Informe de Flatbush Frolic y Antic Atlántico / Report from Flatbush Frolic and Atlantic Antic

Nuestros shows en septiembre fueron un poco difíciles, pero también especiales, justamente por eso. Comenzó a lloviznar cuando estábamos a punto de comenzar con nuestras canciones en la placita de Cortelyou entonces Alfred de Midwood Martial Arts muy hábilmente improvisó una carpa para cubrirnos un poco de la lluvia. Terminamos con unos ocho niños debajo de nuestra pequeña carpa cantando canciones mientras empezó a llover muy fuerte afuera. Como le pasó a muchos en el Frolic ese día, nos divertimos e hicimos sonreir a algunas caras a pesar de la lluvia.

En el Antic, empezamos nuestro programa, mientras que una banda de rock estaba tocando muy fuerte al lado. Decidimos dejar de hacer nuestro show normal y empezamos a contar historias y cantar algunas canciones a capella. Cuando leímos Se Venden Gorras, los chicos realmente se entusiasmaron. Tuvimos alrededor de diez monos con sus sombreros agitando sus puños hacia mí (yo era el vendedor de capas) con Chloe y Kylen siendo los líderes del grupo. En el momento en que terminamos con la salsa y el baile del sombrero, la banda de rock había terminado y nosotros terminamos con fuerza! Realmente es muy divirtiendo mezclar las canciones de nuestro show con las historias que hacemos en la biblioteca.

Our shows in September were a bit challenging but special because of that. It started drizzling just as we were about to start our set at the tot lot on Cortelyou and so Alfred from Midwood Martial Arts very cleverly jury-rigged up a tarp to give us a little bit of cover from the rain. We ended up with about eight kids under our little tent with us singing songs as it started really pouring outside. Just like a lot of people at the Frolic that day, we had fun and brought some smiles to faces despite the rain.

At the Antic, we started our show while an incredibly loud rock band was jamming. We decided to give up our normal set and started telling stories and singing some songs Acapella. We really got everyone involved when we got out Caps for Sale. We had about ten monkeys with their hats shaking their fists at me (I was the cap salesman) with Chloe and Kylen leading the group. By the time we finished up with salsa and the hat dance, the rock band was done and we finished strong! We’re really having fun starting to mix the songs and stories we do at the library with our shows.

Shows in June

We had some really great shows outside this month. We performed at the New York Restoration Project Family Day, Children's Day at the South Street Seaport and at El Museo del Barrio for the Museum Mile Celebration.

Something special happened at each show. At El Museo del Barrio, after I fell asleep for the second time after the song La Pulga, instead of yelling my name, the kids tickled me to wake me up! It was the first time that had ever happened.

At Family Day, we had our first salsa-off competition--we had a little salsa dancing contest during the song Paco and based on some formula Fati awarded the prize to an adorable little girl that had followed every step of every song.

At Children's Day, we danced around in a circle with a little girl who had a giant smile on her face from the moment we started the show to the very end.

Best of all I think was that at each event, we had a really nice time with the kids after and or during the shows. All the events were wonderful for families and although we do usually get out and do things on the weekend, we don't always take advantage of special events like these which the kids really love.

We also got help on stage from Chloe and Kylen at Children's Day with the song Fermin. Little by little I think we're going to start having them participate more in the shows. They know all the songs so well and really seem to like performing. We'll see how that develops.

Thanks so much to Abigail, Rebecca and Magaly for the pictures and video!

Summer's Here!

We've been having a great time with the kids and with shows but have just not found time to document everything. I'm going to play catch up for the next few weeks.

But summer is here which means we'll be playing shows outside which is always fun. We're playing at the South Street Seaport later this month which will be fun and later in August we'll be at Union Square. All great stuff which I am determined to document!

Here's our June newsletter which has info on everything happening this month. Please sign up for the newsletter at our website!

Swindler's Cove on a Beautiful Day

The beautiful days seem to be coming fast and furious now. After days of rain and grey, we had an amazing day Thursday for our show up at Swindler's Cove Park for the New York Restoration Project's event called, Naturemania! I've actually never been so far up in Manhattan and it was fun tracing the path of the East River and then the Harlem River all the way uptown. More than anything, our kids were welcomed to join the fun and did face painting, drawing, and playing with rocks and sticks.

The show was great although after a few songs, kids drifted away to do other activities and we invited Kylen and Chloe to perform on the stage--well, the grass--with us.

As always, there were a few kids that seemed to just have the predisposition to have fun and their smiles and enthusiasm made the show great fun.

It was always nice because the majority of the kids there spoke Spanish and understood the lyrics of the songs. We had some nice conversations with the kids afterwards and stayed until the event ended.

It was great to find out a little more about the New York Restoration Project and this event. We'll definitely make it next year!

Dance Party at the Library

It was so exciting to play at the MAIN Brooklyn public library. I spent so much time there in high school and over breaks in college. I always loved just going into that incredible building right at Grand Army Plaza.

We had a really nice group of kids that came for the music and then families that just came by when they heard the music and joined right in. Plus, our kids, my parents, Fati's mom, and my brother's family were all there. We were able to have a little family gathering at our show which was really nice.

I think we'll have to figure out another Saturday morning to bring our show to the Central library!

The Booking Agent is In..and very lucky

I'm not sure what's going on but the booking gods have been smiling on Fati & I recently. I heard back from the the Summer in the Square that they'd like us to play there. Summer in the Square is a music series at Union Square in that other, smaller Island to the West. We're also going to participate in Children's Day again this year down at the South Street Seaport. It was a lot of fun last year and we're really looking forward to it this year.

The weirdest thing was that I called the New York Restoration Project last week at like 6 pm to see if I could send them some info to try to set up a show for later in the summer and it turned out they needed a performer for their Naturemania series next week! Talk about right time, right place.

We're really thrilled that we're going to be performing at some of the best music free summer music series around. Who knows? Maybe next year we'll be at Celebrate Brooklyn!

Arlington Library Show a Tight Fit

Our show at the Arlington Library was kind of a tight fit because we were literally surrounded by three and four year olders as we were singing and dancing. More and more it seems like older kids seem to really get into our show and can follow all our complicated choreography! It's great whenever kids of any age pay attention to us and seem to enjoy the show, but it's really rewarding when we see kids shouting SOLO SOLO with fist raised, dancing salsa with Paco, or spinning and throwing hats in El Baile del Sombrero.

There were kids from a couple school in the neighborhood plus a few families who attend the programs at the library every week. As the show went on, new kids arrived and we were literally inundated with kids...and it was great! The first thing we did when we started the show was push away the chairs that had been set up so that the kids could dance with us! And once they all came up to wake me up after I had once again fallen asleep after "La Pulga", they were up with us to stay. One little boy kept laying down, I think copying me when I fell asleep.

The group that arrived a little late took a little while to warm up, but by the time we were dancing salsa with Paco, they were dancing with us too.

It was a really fun show with a great group of kids.