Directions to anywhere in Puerto Rico used to be about landmarks rather than road signs (today, GPS has erased a bit of the charm of stopping to ask the locals about where you were and where you needed to go). Couple that with a unique philosophy about driving rules to make getting around a separate …
On the way in to San Lorenzo, PR one thing was evident: Boricuas use their music to uplift themselves when times are tough. It seems a somewhat obvious point but it was never so clear until this trip as I listened to stations on the rental car radio. Song after song exhorted the importance of …
Caguas is a town that is familiar to those that have visited Puerto Rico. It's not as large as San Juan but large enough to lure visitors away from the crowds of Puerto Rico's capitol city to something homier. Caguas has the benefits of space to do a lot of walking and chance talks with …
Continue reading The Two Sisters Visit Puerto Rico (part three)
On my way to San Lorenzo the traffic was at its usual crawl since it was Rush Hour, after all. Given the Christmas Advent it was more like Rush Afternoon. At any rate, it gave me time to survey the difference between what I have always known versus what I was about to see with …
Continue reading The Two Sisters Visit Puerto Rico (part two)
One thing that traveling does is lessen the faith one has in what you read and hear from others. I'll have to join that group of amateur writers and say clearly, "Don't believe everything you read." It's true; there is no substitute for firsthand experiences. That being said, I'll submit my recent experiences for your …
Continue reading The Two Sisters visit Puerto Rico (part one)
I've seen a lot of trends come and go. Some have survived and others died a deserved death in mental gutters across great swaths of our nation. Often, these trends will come at a time where financial stability will subsidize the most ludicrous among them. Pet Rocks. Pokemon cards. Polyester leisure suits. The Nehru jacket. …
This will not be a long piece. It is, however, an acknowledgement and paean to a musical soul. This weekend I have the distinguished honor of once again playing with one of those elder statesmen of music, Helmuth Rilling, born in Germany in 1933. The first time I played for him I was truly too …
Continue reading The gentility of understanding that is Helmuth Rilling
Millenia have passed since this story began being told among my people about a national symbol known to my ancestors as the Coquí. It's a beautiful tale with requisite sadness balanced by remembrance. This particular story comes from the tradition of Los Indios Taínos that once, along with the fierce Caribes and the Arawaks, inhabited …
What is it they say? Oh, right... "May you live in interesting times." Look... I did something that was fairly unusual for one of our concerts, especially a Pops-type show, so, it's not like I didn't understand there would be consequences of varying types... but, y'know... there comes a point where you can't sit and …
I'm not the tallest guy in the world. If we were to meet you might not necessarily peg me as particularly short but when you compare me to my other male colleagues in the orchestra as we sit together you'd likely say "He's not the tallest guy in the world." Generally, I have no problem …
Manny Laureano 