My Big Fat Cuban Family: A Cuban-American Blog

Kikita, the Luckiest Girl in the World, Sees Ruben Blades in Concert

I very well may be the luckiest girl in the world.

I'm sure there are other girls that think that, but I bet I can make a pretty good case for being the luckiest.

(This is Kikita, by the way, Marta's eldest daughter. <-- That alone makes me pretty lucky, but that's not important right now ;-D)

A little over a week ago, my timbales teacher told me to look up an Eddie Palmieri song and listen to it as much as I could stand because he was going to teach it to me. Of course, in my hunt for the song in question, I remembered a whole bunch of OTHER Eddie Palmieri songs I love.

A few days after my Palmieri moment, Mami sent me a text message. The nice people at Al Punto had offered her two free tickets to see Ruben Blades the following Wednesday, but she was going to be on vacation and would I like to go? And, if I DID want to go, did I have someone I could take with me?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

What you might not know is how much I LOOOOVVVEEE Ruben Blades.

I think his voice is like a fine summer wine. Light, sweet, smooth and delicious. (No, I don't drink a lot of wine, but if Ruben Blades' voice WAS a wine, I'd drink it every day.)

I immediately called my OTHER timbales teacher (the one who is just showing me what he knows because he's nice) and, like me, there was no way he'd say no to an invitation to see one of best in the business.

Ruben Blades was playing at the Hollywood Bowl. I'd never been to the Hollywood Bowl, but was instructed to take a picnic and that every seat is an experience.

There could be no sounder advice.

I stopped to get pan con lechón from my favorite Orange County Cuban restaurant, Bella Cuba and we arrived at the Hollywood Bowl with enough time to find our seats (they were AWESOME! Thanks, Al Punto!) and enjoy our sandwiches. It was perfect. 

I was so excited on Ruben Blades, I had completely forgotten about the band that would be opening for him... The EDDIE PALMIERI Orchestra!!

See what I'm saying about luck? 

Eddie started by saying, "Whether you stand up and dance or just dance in your seat: if you don't move or get involved with this band, you are not well." 

I could barely contain my excitement. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Eddie asked for requests and joked that he would play all those requests "next time." I was secretly hoping he would play my favorite song of his, "La Malanga" when he announced that the next song had been written by a Cuban singer/songwriter named Rudy Calzado and was called "La Malanga."

Could a girl get any luckier?!?

Yes. A girl could run in to her favorite local salsa star by the name of Chino Espinoza (of Chino Espinoza y Los Dueños Del Son) with his son Jake.

After each song, I would turn to my friend and say "We could leave now and I'd be so happy," and Ruben Blades had not even started yet! It was THAT GOOD.

Of course, it took Ruben Blades all of 10 seconds to leave me speechless. He was incredible. His voice was everything I knew it would be.

He introduced his song "Decisiones" by saying, "In 1984, this song was banned by the dictatorship in Panama. Today the dictatorship is gone, but the song remains."

As if I needed any more reasons to love him? My Cuban-American side was cheering "Yes! Dictatorships CAN be overthrown!"

Of my top three favorite Ruben Blades songs, Ruben played "Muevete" which is my second favorite and ended with his classic (and my third favorite)  "Pedro Navaja" which he started with a little bit of "Mack the Knife."

I was so happy. What a wonderful experience. What a wonderful concert. What a lucky girl I was... and, wait, what? He was going to do ONE. MORE. SONG.

Being the Luckiest Girl in the World, I knew he would play my favorite song of his, "Patria."

I couldn't stop the tears of joy and disbelief from rolling down my cheeks.

Not that I want to push my luck, but I am so looking forward to "next time." If last night was any indication of some of the upcoming events at the beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall, then I might have to become a Professional Attender of Wonderful Music Things. I'm told this next season is going to be "Limitless" and full of surprises a la Gilberto Gil, Bobby McFerrin, and Holiday Sing-Along with Julie Andrews!

I know, right?

I am one lucky (and oh-so-happy) girl! =D

On the stage of the Hollywood Bowl (Pinch me.)

I'm going to write about the Hollywood Bowl today.

Just as a warning - this post may get all emotional and gushy (<--is that a word?) because I LOVE the Hollywood Bowl. I love it so much I want to marry it. There's going to be gushing. And photos. And videos. And more gushing. Yes. It's uber-nerd heaven.

The Bowl is just so thoroughly So-Cal-Iconic. And I am totally enthralled and in love with its rich history. I'm pretty sure my first exposure to the Bowl came from Bugs Bunny in Long-Haired Hare, where he plays Leopold Stokowski. (Yes, I'm nerdy enough to know this stuff, but that's not important right now.)

In case you've never seen it, here you go. Watch. And love.

I happen to agree with Bugs: The Bowl is "acoustically poifect." You're welcome.

Of course, one of the most magical Hollywood Bowl Moments happened in August 1964.

The Beatles came to Southern California and performed in this iconic venue. *insert teenage girl scream here*

*sigh* That's history right there. 

I'll also never forget the magical night I saw Tito Puente and Celia Cruz there. I was massively pregnant with Lucy at the time and thought my child might be a few weeks early because I started having contractions during the concert, and then I was conflicted because it was CELIA and would I really have to leave if I was having a baby? (That last factoid might have been an over-share. Or it falls under their tag line: There's a story in every seat.)

All that to say this: I love the Hollywood Bowl. It is unparalled as a concert venue and during a show you can even see the Hollywood sign peeking out from the next ridge over. It's quite magical.

So you can imagine my excitement when I was cordially invited to "the Hollywood bowl stage for a cocktail party to celebrate the upcoming summer season" by my friends at the LA Philharmonic.

Wait! Did that say "to the Hollywood Bowl STAGE??"

The evening was beautiful in that perfect Spring-evening-in-Southern-California way.

It's always surprising to me that the Hollywood Bowl is in such an accessible spot. "Yay! We're here!"

And to my everlasting delight, the party was ON. THE. HOLLYWOOD. BOWL. STAGE!

Someone pinch me.

So, I start hyperventilating just a little as we walked on to the stage.

The restaurants in the Bowl venue were all beautifully represented. My particular favorite is the Rooftop Grill. Of course, when you go to an event at the Hollywood Bowl, you must plan on arriving early and either bringing or pre-ordering a picnic. The picnic is  a mandatory part of the magic of the experience.

