ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Cynthia Erivo - Actor, performer
Best known for her role in the Broadway revival of "The Color Purple," Cynthia Erivo is a Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning performer.

Why you should listen

Cynthia Erivo made her Broadway debut as Celie in The Color Purple -- a role that earned her Tony, Grammy and Emmy Awards. Erivo has performed for the annual Kennedy Center Honors and been featured on stage in Sister Act as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Most recently, Erivo teamed up with John Legend at the 2017 Grammy Awards to perform the Beach Boys’ song, “God Only Knows.”

The actress stars with Viola Davis in the upcoming Steve McQueen film Widows, and as Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet.

More profile about the speaker
Cynthia Erivo | Speaker | TED.com
Jason Webb - Musical director
Jason Webb is a writer, musical director, arranger, orchestrator, lecturer and a lover of music.

Why you should listen

From conducting orchestras in Broadway pits to writing and arranging music for a presidential inauguration, Jason Michael Webb has dedicated his life to using music to heal, uplift and encourage.

Webb;s early musical training consisted of formal classical study, playing in small churches and listening to pop music. By 21, he had a degree in classical piano, played in the biggest churches in New York City and made his orchestral solo debut with the Queens Symphony Orchestra. He then went on to become Musical Director of the six-time Grammy-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle, for whom he co-wrote and produced four albums for The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, leading to two Stellar Award nominations and a Dove Award win. His arrangement of BTC's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was featured at the 2013 inauguration of President Barack Obama and simultaneously heard by over one billion people worldwide.

Webb also recently served as musical director of the Tony- and Grammy-winning 2016 Broadway Revival of Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple", directed by John Doyle and based on the timeless novel by Alice Walker. Webb is now currently the US Music Supervisor of the tour, as well as Music Director/Arranger for Cynthia Erivo, who won a 2016 Tony Award as Celie in the Broadway Revival.

Mr. Webb’s writing can also be heard on the TV series "Empire", Netflix’s film Juanita, and numerous recording projects and original musicals, including "The First Noel" (produced annually at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC) and the South African musical "Ilathi," which premiered July 2017 at the New York Musical Festival. Webb has conducted live and recording orchestras from New York to LA, including pianist Lang Lang's 2016 love letter to NYC, "New York Rhapsody", which featured performances by Rufus Wainwright, Regina Spektor and Suzanne Vega.

More profile about the speaker
Jason Webb | Speaker | TED.com
TED2017

Cynthia Erivo: "Natural Woman" and "Johnny and Donna"

Cynthia Erivo: "Natural Woman" y "Johnny and Donna"

