Ciudad, peliculas con gente dejando a sus novio/as en la iglesia en el día de la boda para estar con alguien conocido 6 horas antes, y libros rosados con ningun pensimiento interesante. Ninguno de esos me interesa mucho.

En mi música, me gusta cantar acerca de emociones, de intuición, de crear algo lindo. Y lo hago de una perspectiva femenina. En el mundo de Legend's Ghost, puedes tener emociones y espresarlos y todavía ser fuerte. Puedo ir en el escenario con cabello largo, crespo y estilado y ropa con mucha encaje y medias rayadas y todavia ser una metalera "badass". Puedo tener una aventura y hacerlo viendo bonita. Puedo ser fuerte, tierno, o ambos a la vez. Puedo aceptar o rechazar cualquier estereotipo que quiero. No importa que piensa cualquier otra persona acerca de quien o que debo ser. Y quiero dar esta poder a otras mujeres y niñas.

I am very excited to announce that Legend's Ghost will be playing in Rock Week in Quito on July 22 at 1 PM. The day we are playing is called Women in Rock Day.

When I was first asked to play that day, I had mixed feelings about the idea. I was super happy to have the opportunity. But as a feminist who doesn't believe in gender stereotypes at all, who prefers to define myself based on what is between my ears rather than what is between my legs, it seemed a bit strange to me that I would be given a show simply because I was born with a uterus and no Y chromosome. (Even though it's still awesome to celebrate female rock/metal musicians, because they're usually strong, intelligent women who don't let society tell them what to be and how to act and how to feel.)

But the more I thought about the idea, the cooler it seemed. As I said before, there aren't a lot of women in rock and metal. I don't know if that is because there aren't very many women who want to live that life, or because somehow society doesn't encourage it, or because they think it's not "feminine." Also, in this era of history, even though women have more rights, there are still negative ideas surrounding femininity. A lot of people think it's cool if a woman plays sports, or cuts her hair, or acts "like a man" or does anything traditionally associated with being masculine. But if a man wants to be a househusband, or wear makeup, or take care of children, people have a problem with that. Not only is this unfair and a ridiculous double standard for men, it's also unfair to women, because with this idea comes another idea that says that it's good to be masculine and bad to be feminine.

I also don't think today's society (or previous eras' societies) have given us very many interesting ideas of what it means to be a woman. The church sometimes wants to tell us that being a woman means that your only option in life is to find a husband, be his servant your whole life, have lots of babies and stay at home changing diapers all day. And secular society often doesn't have much more to offer us than Cosmopolitan, Sex and the City, overly fluffy movies with people leaving their fiance/ees at the alter on the day of the wedding so they can be with someone they met 6 hours earlier, and pink-covered books without an interesting thought contained in them. None of this appeals to me much.

In my music, I like to sing about emotions, about intuition, about creating something beautiful. And I do it from a feminine perspective. In the world of Legend's ghost, you can have emotions and express them and still be strong. I can go onstage with long, styled, curly hair and clothes with tons of lace and striped stockings and still be a badass metal singer. I can have an adventure and look fabulous doing it. I can be tough, tender, or both at once. I can accept or reject any stereotype I want to. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about who or what I should be. And I want to give that power to other women and girls.

Fiesta de la Música 2011

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 21:28:15 +0100

Este año, Legend's Ghost no solo va a presentar en Fiesta de la Música. Estoy trabajando como una mujer loca organizando un evento llamado Metal Elemental para la fiesta, en que se va a presentar 5 bandas para representar los cinco elementos clásicos: Tierra (representado por Sickmind), Aire (representado por Empedernido), Fuego (representado por Desquizofrenia), Agua (representado por Legend's Ghost) y Espiritu (representado por El Delicado Sonido del Trueno, la banda de un ex-miembro de Legend's Ghost, Carlos Vásconez)

El evento se realizará en Mi Viejo Bar Rock y Metal (Reina Victoria entre Lizardo García y Calama, tercer piso), empezando a las 18h30 el 25 de junio.