So it was that I found myself with Lucy. Having a picnic. At the Hollywood Bowl. ON THE STAGE. (I may just have to frame this one.)

Wait! Is that Gustavo Dudamel? The conductor of the LA Philharmonic? I may or may not have knocked over a few people to get to him. (My nerdiness knows no bounds.)

He is from Venezuela, and I briefly spoke to him in Spanish (of course) and told him I was Cuban, at that exact same moment a musical piece was playing written by a Cuban. Full disclosure: He was the one who pointed that out. I was in Star-struck Super Fan mode.

"Hola, Maestro! You are my biggest fan!"

Okay, maybe I didn't say exactly that, but I was excited and tongue tied and thrilled to be in the presence of such greatness. By the way, if you live in Los Angeles or the surrounding areas and want to experience classical music in the most engaging way, do yourself a favor and go see Gustavo Dudamel conduct the LA Phil. Seriously.

Let me take a moment from documenting my craziness to tell you about the awesomeness that can be found at the Hollywood Bowl over the summer.

They have THE BEST program for kids called Summer Sounds. I have a friend who religiously takes her kids every summer and swears it's the best thing in town. Watch this:

You can thank me later.

There's way too much fabulousness for me to list here in this one post (please click here for more information) but let me just tell you that we are already looking forward to John Williams (right?!), Ruben Blades (yes, please!), and Placido Domingo, and perhaps even the Grease Sing-a-long. (I have very ecclectic taste in music, okay?)

Did I mention we were standing on THE SAME STAGE where all this amazingness will take place?

I was completely giddy thinking of all the times I had been here and all the amazing acts that have stood on this very stage. So I gushed to Lucy (much like I'm doing to you now) and sighed and laughed out loud. And I pointed to the different seats I had occupied and of course, I told her once again the story of when I thought she might be born prematurely in this same spot because I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving this magical place in the middle of a show.

And then she turned to me and said, "I didn't get it until just now."

Summer can't get here soon enough.

{A special thank you to the Hollywood Bowl, the LA Philharmonic, and alPunto Advertising for a magical evening.}

Southern California Cuban Festival 2011 in San Dimas

The following post was written by Kikita.

It's that time of year again!

Time for the Cuban Festival!

It's been a few years since I've been, but I'll definitely be there this year!

So... COME AND DANCE WITH ME!

(Seriously, if you're a blog reader and you decide to go to the festival and you do see me, please come up and say hello.)

P.S. Despite the fact that I am not going to Miami for Cuba Nostalgia this year which would finally give me the chance to head out to the Cuban Festival in Echo Park, that festival was canceled this year due to lack of funds and the park not being available. Which means the San Dimas Cuban Festival is the only one in the L.A. area this year ... and that is SO important right now! ;-)

When is a Pitbull NOT a pitbull?

It seems that lately I've been getting invited to all kinds of  "events"- apparently bloggers are the new press. Who knew?

I was invited by a fellow Latina blogger, Ana Flores from Spanglish Baby (Thanks again, Ana!) to come to the launch of the new Victoria's Secret perfume called Bombshell. It turns out that one of Ana's close friends, the lovely Susan Stipcianos from the Dream Team Agency was spearheading this event.

So I took Amy to L.A. with me, of course. The event was held at the enormous Victoria's Secret store at The Grove and there were all these gorgeous skinny semi-famous VS supermodels that we were supposed to interview. (I'm the new press, after all...)

But I got a little distracted because of all the fun we were having (but that's not important right now).

We got the Royal V.I.P. treatment. We had makeovers done by professional makeup artists

 

...and they had us do a glamour photo shoot...

 

...and they gave us swag bags with beautiful umm....things....

...and, of course, the new perfume, Bombshell.

In the middle of the craziness, I notice a handsome young man having his photo taken with the supermodels (whom we have yet to interview.....because....Hey! Is it my turn for the photo?)

So Amy says, "Mami, that's Pitbull." He's getting his photo taken with the supermodels and then he leaves.

In slow-motion, I went Wait! (or more like W-A-A-I-I-T-T!) I'm the CUBAN BLOGGER here!

So I grabbed Amy and we head towards where Pitbull was last seen and he is now exiting the building - *sigh* We missed him. (Sad faces.)

Right at that moment, the very-on-top-of-it PR gal, Susan (that I told you about earlier, who was in charge"OMG! Come on!" And she proceeded to run down the internal alley of the mall, in her stilettos, yelling, "Wait! Pit!"

And here come Amy and Marta chasing Susan who is chasing Pitbull through the bowels of the Grove. (Talk about a surreal moment.)

When she finally caught him, she said to him, "This is the Most Important Person At This Event!" (If you look at the photo, you can tell we were far away from people and totally in the bowels of the mall.) And Pitbull was treating me like I was, well... The Most Important Person At This Event.

Of course, I spoke to him in Spanish, and I may or may not have called him a muñecon.

I think because of that awesome introduction he was very charming. (Amy was upset that he barely looked at her and paid me so much attention. I quickly reminded her of my Most Important Person Status. =D)

We chatted briefly, took our photos and he was delightful and charming and funny and when he turned to leave, he left behind a small puddle of what was formerly The Most Important Person There and Her First Born.

We regrouped beautifully and made the executive decision to skip the supermodel interviews. After all, we just had makeovers and got to meet Pitbull. (Which proves the existence of God.) Our evening was pretty complete with the added plus of the Pitbull meeting. I had my story. I came strutting back into the store and showed the photos on my camera to the swooning, skinny girls. They were staring at me with a total "WHO ARE YOU?" vibe. I loved it.

I decided it would be wisest to skip the supermodel interviews and focus my story on meeting Pitbull. Yeah, I'm shallow that way. =D

I do have a comment giveaway today, but you'll have to travel.

I want you to go over the TikiTikiBlog and follow this link to the Pitbull story post.

To be entered in the drawing for the new VS Bombshell perfume, (I promise you...you want this!) go over to the Tiki Tiki and leave a comment on that post. Instructions and deadlines are over there.

Also, be sure to watch the video I put together. Then come back and tell me your opinion of how I'm handling my mid-life crisis. Or how jealous you're feeling right now. Bring it. =D

Demanding Equal Time

I have four offspring. And although they don't come right out and say it, there's still a fair amount of sibling-rivalry-mom-always-liked-you-best moments.