Filmed:
170,354 views

“Amo cantar”, dice Cynthia Erivo, “porque es el camino directo al corazón”. Erivo medita sobre el poder que tiene la música para conectarnos los unos a los otros y nos deleita con sus interpretaciones sublimes y conmovedoras de “Johnny and Donna”, de Mali Music, y “Natural Woman”, de Aretha Franklin. Jason Webb la acompaña al piano.
- Actor, performer
Best known for her role in the Broadway revival of "The Color Purple," Cynthia Erivo is a Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning performer. Full bio - Musical director
Jason Webb is a writer, musical director, arranger, orchestrator, lecturer and a lover of music. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
JohnnyJohnny metreunió DonnaDonna,
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Johnny conoció a Donna
00:16
(PianoPiano)
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y se enamoraron,
00:18
and they fellcayó in love,
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(Piano)
pero no tenían idea
00:23
but had no ideaidea
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de lo que es realmente el amor.
00:27
what love really was.
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Se dieron lo mejor de sí
00:32
So they triedintentó theirsu bestmejor
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para hacerse sonreir mutuamente,
00:36
to make eachcada other smilesonreír.
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pero mientras aprendían
00:41
But while learningaprendizaje themselvessí mismos,
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tuvieron un bebé.
00:46
they would have a childniño.
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Sin suficiente tiempo
para pensar bien las cosas,
00:50
But with no time to think
the wholetodo thing throughmediante,
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00:56
little time to preparepreparar,
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con poco tiempo para prepararse,
se volvió difícil para él mantener
01:00
it got toughdifícil to provideproporcionar for him
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01:05
and give him love and carecuidado.
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y darle amor y cuidarlo.
"¿Cómo, cómo, cómo, cómo lo hago?
¿Cuándo y dónde?",
01:10
How, how, how, how, how do I?
When and where?
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son preguntas que los dos
le hacían a Dios con frecuencia.
01:15
Are questionspreguntas they bothambos oftena menudo askpedir God.
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La vida da muchas vueltas, vueltas.
01:21
Life is fullcompleto of twistgiro, twistgiro.
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La vida está llena de vueltas,
vueltas, v-vueltas.
01:23
Life is fullcompleto of twirlgiro,
twirlgiro, t-twirlt-twirl, twirlgiro.
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01:26
Yeah, it's the weightpeso of the worldmundo,
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Sí, es como funciona el mundo,
te pone de cabeza
01:29
it flipsvoltea you upsideboca arriba down
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cuando eres joven, cuando
eres anciano y se pierde el control.
01:31
when you're youngjoven, when you're oldantiguo
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01:33
it just spinsgiros out of controlcontrolar,
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Oh.
01:37
oh.
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Se pierde el control.
01:39
SpinsGira out of controlcontrolar,
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Así que aguanta
01:42
so ...
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01:44
holdsostener on
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porque nunca sabes.
01:48
because you'lltu vas a never know.
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(Piano)
01:50
(PianoPiano)
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Johnny y Donna
01:53
JohnnyJohnny and DonnaDonna
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se dieron cuenta lentamente
01:58
slowlydespacio recognizedReconocido
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de que para el futuro del bebé
02:02
that for the baby'sbebé futurefuturo,
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habían planeado dos vidas distintas.
02:07
they plannedplanificado two differentdiferente livesvive.
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Donna quería una familia,
02:12
DonnaDonna wanted a familyfamilia.
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02:16
She wanted to do it right,
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quería hacer bien las cosas.
Hacer de la casa de Johhny un hogar,
02:21
make Johnny'sDe Johnny housecasa a home.
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quería ser una esposa.
02:26
She wanted to be a wifeesposa.
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Johnny era un soñador,
02:31
JohnnyJohnny was a dreamersoñador.
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tenía que moverse.
02:36
He had to movemovimiento around.
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Sí, estaría presente para su hijo,
02:40
Yeah, he'del habria be there for his childniño,
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pero no iba a sentar cabeza.
02:45
but wouldn'tno lo haría settleresolver down.
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"¿Cómo, cómo, cómo, cómo lo hago?
¿Cuándo y dónde?",
02:50
How, how, how, how, how do I?
When and where?
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02:55
Are questionspreguntas they bothambos oftena menudo askpedir God.
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son preguntas que los dos
le hacían a Dios con frecuencia.
La vida da muchas vueltas y vueltas.
03:00
Life is fullcompleto of twistgiro, twistgiro.
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La vida está llena de vueltas,
vueltas, v-vueltas.
03:03
Life is fullcompleto of twirlgiro,
twirlgiro, t-twirlt-twirl, twirlgiro.
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03:06
Yeah, it's the weightpeso of the worldmundo.
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Sí, es como funciona el mundo,
sus huracanes y novias,
03:08
It's whirlwindstorbellinos and girlfriendsnovias,
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juguetes y novios, amigos
y los franceses, guerra, paz,
03:11
toysjuguetes and boyfriendnovio, friendsamigos
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03:13
and FrenchmenFranceses,
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03:14
warguerra, peacepaz, impeachmentacusación, gentlemencaballeros,
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impugnación, caballeros, damas,
domingo, errores turbios y caramelos,
03:17
ladiesseñoras, Sundaydomingo, shadysombreado mistakeserrores,
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03:21
and peachmelocotón ringsanillos,
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negros y manchas de blanqueador.
