Summary

...In winding down my efforts to help promote @pechichemena’s #coverasteemian initiative, as promised, I am leading off this week’s Top-5 post with my humble attempt to interpret @wilins “Amore Violento.”

As I mention in the accompanying link, unlike many of the artists here on Open-Mic and elsewhere, I am not a professional musician, nor a seasoned performer or celebrity of any sort. That being said, and despite the fact that I had 8 freshly woven stitches throbbing in my left index finger while recording this, I could have done so much better.

Though I was in pain and rather anxious to wrap it up as quickly as I could, I should have taken far more time in getting the takes much tighter than they are. The production value is clearly lacking along with numerous timing glitches surrounding the several tracks I laid down for this particular #coverasteemian entry.

Apart from all of the above, what I enjoyed most about this endeavor was translating my understanding of the original lyrics written in Spanish, and re-writing @wilins letter in English to suit the context, cadence, and melodies of the original song. It was a labor of love and brought me so much closer to feeling the intensity and passion of @willins composition, “Amore Violento,” which tells the story of a dark and passionate love. I hope you enjoy it.

COVER A STEEMIAN: @passion-ground – covering @wilins "Amor Violento"

https://steemit.com/coverasteemian/@passion-ground/cover-a-steemian-sir-wilin-s-amore-violento-english-version-violent-love

Below is the original.

VOTE for These WITNESSES... ... RIGHT NOW!

Before we move on, please don't forget to vote for @Pfunk, @Ausbitbank, & @Teamsteem as witnesses! All of whom are our biggest supporters who play major roles in helping to run, fund, curate, build and expand the Open Mic contest. In addition to the above witnesses, I am also adding @curie and @cervantes to this esteemed list “must-vote-for” witnesses. @curie and @cervantes provide a great deal of support directly to many of our most outstanding musicians, and we should all support them in kind. You can vote for all of them right now by going to this link: https://steemit.com/~witnesses

For reasons better left unsaid, this has been without question one of the most trying and stressful weeks that I’ve experienced thus far as an Open-Mic judge! With that said, following some further insights as to how I judge entries, let’s just get on with it, shall we?

Steemit Open Mic Week 82

My Process

As one of the esteemed Open Mic judges, it is my job to come up with (or “curate” as it were) a short-list of my top 5 entrants each week. With all of the great talent here, that is by no means an easy task. Sure, tossing in another 5 honorable mentions helps, but not when my weekly list starts out with 100 or more of my favorite entries... You guy's rock - I'm tellin ya!

Yes, I am a Libra – so I have an inherent drive deep within me to be fair and balanced – good qualities for a “judge” if you ask me. That being said, I’m still human – filled with emotion and subjective feelings – just like you. So, in order to mitigate my subjective tendencies to the best extent possible, I’ve come up with a method by which to narrow down my selections in a more objective vs. arbitrary manner.

Here’s how I go about my personal judging process: I first start out with a list of 100 or more of my most favorite entries for the week, and score them (yes, subjectively) in six distinct categories via a spreadsheet. The categories I’ve selected for scoring are in general harmony with those explained by @luzcypher in his post titled How We Pick The Top 3 Entries, referencing such.

To get a more in-depth perspective as to how I personally go about selecting my artists, please refer to What I go through as an Open-Mic Judge.

Even though it’s still a “subjective” process – diligently going through each scoring category to come up with a “total” score for each entrant helps to minimize any overzealous subjectivity that I may harbor with respect to any specific entrants.

Quite often, this exercise doesn’t give me the exact results I would personally prefer to see – but that only means that my system of judging is working as intended and designed. With all of that said, here are...

My Top-5 Picks in Order

FIRST PLACE: @ilazramusic - A Mi Me Encanta - (Original)

I’ve got a great deal of respect for people who go to great lengths to get something of merit and complexity accomplished all on their own. Not only did he compose, produce, and perform brilliantly across numerous instruments, vocal harmonies, alongside his engineering and editing skills, but @ilazramusic took it a step further in providing us with a most awesome dual language post explaining just about everything that went into this most awesome production! The song itself is awesome; carrying a cool Reggae vibe drenched with brilliant harmonies that leave the listener yearning for more. Check out his post and give him some well-deserved love for his artistry!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@ilazramusic/steemit-open-mic-week-82-a-mi-me-encanta-original-song

SECOND PLACE: @gentle.ben – Thinkin' of You - (Original)

This is one of those entries when after clicking play - the moment one begins hearing the vocals kick-in, one’s jaw just drops in awe – and stays there! When I mentioned how much I liked the soul, passion, and vocal commitment inherent in his performance, Ben lightheartedly shared with me that such fires burn because of much heartache in his past, which he tries to get out through his music. I tell you what man; this dude can really deliver some blues-charged heartfelt vocals like nobody’s business! His composition, “Thinking of You” is the perfect song to showcase his most awesome artistry. Open his post, and give him some love!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@gentle.ben/steemit-open-mic-week-82-thinkin-of-you-gentle-ben-atkins-original-song

THIRD PLACE: @funkmedia – El Tiempo - (Original)

