notes and reflections

In the Plaza of Arms and Martyrs adjacent to the cathedral in Morelia`s central district is an old-fashioned bandstand of the sort that many small and medium towns in American once had in their public parks and where, on Sundays, local bands would give free public concerts.

As a child of four and five, I remember going to the park a block from my grandparent`s apartment in Helena, Montana, to listen to a brass band whose members dressed proudly in resplendent red and gold uniforms.  The same park was used on Easter for Easter egg hunts and on Sundays, if I grew inattentive as many young children will, I would spend my time rolling like an over-large, undiscovered egg down the grassy slope behind the bandstand.

I´m sure most of those small town bandstands are long gone or have long since ceased to be used but here the tradition continues with free Sunday noon musical programs sponsored by the Secretary of Tourism.  The music performed varies but is always well attended by perhaps as many as two-to-three-hundred people.  Two weeks ago the performance was by a Mariachi band with a male singer dressed like a vaquero, a Mexican Gene Autry complete with wide-brimmed sombrero and a pistol.

This past Sunday´s group was ¨Yesterday,¨ and they performed hits by the Beatles, Buddy Holly, Ben King and the Doors, all in English.  It`s unlikely than many in the crowd completely understood the lyrics of such hits as I`ll Send All My Love to You,¨¨Ëverybody Tries to be My Baby Now,¨ ¨Stand by Me,¨ ¨Light My Fire,¨ Let it Be,¨¨Yesterday¨ and ¨Imagine,¨ but they all seemed to recognize the music, often from the first few chords.

The band played for an hour and a quarter and each song was applauded enthusiastically, proving once again that music is universal and, perhaps most of all, the ageless, singable music of the 60s.