La Fiesta del Chor y La Chancleta - A Recap Posted on November 20th
I had an internal conflict all day yesterday, like the ones I usually have when I have a lot in my mind. I’m sure you’ve had to go through those sometimes, how you can be chopping tomatoes while thinking about how your spouse might or might not be cheating on you with the gardener or something or other; it’s important to you, but not imporant enough as to not make you lose your concentration on the task at hand. Yesterday’s task for me, ladies and gents, was “La Fiesta del Chor y la Chancleta.” In retrospect I think it’s the first real party organized by a webpage, and if there are others out there then this has definitely got to be the one where the most people have attended; I’ve been to la Casona many a time and I’ve never, since I first went to the place, seen so many people in there… it was truly a sight to behold; It felt like a really big house party with a theme, this time around being the requirement of wearing shorts and flops… it was really great, the crowd was inherently diverse; there were families with their kids grooving along with the dolled-up pre teens and the rastas, as well as the congo group (oh yeah. There was a congo group… did not see that one coming, and it was a very pleasant surprise. Even cooler was how the crowd was responding to them! It was fantastic) side by side the foreigners and other folks that had no idea what was going on. I got there with Yamile in full-on AlmanaqueAzul.org attire (AA shirt, shorts and flops) at around 2 when the thing was supposed to start at 3… Panamanian societal rules would apply to their fullest extent though, so the bands didn’t start playing until around 4:30PM or so; what was amazing though was how much people were there at 3PM, while we were still setting up. HoneyBrown came along, hanging out with Yamile and I for most of the event which was awesome and I got to meet a lot of great people at our table, which was the one we set up for not only make people aware of the site and what we were trying to do but to also get them to sign up to the site, newsletter and such. It was great, me not being that great when it comes to direct marketing; I always thought that a more informal approach works best when selling an idea or anything (which is what I normally do anyway) but for the time I was heading the desk it was great… put the charm on overdrive. Handed out many a business card and stickers. Lots of them. It was great.
Beers were a dollar, so you better believe I was downing suds like it was going out of style… in the end it worked for the best since the place wasn’t just hot because of the steamy day Sunday was but because, I shit you not, there were hundreds of people at the event. It was ridiculous how many people attended… I still don’t know the numbers of what we managed to rake in but I can say with certainty that this thing was a huge success. They were giving away flops to the people who had bought their tickets beforehand and well, all around it was great. As you can tell, I’m still spent from the whole ordeal… I suppose it’s a good thing to say that while writing this I’m trying to find something extraordinary that happened to me while I was there but nothing that would make you spill your milk; yesterday was simply very heartfelt and full of warmth in regards to the weather as well as the energy at the event. I managed to meet the girl who runs Hoja de Bijao, which was awesome:
HdB (coming to our table where the Yams and I were setting up the laptop and stuff): Can I borrow those scissors?
Yamile: Of course!
HdB: So you guy’s are the ones that mantain the page?
Yamile: Yeah, I mod the forums and coding, and Rob’s the editor for everything else.
Rob (I stop whatever the hell I was doing, I forget. But I was drinking beer while doing it): Sorry?
HdB: Hi!
Rob (thought in my mind: cutie): Hi!
HdB: Nice to meet you…
Rob: Likewise!
A moment of silence goes down, like those when you’re thinking about expressing something you want to say but you hesitate but then go all “fuck it” and push it out at the last second. Here it comes.
HdB: You’re the same Rob from…
Yamile: Rob-Rivera.com?
Rob: Oh, God………
HdB: I knew it.
Rob: Yeah, I am.
HdB: I’ve gone to your site a few times and have read some of your stuff. It’s very interesting…
Rob (I’d be surprised if I wasn’t redder than a tomato at this point): Oh… thanks! I like what you’re doing, too!
HdB: I remember you posted a few comments on the blog a couple of times.
Rob: Yes, that’s right. I like what you’re doing.
HdB: Thank you!
