I originally was scheduled to record this album in early April 2020 in my hometown in Northern Spain, but my plans were unexpectedly changed with Europe and then the United States shutting down and entering quarantine due to COVID-19. At the beginning of this unplanned hiatus, these songs, anchored in the theme of love, seemed to me to be a bit out-of-step with what the world was experiencing with the global pandemic. I began to question whether this music was appropriate at this time.
Originally titled “Romeo & Juliet,” I realized as I pondered this recording that the music actually was in tune with this turbulent time. Love, decency, hope and optimism prevailing against mortality, mistrust, injustice and uncertainty — these are the overall underlying themes of this album,— and it is what the world, and our country, has demonstrated throughout the past months of this pandemic.
The chosen works on this album are fairly well-known. While still an album about love (and the art that can come with love), the meaning of the album has evolved and expanded to become a recording about the importance of the perseverance of hope, determination, and love in the face of death and uncertainty. Global events like the pandemic of 2020 forever alter our lives. Whether we will emerge from this better or worse is still to be seen, but we can each make a positive impact in our own way. And so, I have moved forward with making the album, creating the sound world that I originally planned. I hope you enjoy it, and that it brings something positive into your life.
– Jesus Rodolfo
Photo by: Pierre Lidar
