Saturday, May 17, 2008

Beautiful Voices Over Dinner



My first night in Patzcuaro I stopped by at the restaurant "Cha Cha Cha". Carlos recommended the place and it was owned by an American ex-pat who was very friendly. I grabbed a table in the courtyard and ordered up my first margarita. The weather was perfect and the courtyard was adorned with lush tropical plants. Just before my dinner arrived a lady at the neighboring table struck up a conversation with me. She and her friend were also ex-pats that recently purchased homes in Patzcuaro. Her name was Elizabeth and she was very nice and outgoing. We talked a bit about our backgrounds and I explained all about World Neighbor. I passed out some free swag to her (pen, magnet, business card, etc.). She was excited by the idea of a fellow world traveler and we ruminated on our favorite destinations. Elizabeth introduced me to her friend Jay who exported art from the area. He has turned out to be an invaluable connection to the World Neighbor network. Hey Elizabeth! Hey Jay!



When my dinner arrived a family consisting of a mother, father and daughter were getting set up to serenade the crowd. The father was the guitar player while the mother and daughter provided the vocal talents. The father also kicked in with a well placed harmony every so often. The mother held court first and she had a great voice. She had a sweet sound and was very pleasant to listen to.
Then the daughter stepped up and belted one out… ¡Mierda! what a voice! It was powerful and soulful and it belied her young age. I was so impressed that asked if I could video a tune. They were happy to oblige. The daughter was a bit timid at first while I was taping, but she delivered a inspiring version of "Santa Rosa" that I was glad to capture. I will be posting the video soon...check it out!!!

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