ReachExtra
“Incredibly the first musical style that many children learn is reggaetón…”
Two years ago the artistic duo ‘Melou Cotton’, formed by Olga Iglesias and Enrique Jaén, committed themselves to making jazz music more accessible for children from the Campo de Gibraltar, in a playful and fun way.
Most children think that they have never heard jazz music… At least that’s what they think, until they go to a Melou Cotton concert when they discover, with fascination, mouth agape, with that surprised look only a child could have, that they have indeed heard jazz music.
And they have been humming along to these songs throughout their short lives; jazz pieces transformed into soundtracks for films such as The Jungle Book, The Princess and the Frog, The Aristocats, Toy Story…
That is how Patricia Romero, an entertainer who collaborates with Melou Cotton in some of their shows explains it. Patricia has worked with Melou Cotton in performances such as the ones held last Christmas in local cultural spaces such as ‘AlCultura’ and the ResidentsAssociation ‘El Embarcadero’, at El Rinconcillo, thanks to the initiative of the Rizoma Association.
In addition to these “special occasion” events, Melou Cotton, artistic duo formed by Olga Iglesias and sax player Enrique Jaén, have been carrying out jazz workshops for kids and teens in cooperation with schools and high schools around the Campo de Gibraltar.
The objective..?
To convey musical culture to kids and teenagers in a playful and fun way and to remind both young and old that there are other musical styles beyond what they call a constant commercial music “bombardment”.
“When we ask kids about the musical styles they know, most of the time their first answer is reggaeton, which is what seems to be imposed on us through the TV, the radio, etc… Even when you go to a kids birthday party, reggaeton is normally playing incessantly. It is quite shocking to me, especially when you stop to analyse the lyrics used in most of those songs, which are usually of quite a bad quality”, says Olga Iglesias.
Besides her artistic career as a composer, guitarist and singer, Olga Iglesias, also a classic guitar teacher, has 30 years of teaching experience and is convinced that the sooner kids approach music, the better.
“Music is an ageless treasure; little children are like sponges, their ability to learn is still intact and we see it at our concerts: they come full of curiosity, willing to enjoy and to be surprised, with open eyes and hearts, without prejudices…”.
Mind you, Olga is in favour of familiarising children with music in a playful and fun way, away from ‘narrow’ and rigid discipline. “Anyone who wants to learn how to play an instrument will need technique, that’s for sure, and Music Conservatories play a role, but I think that when someone starts approaching music, they shouldn’t do it with theory…
In my case, I was self-taught and started playing at thirteen. I also went to the Conservatory, but you realise over time that what makes you enjoy the music is creativity and not repeating the same thing over and over… And music, like any other art, needs freedom”.
That freedom, that ability for improvisation, playing a piece a thousand times and making it sound different each time is what makes jazz special, like flamenco, a style with which it shares solid roots, born out of a sadness that needed expression…
And that is how the kids who attend Melou Cotton concerts learn – Melou Cotton are committed to “contribute to spreading a nice, healthy and varied musical culture”.
