Edna Vazquez is a sister to me. I first met her five or so years ago at the insistence of my brother who made me take a Sunday afternoon off from La Bonita so I can see this incredible singer at Maya’s Restaurant in Hillsboro, OR. I was doubtful, but I looked forward to a Sunday off. Detached, I was not prepared to what would happen next. The story goes…We arrive. We are seated. We order. At one side of the restaurant, I see Edna in her mariachi get-up with a smile, polite; waiting to be summoned by nostalgic hearts in the room. I see a request. She begins to sing. And, whoa! It is Edna Vazquez with the glorious Mariachi Los Palmeros!! Holy smokes!! We cannot wait for her to make her way to our table. Finally, she lays her smile on us. We melt. A sucker for heartbreak and Mexican rancheras, I request Juan Gabriel’s “Se Me Olvido Otra Vez.” She sings. The moment is an existential flow of magical realism and memory. Immediately, I feel a rush to my heart. My body lets go. My eyes flow rivers of melancholia. I am hers. I try to hide. I put my head down. It is futile. In my posole, I see the reflection of my cultural roots, the person I am today and the person I am in the future. I listen. I eat. I am born, again. In the midst of organizing my first Voz Alta event for Portland Latino Gay Pride 2009, she had to be in it. We exchange phone numbers and since then we are partners in crime, fellow musicians, confidants and children navigating this thing called life.

MELODIC ALLURE: Edna Vazquez and Joaquin Lopez, June 9th at 7pm

The Jade Lounge, 2342 SE Ankeny, BUY YOUR TICKETS/ SEATING IS LIMITED 

BrownPaperTickets:  www.tiny.cc/MelodicAllure

Please join me as we share our hearts and souls at the intimate Jade Lounge June 9th at 7pm. This is a ticketed event, seating is limited and available for purchase through

Proceeds go to Portland Latino Gay Pride Festival 2013: ¡Viva la Vida!

http://www.LatinoGayPridePDX.com

to purchase tickets: http://www.sonreal.eventbrite.com

On April 19th  at 7:30 pm, Miracle Theatre Group with JoaquinLopezMusic and BAJO SALARIO present Son Real, an acoustic Latin American folk music collective from Los Angeles, CA. embarking on their Northwest debut at El Centro Milagro’s creative arts event space, El Zócalo (The Plaza). Son Real play time-honored Latin American folk songs with traditional instruments: the harp, el charango, la vihuela and pan pipes. Styles covered include “valona,” “son huasteco,” “abajeños,” and “son jarocho.” Their songs celebrate the legends, customs and folklore inspired and collected from indigenous traditions and regions of Mexico.

The evening commences with singer/producer Joaquin Lopez’s romantic serenade of traditional boleros and rancheras accompanied by harpist Antonio Centurion.