Something Special-SANA-The BackStory

Thanks in advance for reading my first blog post on The Sana Official site. It’s great that I’ve been able to connect w/ some of you on the soft launch of my first single “Something Special”.. Well, unless you count my Holiday tune Merry Christmas From The Pieces. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the traction on Spotify and YouTube, and your direct messages have been very inspiring and appreciated. With that being said, I wanted to provide the backstory to Something Special as most of my songs (Not all) are a page right out of my life.

The story my grandfather told me is a recurring narrative that has been told throughout human existence. It’s a story about love, loss, perseverance and ultimately winning in the end, sort of.. My grandfather came from a long line of farmers. The land which encompassed several acres was passed down to the first born male in every generation while the others worked the land. My grandfather was not the first born male in his family of eight, and unfortunately the eldest was not great with managing workers, finances, among many other things. Running a business is hard, and even harder when you don't have passion for it.

After my great grandfather passed, the land that had been in his family for generations was nearing ruin. My grandfather, the youngest, started working for a nearby farm that belonged to my grandmother’s family. He did very well, and soon was in charge of running the crews, hiring, firing and finding new third party suppliers for feed, and machinery. He was 17 years old. Things were going well until my grandmother came back to live with her family after being out of the area for two years studying and taking care of an ailing aunt.

My grandfather said it was love at first sight, but reviewing her diaries I think it initially was more curiosity than anything else. The courtship began, but my great grandfather was squarely opposed as was almost everyone else at the time. This was shocking for both as my grandfather got along very well w/ my maternal great grandfather. He chose to leave, and moved to Michigan to work in the post war booming auto industry where he made a substantial amount of money investing what he had earned farming into the auto industry. 

When he went back home after a solid year, he came prepared to marry my grandmother, who actually waited for him. Initially, her parents did not consent nor give their support. Financially, they didn’t need them as w/ the money my grandfather earned in Michigan, he was able to buy back a portion of his dad’s farm and worked it the entirety of his life. 

I had few interactions w/ my maternal grandmother as my parents moved to Florida when they married. What I know is through my grandfather,who visited frequently especially after her passing, and her diaries. Something Special, my latest single is inspired by the great love they had despite everything. It’s about persevering w/ the one you love despite the naysayers, obstacles, and anything else that attempts to deter you from true love, and happiness.

Though it can be a painful realization that you will not have the emotional support of those you love dearly like in the example of my grandparents, you do have each other and often that is enough. In the case of my maternal grandparents, it does have a happy ending. My grandfather said things changed once my mother was born. Then my mother’s family realized their error and both families were able to unite. However, sometimes that is not possible, and you have to be okay with that. My song Something Special is about facing life together and being strengthened by the genuine love you have for each other, and that is the crux of the song. My grandfather always said that I reminded him of my grandmother so much. 

We shared many things in common like singing, writing poetry, and taking pictures of the sunset. I believe him as I could totally see why she fell in love with him. He was honorable, strong, but kind, and was always ready to help you, if he could. He was very shrewd w/ money and was always well dressed. He also had an uncanny insight into people. I wish I would’ve listened to him more.

I’m working on a radio edit for Something Special. Here’s a snippet Sign up for my and you’ll know exactly when the new cut will be available. I wish we all experience the unwavering love my grandparents shared. They remained together till my grandmother passed, 70+ years, wow..

Something Special-SANA-The Backstory