People have their own beliefs on how life unwraps itself to them, with as many ways to explain the tapestry of the universe as there are people on this planet. I obviously can’t speak for anyone else, but what I can do is talk about the way I make sense of it all, for the sake of communicating as well as the hope that, in speaking my mind, you will want to reflect and make your own conclusions as to what exactly is going on in this crazy mess we like to call “life.”
I’m sure there’s something worth saying about the social validity of the nightclub. I’m positive about it. I guess age is turning a corner with me, though, and the way I’ve found myself enjoying these venues is nowhere near the ways I used to all but 5 years ago. I don’t want this to become an introspective piece of indie movie-like proportions, not unlike every quirky situational dramedy of the last ten or so years; what I will tell you is about the different ways people can get their rocks off in the same space/situation and how the most seemingly insignificant differences can change perspectives faster than you can say “coffee and cream.”
I live in a country without borders. A place where I can’t tell where one boundary ends and the other one begins. A land beyond belief, not only for its beauty but also the people living in it. A small pearl; a newly-discovered gem that, despite it being within a hard shell of intolerance toward the outside, has been brought to the limelight for all to see, admire and enjoy. Like every other diamond in the rough, though, there are very hard edges. Smudges, marks that denote a sense of character and a path traveled. There is still much to walk, I think. I live in a country where its people are so culturally diverse that it runs from the constant risk of losing its identity. I live in a country where being proud of your heritage is an excuse to go out and get drunk without really knowing what is being celebrated.
This inaugural Slip is very special not only because it doubles as the release party of Porto Diao v3.0, but it also marks what will go down in Panamanian history as a once-in-a-lifetime performance by three bands that complement each other in ways no degree of wizardry could’ve crafted. Why do I say this? Because somehow the universe conspired to allow us the privilege of setting up this event with some of the most talented individuals in Panama’s music scene, who are part of bands that are the hotness at the moment.
Hi! Since my life has, for better or worse, created a symbiosis with the Internet, I get to find a lot of interesting stuff in the unlikeliest of places. Of course, you might be wondering why I’m so special when millions of people find all sorts of interesting stuff all the time anyway; I suppose the reason why I would post this list and subsequent lists like this one is because it’s all a matter of taste. Maybe we share the same tastes, and maybe you trust that I have a good eye (thank you!). In any case, here goes the list.
Happiness joins the Extraordinary League of Emotions, sharing the round table with such greats as Love, Hate, Devotion, Lust, Faith, Destiny, et al. Be that as it may, the notion still doesn’t tell me a pip about what it really means. Since happiness is intangible it is also subjective; since there are as many definitions for subjective things as there are people on Earth, I came to the conclusion that a zeitgeist was in order. My discoveries, I’m happy to report, revealed the closest thing to “meaning” as I’m going to get to, despite my best knuckle-headed efforts.
People love music. It’s one of the first and most important means of expression known to man. People fall in love, find a cause, discover friendships and cure their ills every day thanks to the power of song. As it is with our current societies, though, sometimes being a musician (or an artist, for that matter) must come with a degree of corporate compromise: money. Virtuosos or not, an artist has to eat, and sometimes he/she has to adapt to what’s popular at the moment. In the end, the people rule even though sometimes it would seem otherwise.
Love. In very few other instances does a word cause such immeasurable amounts of change. Some of the greatest events in the history of civilization have begun thanks to the power of love. Love for a person, a place, an idea, and by proxy the ideals of one and many. Such a transcending concept has fueled our world for as far as we can remember, and as it is with every other concept that we, as a society, value above most things, love was given a holiday… and its name is St. Valentine’s Day.