So, my son, Jonathan was complaining. Not too loudly, but still...

The last few months have been all about Lucy and Russian Jews and Fiddling on the Roof.

"Mom," he protested, "you wrote about me in just one number of my production and you showed me dancing in a red, sparkly dress. I think I deserve at least a blog post where I'm looking more like a manly-man." (Yes, he did use the term "manly-man," but that's not important right now.)

I can't argue with that logic.

So let me present Jonathan dressed to the nines, along with his friend, Andrew, in their show-stopping number: Puttin' on the Ritz from Young Frankenstein (The Musical, of course). Jon plays....the Monster. Not at all surprising, right? 

For me, Jon is always such a delight to watch on stage. He gives himself so completely to his character. He becomes The Monster. (Reminds me a lot of the Terrible Twos. =D)

Enjoy.

(Sorry, Jon! You know you're my favorite. Shh! I tell them all the same thing, but that's not important right now. =D)

Las Terrazas

This is another Kikita post about her trip to Cuba.

Several years ago a cousin I had never met before was visiting from Cuba. Since he had never been to Las Vegas, Mami, Luza, my tia Helen, and I drove out there to meet him and then bring him back to California. It was a whirlwind adventure riddled with cucufates, but that is another story.

On the drive home from Las Vegas, this cousin asked us to play one of the cds he had brought from Cuba of a new up and coming singer called Polo Montañez. At the time, my spanish was nowhere near what it is today. Regardless, I was happy to oblige our guest and played the cd filled with classic Cuban sounds and words I did not fully comprehend. The drive from Vegas to my house on that Saturday night was about 4 to 5 hours so we listened to the cd several times over. There was one song inparticular that I found exceptionally moving despite not knowing all the words.

Beyond the classic sounds of Trío Matamoros and Celia Cruz, this song was the first new Cuban song I had heard from the island. The song was called "Un Montón de Estrellas" and it fast became one of my favorites. I remember the first time I heard it played at a salsa club a few years later, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling. 

The song remained close to my heart, but got pushed around by other songs and experiences and was soon forgotten (so to speak).

I had no idea what was in store for me as I was on my way to Pinar del Rio and my cousin took a turn towards a place called Las Terrazas.

 

It was breathtaking. I was speechless. I had never seen anything like it in my entire life.

My cousin kept going deeper and deeper into this jungle and I was beginning to wonder if we had arrived at Viñales because I really wasn't sure what I was looking for . . . and then I saw where we where headed.

 

 

I could not help but marvel at the small size of the home and tears came to my eyes when I looked and saw the sun shining on the unused instruments.

 

 

The moment I first walked inside "Un Montón de Estrellas" began playing as if to welcome my presence. It was one of those magical moments that brought tears to my eyes. I felt so lucky. So blessed. So in awe. I sent up a prayer of thanks and then let the music and the view wash over me.

 

"Que orgullo para el poeta
que viva en un pueblecito
el más aseado y bonito
que existe en este planeta
por eso hago esta letras
con ortografía escasa,
mientras más ligero pasa
el tiempo que va corriendo
más lindo se va poniendo
el pueblo de las Terrazas"

~ Polo Montañez

The EPIC Mr. Don't Touch the Banana

The following post was written by Kikita, whose appreciation for bananas has led to endless laughter and entertainment.

I can't tell you where or how it all started, but it started. I can only guess it happened on facebook because that's where most things happen these days.
Let me be clear about something . . . I am not particularly fond of the taste of bananas. Ok, that's not entirely true. There have been several years where I absolutely loathed bananas, but now that I'm an immature adult, I have accepted them for the goodness that they can be.

It IS possible that the banana thing started shortly after the monkey thing. (I LOVE monkeys. I have several monkey stuffed animals and I can do a FABULOUS monkey sound, but that's not important right now.)

For all intents and purposes, I'm not sure that it really matters where the banana thing started. What IS important is that it DID start and was kept alive.

Typically, I will start working on the family Christmas video in late August or early September. As it just so happens, late August found me at a Willy Chirino concert.

It was there that I met my inspiration.

Every year I struggle with making sure the video is relevant to our Cuban-American family NOW while not forgetting and celebrating that we are still Cuban. But now the majority of the family prefers speaking in English, so they relate to a Cuban song in Spanish less and less. No, that doesn't make things easy.
But I had found my answer.

I started story-boarding and planning and ran into a few hiccups such as "what about the family that will NOT be at Thanksgiving?"
But I did what I could with what resources I had.

I am so grateful that my big, fat, Cuban family will do what I ask of them without question and will go for it. Participation was key in pulling this one off. And I knew it would be EPIC.

After Thanksgiving, I got to work. And, thanks to the help and support of some "real, live" editors (Thank you Mr. Simpson, Mr. Young, & Mr. De Castro), my plan was coming to fruition in ways that were even better than I could have expected.

 

This has to be one of my most favorite pieces that I have ever cut together. I love it because it's wholly Cuban (every good Cuban-American knows this song), it's fun, it's Spanglish, and it's . . . well, it's EPIC (even if I do say so myself).

It even inspired the title for this year's video: "ORO PARECE"

That is the beginning of a Cuban riddle that goes:
ORO PARECE
PLATA-NO ES

It's a play on words. "Oro" is gold. "Plata" is silver, but "platano" is banana.
IT LOOKS LIKE GOLD
SILVER IT IS NOT / BANANA IT IS

So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado . . .

All Desi. All the time.

So we went to Vegas and Boulder City the week before Thanksgiving to see the fabulous Tormé Sings Tormé show. It was absolutely delicious and satisfying in every way. 

First of all Steve March Tormé's tribute to his incredibly talented dad (Mel Tormé) was both exhilarating to watch and yet tugged at the heartstrings as he sang while showing video of him with his dad.

For the sake of full disclosure, when he sang a medley of I'm Wishing (the Snow White song) and When You Wish Upon a Star, (with the family photos projecting in the background) the tears were flowing freely. What a gift!

Of course, my favorite part of the show was when Desi got up and took to the Conga drums.(See him right there behind Steve? *sigh*)

 

I love that they knew each other as kids and are still friends today.

 

After the amazing show, there was a lovely reception for the band at the Dam Hotel, (=D) where we were staying.

It was there that I got to give the lovely Miss Amy (Mrs. Arnaz) her MBFCF mug.