This would happen a couple of times as the day progressed. I still don’t know how I feel about that, personally. It’s awkward for sure, as crazy loud and abrasive as I can be, to be complemented like that. I just see it as a way of seeing that this chunk of the Internet is being visited as much as the numbers say… Any which way, at around 5pm or so the bands started playing with frontrunners “La Orquesta de la Chancleta” which was composed by various members from different bands, most notably some from Señor Loop. Of course, the set was fantastic on every level imaginable… I just love how they sound, man. Anyway, up next was Bajahreke; I hadn’t heard them before so it was going to be interesting to see what they brought to the table… they didn’t disappoint. I’m gonna have to hunt them down throughout the Internet to see if I can find more info on the group. Considering that a little earlier I got a phone call from someone I was looking forward to seeing telling me she wouldn’t be able to make it, promptly crushing my hopes for a much more lively post today, when the bands started playing my mind was wiped clean from all of it… at least for a while, which is all that matters. Next up was Pureza Natural, and I thought it was rather funny how one of their vocalists is a white guy with an afro. He had the comb tucked in his head of hair and everything, I thought it was funny as hell. They played a good show too, had the people riled up and jumping… Each set was clocking in at about 45 minutes, so by this point it was already 7:30 or so and after being there since 2pm setting up with nothing but beer in my stomach I got a little wee bit… umm, bamboozled… as well as tired. Dead tired… Yamile was going all over the place like a chimp on crack taking pictures left and right (as soon as she sends them they’re going to the Porto Diao Image Gallery… yeah, you bet your ass it is) and that leads me to my next point: there were a lot of film and digital cameras taping and flashing (respectively) all over the place taking pics of the event but I would like to make a petition, if I may. Out of all of the photographers on the scene I was only really paying attention to two of them… one is the one from my team (you should really know who that is by now), and the other one’s a total stranger to me but i thought she was gorgeous. I dunno if you were there, esteemed reader (you should’ve said “hi,” dammit), but the one I’m talking about was wearing a red top, khaki shorts and flops. Her hair was long, curly and golden, tied up. Fine features, blue eyes and sexy smile that made me melt. She took a picture of me while I was minding my post at the table talking to HoneyBrown and she was just around taking pictures.
Look, miss “gorgeous photographer:” If you’re reading this, send me an email. I’m nice, funny, I cook, I have a fetish for beaches, an addiction to caffeine, a great ass and am looking for a change of pace in my life. You had me when you winked at me. Pull me out of this mess, please. Apparently I’m like cigarettes; I dunno if that’s good or bad, but I’m in a situation where I want to be saved and I feel no one I want wants me bad enough. Maybe it’s time to look at new options… like you.
If you know who I’m talking about, dear sir or madam, please let her know I’m looking for her. Hopefully Yamile was merciful and managed to get a picture of her so I can illustrate. Ok yes, my cry for help is over. Give me a second while I get back in the groove.
What was probably the highlight of the event for me happened right after another awkward recognition by way of one of Yamile’s friends:
Yamile: Rob!
Rob: Yeah!
Yamile: This is Gonzo. Gonzo, this is Rob.
Rob: How’re you doin’ man? It’s a pleasure.
Gonzo: Likewise.
I turn back to talk to HoneyBrown while the awkward silent moment I talked about earlier went down… again. Here it comes.
Gonzo (to Yamile): Is he the same Rob from-
Yamile: Rob-Rivera.com!
Rob (thinking I should really give Yamile a PR position in the fold): Oh, God……
Gonzo: Yeah! You do those videos with Butter. It’s funny shit, man.
Yamile: Him and Butter go way back.
Rob: Ahh, I see! That’s cool man, I’m glad you like what we’re doing.
Gonzo: Yeah man, keep it up; it’s good stuff. You guys collaborate a lot.
Rob: Yeah, we have stuff for December, January, etc, etc, etc… it’s really cool shit.
Yamile: I’m gonna take pictures. Gonzo, I leave you with Rob.
Gonzo: I’m gonna go get a beer anyway!
Rob: I’m gonna………. sit here and feel sorry for myself.
As this happened, an afro-antillian group started playing some drums. The fire handlers came in as well and did a show. Now, this I liked: it was a group of about 6 people all dressed up in honest-to-God Black Christ of Portobelo get-up and started banging the drums and dancing… the people were loving it. It was so original and so out-of-the-ordinary that the people in attendance were eating it up and I couldn’t see that well because I was stuck at the table in ground level and couldn’t leave it by itself so for a while all I could do was enjoy the music. Later on I went up to the secret second floor and saw the “monkey dance” (Not kidding. That’s how it’s called) from a Bird’s Eye view… it was very, very cool. After that I started to shut down; took the girls for some pizza and dropped them off. Jenny called soon afterwards saying she wanted to eat too and since I can’t help myself, I picked her up and took her to Niko’s. Catched up a little and then decided to call it a night… it’s a real shame too, because I wanted to check out El Papo Vecino’s show… Raíces y Cultura too, but I gravitate more to the former band. It’s good to have Jenny back. As well as Butter! I think I’ll call him today.
Before I go, I’d like to thank you if you went to the party, esteemed reader. You helped a good cause and got some good music while you did it. Good for you! I’m going to sign off now, because this run-and-stop method I’ve used in this editorial is pissing me off like you have no idea. It’s the product of having too much on your mind, I assume. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll feel a little better.
Rob is lazy and has not put tags yet!
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a las finales, pues hay un poco de todo, fotos buenas, fotos malas, y fotos que ni yo entiendo! hahahah
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