This year, Legend's Ghost isn't just performing in Fiesta de la Música ("The Music Party" in English, but that sounds so...odd!). I've been working like a crazy woman trying to organize my own event for the Fiesta. The event is called Elemental Metal, and 5 bands will perform, representing the five classic elements: Earth (represented by Sickmind), Air (Represented by Empedernido), Fire (Represented by Desquizofrenia), Water (Represented by Legend's Ghost) and Spirit (Represented by El Delicado Sonido del Trueno, the band in which Carlos Vasconez, a former member of Legend's Ghost, plays).

The event will take place at Mi Viejo Bar Rock y Metal (Reina Victoria, between Lizardo García and Calama, third floor), starting at about 18h30 on June 25.

Sickmind (Tierra/Earth)

Escogí esta banda para tierra porque tienen un sonido muy metal, muy fuerte, y salvage. Aunque para muchos, tierra es un elemento tranquilo y cultuvadora, en la mitología griega, no empezó así! Hay historias acerca de Gaia, la diosa tierra, dando la luz a todo tipo de criaturas grandes, fuertes, y, en algunos casos, monstruos! Entonces, en este sentido, una banda de heavy metal como Sickmind es perfecto!

I chose this band for Earth because it has a very heavy, wild death metal sound. Although for many, Earth is a tranquil and nurturing element, in Greek mythology, it didn't begin that way! There are stories about Gaia, the earth goddess, giving birth to all kinds of big, strong, scary monster creatures! So, in this sense, a heavy metal band like Sickmind is perfect!

Empedernido (Aire/Air)

Aire, muchas veces, representa inteligencia e inovación, la habilidad de ver algo por otro perspectivo. Emperdernido tiene un sonido experiemental, y aveces toman canciones bien conocidos, como Come Together de los Beatles, y les tocan en una manera nueva y única.

Often, Air represents intelligence and innovation, the ability to see something from a new perspective. Empedernido is an experimental rock band, and sometimes takes well-known songs, like Come Together by the Beatles, and play them in a new and unique way.

Desquizofrenia (Fuego/Fire)

En metal, los bandas que nos dan la idea de fuego son los que tienen riffs de guitarras poderosos, mucha doble bombo, y mas cabezeando que la gente pensaba posible. En pocas palabras, alta energía. Desquizofrenia no es nada de esa descripcion!

In metal, the bands that give us the idea of fire are the ones with powerful guitar riffs, tons of double bass drum, and more headbanging than most people would have thought possible. In a nutshell, high energy! Desquizofrenia is no different!

Legend's Ghost (Agua/Water)

El Agua es un elemento misterioso, tempramental, intuitivo, emotivo...Puede ser tranquilo, o puede atacar con mucha emocion. Nunca sabes como va a ser, que emoción va a tener...como Legend's Ghost!

Water is a mysterious, tempramental, intuitive, and emotional element. It can be calm, or it can attack you with full-force emotion. You never know what it will be like, which emotion it will have...like Legend's Ghost!

El Delicado Sonido del Trueno (Espiritu/Spirit)

Espiritu puede ser una combinación de los cuatro elementos. En la naturaleza, eso puede ser representado por una tormenta de trueno. Y quien mejor para representar una tormenta de trueno...que El Delicado Sonido del Trueno!

Spirit can be a combination of the other four elements. In nature, this is sometimes represented by a thunder storm. And who better to represent a thunderstorm...than a band whose name means "the delicate sound of thunder!"

http://www.afquito.org.ec/cultural/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=71

Ecuador Gótico escribió acerca de la tocada con The Fallacy (solo en español)

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:22:10 +0100

Leelo aquí!

We opened for The Fallacy!

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:15:24 +0100

The end of May saw the opportunity for Legend's Ghost to open for the Chilean band The Fallacy, who were visiting Ecuador for the first time.
Although the turn-out wasn't what I'd hoped, we still had a blast, both on and off the stage. The Fallacy put on a very profession, very high-energy show, complete with background videos. The music, at least Angie's vocal style, reminded me a bit of a slightly more gothic Lacuna Coil, but with their own twist.
Afterwards, we went out for Canelazo (an Ecuadorian alcoholic beverage, for the many people who read this site from somewhere other than Ecuador) in La Ronda, had a very late dinner in an outdoor café, and I tried (very unsuccessfully!) to pick up some Chilean slang. (I find Ecuadorian slang hard enough to figure out sometimes, and I've lived here a long time!)
This concert has left me wanting to do a Latin American tour, if I only had the money to pull it off. So if anyone knows of any places outside of Ecuador where I can play, send me a message!

