Marco's blog

new song(s)...

Submitted by Marco on Thu, 03/23/2023 - 22:27

...I've been (and still am) working on a new 11 song blues-rock album. Many songs will be recorded with my friend Joost, on bluesharp. 9 songs are recorded and ready for mastering, two I hope to get ready (still have to write them) in a few days. 

One song, 'Letter To Valerie', it'll be the album-closer, is especially dear to me because it is an actual real letter to some-one, in form and shape of a song. I feel that that letter is more than 20 years overdue, but I finally did send it out to her today. OUFFF! Better late than never, right? Anyway, that's done now so I can move on. 

Here's the rough, Joost will be adding some harmonica-play to it asap, I'll get it mastered and ready for distribution. 

I'm still in doubt about the title, after all it's a very personal thing, but then again that might precisely be the reason why her first name should be in the songtitle. And after all I'm not the only one; The Zutons, Amy Winehouse, Steve Winwood and defenitely others more also brought out songs with 'Valerie' in them. I also got to think up a coverpic for this song and the others. I don't think I'll use a real photograph of Valerie... she'd kill me for it!!! Oh... hang on... if I've time I'll take a photo of me sitting at a desk writing a letter, I'll draw a picture of her, put it onto the photo in a "cloud" so that it looks like I'm thinking of her. That's doable. 

Like I said, here's the song, let us know what you think! :)

temp cvrpic

 

Alie Van De Balie

Submitted by Marco on Thu, 06/16/2022 - 11:35

Today, June 16 2022, is the job-anniversary of Aaltje (a good friend at my Zeist Gig-hub, she has been working 20 years (!) in the recycling-business. To celebrate and remember this very special day I composed and recorded a song for her; 'Alie Van De Balie' 

Alie Van De Balie (Nooit Is Ze Dr Niet)

 

Je hebt 'r ooit
Vast en zeker
Wel eens gezien

Ergens rond de markt 
In 't centrum
Of wellicht bij de 
Appie misschien

Weer of geen weer 
Al is 't buiten stralend
Of 't zonnetje 
Schijnt even niet

Meestal en dat zo
Al heeele veeele jaren
Is't bij kringloop de markt
Dat je d'r ziet

Daar is ze echt
Een vast begrip
En in't bijzonder
Alom geliefd

Lieve mevrouw of meneer
Hier is 'n lekker kopje koffie
Heeft u liever thee?
Alstublieft!

Want nog meer korting 
Dat zit er niet in
Maar zo krijgen wij 
Beiden samen
Krijgen wij beiden samen
Toch nog onze zin!

Onze aaaaalie
Van de baaaalie

Onze aaaaalie
Van de baaaalie

Lieve meneer 
Neemt u een kopje thee of koffie
Want nog meer korting
Dat zit er echt niet in
Maar zo krijgen wij 
Beiden samen 
Met zn tweetjes
(ooohooooo)
Toch nog onze zin!

Onze aaaaalie
Van de baaaalie

Onze aaaaalie
Van de baaaalie

Lieve meneer 
Neemt u 'n kopje thee of koffie
Want nog meer korting
Dat zit er echt niet in
Maar zo krijgen wij beiden samen
Met z'n tweetjes
Toch nog lekker onze zin

Lieve mevrouw 
Neemt u 'n kopje thee of koffie
Want nog meer korting
Dat zit er echt niet in
Maar zo krijgen wij beiden samen
Met z'n tweetjes
Toch nog lekker onze zin

Onze aaaaalie
(Die lieve aaaaalie)
Van de baaaalie


 

a Day Without You

Submitted by Marco on Thu, 05/12/2022 - 23:26

...finished the lyrics of 'a Day Without You', I've based the English lyrics on the original song I wrote in Dutch, (don't ever think translating a song is easy, coz it's not!) But I think I did alright. I played the English version in F Majeur key, whereas the Dutch version is in full G.  It's still a trial-version, just to "feel" the lyrics. I'll try to get it out in distribution before I leave for Spain this weekend.