The same respect that I have for individuals going to great lengths to produce awesome material goes double for the heightened collaborative efforts required in coordinating several artists committed to the ongoing success a full band! In my view, @funkmedia is the epitome of such dedicated collaboration and artistry. El Tiempo starts out quietly and introspectively with some rather incredible vocal harmonies. Shortly thereafter, it then opens up with the rest of the band's instrumental flavors and goes on to deliver the balance of a melancholy song, which speaks to a guided reliance upon “time” to show the way forward. Check it out, and give these guys some love!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@funkmedia/smouxwzi

FOURTH PLACE: @allanshrestha – Same Thing - (Original)

Sir Allan graces us once again with yet another piece of wonderful artistry - this time his message carry’s some sage wisdom we all should strive to better understand. His composition, “Same Thing” speaks about the mistakes we all seem to make repeatedly – the very definition of insanity as it were, yet a very real assessment of our collective plight as human beings. Predictable, just like dogs, I suspect it’s what makes us so lovable despite all of our inherent flaws. If we can’t count on each other for such predictable behaviors and forgiveness thereof, then who can we really count on. Such a fruitful lesson as it is, it is nonetheless a lesson many of us wish to suppress for obvious reasons. Here, through his raw performance, Alan reminds us how contemplative introspection can elevate each of us to a higher place – a place where we all belong. Bust open his link below, and give Alan some love for this beautifully insightful song.
https://steemit.com/openmic/@allanshrestha/steemit-open-mic-week-82-same-thing-original

FIFTH PLACE: @michaeldietrich – All Along the Watchtower - (Cover)

It seems as though Michael just stumbled upon this cover whilst doing a general sound check of sorts! It’s funny how things come to the fore sometimes, and this is no exception. A Dylan classic no doubt, whereby Michael’s vocals simply steal the show! I’m glad he recognized the value in pursuing this cover vs. doing what he may have been originally setting out to do. The overall audio quality in concert with his guitars steady tribute to those infamous three-chords makes this cover entry very much a keeper. Check out his post; give him some love, and enjoy his splendid rendition of this Dylan classic!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@michaeldietrich/steemit-open-mic-week-82-all-along-the-watchtower-bob-dylan-cover

My Top-5 Honorable Mentions in Order:

First: @edwardstobia – Una Nueva Historia - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@edwardstobia/steemit-open-mic-semana-82-cancion-original-una-nueva-historia-openmic-patrocinado-por-luzcypher-and-pfunk

Second: @juliolunar - El Caminante - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@juliolunar/steemit-open-mic-semana-82-juliolunar-limbo-ele-el-caminante-original-con-letra-patrocinado-por-pfunk-y-luzcypher

Third: @wilins – Medianoche - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@wilins/steemit-open-mic-semana-82-medianoche-cancion-original

Fourth: @moderndayjester – Lost @ C# - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@moderndayjester/steemit-open-mic-week-82-lost-in-c-mdj

Fifth: @alcoholisedbsoul – Maria Maria - (Cover)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@alcoholisedbsoul/steemit-openmic-semana-82-maria-maria-santana-alcoholisedbsoul-ft-manuelmusic

Thank you for reviewing my selections for this week’s Open-Mic contest. If you find this content I’ve curated entertaining and of value to you, then please consider up-voting and/or re-steeming it.

Peace, Love, and Justice for All

A Very Special Shout Out To:

The following 20 artists who were very much on my radar, each within a splitting hair of making it into my overall top-10, and whose performances I loved, cherish, and respect most assuredly. This special list is very much an extension of my most honorable mentions.

They are - in no particular order:

@melodyrussell, @babycrow, @jgvinstl, @dinoromanelli, @orrslaw, @pechichemena, @moccamonica, @leomolina, @trevorpetrie, @mightyjoenolan, @kayclarity, @tarotbyfergus, @williamsreinoso, @samidbarid, @k0wsk1, @raqquel, @carlosrada, @amberyooper, @hardikv, and @operahoser!

Another Special Shout Out To:

The following artists whose performances I very much enjoyed this week.

They are - in no particular order:

@silentscreamer, @gibber, @moontse, @alejandra23, @addiesworld, @johannesburghart, @paintingangels, @dominiqueguitars, @almagatuna, @calule7, @yenibe, @senzenfrenz, @coruscate, @yetxuni, @mcmusic, @drewley, @elisonr13, @honeymoon-1611, @mrprecious, @camuel, @chrisgoans, @origen1618, @guaraguaras, @thesimpson, @paskha, @danielsandoval, @markaustin, @teregogfrey, @danieldyemusic, @bryandivisions, @felixjfarfan, @betzaelcorvo, @brendahcaroline, @aidarojaswriter, @wethepatsies, @olvidesantelmo, @abelfernandez, @adrianjordaz, @yulita, @graceleon, @lauraoficial02, @moderndayjester, @julian.alejandro, @luisojedagc, @dreamrafa, @pollocyber, and @diegopadilla!

Much love and thanks to each and every one of you who have touched a part of my heart and soul - not only this week but forever!