Legend's Ghost en Festival Indorock XI!

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:01:23 +0100

Hola todos!

Que chevere poder anunciar que mañana a las 21h00, Legend's Ghost va a tocar en Indorock XI, organizado por Fabrica Rock, la organización responsable por traer varias bandas internacionales a Ecuador, incluyendo Hammerfall, Helloween, y Mago de Oz.

El plato fuerte para esa noche va a ser Anima Inside, la banda que va a abrir para Ozzy Osborne el 14 de abril. También van a tocar Inocencia Perdida, Insurgencia, Mashmak, Desidia, Vicio, y Perpetuo Silencio.

La festival empieza a las 19h00 y se va a realizar en la Union de Taxistas (Gonzalo Cabezas S10-16). También hay premios.

Nueva Tocada en Blue Jean´s Rock Bar/New Show in Blue Jean´s Rock Bar

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:07:19 +0100

Legend´s Ghost ha decidido regresar a la tierra de los Faraónes...o por lo menos lo mas cercana que podemos sin salir de Ecuador (por lo menos no todavía). Blue Jean´s Rock Bar ha decidido que quieren que regresamos! Entonces, otra vez vamos a meternos toditos en un escenario pequeñito mietras que estamos rodeado por dioses ancianos de Egicto roqueando con sus guitarras electricas en frente de los pirámidas y, por su puesto, metaleros felices y medio chumados! (En otras palabras, segun Cheryl, puro vacán!)

Entonces, si eres suficiente valiente para riesgar el maldición de los Faraónes estás listo para una noche de locuras de metal sinfonico y fantasmas de leyendas nunca contados, aquí tienes los detalles:

Cuando: 12 de Febrero de 2011, 21h00
Donde: Blue Jean´s Rock Bar (Frente al Triangulo en frente a la tienda La Lira)
Quien: Cualquier persona quien ama la música de Legend´s Ghost (o tiene curiosidad acerca de ella) y tiene suficiente edad para que no llora por la mami toda la noche.

Legend´s Ghost has decided to return to the land of the Pharoahs....or at least as close as we can get to it without leaving Ecuador (at least not yet!). Blue Jean´s Rock Bar has decided they would like us back! So once again, we will cram ourselves onto a tiny little stage while surrounded by ancient Egyptian deities rocking out on their electric guitars in front of the pyramids and, of course, happy, half-drunk metalheads! (In other words, says Cheryl, pure awesomeness!)

So, if you are brave enough to risk the Pharoah´s curse ready for a night of symphonic metal shenanigans and ghosts of stories never told, here´s the details:

When: February 12 at 9 PM
Where: Blue Jean´s Rock Bar (Valle de los Chillos, by the triangle across from La Lira)
Who: Anyone who loves Legend´s Ghost´s music (or is curious about it) and is old enough not to cry for mommy the whole time.

Singing in the Rain

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:19:32 +0100

For those of you who couldn't make it to the shows 2 weeks ago and are wondering how they went:

It was a day that didn't exactly go as planned. We arrived at El Arbolito Park after a few glitches. Due to said glitches, we arrived a bit later than we intended...and the sound check was still in progress!! Apparently, there had been a power outage earlier, which prevented the soundcheck and the opening bands from starting on time. We started playing around 2 PM (we were scheduled for 11 AM) and by then, it was starting to rain and I was hoping that there would be someone in the audience who liked us enough to brave the rain to see us. We were told that due to the delay, we needed to cut our setlist short. We were ok with that, since we still had another show later where we could play the full set.

After a rather rough start, we played "The Awakening", "The Whisper", and "Songweaver" to a wet but apparently happy crowd. None of us could feel our hands afterward and I probably would have been rethinking my "as much skin as possible without looking like a stripper" stance on stage clothes if I hadn't been enjoying the adrenaline rush that usually comes with having been onstage. But we were excited about the turnout despite the rain, and even more so about being the headliner at Rock 'n' Bell in a few hours.

