Compesino Music
I had told you before about the campesinos (the Spanish equivalent of our beloved U.S. rednecks), and had mentioned that they had their own music. Well, I finally found the perfect illustration. Those of you that appreciate all kinds of music will appreciate this, as will the idly curious. This rest of you? - skip to the next subject. Ha!
This piece is from a recent live concert by Mexico's Marcos Antonio Solis. As a way of background, Solis has been one of Mexico's biggest stars for probably 20 years, and his avid fan base includes the entire Spanish-speaking world. For the last 10-15 years every time he releases a new song, it sells a million copies in Mexico in the first few days, and there is a clamor in the rest of the Latino world awaiting release in their country.
One other interesting thing to note. All the Mexican 'crooner-type' stars that I am familiar with (Solis, Luis Miguel, Pepe Aguilar, etc.), in their live concerts always include the big full orchestras, and backup singers, so that the live version of the song is a carbon copy of the studio version. But, they all also bring in the mariachis with the guitars and trumpets (and brocaded suits and big sombreros) and do at least one mariachi song as if to say, 'Yes, I am really a Mexican.' In this concert in Madrid, for the mariachi song, Solis also had his dancers dressed in traditional Mexican dresses and head-pieces, in the colors of the Mexican flag. Subtle, huh? And he introduced this song that I have attached, as 'ranchero' music almost as if he was providing his Madrid audience with a Mexican music primer.
But, what struck me as I listened to this song was how much it resembles American C&W music. Not just the background music, especially the opening, (which doesn't sound like any other form of Spanish music), but the song's structure as well. Verse, verse #2, chorus, music break (bridge), verse #3, chorus, repeat chorus, - standard C&W. And, yes, the song entitled Ojala (God Willing), is about love lost, and broken hearts, and broken dreams etc. Yee Ha!
This takes about 2 minutes to download, so start the download and read on till the music starts. Enjoy! Yea, I know, I oughta' get a life.
Download ojala_god_willing_marcos_antonio_solis.wma
A Fund Raiser
Click on the thumbnails to see the full-size picture.
Both political campaigns and charitable organizations often have volunteers on the square in front of 
the hotel collecting contributions from both passing autos and people walking by. Last Saturday this young lady spent several hours collecting people's spare change.
Due to a failure to communicate, I was never able to ascertain exactly what she was collecting for (The communication failure probably due to the fact that I didn't even think to ask!). But, since I could not figure out who the funds were going to, I only contributed four times over the afternoon. Ole! Possibly gives a new meaning to the phrase 'Youth Movement'?
My Latest Video
A look at Central America from the sky. Turn your sound on and enjoy
By the way, if and/or when you are so inclined, all my videos are located here:
Global Warming Is Now Causing Some REALLY Serious Problems
This from an Australian news website in May 2008, "Beer will be in short supply, more expensive and may taste different as climate changes affects barley production, a scientist says."
And this from Metro, a British newspaper in March, "Brothel owners in Bulgaria are blaming global warming for staff shortages. They complain that there best girls are working in ski resorts. A lack of snow has caused the tourists in ski resort to 'seek pleasures not normally associated with skiing'."
Oh, my God. A double whammy! "Ralph, call someone. Quick."
Also, this global warming gem was offered in a Washington Post column in August. "Recently we saw more wildfires in California, which will certainly cause some people to lay the blame on the doorstep of global warming .... But. there is also the minor matter of people building houses in wildfire-susceptible forests, overgrown with vegetation due to decades of successful fire suppression efforts. The message that needs to be communicated to these people is: 'Your problem is not global warming. Your problem is you are nuts.' There is also something unseemly about worrying about global warming when your house is on fire."
Politics Panama Style
Candidates in the primary race for the Democratic party's nomination for president held a debate that was seen live on TV all over Panama. The next morning, the entire country seemed to be in an uproar. Voters, politicians, business leaders and political pundits all expressed their dismay at all the participants for being "evasive and shallow with their answers." In addition, many leaders said that the debate featured "personal attacks between candidates, but little discussion about issues of substance." Sound vaguely familiar?
Well, this will not sound familiar. The Electoral prosecutor (the electoral what?) has warned candidate Juan Carlos Navarro to stop airing a commercial featuring the voice of one of his opponents, Barbara Herrera. The decision was based on a law that states that everyone has the exclusive right to their own image, and it "may not be reproduced in public (without permission) unless it represents news of public interest." Even if images are broadcast as news, those images can only be reproduced by other news agencies, or as continuing news coverage. Navarro had previously been required to pull this ad because it included a video of Herrera at a meeting, before the election season, voicing support for Navarro. The video was removed but replaced by a voice recording of the statement. The prosecutor said, nope - a person's image includes one's voice.
Panama's version of the ACLU is going nuts! Hollering about "the restriction of free speech which will inevitably lead to human rights abuses." Not voting rights abuses, not civil rights, not constitutional rights - human rights! I guess that is really serious. Somehow this last part does sound familiar.
