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SofiaBlythe2014 — Mystical Music: Elena Christmas Songs

Published: 2020-12-19 10:06:11 +0000 UTC; Views: 3939; Favourites: 19; Downloads: 1
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Description So, since I covered Elena's Dia De Los Muertos songs in a Mystical Music article, now I do one for the Christmas songs (and 1 Hanukkah song). Let's begin.

1. The Way We Do Navidad

Performers: Aimee Carrero (Elena), Gaby Moreno (Marlena), Ana Ortiz (Rafa), Joseph Haro (Mateo), Jillian Rose Reed (Naomi), Jaime Camil (Julio), Justina Machado (Carmen), Constance Marie (Dona Paloma), Jenna Ortega (Isabel), Montse Hernandez (Cristina), Gabriel Olivas (Fernando)

Music: Tony Morales

Lyrics: Craig Gerber

So our first song is from the episode "Navidad", appropriately titled "The Way We Do Navidad". There are 4 main elements to this song all tied together with the idea of showcasing holiday traditions. The first part is about Mateo, his mother Rafa, and Marlena showing their own traditions, which is very rooted in the classics, such as making special dishes, dancing, and singing carols by the moonlight. Marlena does most of the singing, but it fits with how she shows a lot of passion for the music and the finer things in life. The second part is about Naomi showing off the Christmas traditions she has with her father. This one shows more about the seafaring side of things, fitting with Naomi's adventurous and free spirited attitude. The third part is about Dona Paloma, Julio, and Carmen emphasizing more of the spectacle and business side of the holiday, such as a big feast and all sorts of lights and decorations. Of course, there's more humility when Julio says it, and more ego when Dona Paloma says it. The fourth part is from Cristina, where she shows what her celebrations are like, a town feast where everyone gathers, and then they dance. The tone of the song changes each time, feeling like a new song, yet the spirit is what keeps everything tied together due to how uplifting it is. Elena also represents us and how amused we are at each celebration. I should also talk about the art style. When we see most of the traditions, the backdrop is that of a personalized holiday card with how everything pops out. The exception is with Cristina's backdrop, which is styled like a drawing. It's a nice personal touch in showing how she's artistic. The big chorus at the end with everyone singing about Elena joining them helps make it feel very triumphant. It's pretty good.

2. Light The Way

Performers: Aimee Carrero (Elena), Jorge Diaz (Gabe), Gaby Moreno (Marlena), An Ortiz (Rafa), Joseph Haro (Mateo), Jillian Rose Reed (Naomi), Jaime Camil (Julio), Justina Machado (Carmen), Constance Marie (Dona Paloma), Jenna Ortega (Isabel), Montse Hernandez (Cristina), Gabriel Olivas (Fernando), Christian Lanz (Esteban), Julia Vera (Luisa), Emiliano Díez (Francisco), Joe Nunez (Armando)

Music: Tony Morales

Lyrics: Craig Gerber

And so here we have the longest song in the show, clocking in at over 4 and a half minutes. I'm not sure if this will be too long though. This is what concludes the episode. It starts with Elena lightly strumming her guitar as she and Gabe go around singing all over town about being together. This is a baranda. The main thing that this song has is the camaraderie that only gets bigger as the song goes on. After everyone was trying to compete over who could make a better Christmas float resulting in a big mess, it's all the more satisfying. The song is about encouraging people to see the light of the holiday and celebrate in spirit even with differences. That is a pretty good message. We get scenes like Rafa and Carmen talking about how much they just wanted a good holiday and should be more respectful of tradition, or Elena offering Dona Paloma a chance to join even though she caused much of the conflict. It's a great reminder of how much the holidays are meant to greatly emphasize compassion and forgiveness. Despite the longer length, it never drags anything out, probably because we get a good amount of singing and breathing room to talk. There's also a nice red-orange hue to the characters, helped by the candle light symbolizing everyone finding new light in themselves. What really brings this together is the end. Isabel is sad with how she can't spend Christmas with Cristina's family, but then we have everyone gathering at the palace and singing their hearts out in a great crescendo, and she joins in. This is a song that really gives the final act a real Broadway flare to it. This hopeful song is definitely one to keep listening to.