I decided to go home for a few hours to get warm, rest my voice, and make sure everything was ready for the night. I was in the middle of putting together CD envelopes for the Continuum EP when I received a call from the organizer of Rpck 'n' Bell saying the show had been suspended. Apparently, the person who was supposed to bring the tent to put over the stage to protect it from the rain hadn't come. Rather than let the rain destroy thousands of dollars worth of equipment, those in charge believed it best to cancel the show. There is a possibility that the show will be rescheduled, and if it is, I will most certainly post it here.

We also have some possibilities of other shows, so stay tuned! I hope to post more soon!

I think I'll just set up a tent onstage...

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:40:51 +0100

Sí, sí, yo se...a los años que he dicho algo aquí!

Legend's Ghost va a hacer dos tocadas el 18 de Diciembre! Una a las 11:30 en San José de Monjas y
la otra a las 22:00 en el Festival Rock 'n' Bell. Somos la banda final en esa festival, entonces viene para escucharnos y festejar con nosotros!! Mira la pagina "Show Dates" para mas información. Ambos son eventos de caridad para niños durante la Navidad, entonces traiga una funda de caramelos, un jugete en buena condición, o algo de comida no perecible.

Claro que estoy muy emocionada por tocar por la primera vez en dos meses, entonces espero que todos ustedes vengan para disfrutar la música de Legend's Ghost y muchas otras bandas buenas.

Yes, yes, I know...long time, no update!

Legend's Ghost will be performing two shows on December 18th! One at 11:30 in San José de Monjas and the other at 10:00 p.m. at the Rock 'n' Bell Festival. We are the closing band in that one, so come party with us! See the Show Dates page for information.   Both are charity events to help children at Christmas, so bring a bag of candy, a toy, or a non-perishable food item.

Naturally, I am quite excited about being onstage again after two months, so I hope all of you will come and enjoy Legend's Ghost and a lot of other great bands!
Horario para/Schedule for San José de Monjas:
Proximadamente/Coming Soon!

Horario para/Schedule for Rock 'n' Bell:

12:00   Armagedon
12:50   Badweiser
13:35   Arpia
14:25   Amazon
15:15   Beso y Mordida
16:00   Carminio Atrum
16:50   Fraktura
17:40   Uziel
18:30   Fear
19:20   Lascivia
20:10   Mashmack
21:10   Luminis
22:00   Legend's Ghost

It's a Songweaver!

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:39:10 +0100

I have had the priviledge of bringing yet another talented performer into the studio, and that would be the passionate, sexy, earthy, and sensual voice of Ecuadorian blues/jazz singer Ivonneth Rosero! Ivonneth sings the role of the mysterious, moody goddess of music, sex, creativity and fertility: The Songweaver.

I got to know Ivonneth during my time with Camaleon Jazz Combo. I was impressed with her unique improvisational style and incredible vocal creativity. I cannot remember if she was my inspiration for the character of the Songweaver or if I created the character and realized Ivonneth would provide me with an interesting interpretation of the Songweaver. It was probably a combination of the two. Whatever it was, she has now helped me create what I think will be one of the more memorable Legend's Ghost characters.

Click here for a quick listen/haz un click aquí para escuchar un poquito

He tenido el privilegio de traer aun otra artista talentosa al estudio, y esa sería la voz passionante, sexy, elemento-tierra, y sensual de la cantante ecuatoriana de jazz y blues Ivonneth Rosero. Ivonneth canta el papel de la diosa mysteriosa y tempramental de música, sexo, creatividad y fertilidad: La Songweaver.

Llegué a conocer a Ivonneth durante mi tiempo con Camaleon Jazz Combo. Quedé muy bien impresionada por su estilo única de improvisar y su increíble creatividad vocal. No recuerdo si ella era mi inspiración para el personaje de la Songweaver o si yo creó a la personaje y me dió cuenta que Ivonneth podría darme una interpretación interesante de la Songweaver. Probablemente era una combinación de los dos. Cualquier cosa que era, ella me ha ayudado en inventar lo que pienso quien va a ser uno de los personajes mas memorables de Legend's Ghost.