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Posted By: floyd jane Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 11:37 AM
RealDrums play a starring rule here. If you have never taken the time to walk through all the RealDrum options, you need to.
There are over 300 choices - not to mention the choices inside those choices (so, thousands!).
BIAB is worth its price if you only use it as a "drum machine"!

If you are ever in the Tampa Bay area, you should spend some time in Ybor City.
Many years ago it contained little more than some cigar factories and the Florida mafia. The population was largely Cuban.
It was once (supposedly) the hangout of pirates...Tampa throws a Gasparilla celebration each year - sort of our Mardi Gras..(pirates, drunks, girls, beads)..
The Cloumbia Restaurant has been there over 100 years, but little else was there...

About 40 years ago, businessmen began moving in to transform it into a "tourist area".
I played weekends at the first "new" bar ("Rough Riders Restaurant" in a converted cigar factory)
when it was still considered "the bad side of town".
https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/88695
(There is some chance that I am the guy at the bottom of the stairs, back turned in that picture)

You did not want to stray from the main drag at night.

Today it is Tampa's most colorful area. If you visit, make sure to go to the Tampa Bay Brewing Company and order the meatloaf... I am NOT kidding...see it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Homemade & Homebrewed Highlights (link no longer valid)
Walking the main drag Saturday night is entertaining...

This is my "tribute" to that 1977-era Ybor..

YBOR CITY LULLABY

in the heart of the city
veins of red cobblestone
between summer heat and a spanish beat
where many a pirate's been known
laughing senoritas and colored piñatas
twirl to the tourists delight
latin girls so pretty, but deep in this city
plans are being made for the night

   oh, carmelita
   hold me up or hold me down
   is ybor city paradise
   or the bad side of town

the corners have all been stolen
by bright lights and squad car patrols
but neither violate the alleys
where schemers and saboteurs stroll
costumed and gay by the light of the day
but don't walk away from the crowd
their hatred is buried, but like switchblades it's carried
it burns in the hearts of the proud

   oh, carmelita
   do we dare to dream or drown
   is ybor city paradise
   or the bad side of town

behind the festival veil
a people gasping for air
they invite the invaders to join in the dance
reach a hand out but nothing is there

   oh, carmelita
   lay your body down
   ybor city is paradise
   the bad side of town


And finally... the (Latin Rock) band!!!

Style is _GUAJIRA.STY (Guajira Trio [120RS])

RealDrums in style: SalsaGuajira^1-a:BongoFills, b:Bells
RealDrums in Song: PraiseWorshipShine^01-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

RealTracks in style: 1958:Bass, Baby, Guajira Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1959:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Guajira Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1960:Tres, Rhythm Guajira Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1004:Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Rhythm ClassicRockStrumming Ev16 065
RealTracks in song: 1292:Accordion, Rhythm TexMexCountry Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1770:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkMovinChords Ev16 130
RealTracks in song: 659:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm TexasRockChop Ev 120 (B:8ths)
RealTracks in song: 698:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockDirty Ev 120 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 809:Guitar, Electric, Soloist DrivingCountryBallad Ev 065


Play it loud (or in phones) - to really hear the RealDrums!

Y'all diviértete...Arrggh..

Have at it.

floyd
Posted By: gibson Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 12:03 PM
floyd
The Latin beat sets the mood straight away portraying a life about which I know nothing.In the late 70's I hung around in the "celebrity" side of London in the same districts as some gangsters, never saw them but the stories...wow! No longer playing live at that time, sadly, I restarted in the 80's.

The lyrics paint pictures and turn that photo into colour, so I won't pick an example as I'd have to praise each line!

Them drums are excellent, must investigate them myself

Wonderful, Floyd, absolutely wonderful. There must be great memories to produce this masterpiece.

A great listen on this miserable day in Wales, cold 'n damp.

Needs a few more listens!!

