2020 - Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival
13 February 2020. No entry. Travel day.
Above: TIMDT. Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa. Puerto Vallarta Jilasco, Mexico. 14 February 2020.
Warmth and fresh seafood. TIMDT recharges.
Above: Steak, Pork, and Chicken Tacos. El Andariego Restaurant and Bar. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 14 February 2020
Above: Drums at congas. Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival. La Onda Carabina Band (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, UT). Hidalgo Park. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 14 February 2020.
Percussion...congas...gone wild!
Squint...Tito Puente All Stars...if not Santana!
Above: Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival, Hidalgo Park, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 14 February 2020.
Bishop and musician from La Onda Carabena band (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, UT) hang out during break at Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival.
Above: La Onda Carabina Band (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, UT). Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival. Hidalgo Park. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 14 February 2020.
Gringos bringing salsa to Latin America. All in the natural order of things, what?
Oh...did I mention?...Caleb Chapman is a genius.
Above:
La Onda Carabina Band (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, UT). Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 14 February 2020.
Above: TIMDT and driver/guide Adrian. Las Palmas, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
Above: Cemeterio Las Palmas. Las Palmas, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
Elaborate family tombs...you can walk inside and see memorabilia...attest to strong feeling of family continuity and generational respect, essential elements to keep a culture vibrant and strengthening.
The banner honoring a couple married on All Saints Day illustrates how mysticism and ritual animate culture on the Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day.
Above: Man making bricks. Las Palmas, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020
Bricks. Hand made. Baked in the sun. Fired when 1000 bricks accumulated. 2000 pesos for 1000 bricks. 80 year old man, seeming fit as a fiddle, making 200 ($20.00) pesos a day.
Above: Cock. San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2019.
Cock in training for upcoming fight.
Cock fighting is illegal in the US, but not here in Mexico. Think of the cocks. What is life if limited to the boring routine of crowing in the morning and servicing hens?
If you were a cock, wouldn't you rather preen and be pampered by your owner/trainer as you prepare for fight night when you can either take out your opponent and reign supreme acknowledging the accolades, or leave this life in a blaze of glory, body bled out by a thousand razor cuts, when you lose?
Cock fighting is also a big deal in the Philippines. I witnessed a cock fight in Manila when we lived there in the early '80's. More recently, in 2015, I attended a cock fight in Ko Samui, Thailand.
What's good for Napoleon and Trump..."l'audace..." should also be good for cocks right? Better to push the envelope than to stay safely within it. No?
Above: San Sebastian Church. San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
This church, was originally constructed in 1608. It seems a disproportionally significant edifice for a small town of one thousand inhabitants. But, then, it must be remembered that the town once had 20K inhabitants when the Spanish were mining gold and silver in San Sebastian in the early 17th Century.
The church is built in Spanish Baroque style. There are Corinthian columns and beautiful frescoes on the vaulted ceilings.
Seeing this beautiful church caused me to remember some, of the unique Catholic churches and cathedrals we've visited over just the the last five years.
Se Cathedral, Goa, India.
Cathedral de San Coleman, Cobh, Ireland.
Lamb Home, Italian Chapel, Scapa Flow, Scotland.
St. Peter's Cathedral, Rome, Italy.
Se Cathedral, Lisbon, Portugal.
Catedral de San Pablo, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Chartres, France.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry, India.
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool, UK
Reflecting, seated in a pew of this beautiful church, I realized how deeply Catholicism is intertwined into the cultures of so many many countries throughout the world. Beautiful churches and cathedrals are among the best of mankind's artistic expressions. Religious devotion leads to aspiration to create...to build. The cathedrals and churches of Catholicism are a magnificent expression of mankind's aspirational quest to become closer to and more like God. Their placement throughout the world is evidence of Catholicism's widespread impact on human progress.
Above: TIMDT. San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
San Sebastian founded 1602.
Above: TIMDT and Blue Agave. La Estancia de San Sebastian. San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
One Tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!
San Sebastian craft, family distillery.
100% blue agave (no additives)
38% alcohol
White no aging. Smoky (not so smooth)
Amber. 8 months. Reposada. (smooth)
More amber. 3 years. Anejo (more smooth)
Addendum:
(Comments on Bishop's book review of "Richard Jewell," by Marie Brenner)
Stephen,
This was insightful and extremely relevant to my current work—one of my two current books has about 30% material published years ago or elsewhere.
Thank you.
Cornucopia,
Park City, UT
Very erudite observations!
Drummer,
Lehi, UT
Above: TIMDT, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico 15 February 2020.
