Una Historia de Navidad (video review)

This is a VERY special video, dear Reader. One of a kind. Open your eyes, ears and heart, because this video is so full of gems you will need both your arms to carry them.

This was the video I got to know Rock and Change with; this unique initiative from Spain that focuses on underground bands of all genres from Spanish-speaking countries. They have their own pages on all platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Twitch, what is more, they even have their own application to download).

It is more than worth to follow them all over on the social media sites, but especially on YouTube, because - believe it or not - our one and only Deneb, your favorite bassist/magician regularly takes part in their programs. He appears on a weekly basis in the Rock and Change reaction video series, where he tells his thoughts on a band or performer from a Spanish-speaking country - here, on this link you can watch all the videos that have been released - and not just that. At the first part of this year Rock and Change had a bi-weekly show on every Sunday which they broadcasted LIVE on their YouTube channel, and in these streams our Magician was the co-host of their show "Top 10" on every 2nd Sunday together with Rock and Change's own Sr. Ram. The episodes are all available on this link, with our bassist/composer/songwriter superhero from episode no. 23, but it's worth to watch ALL episodes, because every single one of them is full of great music!

Yes, I know very well you have never heard of it, dear average music consumer. You're by default deaf and blind, and you have difficulties even when you have to write down your own name. You mix up a regular guitar with a bass. Why would you have heard about anything that needs more than 2 brain cells? 😒

The video is hilarious. Plain and simply. An antidepressant. A rich, massive load of love, music and enthusiasm. Perfect for the dark, rotten days of winter, when the sun rises only after 7:00 am and sets before 4:00 pm.

It starts with a little boy, seemingly scribbling something on a piece of paper, from which he folds a classic paper aeroplane

yes, that type we used to make back in the school, to annoy teachers

and throws it. It hits Father Christmas/Santa Claus/Télapó/Papa Noel (call him the way you'd like), who is already out on quest with his reindeers.

I found the animal sounds in the background hilarious!!!

Papa Noel grabs the paper aeroplane and unfolds it; inside there's a letter for him with a child's handwriting that says:

"Dear Papa Noel,

This year I would like a Christmas song that is for everyone in the world."

Papa Noel takes his smartphone out of his pocket 

of course, he's this cool, he follows the challenges of times and he is up-to-date with the latest technology, he is!

and quickly dials a number.

I remember, when I saw this video first, I was already screaming at this point, shedding tears. I fkin loved it and less than half a minute had just passed from the video. 

The best was yet to come!

Then we see Isaac, one of Rock and Change's masterminds, he seems to be cleaning his guitar, when his phone rings. He just sees the caller's ID on the screen and his face lights up

does this mean that him and Papa Noel have known each other from earlier?... 👀

and he answers the phone with the casual "Hi, Papa Noel!" greeting.

The two have a seemingly urgent and secret discussion, finally Isaac winks into the camera saying "count on it!".

And here, at this point the madness begins.

Dear Reader, let everything go. Let go all the limitations and conditions you carry in yourself. Let go all the expectations you have for yourself. From this point on this hilarious video, this amazing jam does not allow you to watch it with stiff upper lips or just sitting with rigid, tense muscles or - gods forbid - to have depression or anxiety. This wonderful flow of music and beauty will kick the doom out of you right there, may it be seasonal or medical. It will make you scream smile, it will make you having spasms from happiness laugh, it will make you dance, roll on the floor jump and most of all, it will make you happy. Very happy. And you will want to watch it again and again and again. And you will do it!

Right in the beginning you see everyone's favorite drummer-singer. Yes, it's our Ruxx, counting for the start and playing the first few beats with a piano somewhere in the background. And right in the next second Deneb appears with a massive bass line.

Perfect, and I can't emphasize it enough, PERFECT start for a jam!

You're already screaming. And it just started!...

And how much I love them in their Santa caps! 💓

The first member of this absolutely joyful and priceless international jam is Desde Dentro, a Spanish pop band that - upon my informations - has been disbanded in the meantime and they disappeared from the social networks as well. Only their Spotify profile is still active, if you would like to give them a listen, you can do it here.

...and after Desde Dentro comes the MOST IMPORTANT.

Yes.

It's them.

Our beloved Colombians, our favorite rockers. The soft, easy pop intro by the Spanish band was just an hors d'oeuvre. An appetizer. An aperitif. Because here come the power, the heart and the soul, all hand in hand with each other. You immediately hear Ruxx's kickdrums and Deneb's unusually deep singing.

