WALTER ABRIL--CONCERT: "SARAH, WITH THE MUSIC OF PASSION"

Thursday evening, April 11th, the concert at the Teatro Sucre in Cuenca took place, which introduced Walter Abril's new album entitled "Sarah, with the Music of Emotion".  The fact that the CD is dedicated to Sarah, his fiancee, made his songs most poignant.  Walter wrote all the songs on his new CD, and they were all performed live by him.  The concert that evening began with a brief video biography of photos of Walter's singing career, including newspaper headlines as Cuenca's favorite son as a young singer.  Walter has performed in many night clubs throughout the Caribbean and South America.  His recent recording has been playing on radio stations in Cuenca, as well as various restaurant venues.  Just last week Walter and his niece, Johanna Quinde Abril, recorded in Quito, which was presented on television throughout Ecuador the next day.

Johanna Quinde Abril is a university student studying music and considered her performance Thursday evening to be the launch of her music career under her performance name of Abryl.  She sings with a great deal of depth and emotion, and sang two songs from her evening's repertoire in English, one of which included the heart-wrenching song from "Titanic", "My Heart Will Go On".

The Fame group of Jose Antonio Romero and Veronica Padron, who won the South American Dance-Sports competition provided exciting performances in beautiful costumes.  Also performing in the evening's concert were Amy Riveros Abril and Emilia Luna Montalvan, whose ballet-stylized dance movements were synchronized with Walter's songs as he sang.  Also in synchronization with Walter's vocals were the dance movements of Danny Jimenesez, Joshua Riveros Abril, and David Ortega.

Some of Walter's most enthusiastic

VISITING CUENCA--Part II--Mall Del Rio Dance Program

Last Saturday, March 10th, Martha Abril and I took my brother, Leo and my sister-in-law, Carla to the Food Court of Mall Del Rio, for a dance program.  Martha's son Joshua who is fourteen years old, and her daughter, Amy, who just celebrated her ninth birthday were both performing during the program.  Amy recently took a silver in a country-wide dance competition in Quito, which was especially amazing since at the time she had only been dancing six months.

The dance was sponsored by the Fama School of Dance.  The information below is taken from a post by Larry Marler and his wife, Linda, who are expats who stay young and healthy as dance students of the school:

FAMA School of Dance and Bailoterapia

David Ortega - Dance Choreographer 

Location:  Av. del Estadio y Roberto Crespo (Edificio El Estadio next to Pronto Pizza), Cuenca

David also has a group of dancers that performs shows around Cuenca.  His dance troupe has put on shows at California Kitchen and the Eucalyptus Cafe, plus many others.

You can also get dance lessons for:  Salsa, Bachata, Meringue, Hip-Hop, Reggaeton, Cha-Cha-Cha, and Tango.

Bailoterapia:  0700 - 0900  ($1.00 per hour) + $5,00 inscription for the year and 2000 - 2100

Phones:  07 286 6228; Cellphones 08 795 4749, 08 582 0762.

My disappointment with the program was that with my relatives in town, I had hoped for them to experience some of the dance programs that would give them a real experience of traditional as well as contemporary dance.  Some of the programs I have attended during my year here in Cuenca featured a variety of dances, with some young performers in their traditional, amazingly colorful costumes and greatly talented in their presentations.  These presentations would have been something  Leo and Carla very much would have enjoyed.  Some programs I've seen have also featured some of Cuenca's finest Salsa as well as Tango dancers.  


This program was strictly contemporary dancing which can be seen among young people almost anywhere in the world, although no doubt the performers were talented and performed well.  The large audience certainly had a good time, and so did we. The program included  aerobic dancing by folks in the packed food court who chose to participate, while members of FAMA SCHOOL of DANCE led the aerobic dancing. There was also a belly dancing performance by a young man and two attractive young ladies.  I had seen them perform before some months ago, and they have definitely gone from performing well to performing to a very good status.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I don't have any pictures of their performance.

As the program approached its close, the audience by their applause and cheers judged who among the voluntary aerobic dancers was the best.  A young man who you will see in a black tee shirt after multiple reactions by the audience emerged the winner over a young woman who was also very good.  The young man won a two day stay at a hotel, while the young woman won a month of free lessons at FAMA SCHOOL.  Getting carried away in my enthusiastic exuberance, I promised that I would begin to take Salsa lessons in June when I return from my trip home to the states.  It is amazing the things with which I continuously preoccupy my time to keep from seriously studying mi Espanol.  I use to know the basic steps to the Tango, and I loved to Cha Cha.  Maybe, I'll take up Hip Hop as well, and if my heart holds out, give Joshua Abril a run for his money.

