Belize City and the King of Brukdown

Well we arrived and played a gig in Belize. Had a rough morning with queasy stomaches, probably was due to the fact we only got a couple of hours of rest before flying off this mornign at 4am. We had quite a surprise at this gig. The most famous Brukdown player, Mr. Peters was mentioned at our briefing this morning when we arrived. Sean knew of his music from when he was here last. He was raving about him to Denise from the embassy. We get to the gig and who has the embassy brought but Mr. Peters and his son. They came to see us and got right up and played will the circle be unbroken and then we got to play a few of his songs as well. He's a man in is 80's, put out ton of albums and is traveling to World music fest in Chicago in august as well as Central Park, i think. Perhaps i'll get him over for a dinner at my house. It was quite a treat to have him play with us. If it hadn't been for him the gig wouldn't have been all that fun. Apparently the Belize crowds are pretty reserved takes a lot to get them off their feet. We have our work cut out for us. Might be time to pull out the Virginia Reel. Off to sleep, it's been a busy week and tomorow starts at 6:00am.

Zacarias Guerra Orphanage

We played at an orphanage this morning and the Ruben Dario Theatre this evening. Which is an interesting progression, from the poorest rice and beans to the biggest chandeliers. The orphanage was super nice. The children where incredibly responsive to us. They all got hambone. We played John Brown's and one of the boys got up and started dancing and through the course of the song proceeded to ask every girl in the audience to dance with him and none accepted, it was like a funny comedy routine between the male and female gender. The girls acted dramatically shy and hard to get while the macho dancing guy was ever so confident. They were all very healthy and spirited. i did not know what to expect when arriving but was pleasantly surprised.

It was a day of flying through trees over coffee plantations. There was a moment of standing on the edge of a platform in an enormous tree and the guys pushed me off and says "now let go with your hands". my body's instinct was...i should hold on, NOT let go there's a long way to the ground! But I let go and gave in to the adrenaline and man it felt good. I feel like that should happen once a week.


We stopped off in catalina for lunch and to have a look at laguna de Apoyo. This Marimba band was playing and this family dancing stole my heart away, such pure joy they have on their faces.

Today was our rest day, tomorrow we are back to full schedule. We start in the morning at an orphanage, continuing to work out some kinks in our workshop, by the end of tour we are going to rock some hambone workshops!

Domingo Savio Gabretto School and Nicaraguian TV

We started today with Miss Nicaraguan beauty queen, for real! She was our interviewer on Television. She was indeed beautiful and i caught sean in a gaze for her. We played in a janky retro style TV room where the commercials for margarine were done actually by the host as they pointed to a poster that displayed the lovely margarine product. Pretty funny.





Then we were off to a school in the rural area outside of Managua. This school is very special. It was started by Rev. Rafael Maria Fabretto, a priest from Italy. He started this school for the poverty stricken rural children of Nicaragua. His program is based on the
SAT, or Rural Tutorial Learning System. This is a program that not only gives the student a formal education of the basics of math, science ect but also teaches sustainable agriculture and community building along with character development. They have full school days instead of half like the public schools in Nicaragua, their teachers are more in the mentor position instead of lecture. It's really amazing alternative education for free to these children. Some of the children come from gangs in Managua, some come from landfills where they live, over 2,000 live and work on this giant dump, around 1,000 are children, reminds me of the gypsy communities in Romania.



So this is who we played for today. We did our silent movie-ish Hambone routine, worked pretty good, have some kinks to work out for the next one. It's really fun to do and is such a nice break from the just playing music. I want to come back and work here for a stint of time. They are doing such amazing work.