03:23
blacksnegros and bleachblanqueador stainsmanchas.
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No te olvides de las avispas
y de las picaduras de abeja.
03:27
Don't forgetolvidar waspsavispas and beeabeja stingspicaduras, oh.
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Ya seas Johnny o Donna
03:33
WhetherSi you're JohnnyJohnny or DonnaDonna,
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o ninguno de los dos
03:38
or neitherninguno of the two,
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simplemente trata de aprovechar
03:43
just try to make the bestmejor
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lo que te ha sido dado.
03:49
of what's givendado to you.
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03:51
HaDecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah.
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03:56
HaDecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah.
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04:02
HaDecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah, hadecir ah.
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(Aplausos)
04:10
(ApplauseAplausos)
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Gracias.
04:12
Thank you.
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(Aplausos)
04:13
(ApplauseAplausos)
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No sé si pueden darse cuenta,
pero amo la música.
04:24
I don't know if you can tell,
but I love musicmúsica.
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(Risas)
Amo cantar.
04:27
(LaughterRisa)
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04:28
I love to singcanta.
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Y es porque siento que es
el camino directo al corazón.
04:29
And it's because I feel like
it's the fast-trackvía rápida routeruta to the heartcorazón.
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Siento que cuando canto
me conecto con cada uno de Uds.
04:34
I feel like when I singcanta,
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04:36
I get to connectconectar with eachcada one of you.
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Y no es por la melodía,
la letra, el tempo o el tono,
04:39
And it's not because of the tunemelodía,
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04:41
it's not because of the lyricsletra,
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04:42
it's not because of the tempotempo
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04:44
or the pitchtono.
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es porque, de alguna manera,
todos entendemos la música.
04:46
It's because, somehowde algun modo,
we all understandentender musicmúsica.
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Es una lengua universal.
04:51
It's a universaluniversal languageidioma.
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Imaginen: una lengua
que todos entendemos.
04:53
ImagineImagina: one languageidioma
that we can all understandentender.
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Puede que no todos la hablemos
con la misma fluidez,
04:56
We mightpodría not all speakhablar it
as fluentlycon fluidez as eachcada other,
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pero todos la entendemos.
05:00
but we can definitelyseguro understandentender it.
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Y por eso la hablo.
05:03
And so, I speakhablar it,
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Y mi trabajo como cantante
y narradora de historias
05:05
and my jobtrabajo as the singercantante
or the storytellercuentista
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es el de llenar con tecnicolor
los espacios en blanco.
05:08
is to fillllenar in the blanksespacios en blanco with technicolortecnicolor.
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Puedo contar sus secretos,
05:12
I get to tell your secretsmisterios.
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05:15
I get to explainexplique
how someonealguien elsemás is feelingsensación
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puedo explicar cómo se siente alguien más
05:18
so that whoeverquien elsemás is listeningescuchando
can finallyfinalmente understandentender.
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para que todos los que escuchan
lo entiendan al fin.
Creo que con la música
tenemos un superpoder.
05:22
I think that with musicmúsica,
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05:24
we have a bitpoco of a superpowersuperpotencia.
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Podemos explicar, expresar,
podemos movernos,
05:27
We get to explainexplique,
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05:29
we get to expressexprimir, we get to movemovimiento,
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05:31
we get to ostracizecondenar al ostracismo,
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podemos aislar, podemos acompañar.
05:33
we get to accompanyacompañar.
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05:34
We get to do all these differentdiferente things
simplysimplemente by usingutilizando a tunemelodía.
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Podemos hacer todas estas cosas
tan solo usando una melodía.
Y creo que esa es la manera
con la que podemos cambiar las cosas.
05:40
And that's the way
I think we can changecambio things.
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Es la herramienta que se me dio
para ayudar a cambiar las cosas.
05:44
That's the toolherramienta I've been givendado
to help to changecambio things.
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Y piensen, si todos entendemos
05:48
And think, if we all understandentender
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que tenemos un poquito de melodía
en nuestros corazones,
05:50
that we have a little bitpoco
of tunemelodía in our heartscopas --
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un poquito de, digamos, poder lírico,
05:54
a little bitpoco of lyricallírico prowessvalor,
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05:58
shalldeberá we say,
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podemos hacer progresar las cosas
06:00
we get to movemovimiento things forwardadelante
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porque podemos explicarlas
usando una lengua común.
06:02
because we can explainexplique usingutilizando a languageidioma
that we can all understandentender.
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No se puede negar.
06:06
It's undeniableinnegable.
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Tengo otra canción aquí
y todos la conocemos muy bien.
06:10
I have anotherotro songcanción here.
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06:12
And we all know it very, very well.
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06:14
And I wonderpreguntarse --
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Y me pregunto...