 

And also got to visit with her husband, My Friend, Desi Arnaz, Jr. (*blushes*)

The last time we visited I had taken Desi some of my famous pastelitos de guayaba. He enjoyed them so much he thought that maybe we'd be interested in buying the newly vacated restaurant space across the street from their theater. 

He's quite the convincing salesman, too. "Just think! I could walk across the street whenever I got hungry and have Cuban food!"

Okay, so maybe I was tempted, a little.

(Actually, my mind started racing forward in total I Love Lucy fashion in which Lucy and Ethel come up with some harebrained scheme to start a business - how apropos, right? - and I began to think that maybe living in Boulder City and opening a Cuban restaurant there wouldn't be so bad, and since we homeschool and Eric works at home, we could live wherever we wanted and we do so love Desi and Amy, and I'd get to see him... All. The. Time. But that's not important right now.)

So Eric and I talked about it and fantasized a little....

 

Until we remembered that it gets to be 120 degrees in the summer in Boulder City The Dam City.

So sorry, Desi, mi amor. =(  

But thanks again, Desi and Amy for a fabulous weekend. We'll definitely be visiting again! (And yes, I'll bring you some more pastelitos. MUAH! <--Cuban kiss.)

He Danced With Me

The following post has been brought to you by the lovely and talented (and oh-so-humble) Kikita.

About 10 years ago, when I was an adorable teenager who didn't remember much of the Spanish she'd spoken as a child, I saw the movie "Dance with Me."

It was magical. There was a beautiful Puerto Rican guy (Chayanne) who was playing the part of a beautiful Cuban. He went to a dance studio and taught a "professional Latin dancer" how to "feel the music."

He took her dancing and they ordered mojitos.
That was the moment I decided that: "one day, I want to try a mojito."
At this nightclub they went to, there was a live band that I just loved.
I remember thinking, "I would love to see that guy in concert."

Later in the movie, they go back to the same club.
It's a longer scene and there is a different singer.

When I saw it I thought, "I would love to dance with people like that. Ooh, that guy in the vest is cute! I would love to dance with him."
And I thought, "She's awesome. I would love to see her perform live too."

Secret wishes, hopes, and dreams that I never dared to tell anyone. I just kept them deep inside and they would bubble up every time I watched the movie.

As I got older, I moved some of those secret wishes to the "it's never gonna happen" shelf. Yes, when I turned 21 the first drink I ordered was a mojito.

Yes, I HAVE been dancing in places where I felt like I was in that scene in that movie, but most of the time I don't feel that way. Most of the time, I'm just happy to be dancing.

And then it happened.
The guy singing in the first nightclub scene is Ricardo Lemvo and I got the chance to meet him when he played at the Conga Room. I couldn't believe my luck!

About a week later, I got an email from my dear friend Ziva. Having had so much fun at the Andy Garcia concert last year, she took me up on my offer to join her and Henry at another concert . . . This time, it was Albita.

Who is Albita? Aside from a fabulous and fun Cuban singer, she also happens to be the lady who was singing my favorite dance scene from "Dance with Me."

SHUT. UP.
I KNOW!

So, tonight is the night. Tonight yet another of my secret wishes is coming to life. Tonight is a dream come true.

Does it stop there? OF COURSE NOT!

Earlier this week, I decided at the last minute to go out dancing "just for an hour or two." While I was there basking in the music, someone taps me on the shoulder and says, "May I have this dance?"

This "tipo" looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place him. Regardless, I wanted to dance so I accepted.
"I'm Rudy."
"Hi Rudy, I'm Kikita."

As soon as we started dancing I knew this guy was good and was just hoping I could keep up. I did. He looked a little surprised that I did (and I don't blame him, I was a little surprised too, but I'm not the one who got thrown off by the blond hair).
We thanked each other for the dance and got on with our lives.

(For the record: This is NOT Rudy. Rudy is beautiful. This is just a representative photo of me dancing. This person couldn't really dance, but I could! Look at my lovely arm extension. But, as Mami would say, that's not important right now.)

What's your point, Kikita?

It turns out that this "Rudy" guy was one of the dancers in my favorite scene, the scene with Albita singing . . . he was the guy in the vest.

It's official. Dreams CAN come true!

At least that's what Disney always says.

Magical Summer Moments

Sunday, September 6, 1970. My very first concert.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Their opening act was Little Stevie Wonder who had just had a big hit with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."

This was my very first concert. I found the ticket tucked away in my high school photo album. Thirty-nine years ago today.

 

I remember being a little salty still from the beach (Playa del Rey) earlier in the day.

I remember it was a double-date. My date, Terry, who was sixteen at the time (I was fifteen) had only had his driver's license for two months and drove an ancient red station wagon. Seatbelts? What?? =D

 

We drove up through the Hollywood Hills. You have to drive through a neighborhood of palatial homes to get there. I remember being shocked and surprised by this as only a wide-eyed fifteen-year-old can be.

But, ah... once we got into the Greek and found our seats...

The music was classic Motown. The air smelled clean and fresh as only outdoor concerts can. There's that roar and rush as the performers take the stage.

The lights! The sounds! The oh-my-gosh-they're-RIGHT-THERE-onstage amazement! Our favorite songs being performed live. They have never sounded better.

It was a magical night for me and one of my very fondest memories. My first live show. Notice the ticket price - $5.00. Wow.

I love that I can pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with live shows. There was nothing like it. NOTHING. The music seriously came alive in a way that couldn't be captured over the radio or through vinyl.

It was live. And I was alive. And I was THERE.

That feeling has never left me. I have been to dozens of live shows since. And am never disappointed.

I recently took a Facebook quiz and was able to list over 50 acts that I had seen live, not counting stage, plays, and musicals.

The first two will always be Smokey and Stevie. It was one of those definining moments in my life. Who knew?

1. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. *
2. Stevie Wonder.
3. Chicago.
4. The Beach Boys. *
5. Glady Knight and the Pips.
6. The Temptations.
7. The Four Tops.
8. The Grateful Dead. *
9. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. *
10. The Moody Blues. *
11. Fleetwood Mac.
12. Rod Stewart.
13. Linda Rondstat.
14. Carole King.
15. James Taylor.
16. Barbra Streisand.
17. Tito Puente.
18. Oscar de Leon.
19. Celia Cruz. *
20. Willy Chirino. *
21. Marc Anthony.
22. The Tubes.
23. Elvis Costello.
24. KC & the Sunshine Band.
25. The Monkees.
26. Tower of Power.
27. Johnny and Edgar Winter.
28. Bruce Springstein. *
29. J. Geils Band. *
30. Peter Frampton.
31. Boz Scags.
32. Michael Jackson.
33. U2. *
34. Chayanne.
35. Alejandro Fernandez.
36. Jethro Tull.
37. Huey Lewis and the News.
38. The Doobie Brothers.
39. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. *
40. Van Morrison.
41 The Allman Bros.
42. The Rolling Stones.
44. Brian Wilson.
45. Paul McCartney.
46. Peter Gabriel.
47. Loggins & Messina. *
48. Julio Yglesias.
49. The Go-Go's.
50. Jimmy Buffett.
51. Andy Garcia.
52. Gloria Estefan. *
53. The Marshall Tucker Band.
54. Lynrd Skynrd.
55. Charlie Daniels Band.
56. The Who.
57. Stephen Stills.
58. Warren Zevon.
59. Junior Walker and the All-Stars.
60. The Rascals.

(NOTE: There are many more. I keep remembering a few more each day...)

Even now, the excitement and fun of a live concert or show still calls to me. Of all the fun things we do now, going to shows is still high up there on the list.

 

These are programs and tickets from just this summer.

Amy and I saw Dirty Dancing at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

 

We have season tickets to the Orange County Performing Arts Center. This was for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

 

And of course, here we are in New York, on Broadway, waititng to see Wicked.

Las Vegas at the Wayne Brady Show.

Andy Garcia at the Conga Room.

David Copperfield at the Long Beach Arena.

 

Dana Carvey at the Orleans in Vegas.

 

We collected our favorite friends to accompany us to see Fiddler on the Roof (which coincidentally happened to fall on Lucy's birthday, but that's not important right now.) Go figure!

And of course, Disney's Electrical Parade.

 

We usually take the cheesy "I-was-there" photo. And even if it's blurry, we call it good. This was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater where we saw the Pacific Symphony on their Rodgers and Hammerstein movie night.

 

That's us in all our Uber-Geeky glory.

We have passed on the love of the theater and live entertainment to our kids. In fact, we've taken to scouring ticket sales at the beginning of the summer to find the best deals.  (I know. Uber-geeks.)

But I was reminded that this is a love that started thirty nine years ago (today) in what was for me, a magical moment in time. And even though the ticket prices are way higher than $5.00(!) live theater and concert-going is still very much a part of my life and of my family's life.

And I have the ticket stubs and cheesy pictures to prove it. =D

Do you have a favorite concert or show? Do you remember your first one? Tell me about it. I want to know.

My Redemption Song

This post was written by Kikita.

A few months ago I received an email in my inbox and all it had was a picture attached.
This picture:

Did I notice "El Gran Combo" (a group that, as a salsera, I have grown to love)? Of course not.
I only had eyes for Willy.
Immediately, I send Mami an email. There was no question as to whether we were going or not. We most definitely were.

In the months leading up to the concert, life happened. You know how it does . . . There were trips and musicals and Lucy turning 16 and milkshakes and . . . you get the picture, right?
Anyway, a week before the concert I received a reminder email.
AY CARAMBA! How could I forget WILLY??

"Mami! Willy! It's this Saturday!"
"Ay, mija, I can't go! I made plans to have a reunion with some friends from high school that night. You can find someone else to go with, si?"
I lied through my teeth, "Yeah, of course, no problem."
What to do?

I consulted with a couple of friends on the level of pathetic (adjective: causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable) that going to a concert alone would earn you. Apparently, it's not as pathetic as I thought.
It seems there is a fine line between pathetic and cool and I just so happen to err on the side of cool. =D

So, I decided to go alone. (THAT is the key to the coolness. Deciding. I mean, I had the option to not go, but I wanted to go, so I did.)

I'm no stranger to doing things alone. I've done Disneyland by myself, dinner, the movies . . .
Come to think of it, doing things by myself is usually not that bad!

(I was bummed, nervous, and excited all at the same time.)

I was a little late getting to the venue (since I wasn't carpool), but I wasn't too stressed about it because there was no one to silently get upset with me about being late for the first part of the opening act.
I found my seat and proceeded to enjoy the music of the opening acts - standing up and dancing, of course.

I was having a great time, but I was starting to feel like the only Cuban in a sea of Latinos. So, my alone-ness was getting to me when . . .  it was time for Willy!

Every song he played, I knew. What was amazing was that every song he played I not only knew, but loved. He played my favorite NEW songs along with his older ones that still have a special place in my heart.

He even sang a duet with the late Celia about how beautiful Cuba is. They would show her singing her part on video and he would sing his as if she was right there with him. Yes, my eyes welled with tears.

As if that wasn't gift enough, Willy asked where all of the Cubans were and I realized how very NOT alone I was.

My potentially lonely evening ended up being one of the best times ever.

(So much so that I am thinking about doing this whole "alone" thing again for the next concert I want to go to.)

Then when Willy started to play his last song, I knew I was a goner.

It was my redemption song, but I knew it wasn't just mine. It was the redemption song for any and every Cuban at that concert and every one of them NOT at that concert.

It was our song of freedom.

(I admit it, I wept.)

I have spent my whole life struggling to find (and keep) the balance between being both Cuban and American and feeling so alone in that turmoil, as that song was playing and I looked around, I realized how many others were in that same struggle.

NUESTRO DIA YA VIENE LLEGANDO.

Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos or What Cuban Music Heaven Looks Like

We live about an hour south of Los Angeles. (That's how you calculate distances here in Southern California; by how long it takes you in traffic to get from one place to another.)

This is a wonderful thing because that means that we can go see shows in L.A. but not have to live there. See what I mean? Win-win. ;-)

And when summer begins the first thing we do is look to see who is in concert, because if there's anything we love, it's summer concerts. (Okay, we love any kind of a live show anytime of the year, but that's not important right now.)

Imagine my surprise and delight when Amy invited me to go see Andy Garcia and the CineSon All-Stars at the Conga Room in L.A. (Okay, let's just have a moment of silence in reverence. Thank you.)

