Micah & Jandro Adventure #1

My face hurt from smiling so much when I found out that my very good longtime college friend Maybelline was moving to the DC area. She and her lovely little family arrived in early July, and even though we haven't seen each other much, it is a blessing to be close to her. We have adventures planned ahead. Here's a peak at our first one :)

We met at the National Mall to stroll around the Smithsonian Museums, and um, here are our little men, in front of the official "Smithsonian"...it's just a building that has info...but it's the official and first one to be built.

As we wandered around the building, we saw a poster of an exhibition titled, American Sabor (American Flavor), which immediately caught our attention. I mean, it sounded Hispanic obviously, which we are, but also American, which we are as well, given we immigrated to this country at a young age. Plus the title describes our own kids! Born American, with a Latin Sabor from their mamacitas! hehehe

The poster had a picture of an old school couple salsa dancing! how was i not going to see this exhibition?!? that would be like giving cookies to the Cookie Monster and expect him not to eat them!

Considering it was about the history of Latin music in the United States, or better yet, the different roots of Latin music (conga, bomba, rumba) influenced by American music (jazz, rock) and the fusion of art it created. Perhaps, one of the greatest creations in music, one that had a huge influence in my own identity, and that would be none other than Salsa, mi primer amor. But that, I will blog about later. this is about our little trip to the Salsa Museum! Man, I wish they would teach this at school.

El Maestro Eddie Palmieri!

ORIGINAL posters of some of the first presentations of Tito Puente, Miss Celia Cruz, and Ismael Rivera back in the day in New York....ahhhh how I would've loved to live during those years!

El cantante de los cantantes, Mr. Hector Lavoe

The Original Fania All-Stars! Ahhhhhhh! I know heaven is a happy place with many of them around.

and of course, who's dis? el Cangri, Daddy Yankee yo.

A  wall covered in album covers from those who had American Sabor :)

Teaching Alejandro about Joe Cuba, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, Ismael Rivera, and all the other great artists her mama used to dance to back in her youngen days!

"wanna dance Micah? I heard our mamas used to shake it all the time at the BYU salsa club!"

        They had a jukebox with a progressive timeline of some of salsa's biggest hits! we danced. what do you expect?

 Happily posing in front of this castle-look-alike building

Quick visit to the famous elephant in the Museum of Natural History

Jazz in the park! Alejandro was knocked out! but we weren't :)

 Maybelline and Micah shakin' their groove thang!

This girl is awesome. I am so happy I get to have her close!

It was a fun day. and many more to come soon ;)