Above: Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
La Onda Carabina (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, UT)
Above: Caleb Chapman and Francisco Torres. Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
La Onda Carabina (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, Utah)
Francisco Torres, Mexican, Grammy nominated trombonist based in LA and Caleb Chapman, director and vocalist, share the stage.
Oh... did I mention, Caleb Chapman is a genius?
Above: Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. 15 February 2020.
La Onda Carabina (Caleb Chapman Soundhouse, American Fork, Utah)
"Baise Moi Ma Ma"
Partially hidden, center right, white and black shirt, Drums solos on congas. Caleb Chapman, directing and vocals, introduces Drums in Spanish..."he's only 13!!"...and starts yelling his name in rhythm, as Drums bangs away. . Crowd follows, yelling. P..., P...., P..., P..., electric moment.
The two female vocalists from La Onde Carabena were terrific. They added greatly to the band's successful performance.
Chapman knows how to gin up crowd participation to match the energy of the band. He channels the crowd's growing enthusiasm back to the band. Band energy intensifies in response. This Chapman orchestrated, oscillating feedback loop, between audience and band, results in a primal band/audience musical energy pulsating throughout the venue.
Squint: Tito Puente All Stars...maybe Santana. TIMDT and Mwah (sic) attended a Tito Puente concert in Miami in the late 80's. Wasn't as good as this (well, you know what I mean).
600 plus audience in outdoor performance park/arena. Half of 'em on the dance floor going crazy. The highest level of music energy and music appreciation is South of the border, no question.
I first learned that in spades when I motorcycled through Cuba in 2013. Small bands were ubiquitous wherever we went... bars, restaurants, public squares.
One time, listening to music in a Havana bar, I couldn't stop myself from walking up to the band, grabbing an idle guiro, and joining in the playing. Since I was doing a passable job, the band members loved it! Point is, the energy coming from the complex rhythms of Latin music create a mood...an energy...not found in any other music genre.
By the way, other than the motorcycle riding experience and companionship with fellow riders, which I enjoy anywhere, that's all there was of value to my two week long Cuba trip...the music. The country in every other way was a shithouse, brought low by Castro and the Communists. A deteriorated building collapses in crumbling Havana once a day, just for starters. At least, Castro couldn't destroy the music.
The US got the last laugh out of Cuba's demise by inheriting the Cuban diaspora, who settled, mainly, in Miami...the same people, mostly professionals, who had made Cuba the best performing GDP per capita of all Latin American countries at the time of Castro's 1959 Cuban Revolution.
Miami philanthropist Shepard Broad told me in 1994, while we were having lunch at Joe's Stone Crab on Miami Beach, that there is one person more responsible for Miami's success than any other: Fidel Castro. By forcing all of Cuba's professionals to flee to Miami, Castro gave Miami a shot in the arm, while Havana declined and languished in their absence.
Shepard said the City of Miami should commission a large statue of Fidel Castro and place it in Bay Front Park, honoring Castro's tremendous contribution to the City of Miami.
Oh. did I mention Caleb Chapman is a genius?
Above: TIMDT at Vallarta Botanical Garden. Jalisco, Mexico. 16 February 2020.
Above: Bees and flower. Vallarta Botanical Garden, Jalisco, Mexico. 16 February 2020.
Busy bees.
Opted not to go whale watching today. I experienced a magnificent whale sighting in Guerro Negro, while motorcycling in Baja California circa 2008.
Above: Indigenous Plant. Vallarta Botanical Garden. Jalisco, Mexico. 16 February 2020.
The "dry" (no rain for six months a year) tropical forests of Pacific side central Mexico form an ecosystem unique in the world. Sixty percent of the plants growing here are indigenous and unique to the area.
Addendum:
What a wonderful opportunity and trip for Grandma and Grandpa and especially Drums; I am positive he will remember this trip his whole life. If there's any good reproduction/film I would love to see it !
Mr. Z3,
Oxnard, CA
Awesome experience described. Enjoy!
Magnolia,
Miami, FL
The cream of Cuban society fleeing to the U.S. was repeated later when the cream of Iranian society fled to the same destination- we must be doing something right.
AhnRhee
Larkspur, CA
At church today, the priest in charge was encouraging donations for the once a year appeal for “Together in Mission.” Funds are used to support the poorest schools and parishes in Los Angeles Diocese.
“Reflecting, seated in a pew of this beautiful church, I realized how deeply Catholicism is intertwined into the cultures of so many countries throughout the world.”
He added that in some poor countries it’s only the Catholic Church that provides health care services and schooling.
He acknowledged the recent sins of the church too.
Cheers,
Panama,
Los Angeles, CA