Andy.
Andy Garcia.
Who has his own category on my blog because, well, he's Cuban and he's so cool. *Ay Dios mio!*

Here's Andy on cowbell.

And yes, I took this picture.

Notice how it's close-up.

How there are no heads in front of him obscuring the shot.

How it looks like it was taken from (where we were sitting) FIVE. FEET. AWAY.

Amy invited me to go because:
1) She enjoyed his music so much the last time she saw him and
2) I'm kind of a big fan. (I know. Total understatement. Shut up.)

So we got to the Conga Room early thinking we'd have to line up and maybe push some people around to get a good seat. Okay, not really, well, I may or may not have done that, but that's not important right now, either. =D

Anyway, relieved that we didn't have to manhandle anyone and because I lead a charmed life, we were able to get two seats IN THE FRONT ROW DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ANDY and where he would be bongo-ing and cowbell-ing and piano-ing for the next two and a half hours. (Shut up. I KNOW!)

The show was fabulous. If you have not heard the CineSon All-Stars do yourself a favor and get their music or better yet, go see them live.

I was seriously in Cuban Music Heaven.
Apparently, so was Andy. *sigh*

Of course we danced! When a Cuban conga starts, who can stay in their seat? Seriously!
And being in the first row gave us lots of room. =D

"Abre que voy!"

He played some of the hauntingly beautiful music from The Lost City.

And of course, a tribute to the Master, Cachao.

We had the BEST time.

We sang-along. We laughed. We danced. We clapped. We started the conga. (=D) We cheered for a Free Cuba.

Much to my everlasting delight, he winked at us and smiled at us and at one point even stuck his tongue out at us. (I know. Shut up. I'm guessing it was a purely defensive move: "I should be nice to those two noisy Cuban women in the front row directly in front of me, lest they get a little crazy.") =D

But do you know what kept going through my mind during the entire show?

Besides, "More cowbell, por favor!"...

This Cuban man should sooo have a copy of my cookbook!  ;-)

My Big, Fat, C...

A celebration of Cu...

By Marta M. Darby

Book Preview

Let the Cuban Festivals Begin!

Hola, hola, Coca-Cola!
Kikita here, reporting live from . . . ok, not live. But here comes the full report!

This may get a bit convoluted, but it will still be fun, I promise!

Last Sunday, April 19th, a new Cuban Festival was being held in downtown LA. Of course I had to be there.
Mami & Dad were excited to go, but I knew they would probably get tired before I would, so I had hired La Sheila to come with me. Pobrecita had to cancel at the last minute, so we had an extra ticket.

I called un amigo Africano y musico, Kaima. The brave soul agreed to come and listen to hours and hours of live Cuban music. (Honestly, I think he agreed to come because he was hoping for some rico Cuban food, but that's not important right now.)

 

If you live in SoCal, you know it was the hottest day of the year so far. Bueno, we had to line up outside, but my people were troupers! They took pictures of each other and made the best of it.

The festival was held in a newly refurbished nightclub in an alley in downtown LA. Personally, I felt very cool participating in the whole thing. It was very impressive when you first walk in. Sofas to sit on, the smell of Cuban food wafting through the air, linen clothes and white hats everywhere, the excitement was practically tangible.

I could barely contain myself as I'm introducing Mami to some of my Cuban musician friends, they were soooo thrilled to finally meet "La Mama de Kikita."
I made sure Kaima had his promised Cuban food (media noche, empanada, y un pastelito) and Mami had a place to sit.

Could I have picked a more perfect place? I don't think so.

Mami, tan Cubana que es, made friends with the ladies sitting next to us. One lady imparticular happened to mention that she had a beautiful son with blond hair, blue eyes, single, and a little older than me, the mamas made the betrothal official right then and there.
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet my mother-in-law-to-be, Adriana. =D

 

After what feels like an eternity, the music starts. Mami & Dad start to dance (it was cute) and Adriana jumps in. When they start to play the classic, "El Bodeguero," Mami gets all excited saying, "I was JUST thinking of this song today!!"

A few dances later, they were done. It had been a long, hot day already and they were anxious to get home (as I had anticipated).

They left me (oh! and Kaima) to enjoy myself ourselves until the very last song . . .

. . . And then some. There was an after party, but that's about the time I stopped taking pictures and danced without stopping.

I must say, there are moments at these festivals where I am practically bursting with Cuban pride.

This one was fun, and I'm sure it will only get better as the years go on. In the meantime, it served as a lovely pre-amble to the upcoming festival this weekend. I went last year and can't wait to go again! If you haven't gone, go. If you don't want to go the whole time, that's fine. Get there in the afternoon and stay til the end. The big names are always at the end. I'm telling you, it is so worth it.

I'll be by the stage starting a conga line and celebrating being Cuban. ;-)

Pure Imagination

This was a magical weekend for my son, Jonathan (the 13 year old).  He actually became Willy Wonka.

Our homeschool drama group put on the play/musical Willy Wonka Jr.

No, seriously. He wore the purple coat and the trademark top hat in a remarkably comfortable manner.  He wielded the glass-top cane as if he had been doing it all his young life.  He totally became Willy Wonka.

And to mom and dad's everlasting relief, he even sang pretty well, too.  (*insert a heavy sigh of great parental relief here*)

The show had many delightful moments. You (obviously) had to use your imagination, but it was easy to do.

Of course, there was the chocolate river that Augustus (the appropriately stuffed gluttonous kid) fell into:

And we managed to turn a lovely (if bratty) young lady...

into a big, fat, gum-chewing blueberry... (this still cracks me up. =D)

Not to mention the army of Oompa-Loompas which I have been stressing about dressing, but who look just adorable and appropriately fussy - don't you agree?

(They glowed in the dark, too.) =D

The sets turned out wonderful. The costumes inspired. The audience was delighted.

And when he declared, "I am Willy Wonka, the greatest candy-maker of all time," it didn't take much of a stretch of the imagination for us to believe him.  ;-)

(Oh, yeah....I cried every single time he sang it. Shut up. I know. *blush, blush*)

Rockin' the house

So, Adam had a few of his buddies over the other night to play Rock Band.

The big selling point (besides "My mom will feed everyone") was....

"My mom will sooo kick butt er...do well... on vocals!"

And so they came and we played and took turns drumming and playing guitars and vocalizing. Out in the backyard, of course, with the giant screen.  (Our neighbors are no longer surprised by any of our antics. *sigh*) 

Sometime during the evening the boys decided that the vocalist had to wear The Rock Band Goggles of Death.