Interesting Things One Can Discover At A Festival
In this festival-crazed country it should come as no surprise that last week there was a Chilies Festival. I attended, partly because the festival was conveniently located (across the street), but primarily because the advertisements for the festival trumpet-ed hospitality tents by both of the nation's biggest breweries. Well, the Chilies Festival turned out to be a learning experience for me. I pass along the following to you, fully aware that information of this type has no conceivable use what so ever.
- Chilies were tagged 'peppers' by Christopher Columbus during his first visit to this area of the world (Spanish-speakers do not use the term 'pepper' to this day). Columbus selected that name under the mistaken idea that chilies were a vegetable, when, in fact they are a member of the fruit family. No, I did not know that. So the visit to the Festival was already worth the sunburn and the 'morning after'.
- There are hundreds of varieties of chilies. Over 35 varieties are grown here in Chirique Province alone - the majority of the crop is exported world-wide. Chilies also grow wild here in all kinds of environments - sandy beach soil, swamp land, desert-like climates, in the mountains, and in both rain forests and jungles. There are even two varieties that grow wild in the rice fields submerged in water. Pay attention, there is going to be a test at the end.
- I had not been able to determine why the jalapenos here do not pack the heat that I associate with this particular chili - the taste is right, but the heat is minimal. Well, you just have to ask the right person. If you lay a jalapeno open length-wise, in the center there is a yellow fibrous portion that forms a seed pod. The 'real' heat of this chili is in the pod. So, if you remove the yellow fiber of the pod during preparation the 'heat quotient' is reduced significantly. I had heard before about removing the seeds, but it turns out it is the pod that is the culprit. OK, so maybe everyone knew that but me??
- You can not judge a chilies 'hot quotient' by any physical property (color, size, etc.). A gentlemen who was an exhibitor at the fair told me not to take the word of the salesperson as gospel either. Chilies are sold everywhere here - every place from the drug store to street vendors. He cautioned that street vendors tend to sell whatever is available that morning at the farmers market, and, therefore, may be no more knowledgeable about any particular chili than you are. (Isn't that comforting?) The gentleman then offered that the sure test for a chilies heat - put a drop of the chilies' juice on your fingertip. He then added, with a twinkle in his eyes, "..or even better, on the fingertip of someone you don't really like." Got it?
- There is one chili that grows wild here that is so hot it is considered a toxic weed, in fact it is called la cizaña del diablo (the devil weed). People make a concerted effort to pull this weed out of gardens and lawns before it bears the chili. When the chili is full grown it is so small that it is hard to pick up with your fingertips, which you don't want to do anyway. The only known use of this chili is to make a hot sauce (a sauce, by the way, that many people also consider to be toxic). One of these tiny chilies is placed in a big glass jar (those jars that some people in the U.S. make 'sun tea' in), fill the jar with water, add two teaspoons of sugar, and set in the sun for exactly six days. If this mixture is over-brewed (over six days) it is disposed of as a hazardous material. I am not kidding - this over-brewed mixture purportedly will not only cause severe skin burns, it will kill grass, remove paint, and (reportedly) ruin indoor plumbing. Now that is HOT!
- The small red chilies that are sold seemingly everywhere are sold and displayed strung on a necklace-like circular string. As legend has it, this 'packaging' is not a matter of convenience in handling and storage, but because many people do in fact wear them as necklaces for a variety of medicinal reasons. (There is also a chicken-or-egg, which came first?, element to this legend). What particular malady the wearer is trying to treat (or ward off) seems to vary widely, and seems to be a function of who is telling the story. The woman of one of the indigenous tribes in southern Panama (the Wounan) also believe that the chili necklace has mystical/magical properties. The necklaces are part of the womens' normal dress. This comes in very handy when you need a chili when cooking - just pluck one off your necklace. The necklace is replaced when the number of peppers has been reduced to a specific number left across one chest. Though the number of chilies dictating replacement is specific (to insure the mystical powers are maximized), that number is ever changing, based on some kind of formula involving quarters of the moon (or something). Here is the kicker - the mystical properties of the necklaces are recharged by leaving the necklace on while bathing (no, I wouldn't kid you). So, the next time you are about to dig into your enchilada, you may first want to go to the kitchen and confirm who is cooking that day, and how the red chilies are stored. Ole! Ole!
This concludes Chilies #101. Next time, possibly arugula?
From The 'Oh, My God Journals'
A tiny Texas school district will allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms this year to protect against school shootings. The small north Texas community of Harrod is a 30-minute drive from the closest law enforcement office. Well, OK? But, Mr. School Superintendent, "Does the term 'Brinks International' ring a bell? Do you suppose their are former peace officers and/or military retirees somewhere in the area with time on their hands." Just off the top of my head I can recall two of my former high school teachers who were so loopy that I doubt if they were authorized to posses sharp objects, even in their kitchens (And, I'll bet ever one of you can too). But, teachers with guns? All graduates of teacher's colleges will need to be NRA certified? Oh, my God!!!
Till Next Time. Pura Vida!
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