Anyway, I hope you'll like it, let me know what you think!!!

day without you cvrpic

 

'Each Day Without You'
© AkAMAWA

sometimes I live these complicated moments
I then prefer pretending you're not around
still there is not a day that goes by
that you are not on my mind

I know that it's been ages since we parted
but I still just cannot leave you behind

a day without you
is a day that is imprisonin' me
I cherish every moment of freedom
that thinking of you is givin' me

oh well by now I don't really know better
after all it's been this way like since forever
but a day without you
is a day I don't really feel

sometimes when I'm on my own
alone and when I think there's no-one's watchin'
I talk to you, I talk a lot,
until I hear you asking
why now and not before?

I stop in my tracks 
I laugh it away and say
maybe we weren't as together before
but the truth I don't wanna know
coz of the pain that I try to ignore

I rather listen to the wind in the trees
to your voice whisperin' through magic leafs

a day without you
is a day that is imprisonin' me
I cherish every moment of freedom
that thinking of you is givin' me

oh well by now I don't really know better
after all it's been this way like since forever
but a day without you
is a day I don't really feel

and the truth, no I don't wanna know
coz of the pain that I try to ignore

I rather listen to the wind in the trees
to your voice whisperin' through magic leafs

a day without you
is a day that is imprisonin' me
I cherish every moment of freedom
that thinking of you is givin' me

Een Dag Zonder Jou

Submitted by Marco on Thu, 05/12/2022 - 12:03

 

NEW  >  'Een Dag Zonder Jou' ('The Days Without You')   <   NEW

Just finished writing a new song, a love-song, in my native language this time. It's about ehhm... the usual suspect and I :)) 

Anyway, here it is, hope you like it. Let me know!!
temp albumcoverpic c Akamawa

 

'Een Dag Zonder Jou'  ['The Days Without You']

© Marco Akamawa

 

soms heb ik van die moeilijke momenten
en je dan eventjes liever geen aandacht schenk
toch gaat er geen dag voorbij
da'k niet aan je denk 

al zijn we zo lang al niet meer samen
nog steeds ben je overal om me heen

een dag zonder jou
is een dag niet echt geleefd
ik koester elk magisch moment
dat iedere gedachte aan jou me geeft

ach 'k zou niet eens meer beter weten
't is ook al zo ontzettend lang gelee
maar een dag zonder jou is voor mij
een dag niet geleefd

soms wanneer ik alleen ben 
als ik denk dat niemand me ziet
praat ik hardop, honderd-uit tegen jou
tot ik je hoor vragen 
waarom nou wel en vroeger niet

dan lach ik dat weg en ik zeg
ach wat geschied is, is geschied
de waarheid die wil ik niet weten
dat doet me veelsteveel verdriet

'k luister liever naar de wind in de bomen
jouw zacht gefluister in m'n lievelingslied

een dag zonder jou
is een dag niet echt geleefd
ik koester elk magisch moment
dat iedere gedachte aan jou me geeft

ach 'k zou niet eens meer beter weten
't is ook al zo ontzettend lang gelee
maar een dag zonder jou is voor mij
een dag niet geleefd

Its Not As If

Submitted by Marco on Fri, 04/01/2022 - 10:43

...since about three months now almost every night I'm dreaming of maybe the most important woman in my life, eh... no, not my mother, you know, those dreams that are so nice that you don't wanna wake up from, or, when you do, you desperately wanna go back to sleep and continue dreaming (which never seems to work, -sigh- :).

So... I wrote a song about it. And of course I hope the dreams continue!

It's Not As If

Marco Akamawa

Even with my eyes wide open
I can see you right in front of me
Even with my heart in lockdown
Ooh I feel

Although you're not here
I can clearly hear you talking
Although you're not here

I'd feel so lost 
If I'd have to loose you again
I simply can't afford the pain

When at night I dream of you
Of both of us
Together, and in love
It's not as if I don't know
That dreams they aren't real

It's not as if I don't know
That when I wake up I'll 
Be on my own

I wanna go back to sleep again

I wanna go back to sleep again

Straight through a wall of time
Across an endless sea of memories
A million songs and a lifetime 
Away

Oooh I'll do anything, 
Even for that ghost of you
I'll do anything, anything, 
Anything 
Anything to make you stay

It's not as if I don't know
That dreams they aren't real

It's not as if I don't know
That ev'ry time I wake up
I'd wanna go
Back with you,
And dream again...