los voy a poner a prueba.
06:16
I'm going to testprueba you all.
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Veamos si pueden unirse.
06:18
Let's see if you can joinunirse me.
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Esta es la prueba para ver si entienden.
06:20
This is the testprueba to see
if you understandentender this.
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Al mirar
06:23
(SingingCanto) Lookin'Lookin' out
on the morningMañana rainlluvia --
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la lluvia de la mañana...
(La audiencia canta)
06:26
(AudienceAudiencia singscanta nextsiguiente noteNota)
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¿Ven?
06:28
You see?
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(Risas)
Todos lo entendemos.
06:29
(LaughterRisa)
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06:30
We all understandentender it.
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Todos sabemos algo, a todos
nos conecta una pieza de música.
06:31
We all know something.
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06:32
We all are connectedconectado
by a piecepieza of musicmúsica somewherealgun lado.
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Puede que no todos
estemos conectados a lo mismo,
06:37
We mightpodría not all be connectedconectado
by the samemismo thing,
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06:39
but musicmúsica is the one thing I believe --
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pero creo que la música es...
las historias de la música,
creo que nos conectan a todos.
06:43
storytellingcontar historias in the musicmúsica
is something that connectsconecta us all.
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No importa de dónde vengamos.
06:48
Doesn't matterimportar where we're from.
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Así que, tal vez, es una de las cosas
que podemos usar para ir hacia adelante,
06:51
So maybe,
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06:53
maybe it's one of the things
we can use to movemovimiento us forwardadelante
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hacia ese futuro nuestro.
06:56
into that futurefuturo of oursla nuestra.
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Tal vez.
06:58
Just maybe.
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Espero que disfruten la próxima.
07:01
I hopeesperanza you enjoydisfrutar this nextsiguiente one.
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(El pianista toca "Natural Woman")
07:04
(PianistPianista playsobras de teatro "NaturalNatural WomanMujer")
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Al mirar la lluvia de la mañana
07:07
Lookin'Lookin' out on the morningMañana rainlluvia,
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me solía sentir tan poco inspirada.
07:13
I used to feel so uninspiredno inspirado.
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Y saber que tenía que encarar otro día,
07:19
And when I knewsabía I had to facecara anotherotro day,
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Dios, me hacía sentir tan cansada.
07:25
LordSeñor, it madehecho feel so tiredcansado.
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Antes de conocerte
la vida era tan poco amable.
07:32
Before the day I metreunió you,
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07:35
life was so unkindcruel,
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Pero gracias a ti ahora tengo paz.
07:37
but you're the reasonrazón
for my piecepieza of mindmente.
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Porque me haces sentir,
07:42
'CausePorque you make me feel,
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me haces sentir,
07:45
you make me feel,
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me haces sentir como una mujer natural.
07:48
you make me feel like a naturalnatural womanmujer.
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Cuando mi alma
07:57
When my soulalma was in the lostperdió and foundencontró,
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estaba en "Objetos perdidos"
tú viniste y la reclamaste.
08:04
you camevino alonga lo largo to claimReclamación it.
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No sabía qué estaba mal conmigo
08:10
I didn't know just what was wrongincorrecto with me,
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hasta que me besaste
y me ayudaste a identificarlo.
08:16
'tilhasta your kissBeso helpedayudado me namenombre it.
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Ahora ya no tengo dudas
08:22
Now I'm no longermás doubtfuldudoso
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de para qué vivo
08:25
of what I'm livingvivo for,
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08:28
and if I make you happycontento,
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y si te hago feliz,
ya no necesito hacer más.
08:30
I don't need to do more.
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Porque me haces sentir,
08:33
'CausePorque you make me feel,
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me haces sentir,
08:36
you make me feel,
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me haces sentir como una mujer natural.
08:39
you make me feel like a naturalnatural womanmujer.
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Oh, amor, lo que me has hecho...
08:48
Oh, babybebé what you donehecho to me --
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Me haces sentir tan bien por dentro.
08:55
You make me feel so good insidedentro.
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Y solo quiero estar
09:01
And I just wannaquiero be
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cerca de ti, me siento muy viva contigo.
09:06
closecerca to you,
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09:08
you make me feel so aliveviva.
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09:10
'CausePorque you make me feel,
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Porque me haces sentir, me haces sentir,
09:14
you make me feel,
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me haces sentir
09:17
you make me feel like a naturalnatural womanmujer.
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como una mujer natural.
09:23
You make me feel,
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Me haces sentir, me haces sentir,
09:26
you make me feel,
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me haces sentir como una mujer natural.
09:29
you make me feel like a naturalnatural womanmujer.
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Oh.
09:37
Oh --
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09:42
(ApplauseAplausos)
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(Aplausos)
(Silbidos)
09:53
JasonJason WebbWebb.
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Jason Webb.
09:56
Thank you very much.
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Muchísimas gracias.