Secret gem alert! This is amazing!!! It's again something he very rarely does. 

He shared it for the first time (for my ears) in Cygnus's Wardruna cover and I remember, I called it "deeply vibrating, echoing, warm but very powerful, very manly, rumbling voice". And again the voices of the two of them, Ruxx and Deneb wonderfully complement each other. Ruxx doesn't hold himself back, he takes his "rock opera singer" voice out

how I love it when he sings like that. These are those moments he shows the real, pure quality of his voice, this sweeping, powerful, fiery character he has in his throat. This is how he moves mountains and saves lives

while Deneb shares his "warrior" voice.

The voice of earthquake and the growing grass, roaring and gentle. It makes your blood freeze or warms up your soul. And here, in this playful Christmas song he sings with this voice. And this deep, ancient voice that could make volcanos spit lava, turns into a thick, warm blanket that keeps out the world on a cold winter day, when the night seems to be endless.

Because he is this amazing.

And for the end there's even a little bass arpeggio for the soul.

The Mexicans, Blu and Reny add their well-known professionalism, and I swear Reny made some settings on his keyboard to have a bit of this "festive" sound

I could describe it the best as "the tubular bells' choir"

to their part.

The next turn is for DonLord, a reggae singer from Argentina (you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Spotify) - and here comes the next secret gem of this video!

Our beloved Colombians jam together with DonLord. They slow down, Ruxx immediately starts playing these typical reggae beats. Deneb joins with another bass arpeggio, while the Argentinian is singing in his sunshine-style. This entire part is not more than 15 seconds, but probably one of the most memorable ones.

Then comes Casu El Cuero, a rap/hiphop artist from Perú. (Follow Casu on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify) Get ready, dear Reader, because Casu El Cuero - or simply Casucito - adds a hilarious part to this jam and you will not be able to resist. Casucito by default has a rather unique sense of humor that he gladly shares in his own music and in his videos, too. Here he doesn't only share with the public that he's in fact multi-instrumentalist, but he also makes such a colorful appearance with all his gags, that makes his part another absolutely memorable one. 

The next one is PR3, a metal band from Spain. (Here is their website, you can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.) Their music is very interesting; they describe themselves as "alternative metal". Their music has elements of industrial metal, nu metal and even goth here and there. Melodic, often dark with rich keyboards, this style appears in their part of the jam. It's a huge - and most probably deliberate - switch after Casucito's goofy moments, as the Spanish rockers appear with their steampunk look and unique sound, turning the Christmas song into a goth-industrial grinding.

Finally La Fleur joins us, a pop band from Venezuela (follow them on Instagram and Spotify) - and everyone else joins them! Not only our beloved Colombians, but also Isaac himself on acoustic guitar.

For the outro Elena Fernández, the singer of Desde Dentro returns, while our favorite wolves are still jamming! And not just them, but even Sr. Ram, the other mastermind of Rock and Change joins the group. Nany Huizi, the singer of La Fleur sings with Elena in a duet, while Isaac is playing a guitar solo - and the massive rhythm section keeps it all on their strong shoulders.

Because this is why we love them so much.

At the very end of the video the little boy happily watches these musicians jamming

just like everyone else

and he takes another piece of paper and starts scribbling something. In the next moment we see again Papa Noel being hit by another paper aeroplane; he just opens it and reads it with a shocked face. It doesn't get revealed what the little boy wrote him, but as the last seconds suggest, "this history will definitely continue".

I personally REALLY REALLY hope so!

And now, dear Reader, it's your time. Jam. Sing. Jump from joy. Celebrate. No, not Christmas, to hell with that shitty, over-exposed, overrated, rotten, capitalist holiday that doesn't give anything else but headache. Celebrate these musicians. Celebrate their talent, their creativity, their enthusiasm. Celebrate how they enjoy jamming together, making music together. Celebrate how wonderfully their genres merge. Celebrate each of them and as they are, altogether. Celebrate Rock and Change, for giving them the chance to sing and play together.

And most of all, celebrate these amazing, wonderful, larger-than-life, larger-than-everything Colombians, Ruxx and Deneb, love them, cherish them, watch the diversity of their talent, watch how they fit in to jam metal, reggae and pop, watch, listen and hold it all to yourself tight.

And watch it again, and again, and again, because the more you watch them, the more you can't live without them.