Here is the link below.  You click on the slide show in the upper left hand corner and set the timer for two seconds, or you can just continue to click on the forward arrow of the slide presentation at your own pace of preference..  

https://picasaweb.google.com/111741036841400152108/DancingAtMallDelRio31012?authkey=Gv1sRgCPvkzdXp-OHBag

No Two Days Are Alike Part II

Tuesday, November 1^st, another warm, sunny, beautiful, down-right hot day.  I had lunch with a friend at one of my favorite restaurants in Cuenca, the “Terrace Grill”.  The restaurant is like an American sports bar with large television screens everywhere.  Usually during the afternoon hours, music video concerts are being played.  This time it was Celine Dione in concert.  Last time I lunched at Terrace Grill a hot video was playing. The Queen of Disco herself, Ms. Donna  Summers was featured in video concert.  The food as always was delicious, relatively inexpensive for a more upscale restaurant, and the service is always much appreciated.

After lunch, we made our way down to the 9^th Annual Free National Art Fair of Excellence, which sponsored art not only from Ecuador, but also from Argentina, Peru, Columbia, and Venezuela.  While every type of art was on display and for sale, there was also a small fair a few blocks down by Cuenca University of primarily fabric and jewelry type crafts.  Music and food was also provided throughout the fair areas.  The dry weather had worked out beautifully for all the week’s festivities.

Wednesday, November 2^nd, I was out to Monay Mall in the evening for a dance festival.  I regretted not having my camera, but the lighting was too dark anyway.  The traditional Ecuadorian dancers were fabulous, and the young ladies were dressed in the most beautifully, dazzling costumes in which to perform.  The dances progressed to electronic rock, a couple who were very good salsa dancers also performed, and the big performance of the evening was fourteen year old Joshua Riveros, as the Zombie or alter ego, of Michael Jackson, who was performed exceptionally well by a college student whose first name was Boris. The two did a rendition from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and as Joshua also performed as the ghost from Michael Jackson’s “Ghost" video. 


All of us went up to eat in the third floor food court after the dance performances as we sat under the behemoth Christmas tree.  Ornamented, white artificial trees seem to be the thing in Cuenca.  The food court was trimmed in Christmas decorations.  Ironically for a northerner from the Midwestern United States, Christmas in Cuenca is hard to imagine as the temperatures continue to get warmer.

Thursday, November 3^rd, an evening was spent with Martha Abril’s good friends, Cheryl and Ray Pawson.   An extended evening of conversation took place, and little did I know when Martha and I left that I next would be on my way at 11:30 p.m. for the block parties that were going on in her neighborhood as well as multiple neighborhoods across the city to celebrate Cuenca Independence Day from the Spaniards.  Independence Day was a humongous day of celebrations in Cuenca.  We made our way through the throngs of people who were listening and dancing to the music, and we walked the six block area while each concert stage was spaced about two blocks from one another.  The smell of food from beef, to pork, to chicken, to vegetable variations all grilling and at the same time filling the night air with the delightful aroma that beckoned to the taste buds and lured the crowd-goers to share in the captivating feast.

The music was blaring, but it was good.  No heavy metal, no rap, just nice variations of South American music from rock style to more traditional  music that offered something for everyone. The people danced, they drank, they ate, they walked, they stood and watched the goings-on, and like us associated with friends they met along the way.  One young man was out cold, lying in a fetal position on the curb when we arrived and was still there ninety minutes later when we left the block parties.  Yet everyone was in good spirits, considerate of one another, and if there were any problems, they were unnoticed by me and my companions.  It was about 1:10 a.m. and by now I was really exhausted and ready to head home.

Friday, November 4^th, I was invited by my Ecuadorian friends to a party outside the city, but I was way too fatigued, and pardoned myself from the invitation.  I slept until 1:30 p.m. and still wanted to sleep most of the day.  Once again at my age I need recuperation time from my high spirited moments.