Excellent

Alyn
Posted By: Charlie Fogle Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 12:11 PM
This one really fits you. Fits you so very well...

It all comes together like Grandma's banana pudding!

About the picture: It is good that you notated back turned at the bottom of the stairs. You share the same hairstyle as the lady at the top of the stairs with her back turned... holding a pocketbook....

A peculiarity to your subject is a town in S/E NC named Tabor City. It shares many of the same characteristics with Ybor except the entire city has the reputation. It is fondly nicknamed in these parts as "Razor City."

It does not have a tourist section like Ybor but it presents a large fall festival each year called the Yam Festival that is internationally acclaimed. It is not as bad these days of its reputation as it once was but if you get crossed up there, it's still as bad once as it ever was. smile

It is also the birthplace of country legend Stonwall Jackson.
Posted By: sixchannel Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 12:35 PM
Wow! I love a bit o'latin - especially one with a thumping drum beat like this.
Great lyrics - is it REALLY that scarey?! And great tune too - loved the Chorus.
AND - is that SOLO guitar and Outro really an RT - or is that you? Its stunning and fits perfectly.
Ace Job, my friend.
cheers
ian
Posted By: Sundance Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 12:51 PM
I think Latin beats always make a body want to move - they sure do mine. So you had me from the get go with that rhythm track. Cool story well written - love the line about the switch blade. You sound great on it. Mucho enjoyed!
Posted By: boehm Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 01:17 PM
Hi Floyd,

everything is perfect! I especially like the panorama you have in the mix.
Thanks a lot for the background story and the picture.
You gave me some pleasant minutes today.

Guenter
Posted By: ROG Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 03:39 PM
Hi Floyd.

Well, that's another place on my list of where to visit when I eventually get to do my tour of the US.

What a splendid track - a sort of rock salsa. (The dance, not the spicy tomato dip.)

I was waiting for Herb Alpert trumpets to perform the solo but got Jimi Hendrix instead. Cool.

A terrific mix in which everything rocks from start to finish and which nearly brought the Tannoys off the stands. Maybe more cowbell?

ROG.
Posted By: SpaceDog Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 05:24 PM
Floyd,
Having been a Tampa Bay resident for three years, the title grabbed my attention. Yep, you nailed it! I've been to all the places you mentioned but never in the bad ole days. It must have been wild! People still routinely get into trouble there but it's such a cool place and the cigars a still great.
Excellent song. I really enjoyed it.
SD
Posted By: Scott C Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 06:37 PM
Excellent vocal and lyrics. Latin music has such a cool rhythm to it. Guitar was superb.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 07:15 PM
Originally Posted By: gibson
floyd
The Latin beat sets the mood straight away portraying a life about which I know nothing.In the late 70's I hung around in the "celebrity" side of London in the same districts as some gangsters, never saw them but the stories...wow! No longer playing live at that time, sadly, I restarted in the 80's.

The lyrics paint pictures and turn that photo into colour, so I won't pick an example as I'd have to praise each line!

Them drums are excellent, must investigate them myself

Wonderful, Floyd, absolutely wonderful. There must be great memories to produce this masterpiece.

A great listen on this miserable day in Wales, cold 'n damp.

Needs a few more listens!!

Excellent

Alyn

Thanks, Alyn. You can get really lost in walking through all the drums choices... I don't think people realize how much variety is really there. It's pretty incredible...and you don't have to program them yourself! Click, Click Click and done... I'd like to hear ALL of your stories one day...


Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
This one really fits you. Fits you so very well...

It all comes together like Grandma's banana pudding!

About the picture: It is good that you notated back turned at the bottom of the stairs. You share the same hairstyle as the lady at the top of the stairs with her back turned... holding a pocketbook....

A peculiarity to your subject is a town in S/E NC named Tabor City. It shares many of the same characteristics with Ybor except the entire city has the reputation. It is fondly nicknamed in these parts as "Razor City."