Its Not As If

Submitted by Marco on Fri, 04/01/2022 - 10:43

...since about three months now almost every night I'm dreaming of probably the most important woman in my life, eh... no, not my mother, you know, those dreams that are so nice that you don't wanna wake up from, or, when you do, you desperately wanna go back to sleep and continue dreaming (which never works, -sigh- ). I swear... almost every night nowadays!!!

So... I wrote a song about it. And of course I hope the dreams continue!

It's Not As If

Marco Akamawa

Even with my eyes wide open
I can see you right in front of me
Even with my heart in lockdown
Ooh I feel

Although you're not here
I can clearly hear you talking
Although you're not here

I'd feel so lost 
If I'd have to loose you again
I simply can't afford the pain

When at night I dream of you
Of both of us
Together, and in love
It's not as if I don't know
That dreams they aren't real

It's not as if I don't know
That when I wake up I'll 
Be on my own

I wanna go back to sleep again

I wanna go back to sleep again

Straight through a wall of time
Across an endless sea of memories
A million songs and a lifetime 
Away

Oooh I'll do anything, 
Even for that ghost of you
I'll do anything, anything, 
Anything 
Anything to make you stay

It's not as if I don't know
That dreams they aren't real

It's not as if I don't know
That ev'ry time I wake up
I'd wanna go
Back with you, Vanou
And dream again...

Aktie / Febuari 2022

Submitted by Marco on Sat, 02/05/2022 - 09:16
stopcancer_akamawa_feb22

 

Op alle zaterdag-middagen in de maand Februari speel ik bij Kringloopcentrum De Markt te Zeist 

80% van alle ZATERDAG opbrengsten gedurende de maand FEBRUARI zullen aan 't einde van de maand worden gedoneerd aan de stichting FIGHTCANCER.NL  

Op 28 Feb kunt u HIER het overgemaakte totaalbedrag terugvinden. 

Natuurlijk kunt u tijdens de optredens bij Marco (v.a. 2 Euro) ook pinnen, voor uw administratie ontvangt u indien gewenst een digitale kwitantie van InsideOut Productions.

 

Silencio

Submitted by Marco on Thu, 01/27/2022 - 09:45
albumcover SILENCIO by AkAMAWA

...as I'm getting ready for a few gigs in Spain, I've recorded a couple of covers in Spanish, and one of them, 'Silencio', although my voice still is a bit "corona-broken",  I've placed in distribution today. (Release: Feb 13 '22)

I've recuperated from Covid, just 2 more days of quarantine, and I'm looking forward to play this song live for the first time at my usual Hub Holland Recyclingcenter De Markt Zeist this Saturday 29/01. I'm tremendously looking forward to meeting everyone again and play live; I've missed it A LOT!!! 

 

1 2 3 5... BOOGIEMAN!

Submitted by Marco on Thu, 12/30/2021 - 10:46

...since the last lockdown I had a bunch of unfinished work hidden away in a drawer, and I'm glad I've the time now to finish all that work. Especially this song I love; for me impossible to sit still, good thing my piano doesn't have pedals; I could play a bass-drum at the same time! ...come to think of it... I do have a bass-drum downstairs in the cellar, it'd make a really cool video playing both piano and bass-drum at the same time... hmmm... and there's a piano at the central railway-station (largest busiest railwaystation in Holland) here in Utrecht... hmmm... I gotta write this down otherwise I'll almost certainly forget it. 

Boogieman - cvrpic by AkAMAWA

ENJOY! ... 

 

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Soundcheck before charity-gig for Habitat for Humanity (Helmond-Netherlands)

Thank you note after gig in Spain (El Campello Alicante)

Ik Hou Steeds Meer Van Jou

60% of this song’s proceeds (media+streaming+downloads+album sales) go to Alzheimer’s & MS cure-research 

Ik Hou Steeds Meer Van Jou BRC donations InsideOut Productions

Alzheimer Brain Research Center - Amsterdam/ Netherlands