The festivities of the week gathered steam by Wednesday, which was also the "Day of the Dead". (I know, that last sentence sounds contradictory and weird.) Many Ecuadorians visit the cemetery of their ancestors, and offer prayers for the dead.  The prayers, if necessary, promise a shortened time in Purgatory for their dearly departed according to Catholic beliefs; as one must be purified from the sins of this life, before one can come into the presence of the beatific vision of God in the next life. 

If you would like to know more about the Day of the Dead, which Catholics in the United States call "All Souls Day", click on the following link to "Grimm's Tales".  The Grimms participated in the event, and have an excellent post on the rituals and ceremonies of the day, with many photos

 http://grimmstraveltales.blogspot.com/2011/11/dia-de-los-difuntos.html

Beginning with the "Day of the Dead" began the five day festival in which all schools and almost all individually owned stores, and businesses were closed.  Only essential services and the malls basically remained opened.  There were also two major parades in the city during the week.  One was a military parade.  I saw part of another parade that made its way down Gran Columbia.  Parades really are not my thing.  However, if you like parades, Cuenca knows how to put on some spectacular ones.  

Yes, there are fireworks around the clock.  The fireworks are initially worth seeing if you are new to Cuenca or happen to be visiting, because they can be quite different from the fireworks displays we are accustomed to in the states.  However, Cuencanos celebrate everything with fireworks, so the explosives can be almost nightly routines somewhere in the city.  When I was in Quito, I asked the young man who took me to process my sedula and censo, if fireworks were as common in Quito as they are in Cuenca.  His response was of interest.  He stated, “Oh no, that is a Cuencano thing.  They have the money for such displays.”  

There were literally hundreds of some kind of activities of music and cultural events going on everywhere throughout the city during the five days.  Despite all the activities or possibly in spite of all the activities, there were many Cuencanos who with the extended five day holiday chose to make their way to the coast and spend it on the Ecuadorian beaches of the Pacific.  Meanwhile, their numbers were more than made up for by the large number of visitors who came to Cuenca from the surrounding areas to partake in the week's festivities.

Saturday, November 5^th, would turn out to be the most unanticipated day of all.  The plan was for me, my friend, and her two children to spend the afternoon in Parque El Paraiso, the largest park in Cuenca and very family-friendly.  Upon our arrival a fair was in process.  In the United States, we would call it a “New Age Fair”.  There were numerous booths, which offered all types of massage therapies, herbal jars filled with every type of herbs imaginable, the aromatic smell from aroma therapies, and the incessant smell of incense.  No psychics, however.

The show stopper for me was the shaman.  My friend and her two children each went individually through the ritual of holding some log-like object which while they were shaking it, the shaman would make his way around the individual chanting and shaking a rattle.  The ritual was concluded when the shaman opened a large jar of water filled with some type of herbs, took a big mouthful of the solution and spat it first in the person’s face, the second mouthful was spat on the individual's bare chest, then another mouthful on the back of the head, and finally the last mouthful was spat on the back.  That "ritual washing" was just for each of the two kids.  The mother got additional mouthfuls of “blessings” on her sides as well; whether her fortuitous sprays of water were because she was an adult, or whether they were because the shaman told her she was too stressed is anybody’s guess.  Well, what can I say, there was no way in Hades this guy was going to spew mouthfuls on me of whatever only God knows what he had in that jar, especially with it mixed with his saliva.  I’ll gladly stay stressed, thank you.

I also ran into another expat at the fair who I knew and who had just had himself injected with three syringe shots without any knowledge of what he was given nor for what health purpose.  He was standing in line for the alternative medicine colonoscopy next. Once again, God only knows what that entailed, and I don't think you would want me to describe it if I had hung around to witness it.  I won’t mentioned the well-known expat's name.  He has his own blog, and if he wishes to, he can “out” himself on these activities of which he so willingly and unflinchingly partook.  He explained to me that this is Ecuador and you need to go with the flow.  I’ll let the reader arrive at their own judgments on that bit of philosophy, and when it should and should not be applied.

I did submit to a foot massage and a muscle massage, both of which did help relieve much bodily tension, and for the first time all week I was no longer feeling fatigued.  The price was right.  There were no charges for any of the treatments.  I didn’t have time for the acupuncture and massage combination treatment, which looked promising.  Some of the other offered treatments struck me as more like magic then treatment.  At least my masseur had a doctorate (P.H.D.) in Alternative Medicine.  (Talk about pile it high and dig it deeper.)  My comments are not meant to disparage all alternative medicine practices.  Some work quite effectively, and we know how often M.D. conventional medical treatments leave much to be desired.  I have found massages to be far more helpful, for example, than an M.D. just throwing pain pills at me.

