From Jiu Jitsu to Music

Divya and I go a long way back- back to long summer vacations at neighbouring grandparents homes -climbing trees, hide and seek, and all things that could fit into summer afternoons. When summer ended, we kept in touch with handwritten letters, with more stickers than writing. And when childhood ended, we lost touch until years later we connected again through our love for architecture, travel, food, blogging, and I guess music too!

The whole point of this blog is for friends to share good music and it's awesome to have two friends share their music exchanges here. Thanks Divya and Ed. :)
-Tanisha

Edward: Thank you for having us as guests on your awesome blog! Divya and I met earlier this year while training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). At first, I didn't know what to think of her. But as I was sparring her, I could tell she had a strong fighting spirit, but needed some work on her technical proficiency. So I made it a point to work with her. Since then, we have gotten to know each other more. And I am constantly impressed by how much this young lady has experienced and accomplished in just 27 years - from studying architecture, to aviation and more. Meanwhile, I can barely chew gum and walk at the same time!

Divya: Haha. What an intro! Edward actually works as a detective with local law enforcement. Currently a BJJ purple belt (read: waay more experienced than me), he's also an expert at self-deprecation. He's secretly a ninja who, in his own words, looks "like a 16-year-old kid." He crushes me at BJJ and chess, and I.... eh, I occasionally crush him at verbal sparring? Anyway, in one of our recent banters, we traded songs. And I thought it would be fun to share that exchange with "Monday Mephobics." From two goofy friends in Maryland to you! :)

Grandma's Hands : Bill Withers

My song is called "Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers. You've definitely heard him before - he sings "Ain't no Sunshine," which is one of my all-time favorites. When I was a child, I used to visit my Uncle Greg on the weekends. I would help him with chores around the house, and we would listen to music from his era. Bill Withers was one of his favorites. So this reminds me of those times. Hope you enjoy it.
-Ed

Il Valzer di Un Giorno (The Waltz of One Day) : Gianmaria Testa

Ed,

That is a beautiful song! Paints such a gentle picture of kindness and care in the most ordinary of circumstances... "old gnarled hands" and all. Very cool that it's tied to memories of your uncle too!

My song is also tied to memories. But this one is of memories of a beautiful place - the Tuscan Valley in Italy. I spent a week there as part of a summer course in college. Unforgettable. So this is my 'Tuscany song.' It's by Gianmaria Testa and in Italian (rough translation: here).

You know how you talk about daydreams being a mental escape? Well, if daydreams needed a soundtrack, this could easily be on the soundtrack for mine.