(How some people were talked into this by other people, I'll never know....)

But I will tell you this:
I love that these twenty-somethings still want to hang out here with us.
I love that they were so eager to have us play with them.
I love that there were no judgments, no "coolness," no tough exteriors.
We were all making fools of ourselves, singing at the top of our lungs and having a wonderful time.

Lucy and I were outnumbered ten to two, but we managed to hold our own with all those boys.
(Lucky for me, no one picked up the camera while I was wailing into the microphone, but that's not important right now. =D)

And, oh yeah..... guess who scored a 99% for her vocals?  ;-)

(Yes, sometimes I really do ROCK.)

I *heart* Willy

My son, Jonathan will be playing the title character in his school play, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Opening night is two weeks away which means it's crunch time for us and everyone here at Chez Darby has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make the boy look good.

Which is how I found myself in the humiliating and embarrassing position of being flat on my face on a hard asphalt driveway turning colored squares into Chocolate Factory Walls. (I know. Shut up.)

Step by step:

1) Prime the canvas.
2) Pencil in design.
3) Paint in the large blocks of color (actually our crack team of volunteer moms did this part - Thank you, ladies!)
4) I went in (as humiliatingly illustrated above) with pastel chalks and added highlights and shadows.
5) Eric helped blur the edges and darken the shadows to make the stones look like, well, stones.
6) We sprayed fixative over our creation.

Oh! Look at those factory walls! (We sooo ROCK, don't we? =D)

Jonathan is working hard rehearsing his lines and his songs.

We're still adding finishing touches to the inside of the factory (you know I'll be sharing more about all this later) but right now there are props to finish and of course, Willy's beautiful purple suede coat (think Gene Wilder...)

...which I'm sewing even as we speak.

So it's All-Willy-All-the-Time around here lately. 

In fact, I even have Willy playing on my iPod as I sew.  ;-)

Yes, Willy on my iPod!  But probably not the one you're thinking of right now.... 

(This Willy features Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, but that's not important right now.)   ;-)

The Walking Legend

I know you've missed me . . . so I'm taking time out of my busy schedule to share with you.
Hi Everyone! It's Kikita!

Sometime in November I was trying to come up with a great Christmas song for the video and stumbled across a John Legend song. This reminded me of how much I liked him, so I jumped on ticketmaster and (Jesus must really love me!) HE. WAS. ON. TOUR. Without really stopping to think about it, I bought two tickets for his Friday night show in San Diego at the Rimac Arena . . .

I called Sheila (other than Cedric, who else would I have called?) and asked if she wanted to go with me, "Of Course!!"

So, the day of the concert we were running a bit late. Instead of leaving for San Diego at 4pm, we left at 5pm. No big deal. We didn't hit too much traffic . . . the concert started at 8pm, and we arrived in La Jolla just before 6pm. We had two hours before the show started, we were down the street, and we were starving.

Have you ever heard of Rock Bottom Brewery? Sheila had. She thought it would be fun to try it . . . I was eye-ing the El Torito across the parking lot, but thought, "Hey, why not? Let's try it."

We had to park in Timbuktu and walk for days before we made it to the restaurant, but we made it . . . just in time for a 30 minute wait. It was a fascinating 30 minutes with plenty of opportunities for the fashion police to give out citations. Now we were starting to get antsy. We hadn't been seated and only had about an hour if we wanted to have any kind of time to get to the concert and park. We asked and it was going to be another 20 minutes, bummed, hungry, and frustrated, we walked our way across the parking lot and into El Torito.

After being seated, we sat and sat and sat before someone noticed we didn't even have drinks yet. We opted for just an appetizer, because now all we had was 20 minutes left and that was pushing it. Worried about making it on time, we hurriedly swallowed a few mouthfuls and then walked the 90 miles back to where we had had to park.

Yes, we got confused exiting the giant parking lot, had to make a U-turn, but eventually we were back on track . . . and entering the UCSD campus? Yes, it turns out the Rimac Arena is located on campus. No problem, just follow the directions . . . What do you mean we're not on the campus anymore?

Another U-Turn.

Oh look! A Campus map! And that guy looks like he'd be going to a John Legend concert . . . and he's telling the other guy . . . so we followed those two cars. Up, and back down. U-turn. Down, then up. U-turn. It's 7:57pm and we can't breathe we're laughing so hard . . . the fools following the fool.

Thanks to the help of some nearby students, we were back on track . . . again. And it was another 10 minute drive around the campus until we finally found a parking lot with John Legend signs pointing to it.

We park and begin a quick-paced walk towards the nearest building . . . it looked like other people were heading that way, as we got close, they turned around and said it wasn't the right place.

Bummer, now what?

We found another line of people to follow . . . "Hey, didn't we see you waiting to be seated at Rock Bottom about an hour ago?" and "Hey, weren't you the ones following us?"

Yeah, check us out. We are mini-celebrities and these aren't even blog readers! ;-)

Up the hill we go . . . and around a corner . . . and . . . SERIOUSLY?!? We still have ALL THAT WAY to go? There was an audible groan from everyone we were walking with. And most of us women had the same thought:

"These are not the right shoes for this kind of walking"

But we pressed on . . . walking . . . walking . . . more walking . . . I can't even tell you how much we walked because it was never-ending.

But, because we are awesome, we made it. There was an opening act. Her name was Estelle. She sings that song with Kanye West about an American Boy . . . no, not one of my favorites, but I recognized it, so I was excited.

And then he came out. The brilliant and, apparently, humble musician.
He really is amazing. He started us with a HOLLA and ended with a GREENLIGHT and returned in a tux to tell us we are Ordinary People. He played all of my favorite songs and then some.
Despite all our walking, staying in our seats definitely didn't happen. But since the arena is small, it was worth it. I would happily do that walk in heels again for someone like John Legend.

The whole evening was only more memorable because of all the craziness that happened before hand. All the walking we had to do . . .  it really was "legendary."

For your enjoyment, here's the song that started the whole journey:

(Sheila and I would like to dedicate this post to Tamera. She had asked us to keep writing about our adventures and we are convinced that we wouldn't have had such a great adventure if she hadn't requested it first. =D)

Hay que lio!

