Where have you traveled to for a special event?

Where have you traveled to for a special event?

Where have you traveled to for a special event or occasion? All of us at one point in our life’s are going to travel somewhere via planes, trains or automobiles for a party, wedding, graduation, funeral or to get some-one out of trouble. Well, I have done all of the above several times and there is one that stands out in my mind and I wish I could re-live it every year when July rolls around. I grew up in a household where music was always playing, all kinds of music; from rock, pop, jazz, classical to salsa music. Being the son of a musician, I was always around musicians, in studios, meeting other musicians and picking up a different instrument every other day.

Rudy Regalado, one of the greatest Latin percussionists the Music God’s blessed us with was one of my father’s closest friends. I remember as a child sitting on his lap banging on drums, bongos and cow bells. Later on that turned into him giving me music lessons and talking me into getting on stage (more like pushing me) in front of thousands of people with names like Santana, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Sheila E has as a 9 year old. I remember Rudy telling me about the music festivals and salsa dance competitions in Puerto Rico; he said there was no place like it, the music, the food, the people; the "Island of Puerto Rico. Every summer Puerto Rico gathers the world’s best salsa dancers, musicians, instructors, and bands to host an international festival that includes competitions, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and street parties. When I was old enough to travel without adult supervision, Puerto Rico was the first place I went to. Needless to say my mind, body and soul were extremely stimulated by everything going on; can you imagine going to one of the top ten beaches in the world and seeing a hundred people singing and dancing on a beautiful white sand beach? This was going on everywhere from San Juan to Ponce to Aguas Buenas; the city shuts down for this one week event.

In all my years of traveling I can’t say that I have ever sat down at a restaurant with tourists from Cuba, Colombia, Canada, Australia, Europe and China; where we were all dancing and having a memorable time to music that half of them had no idea what was being said. There are only a handful of places and sounds that can make people with different cultures come together and forget about race and political views. I will forever be thankful to Rudy Regalado for not only educating me in music but also in having an open mind to other cultures and way of life.
Where have you traveled to for a special event or occasion?