It does not have a tourist section like Ybor but it presents a large fall festival each year called the Yam Festival that is internationally acclaimed. It is not as bad these days of its reputation as it once was but if you get crossed up there, it's still as bad once as it ever was. smile

It is also the birthplace of country legend Stonwall Jackson.

I hope Grandma's pudding was good...
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 07:52 PM
Really well done song, and interesting background story Floyd!! The Latin beat is infectious. The mix is superb. And, the lyrics are wonderfully descriptive and poetic. You traverse many styles with great skill and apparent comfort. Great job!! Take care. Greg
Posted By: RnAM Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 10:10 PM
Floyd,

In my opinion this is your best song/arrangement/composition and vocal, so far.
First: the vocal volume levels are beautifully weaved in the songs arrangement. They are pitch perfect especially in the chorus.
Second: The (gritty) electric guitars work perfectly to roughen up the mix a little.
Third: The mix/arrangement itself has a very distinct atmosphere, also due to the percussion and the accordion.
The song gives the exact feeling of what you've been describing in your post.
It's a little bit different from what you usually do, but very, very cool!

Rob
Posted By: SRP Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 11:23 PM
As you know I moved to Tampa in 1977 and although ours paths never crossed, we did have one thing in common and that was our experiences with Ybor City. Yours was playing music there and mine delivering Krispy Kreme donuts. I had thought many times of writing about Ybor City but you have done such a perfect job with this song that there would be no need of it. You have captured everything that needs to be told with such precision and musical talent that if a person had never been there they now have a great understanding of what it was like in those days. Great job Floyd! I love what you did with the Latin sound and it really brought back some old memories for me. Thanks for writing this one.
Sonny
Posted By: PeterF Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/18/15 11:44 PM
Floyd
I liked everything about that one - the story the vocal the guitars and of course the drums.
You continue to push the envelope.
Posted By: dcuny Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/19/15 02:29 AM
Nice! The percussion introduction is very ear-catching, as in the guitar at the end (and your vocal with the reverb).

I'd been eyeing <BRAND NAME REDACTED> Blues Drumkit, but I keep reminding myself what you pointed out: BiaB has some really nice drumkits, and it's really easy to forget how much we've already got.

Anyway, fun listen, especially with the guitars playing off against the latin drums.
Posted By: Noel96 Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/19/15 03:06 AM
Hey floyd,

I haven't listened to the song yet nor read any of the comments. I've just finished reading the lyrics and I wanted to pass on some thoughts regarding those before being influenced by anything else.

I LOVE the opening. What a fantastic initial image and metaphor... a very lyrical play on the word 'heart'...

Quote:
in the heart of the city
veins of red cobblestone

... after reading that, I was fully committed to finish!

The next thing that came my way was just how outstanding your rhyme scheme is. It's very sophisticated indeed. (The phrase "floyd is a lyricist supremo" just sprang to mind. I pass it on for what it's worth smile ).

Quote:
(x) in the heart of the city
(a) veins of red cobblestone
(b) between summer heat
(b) and a spanish beat
(a) where many a pirate's been known
(c) laughing senoritas
(c) and colored piñatas
(d) twirl to the tourists delight
(e) latin girls so pretty
(e) but deep in this city
(d) plans are being made for the night

The rhythm of the rhyme is fantastic. I hope that people who listen to this song take the time to read the lyric aloud. It's well worth the journey. A great lyric!

Ok... off to listen now... I'm curious to see where this goes.

Back now...

What an incredible creation!

Not only is this a write of the highest calibre, it's also a masterpiece arrangement and production. In addition, your performance is spectacular.

I'm heading back for another listen. This is music at its very best!

Regards
Noel
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/19/15 01:57 PM
Originally Posted By: sixchannel
Wow! I love a bit o'latin - especially one with a thumping drum beat like this.
Great lyrics - is it REALLY that scarey?! And great tune too - loved the Chorus.
AND - is that SOLO guitar and Outro really an RT - or is that you? Its stunning and fits perfectly.
Ace Job, my friend.
cheers
ian

Thanks, Ian.... Ybor is not like that now. It is a terrific place to visit... as long as you keep to the main two streets...