Sunday, November 6^th was “come down to earth day”.  After days of excitement and nonstop action, the festival was beginning to wind down.  The art fairs were in their last day of exhibitions, and some minor music celebration was still accompanying the fairs.  No doubt the evening ended with fireworks somewhere in the city.  Otherwise, Sunday was a day for church-going, returning from coastal vacations, and unwinding and resting up for the return to school and to work tomorrow for most Cuecanos.

Unfortunately, I am so accustomed to not having my camera on me that I forgot to take it out of my bag at the time when my friend and her children were getting hosed down by the shaman, which would have made some great comical shots,  although the participants were taking the whole ritual quite seriously.  Then when the crowd gathered to watch shamans or whoever the men were who walked on red hot charcoals, I was being massaged and missed photos of that as well. I couldn’t even get a shot of two handsome roosters together.  In the short time it took to focus, one jumped into a nearby bush and the other rooster fled in the opposite direction.   However, I do have some generic photos of the “Healing Fair”, which are shared with you below:  (Just click on the link, and follow the slide presentation.)  The photos have commentaries.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmola/6320509121/in/set-72157628072524372/lightbox/

This is just the beginning of the festival season, which dominates much of the calendar in Cuenca right up through Easter.  By midnight, Monday morning, it was heavily raining and from what I can tell it rained pretty much throughout the day Monday.  Rainy and cloudy all day long.  Like I said, no two days are alike in Cuenca.   What a down day to go back to work or school after a warm, sunny, week of celebration.  I just curled up in bed, and spent the day nestled in the comfort of my condo, ever so thankful that I am retired.

No Two Days Are Alike Part I

One thing is for certain in Cuenca, and it’s a certainty of excitement.  If I so choose, and sometimes when I don’t so choose, no two days are alike for me in this Basin City.  I have lived in this beautiful city eight months now, and the last two weeks are just a sample particularly around fiesta time of how life becomes magnified and intensified.

Monday, October 24^th, cleaned the condo, ran errands, shopped at Coopera, and got bills paid.  Yes, I may be the only resident gringo living in anything larger than a studio apartment, who doesn’t have at least a weekly maid. Cleaning the house for me, especially of rainy days gives me an opportunity for some exercise.

Tuesday, October 25^th, Gringo Night at Di Bacco’s Italian Restaurant.  I had a good time, conversed with some old friends, and made new friends and acquaintances as well.
 

Wednesday, October 26^th, I stopped out at Pablo Cadero’s studio, a top ceramist in the city, to pick up my certificate authenticating my number in a limited series of the ceramic wall plague I purchased of a scenic view of the Cuenca city-scape looking upwards from the Rio Tamebama.  Pablo and his wife are beautiful people.  They shared with me Pablo’s most recent ceramics and some new scenes and designs on which he was working.  He showed me how the kiln was used and how the wet plaster was positioned in the kiln.  It was raining heavily, I appreciated that Pablo graciously drove me to El Centro since taxis are almost impossible to procure during rain storms.  Pablo showed me two places where he had taken photos for new city-scape ceramics he is in the process of making.  I could see his artistic eye at work by the perspective and angle at which he captured the sites.
 

By evening, I found myself at Di Bacco’s again for a three hour financial seminar.  Once again meeting people I knew, and making contacts with new acquaintances as well.  Didn’t learn much that was new, but the seminar led me to believe that I am moving in the right direction with my financial investments.

Thursday, October 27^th was poker night with the boys and yes, a few ladies at the Chamber of Commerce.  Always new and old faces with whom to mingle and to share the latest info and gossip.

One of my biggest disappointments in Cuenca over the last few months has been meeting three really nice couples where we hit it off nicely right from the get-go, but who it turned out were visiting the city only temporarily, and with whom I met at the tail-end of their visits. 

Names and faces have become more difficult for me to remember, as so many new people either enter or momentarily pass through my life.  Sorry to say I can’t remember his name, but as we were walking from the Chamber of Commerce, the trophy winner for the evening of poker was sharing with me how he wrote jokes for Jay Leno for a number of years, and is a comedy writer.  There are always interesting and fascinating people to meet in Cuenca. 