3. Home For Navidad

Performer: Aimee Carrero (Elena)

Music: Tony Morales

Lyrics: Craig Gerber & Rachel Ruderman

Our next song is from "Snow Place Like Home", and it's definitely a festive one. It starts with Elena immediately strumming her guitar as she talks about why loves celebrating Navidad. It's because she's able to do so with her family. It's fitting for her character given how much she lives to please others. She mentions many of the traditions they do for Christmas, such as making special treats or opening presents on Christmas morning. You can tell that Elena is having the time of her life. However, the subtle details help make it more interesting. You see, Elena is singing this to her grandparents and Isabel as they go to Cristina's village to give her a gift. Esteban notably keeps trying to say something, but is shot down. This helps foreshadow that he's trying to say something for their protection, but just can't fully say why. It's one of those songs that follows tonal whiplash well. If you only listen to it, it's completely cheerful. If you also watch it, it's cheerful yet also has a slightly mysterious vibe that keeps you on your toes. I call this a good song.

4. Hearts Full Of Cheer

Performer: Aimee Carrero (Elena), Emiliano Diez (Francisco), Jenna Ortega (Isabel), Christian Lanz (Esteban), Joseph Haro (Mateo), Jillian Rose Reed (Naomi), Julia Vera (Luisa)

Music: Tony Morales

Lyrics: Craig Gerber & Rachel Ruderman

And now we have our last song of the episode, which is definitely quite an emotional one. This takes place during the last few minutes of the episode, with nearly everyone gathered at the palace. The best way to describe this song is that it has an old fashioned feel. It's essentially a song about reflection, looking back on tough times and how you can get through them with family, friends, and loved ones. It's very fitting. It starts with Francisco and Elena singing about the love and cheer you have with others during the holidays. It's very fitting for a show that gives a great emphasis to family, particularly with lyrics like keeping people in spirit even when they're not there. This plays over the scene of Gabe and the guards flying after the snowstorm stopped, really enforcing how dedicated they are to keeping people safe. That is really beautiful. We have a good buildup of everyone singing, especially with Esteban, as he shows true joy in being surrounded by loved ones. We get some slow, soft moments, which helps show the "blam" moment of Victor and Carla finally meeting with Ash. It's surprising, yet also fits the tone of the song. We then end the song with an old fashioned picture of everyone gathered around the tree. It's reminiscent to the ending of "Holiday In Enchancia", but in this case, we see many families together. It's 2 and a half minutes of joyful merriment.

5. Hanukkah Night

Performer: Jamie Lynn Sigler (Rebecca)

Music: Tony Morales

Lyrics: Craig Gerber & Rachel Ruderman

And now we finish things off with a Hanukkah song. This is from "Festival Of Lights". The song is basically about Rebecca introducing Elena, as well as the audience, to Hanukkah, and it gets the job done. In many ways, this song is very similar to "The Way We Do Navidad", both from a purpose standpoint and a visual standpoint. It uses many of the same ideas such as using a holiday card style backdrop and the idea of introducing certain traditions to Elena. It's also shown being similarly lively with Rebecca dancing with Elena in showing off her traditions. What makes this unique? Well, what is Hanukkah? To put simply, it's a holiday celebrating the Jewish people conquering the darkness and finding the light. It helps set up how Rebecca's character is well meaning but also very insistent on having a proper Hanukkah, experiences a bit of darkness when things go wrong, and then gets better when she sees that things don't have to be exactly as planned. This helps set up Elena's character in the long run, where here, she shows great determination in helping everyone celebrate Hanukkah despite never having celebrated the holiday. Helping Rebecca is a kind of light, much like how she would eventually see her own light in knowing how to deal with her own issues. Even beyond all that, her curiosity at learning about Hanukkah helps show how she's someone who's willing to expand her world view.

And that's all I have. Thanks for reading. Have a good day.
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sirlajuan [2023-08-08 04:27:06 +0000 UTC]

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