The solo guitar is an RT - it is listed above..


Originally Posted By: Sundance
I think Latin beats always make a body want to move - they sure do mine. So you had me from the get go with that rhythm track. Cool story well written - love the line about the switch blade. You sound great on it. Mucho enjoyed!


Josie - Thanks for dropping by (and dancing!)
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/19/15 07:27 PM
Originally Posted By: boehm
Hi Floyd,

everything is perfect! I especially like the panorama you have in the mix.
Thanks a lot for the background story and the picture.
You gave me some pleasant minutes today.

Guenter


Thanks for listening, Guenter... and for the nice comments...
Posted By: JEL Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/20/15 12:36 PM
Good one smile
Posted By: 90 dB Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/20/15 03:44 PM
Ay!

Ser suave como la seda. ¡Bien hecho! Hiciste un excelente trabajo. Perfect companion for my Cuba Libre! grin



Regards,

Bob
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/21/15 10:14 AM
Originally Posted By: ROG
Hi Floyd.

Well, that's another place on my list of where to visit when I eventually get to do my tour of the US.

What a splendid track - a sort of rock salsa. (The dance, not the spicy tomato dip.)

I was waiting for Herb Alpert trumpets to perform the solo but got Jimi Hendrix instead. Cool.

A terrific mix in which everything rocks from start to finish and which nearly brought the Tannoys off the stands. Maybe more cowbell?

ROG.


Thanks, ROG! Never considered Mr. Albert's trumpet (one horn song a year is enough - HA!)... was actually thinking more Bruce than Jimi on the solo... Always appreciate you having a listen...
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/21/15 12:31 PM
Originally Posted By: SpaceDog
Floyd,
Having been a Tampa Bay resident for three years, the title grabbed my attention. Yep, you nailed it! I've been to all the places you mentioned but never in the bad ole days. It must have been wild! People still routinely get into trouble there but it's such a cool place and the cigars a still great.
Excellent song. I really enjoyed it.
SD


SD - It's a great area (Tampa Bay) as long as the polar ice caps don't melt and drown us all... Ybor has had quite a transformation over the last 40 years. It's now block after block of clubs, restaurants, pizza places, tattoo parlors... mostly a young crowd - sort of Tampa's SOHO.. Thanks for stopping in for a listen...
Posted By: tommyad Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/21/15 02:51 PM
floyd, The real drums salsa choice says bongo fills, but to me it sounds like timbales. Kind of like Tito Puente or Sheila E dropped by Ybor to sit in with The floyd jane Band. I've traveled throughout the Carribean and Mexico and been exposed to the many forms Latin Musica. This is the real deal. Good job bringing in the Praise and worship kick drum later in the song. Many good lyric choices and you sing the heck out of it. Nice editing on the guitar solo. Excellent job on everything. Keep on rollin your R's and smokin cigars. Tom
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/21/15 06:55 PM
Originally Posted By: Scottt709
Excellent vocal and lyrics. Latin music has such a cool rhythm to it. Guitar was superb.


Thanks, Scott....
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/22/15 11:23 AM
floyd, your song writes often remind me of my
favorite novelists, i.e., the ability to write well
about disparate subjects. This song is a perfect
example of that. The location and it's ambience is
unknown to many listeners but suddenly one
is grabbed and shown this world via the lyric,
the mood, and your vocal.

Everything is spectacular. World class.

If I created something like this I'd be insufferable!
For you it's a gracious thanks and then on to the
next one.

J&B

PS I like the drums/percussion smile
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/22/15 07:45 PM
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
Really well done song, and interesting background story Floyd!! The Latin beat is infectious. The mix is superb. And, the lyrics are wonderfully descriptive and poetic. You traverse many styles with great skill and apparent comfort. Great job!! Take care. Greg


Thanks, Greg.



