Dedicated to my Latin American Friends.
Dear Guy,
Maybe you are wondering why I
never told you how I came to 'Dance'.
Probably I didn't because it's a
long story that started in January 1963 when a famous Latin American orchestra
was performing in my native city, Gent. The venue was a music hall in the centre
of the city, and its interior is hidden since forty-five years behind cardboard
walls of a drugstore.
The orchestra was playing there
for somewhat eight weeks till carnival time. During one of those carnival shows
I ended upon the stage between the singer Enrique Fontana and the dancer Nadia
Crystal. I could only find Fontana in The Search Engine, but I can assure you,
all of a sudden the posters of Sylvie Vartan decorating the walls of my bedroom
were fading away, Nadia existed and how!
Came the sensation! The feathered,
follies lookalike, dancer started to rub her feathers in front of my face and
between the wipes, being on the right height, I was admiring for the first time
in my life the curvy bum of an adult woman. Are these the words we were using
in those years, tell me?
This was the day I originated
some interest in dance, being it for the wrong reasons. Guy, be reassured, I
got more noble thoughts later but some germ was sown.
As for the orchestra I can tell
you this, it was founded by and named after the legendary Ernesto Lecuona, the
composer and pianist of e.g. "Malagueña". Tidbit... I will create my
new solo dance on it. All the best soloists from Latin America where part of
the 'Lecuona Cuban Boys' orchestra and if I got the privilege to see all their
shows it's because my absolutely crazy mum fell in love with the trumpet player,
Saul Torres from Venezuela. A while ago, when I was at the pre carnival party
at the Gaira Cafe in Bogota, despite Nadia's absence but largely compensated by
some neighboring señoras, chicas sounds not very respectful in this case, I felt
the same excitement as fifty years ago. Fontana became Vives, and the most
fantastic conga players reminded me the Peruvian, Alberto Cortez, the best of
his generation. To finish this roundup
of that bunch of best of Latin America's musicians I end with the man who's a
monument in Afro Latin Cuban and Jazz music, Bebo Valdés. My whole life I will
remember that tall black man, bandleader at that time, seriously laughing, sitting at his piano and
showing his appreciation for the solo performances by other musicians by
clapping the thumbs instead of the hands.
Dear Guy, I hope I was not
browbeating you too much with this enumeration of names and facts. I only
wanted to remind you where your love for Latin America was originated and the
first seeds of your passion for dance. I didn't want to go into details how
your mother's love story ended. We both know that Micky, as she was called by
her past and future lovers, forgot soon about one trumpeter for another.
'Someone', named you once ' hopelessly
monogamous'. You have taught yourself
faithfulness and loyalty in absence of a model. We'll talk about Someone later.
After all this turmoil; for now, allow
yourself a peaceful sleep.
Faithfully yours,
Guy.
P.S.
As in every important letter, a P.S. can't be missed,
but it's a sad one I have to write. In my research for this letter it came to
my knowledge that Bebo Valdés died in Stockholm, Sweden on March 22, 2013. He
became almost ninety five years old.
No, the dancer on the cover of
the record is not Nadia Crystal.
-
Tomorrow is the birthday of the peruvian singer Alberto Cortez (88 yo) and I will send him your beautiful words
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