Granada

Today we met monkeys on islands located in lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in all of Central America it has 300 small islands in it. We took a boat ride through these lush islands. It was astoundingly beautiful. The lake it at the bottom of a gigantic volcano. The birds and flowers were stunning. But the life there was also lovely. There were little boats filled with tons of people getting back and forth from their houses. Kids were fishing with sticks and some with their hands or nets. some of the islands were as big as a small bungalow. Like the one with the 4 monkeys that resided on it. I don't quite know how they arrived there but they are there and Lula blessed us with her grace on our boat. She took a shine to Sean. She was cuddling with him like a little sleepy child would do with their dad. It was adorable. Then she took a couple of my carmels from my hand and eventually my bag of plantain chips. It is so wierd, they are so human like. Her hands felt like hands of a farmer, just well used and leathery, her eyes spoke of emotion, as if she was sad, and she was smart she knew just what we had to offer her. Makes me think we might be related!!!
Granada is a Colonial town. The buildings are colorful and grand in their beauty and so many churches. We played at an art school in the courtyard-ish spot. The courtyards are amazing here. All the buildings just exist as a border, the inside of the building is open air for the mini-jungle courtyard. Brilliant. So we played there it was beautiful. There were fireworks going off during our performance for a saint of some kind. It's very catholic here.
Tomorrow we have an 8 am TV interview. What's the best color of clothing to wear for television, it's not white is it?

First Day

It is really hard to believe that this is only our first day. It seems more appropriate to say first week with all that has happened today. We started the day with workshops at the only university in Nicaragua to have a music program, Polytechnic. There were young kids, college students and adults that came bearing violins, guitars and their voices. We performed in a small room part of a very simple and plain building. folks spilling out and listening from outside. There was such a feeling of appreciation in the room. Everyone listening so attentively. We split up into groups and taught the crawdad song, i got to teach hambone for the first time. They were fantastic. This appreciation and attentiveness is not always present when teaching american kids and adults. I remember when lumii's went to vermont and taught in the middle school. I looked out and saw the scowl of cross armed teenagers. When i teach as well, there is a lot of struggle with getting the kids to "want to play the violin", and i guess they can say that because they are previlaged white kids. Kids down here don't have previliges. This is the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere. It's right after Haiti, if that gives you any perspective.

Then we had some press photos, and hurried off to a traditional Nicarguian lunch. They like fried cheese and plantains and pork oh my!!! Cabbage salad is about the only green vegetables you can get easily. We got all the direction not to drink the water, not to brush the teeth with the water and for God's sake don't have any liquid with ice cubes. We have done all of them and as of yet no sickness. Seems to be OK. It's nice because it's a little problematic brushing teeth with a bottle of water.

Next we traveled to Masaya. Masaya is the cultural capital of Nicaragua. They are known for amazing poetry, the most famous being Ruben Dario. There is a beautiful Artisian market there where we played. Over 300 people came to listen to us. They loved our show they gave us a standing ovation and the mayor of the town gave the most poetic speach i have ever heard come out of a politians mouth. I was totally melted, he was a charmingly over the top kind of speaker. He said " I arrived late to the show and missed half of it and i feel now like i have missed half of my life" We are "the paradise of life". We "represent Peace, Hope and Love". We are like 'from god in some way and who can argue against god". there was more and more, the sentiment was beautiful i thought. We got in the car to leave and michelle and jose were filling us in about a few more details about this mayor. He is part of the Sandinista party, this past election he totally rigged to his favor. My bubble was burst at this point, i was into this guy thought he was a truly inspiring poet for a politican, but really he's just a politician that riggs elections and has power issues. I am having a cultural experience right now!
No back to the hotel, i now have AC in my room, that's exciting, i will sleep well tonight!

Arrived!

We arrived last night in Managua. We were greeted by such lovely folks from the embassy Jose and Carlos. It's HOT here. This is actually the hottest month of the entire year. My body is trying to figure out what to do. It's spent so many months trying to get warmer and now it's a little overwhelmed.
Last night was a lovely way to enter into the city. I was hungry and not ready for bed and sean too, so Jose took us out to get tacos. It was a Friday night around 11:30 pm. There was a party goin on. We found a place for tacos, we walked in and there was a 3 piece band playing. Of the international instrument was playing...the Casio-tone keyboard, bongos and a singer. This man singing was phenomenal. He was dancing like an excited Bob Leive but with salsa moves. He shook his hips, jumped up and down and sang like he was in heaven. Wow!! and all this in the middle of a resturant for people who hardly glance an eye his way. Wierd, huh? But it's a gig isn't it. Musicians have to play.
Feel asleep in the hotel with the windows open to the courtyard and the street. There was a lot of rustling around, i think there is a lot of nature out there that i am going to find today. The air is thick and balmy the smells are of things that are green and blooming. The birds are loud, they make sounds I haven't heard before. A salamander was climbing up my wall last night!