Originally Posted By: RnAM
Floyd,

In my opinion this is your best song/arrangement/composition and vocal, so far.
First: the vocal volume levels are beautifully weaved in the songs arrangement. They are pitch perfect especially in the chorus.
Second: The (gritty) electric guitars work perfectly to roughen up the mix a little.
Third: The mix/arrangement itself has a very distinct atmosphere, also due to the percussion and the accordion.
The song gives the exact feeling of what you've been describing in your post.
It's a little bit different from what you usually do, but very, very cool!

Rob



Thanks, Rob... I really appreciate that...
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/23/15 12:19 PM
Originally Posted By: SRP
As you know I moved to Tampa in 1977 and although ours paths never crossed, we did have one thing in common and that was our experiences with Ybor City. Yours was playing music there and mine delivering Krispy Kreme donuts. I had thought many times of writing about Ybor City but you have done such a perfect job with this song that there would be no need of it. You have captured everything that needs to be told with such precision and musical talent that if a person had never been there they now have a great understanding of what it was like in those days. Great job Floyd! I love what you did with the Latin sound and it really brought back some old memories for me. Thanks for writing this one.
Sonny


Thanks, Sonny. I appreciate the nice comments. I had a great time re-visiting this time and place. We left Tampa in '79 - then came back in '09... if you haven't been back to Ybor you would enjoy seeing what it has become since those days...



Originally Posted By: PeterF
Floyd
I liked everything about that one - the story the vocal the guitars and of course the drums.
You continue to push the envelope.


Peter - I appreciate your continued support... you and Leon are pushing that envelope yourself...
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/23/15 12:56 PM
Wow, good song! Love the lyrics and performance, very much enjoyed the listen!

Couldn't agree more about realdrums. I've been using BIAB for almost 15 years now, first thing I would do with a BIAB song is scrap the midi drums and build a new drum track using loops. Very time consuming, sometimes would take a couple of days to build a decent drum track. RealDrums sound great out of the box to these ears, great time saver.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/24/15 12:07 PM
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Nice! The percussion introduction is very ear-catching, as in the guitar at the end (and your vocal with the reverb).

I'd been eyeing <BRAND NAME REDACTED> Blues Drumkit, but I keep reminding myself what you pointed out: BiaB has some really nice drumkits, and it's really easy to forget how much we've already got.

Anyway, fun listen, especially with the guitars playing off against the latin drums.


Thanks, David. I have been playing around lately with a bunch of different drums "things". I have MIDI files from BeatBoy of Eddie Bayers and Nigel Olsen (a couple of the best "commercial" drummers ever) I have 5 or 6 CDs of "drums scores". I bought one of the Drums On Demand packages - because Tom is doing very impressive things with it... But they are ALL so time consuming... I then go back to the list of BIAB RealDrums and think WHY am I wasting my time on that other stuff???? There are times that I build a drum track to get something very specific (usually to open a song), but 95% of the time RealDrums are the way to go...
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/26/15 11:09 AM
Originally Posted By: Noel96
Hey floyd,

I haven't listened to the song yet nor read any of the comments. I've just finished reading the lyrics and I wanted to pass on some thoughts regarding those before being influenced by anything else.

I LOVE the opening. What a fantastic initial image and metaphor... a very lyrical play on the word 'heart'...

Quote:
in the heart of the city
veins of red cobblestone

... after reading that, I was fully committed to finish!

The next thing that came my way was just how outstanding your rhyme scheme is. It's very sophisticated indeed. (The phrase "floyd is a lyricist supremo" just sprang to mind. I pass it on for what it's worth smile ).

