Recent Adventures in Musicland

The Bookstore Cafe, Camden East

On Friday Alberto and I were invited by my uncle Bob and aunt Patsy to accompany them to one of their favourite places--The Bookstore Cafe in Camden East. After a simple, but okay/good meal, we stayed for the Friday night show. Nudie and the Turks, an old-style country band, put on an amazing show to the small audience. Unlike anything Alberto

Nudie

had ever heard, he was especially taken with the fiddler's (Gordie

MacKeeman) unorthodox technique including behind the back and his ability to produce a variety of sounds from the instrument (including something sounding like a train).

Nudie and the Turks

Gordie played so intensely and vigorously, the hairs on his bow were flying with ever draw. We tried convincing him to let us rehair it that night, but I guess he was off to another city that night and was having a bow with synthetic fibre sent to him via mail.

All in all, the evening was incredibly fun and we were a bit reluctant to leave the cozy cafe and step back out into the cool and rainy night.

Cubafest Kingston was a week long event that brought the Latin American population of Kingston out of the woodwork and into the streets. No fiddlers or violinists here, Alberto volunteered and was assigned the task of helping the bands set up in Market Square. Being his naturally friendly self, he managed to immediately make friends with the percussionist (Cancan) and bring him home for dinner. Alberto also gave away our small TV and secondhand DVD player to Cancan who cannot get such things so easily at home.

Los Naranjos has what I guess must be a typical Cuban sound that is similar to

Cubafest band Los Naranjos play in Market Square, Kingston

the more familiar group, The Buenavista Social Club. The band from Cienfuegos was formed in 1926, though obviously does not have all the original players. That said, the singer is 95 years old and at least was alive when the group was formed.

Alberto and I spent Cubafest dancing amongst a crowd, some of which were better dancers and so many others who had the spirit to try Salsa or just move their bodies with the music.

So now, with contacts in Cuba, Alberto is planning a trip--more wishful thinking than reality.