I'm bossy.
I won't deny it.
But I think I have some good ideas and being bossy helps get my people to cooperate.  ;-)  And I'm cognizant most of the year that we will eventually be putting together a video to entertain the family at Christmas.

So when there's any kind of reunion (like this one in Miami this year), I start giving instructions and get behind the camera and just stay out of the way. 

It doesn't take much, really. These people (that I call my big, fat Cuban family) know how to have fun.

All they need is a slight push...

Or maybe just a question (with apologies to my American readers who are surely not familiar with the following)....

The first part starts with a question being debated between my sisters:

"Quien fue el que le dio a Borondongo?"

Okay, so here are the lyrics to Burundanga, sung by Celia Cruz - In case the question ever comes up.  =D

Songo le dio a Borondongo
Borondongo le dio a Bernabe
Bernabe le pego a Muchilanga le hecho a Burundanga
Les hinchan los pies
Monina
Songo le dio a Borondongo
Borondongo le dio a Bernabe
Bernabe le pego a Muchilanga le hecho a Burundanga
Les hinchan los pies
Abambele practica el amor
Defiende a tus hermanos
Por que entre hermanos se vive mejor
Abambele practica el amor
Defiende a tus hermanos
Por que entre hermanos se vive mejor
Y nos sigue
Songo le dio a Borondongo
Borondongo le dio a Bernabe
Bernabe le pego a Muchilanga le hecho a Burundanga
Les hinchan los pies
Monina
Songo le dio a Borondongo
Borondongo le dio a Bernabe
Bernabe le pego a Muchilanga le hecho a Burundanga
Les hinchan los pies
Por que fue que Songo le dio a Sorondongo
Por que Borondongo le dio a Bernabe
Por que Borondongo le dio a Bernabe
Por que Bernabe le pego a Muchilanga
Por que Bernabe le pego a Muchilanga
Por que Muchilanga le hecho a Burundanga
Por que Muchilanga le hecho a Burundanga
Por que Burundanga le hincha los pies
Hay que lio!
Burundanga!

Take a deep breath and just enjoy this...

I tell them every year on December 1st.

"Stop what you're doing, take a deep breath and just enjoy this..."

And yes, Johnny Mathis does look pretty goofy in the fez and Al Jerreau just looks happy to be there, and my hair can look like Chaka Khan without conditioner, and no, I don't believe Kwanzaa is a real holiday. (right, Sheila? =D) 

But I LOVE THIS. 

How this particular tradition began:

December 1st, 1992.  Amy Kikita and I were in the (now defunct) Warner Brothers Studio Store at South Coast Plaza and they played this on the giant screen.  My jaw hit the ground and we both stood there mesmerized.  I got the cd immediately (which of course, was the entire goal of the retailer, but that's not important right now).

And I make them listen to this song every year on December 1st to kick off the Christmas season.
And now I want to share it with you.

So, just stop what you're doing, take a deep breath and just enjoy this...

I think it's good to remember before we launch into all that happens in December that we're actually celebrating the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Happy-Merry-Kwanzaa-Chanu-Mas!

Andy Garcia is a golden god.

First, I'd like to apologize for waiting over 24 hours to post, but once you hear my excuse, I'm sure you will forgive me. This is Kikita and peer pressure still works on me. :-)

A few days ago, I received and email from our blogging buddy Ziva (from Blog for Cuba - a wonderful blog and an amazing woman, but that's not important right now). As it turns out, she had an extra ticket to go see . . . drumroll please . . . ANDY GARCIA & THE CINESON ALL STARS!!

Yes, our beloved Andy does more than just act! (Speaking of his acting, he's going to be in the new Pink Panther which is reason enough to see it, but that too is not important right now)

I was honored (that she would invite me) and excited beyond all reason. When it was the DAY OF, Mami called and asked if I would stop by the house on my way to Hollywood, she had something she wanted me to take . . .

I admit, I was worried Mami was going to give me a signed cookbook that I would have to give to Andy, but that was not it at all.

You see, her camera is broken and the only camera I have is the one from my phone . . . which does not take the best quality pictures. Mami knew I was embarking on a momentous adventure, that this was a big moment in my life (as it would be in anyone's) and all I had to document it was my silly little camera phone . . . so she had gone out and bought a new camera! Not a big and intense and serious one like hers, just a cute little digital thing, but Olympus nonetheless.

Which was perfect!

Yes, it was a dark, jazz club, but I still got pictures thanks to Mami's new camera.

Ok, Andy really is a golden god. He played the bongos, the cowbell, the harmonica, the piano . . . he sang, he danced . . . and all with an ecstatic expression on his face. He introduced every song and he knew it's history. It was great! Being the good Cubana I am, I recognized every song and then had a higher appreciation for each one after getting a history lesson from Andy.

They opened with "Descarga Cachao" in honor to the great musician who is not longer with us.

They did "Lagrimas Negras." They did . . . everything! Danzon, Rumba, Mambo. All the classics.

He was FUNNY too! He sat down at the piano and said, "I'd like to play a song I wrote for a little movie I did called 'The Lost City'" HA! Little? Que humilidad! :-)

This is so hard to blog about because I don't have the words to say what an amazing and fun experience this was.

The two things that I took away from it were:

1. I think Andy is really a musician who acts. (Instead of an actor who plays music.)

2. I LOVE BEING CUBAN! I LOVE CUBAN MUSIC.

 

And let me just take a moment to tell you about the company I was in . . .

Henry Agueros and Ziva Sahl. I got there a bit late (the traffic took me 2 & 1/2 hours this time - and yes, I took the 405), but when I arrived they caught me up on the conversation. We discussed Cuban music, Cubans today, Cuban politics, Cuban music, Cuban food (Henry actually asked if I was any good at cooking with such a famous cooking mom - "Claro que si!"). I felt so cool having real conversation with such intelligent and passionate people.

(Hey you two! If you ever need a third, I'm in! And Ziva, THANK YOU SO MUCH!)

After dinner as the music started, you know I couldn't sit still, so I was up and out of my sit and dancing in no time . . . meanwhile, I was trying to take pictures for Mami to see what she had missed. Then I did something REALLY cool because Andy was doing something really cool . . .

He did a tribute to Celia! And what a tribute!

The last song of the night was "una congita." Yeah, we totally started a conga line. Would you expect anything less?

I love you, Andy. *SIGH*