Quote:
(x) in the heart of the city
(a) veins of red cobblestone
(b) between summer heat
(b) and a spanish beat
(a) where many a pirate's been known
(c) laughing senoritas
(c) and colored piñatas
(d) twirl to the tourists delight
(e) latin girls so pretty
(e) but deep in this city
(d) plans are being made for the night

The rhythm of the rhyme is fantastic. I hope that people who listen to this song take the time to read the lyric aloud. It's well worth the journey. A great lyric!

Ok... off to listen now... I'm curious to see where this goes.

Back now...

What an incredible creation!

Not only is this a write of the highest calibre, it's also a masterpiece arrangement and production. In addition, your performance is spectacular.

I'm heading back for another listen. This is music at its very best!

Regards
Noel


Hi, Noel! Happy Noël ...

I always appreciate your in-depth discussion of lyrics. Thanks for noting these... you brought up a very important note - the "...rhythm of the rhyme...". It is an aspect of writing that many writers never find (or have a sense of, for that matter). I think a big part of that is the amount of writing that one does... a few songs a year (typically) won't pull that out... writing with others who write all the time helps, too (again, a situation that few will ever find themselves in)... though often - as with many other aspects of writing well - the realization of that aspect is the most important step... I often talk about "how it falls on the ear..." - that is a big part of it...

Thanks for dropping by - and the nice, in-depth review....

Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/26/15 08:56 PM
Originally Posted By: JEL
Good one smile

Thanks, JEL... appreciate the listen...
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/27/15 07:10 PM
Originally Posted By: 90 dB
Ay!

Ser suave como la seda. ¡Bien hecho! Hiciste un excelente trabajo. Perfect companion for my Cuba Libre! grin



Regards,

Bob


Gracias , Robert ... siempre agradezco que tener una escucha
Posted By: dani48 Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/27/15 08:17 PM
Hi, dear Floyd !

This is one of your absolute best !
I love everything about this tune,
background, vocals, solos and mixing !:))

Cheers
Dani
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/28/15 12:02 PM
Originally Posted By: tommyad
floyd, The real drums salsa choice says bongo fills, but to me it sounds like timbales. Kind of like Tito Puente or Sheila E dropped by Ybor to sit in with The floyd jane Band. I've traveled throughout the Carribean and Mexico and been exposed to the many forms Latin Musica. This is the real deal. Good job bringing in the Praise and worship kick drum later in the song. Many good lyric choices and you sing the heck out of it. Nice editing on the guitar solo. Excellent job on everything. Keep on rollin your R's and smokin cigars. Tom


Gracias, Tom... Most of the credit for the sound goes to BIAB... Even an old Country songwriter can "do Latin Rock" with a few click...




Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
floyd, your song writes often remind me of my
favorite novelists, i.e., the ability to write well
about disparate subjects. This song is a perfect
example of that. The location and it's ambience is
unknown to many listeners but suddenly one
is grabbed and shown this world via the lyric,
the mood, and your vocal.

Everything is spectacular. World class.

If I created something like this I'd be insufferable!
For you it's a gracious thanks and then on to the
next one.

J&B

PS I like the drums/percussion smile


Bud - what a nice thing to say... I really do appreciate it...
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Ybor City Lullaby - 12/29/15 08:35 AM
Originally Posted By: BlueAttitude
Wow, good song! Love the lyrics and performance, very much enjoyed the listen!

Couldn't agree more about realdrums. I've been using BIAB for almost 15 years now, first thing I would do with a BIAB song is scrap the midi drums and build a new drum track using loops. Very time consuming, sometimes would take a couple of days to build a decent drum track. RealDrums sound great out of the box to these ears, great time saver.


Dave - thanks for dropping by....and the nice comments...

I was going through the RealDrums again yesterday - and, again, being amazed at all that is available - that we so easily seem to overlook... gonna have to give a try to some of those...



Originally Posted By: dani48
Hi, dear Floyd !

This is one of your absolute best !
I love everything about this tune,
background, vocals, solos and mixing !:))

Cheers
Dani

Thanks, as always, Dani!...
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