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Cynthia Erivo - Actor, performer
Best known for her role in the Broadway revival of "The Color Purple," Cynthia Erivo is a Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning performer.

Why you should listen

Cynthia Erivo made her Broadway debut as Celie in The Color Purple -- a role that earned her Tony, Grammy and Emmy Awards. Erivo has performed for the annual Kennedy Center Honors and been featured on stage in Sister Act as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Most recently, Erivo teamed up with John Legend at the 2017 Grammy Awards to perform the Beach Boys’ song, “God Only Knows.”

The actress stars with Viola Davis in the upcoming Steve McQueen film Widows, and as Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet.

More profile about the speaker
Cynthia Erivo | Speaker | TED.com
Jason Webb - Musical director
Jason Webb is a writer, musical director, arranger, orchestrator, lecturer and a lover of music.

Why you should listen

From conducting orchestras in Broadway pits to writing and arranging music for a presidential inauguration, Jason Michael Webb has dedicated his life to using music to heal, uplift and encourage.

Webb;s early musical training consisted of formal classical study, playing in small churches and listening to pop music. By 21, he had a degree in classical piano, played in the biggest churches in New York City and made his orchestral solo debut with the Queens Symphony Orchestra. He then went on to become Musical Director of the six-time Grammy-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle, for whom he co-wrote and produced four albums for The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, leading to two Stellar Award nominations and a Dove Award win. His arrangement of BTC's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was featured at the 2013 inauguration of President Barack Obama and simultaneously heard by over one billion people worldwide.

Webb also recently served as musical director of the Tony- and Grammy-winning 2016 Broadway Revival of Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple", directed by John Doyle and based on the timeless novel by Alice Walker. Webb is now currently the US Music Supervisor of the tour, as well as Music Director/Arranger for Cynthia Erivo, who won a 2016 Tony Award as Celie in the Broadway Revival.

Mr. Webb’s writing can also be heard on the TV series "Empire", Netflix’s film Juanita, and numerous recording projects and original musicals, including "The First Noel" (produced annually at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC) and the South African musical "Ilathi," which premiered July 2017 at the New York Musical Festival. Webb has conducted live and recording orchestras from New York to LA, including pianist Lang Lang's 2016 love letter to NYC, "New York Rhapsody", which featured performances by Rufus Wainwright, Regina Spektor and Suzanne Vega.

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Jason Webb | Speaker | TED.com