The neighborhood I lived in for over 20 years since I was young was densely packed with apartment houses. It has now been redeveloped and an apartment complex has been built. From the alleys where we played recklessly to the owner who forgot to bankroll every time we entered the supermarket, they remain vaguely in our memories, but they no longer exist in reality.
I am living in an apartment that was built in the same place after redevelopment. Next to the redeveloped site, there is a neighborhood filled with memories from my childhood. Of course, there are places that are old and have changed as they have endured time, but the shape of the alleys where we used to play and the location of the playground are the same, making it a place that reminds us of our childhood. Every time I leave the house, I stand on a landscape where the past and present intersect. And I feel a strange feeling. There was a song that really expressed the feeling of remembering something that has disappeared. This is Otis Lim’s “Ti Amo”
“Ti Amo” is a song about the disappearance of something you love. Just as memories and reality collide while looking at the traces left where something has disappeared, the reverberation of the guitar and Otisrim’s voice create an empty collision in the empty space and give a strange feeling. Bossanova’s unique, complex yet beautiful groove also plays a big role in conveying the downfall felt when existence turns into non-existence.
The use of Italian in Bossa Nova, a Brazilian music, is also quite interesting. Why? In Brazil, Portuguese is mainly spoken. So the English, Portuguese, or Spanish bossa nova songs we usually listen to have become songs that can be enjoyed in a different way.
Do you want to sink deeper into sentiment, but feel tired of the songs already in your rotation? Try listening to Otis Lim’s “Ti Amo”.