Musical Monday: Melissa (Spn / Eng)

Happy week to everyone; I hope these days are filled with happiness, health, and prosperity. Today, I am once again sharing three songs by another Venezuelan singer—someone who, although born in Lima, Peru, built much of her career in Venezuela and was part of the musical boom of the 1980s. I wanted to feature her in the MUSICAL MONDAY initiative, a space hosted by @eugelys.

The singer I am talking about is MELISSA—known by the nickname "THE QUEEN OF ROCK"—who made her debut on the Venezuelan music scene of that era with, naturally, rock songs. She possessed a very distinct and unique style that identified her with that genre, alongside a beautiful, pitch-perfect voice that allowed her to perform both rock tracks and ballads.

MELISSA tuvo el apoyo de la maquinaria musical de la época, por lo que sus canciones se oían en las emisoras de radio, (en ese tiempo sólo A.M.), y también se presentaba con frecuencia en shows televisivos, por lo que fue muy conocida en mi país, y posteriormente se internacionalizó. Sus canciones eran bastante buenas, algunas con unas letras que te hacían pensar, razón por la cual la oía con frecuencia. Dicho lo anterior, a continuación les presento mis tres canciones de hoy.

MELISSA benefited from the music industry machinery of the era; her songs were played on radio stations (AM-only at the time), and she frequently appeared on television shows, making her a household name in my country before she eventually achieved international success. Her songs were quite good—some featuring thought-provoking lyrics—which is why I listened to her music often. With that said, here are my three song picks for today.

For this MUSICAL MONDAY, my first pick is the song “A PUNTO DE CARAMELO.” It was composed by Pablo Manavello (another Venezuelan musician) with lyrics by Gloria Martín. This song sometimes makes me laugh because it’s about those men who think they’re the greatest in the universe—men who believe they can treat others, especially women, disrespectfully. Both the lyrics and the music are very interesting, and MELISSA delivers a great performance. I’m sharing the promotional video for the song here; while I’m not a huge fan of its visual style, it’s still interesting in its own right.

My second contribution is the song “POR FORTUNA”, a track that’s perfect for shaking off heartbreak and moving forward. It’s like a self-help song—hahaha—that encourages you to leave a failed relationship in the past. Here is the video.

Y para finalizar este MUSICAL MONDAY, les traigo la interesante NO ESPERES POR MÍ, una canción con mucho sintetizador y una buena guitarra y batería. Me gusta que le incluya un coro con la voz robótica, que le da un toque especial. Este tema es para finalizar una relación amorosa que resulta tóxica. La voz de MELISSA se oye genial, y en general es una buena melodía. Comparto con ustedes el audio.

And to wrap up this MUSICAL MONDAY, I’m sharing the interesting track NO ESPERES POR MÍ—a song featuring heavy use of synthesizers along with solid guitar and drums. I like the inclusion of a robotic-sounding vocal in the chorus, which adds a special touch. The song is about ending a toxic romantic relationship. Melissa’s vocals sound great, and overall, it’s a good tune. Here is the audio for you to listen to.

• Musical Monday: Karina (Spn / Eng)

• Melissa Griffiths

• Las foto de portada está adecuadamente identificada // The cover photo is properly identified

• Los divisores son de libre uso y se pueden encontrar / Dividers are free to use and can be found:

aquí / here

Todo el contenido, (excepto la foto de portada, los enlaces de YouTube y los divisores), es de mi propiedad y está sujeto a derechos de autor // All content (except the cover photo, YouTube links and dividers), is my property and subject to copyrigh