If a new religion formed around Aalok Bala's "Sueño," I might be inclined to join. The chants and drums act as your sherpa as you journey into your dreams and what they could mean, per Bala's lyrics. She sings about exploring new emotions and thoughts within as she also affirms making her own dreams come true in the material world. The video crosses between the real and imaginary with a 3D rendering of her body.
The Andean artist, who grew up in Queens but moved to LA five years ago, recorded her upcoming EP at a home studio which could turn into an emotional and powerful trip into the psyche. In an email, Bala broke down the origin of the song: "The lyrics sung in both Spanish and English, took shape from a conversation I had with my mother which later translated into a poem about exploring consciousness, challenging hard questions and daring to believe in dreams."
The poem translates to:
"Let the words that no man hears
echo out into open air
I want to be like water, I want to be like water
save me from myself
I am not pure, i am not pure
let the dreams which have root in me
rise with the sun, rise with the sun."
"Sueño" will feature on Aalok Bala's upcoming EP Sacred Mirror, due this spring.
Photo: Maria Kanevskaya