As we went our separate ways, I unexpectedly got caught up in a rock concert being held in the square by the “Coffee Tree” on Calle Larga.  After about a half an hour of listening to the music and observing the crowd, I ran into my Spanish tutor, and off we went to have a couple of beers and catch up on what we’ve been doing lately.  We've seen little of each other, since studying Spanish hasn’t been a priority with me after my return from the states.  An unexpected concert and an unexpected evening with a friend are just examples of what I never know is about to happen next.

Friday, October 28^th, Big Disco Night at Tabasco Discotec, which sponsored music from the 70’s and 80’s.  Accompanied by a half a dozen ladies and a couple of male friends, we discoed the night away, while  watching tapes from live concerts of the earlier time period when we were all so much younger,  


We met Oswaldo Valencia, Mr. Soul Train, himself--The Numeral Uno D.J. in Ecuador.  He has his own radio and television programs, and is comparable to Dick Clark, only about twenty years younger.  It was nostalgia night, so I could say, he was like the Wolfman Jack of his generation.  Another gentleman performed Michael Jackson’s, Moon Walk.  The place was jammed pack, and there was nothing that even remotely approached a problem from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Everybody was just having a good time.  Some folks were dressed in the disco styles of the period, and when there was no longer enough room to dance on the floors, while the booth seats along the wall served us just as well.

I spent ten minutes trying to get six empty plastic cups from the two beautiful bartenders, since our table ran out of cups and we still had plenty of libations available, before I finally succeeded in getting them to understand what I wanted. Their beautiful smiles would elicit from them the comment for me to "wait uno minuto".  I would then be brought glasses with coke, glasses with rum, glasses just with ice.  They brought me whatever they thought I was asking for, or pantamining, or attempting to point to a glass and explain,” but without the contents”, as each failed effort was placed before me.  A young man tried to help me with the ladies, but he didn’t speak any English, which got me nowhere.  When I miraculously succeeded in getting the ladies to bring me four empty cups, for which I settled, since they already presented me with two cups containing just ice. We all had a good laugh over it, and everybody involved was excited like we had finally solved the riddle.  They were all so patient and gracious, and so earnest in wanting to please me.  I just love these people.

Once we left the disco, some of us went out to get a bite to eat, I had little to drink, but I’m also no longer in my 20’s or 30’s.  I dropped into bed at 3:00 a.m., and slept until 2:00 p.m. the next afternoon.

Saturday, October 29^th,  was recovery day from the 28^th, a well earned day just to rest up, relax, and not leave my condo.  The 29^th was a day of peace and quiet, a real appreciation for the sounds of silence after a night of ear-splitting, loud-speaker blare.

Sunday, October 30^th, I finally had the chance to make contact with my son, Marc, in Maryland and wish him a Happy Belated 28^th Birthday.  Having been way over-rested on Saturday, I spent Sunday alone on a five to six mile walk across town to Kiwi, (Cuenca’s version of Menard’s) in the Miraflores Mall,  just to buy some yellow-tinted light bulbs, since incandescent bulbs are no longer available.   I hate the dangerous white bulbs now used in homes, which the fundamentalist environmentalists have shoved down our throats, and give homes such a fluorescent white office feeling.  Kiwi, from what I discovered, appears to be the only place in Cuenca where I can get the yellow natural light-tinted bulbs.  I then did my grocery shopping at the Supermaxi’s, which is also located in the mall, and with all the bags had no choice but to take a cab home.  It’s strange to use the word “cab” here.  No one in Ecuador knows what that means.  The cabs are always called taxis.

Monday, October 31^st, I had lunch with a new friend, and discovered California Kitchen is not open on Mondays.  Spent whatever free time I had trying to get packages from abroad delivered to my home, which meant more time on the Internet always trying to figure things out and getting them to work properly.  In the evening my friend and her eight year old daughter stopped by, as Amy was dressed as a beautiful princess for Halloween and her mother was dressed as a witch right down to the black lipstick and fingernail polish.  There seemed to be some Halloween parties for kids in Cuenca, but not much in the way of Trick or Treat like back in the states.  Halloween is less celebrated here than in the U.S.  There was a Gringo Halloween party at DiBacco’s that night, but I didn’t find out about it until almost the last minute, and I didn’t want to splurge on a costume.  I hear the party went quite well.

To Be Continued