FAOT Days Eight and Nine

Buenas tardes.
We awoke to the distant sound of a single bongo, lonely and slow, soft, almost mournful. An interesting group of dredlocked young Americans, www.soulfireproject.com , traveling by bus, are staying across the arroyo through the weekend. I recognized the bongo as theirs, but it was playing a different song, almost as if it were playing a sad song, maybe sadness at the festival being over.

So, yes, it is true. FAOT is officially over. Days 8 and 9 were filled with music. The festival closure was in the Palacio last night with the beautiful mezzosoprano, Encamacion Vasquez and Jose' Luis Ordonez, a tenor. Afterward, there were more performances on the Plaza stage, the Estudiantina was in the streets, stilt walkers and puppets and clowns were parading.


So, today the streets should be nice and quiet.


Senor went to the hardware store this morning around 8am. He returned to the casa, gave his report.................... there are no cars around, no people walking, nothing going on, nada, nada, nada. His prediction.......there is absolutely no one in town, it is all over.

I immediately had mixed feelings. It has been so crowded, there has been so much excitement, so much noise, so much activity. I have met some interesting people I would like to spend more time with. I actually felt a little sad.

By 9am, Senor needed to return to the hardware store. He did not return for along time. When he came back, he said he could not even get to the hardware store. There were people everywhere. There were 6 busses lined up at the Alameda. There were Mexican tour groups and youth groups all over the place. There were truckloads of people and even more busses, pulling into town. There were crowd control police everywhere.

Then the music seemed to start from all directions, and it has been going all day.
The music is our music, it is Alamos music, it is bongos, accordians, guitars, bass guitars and tubas. It is the wonderful music we will hear on any given day.

I think now, for the Alamenses and their guests from both in town and out of town, the real party festival has begun. A Mexican friend stopped by earlier. His comments confirmed that and he said it will last all day and night.

The air is filled with the smell of carne asada, peppers and onions. A car is parked on our street, music is blaring, Tecate is flowing, people are singing to the music.


Soon we will be off to a large party ourselves, a fundraiser in the Palacio, for the Senior home. The beloved singer, Lorena Robles, will play. She is the sweetheart of Sonora, with a rich, vibrant voice and wonderfully skilled guitar fingers. Many, many people, both foreign and Mexican, will go to hear her.

Now a new celebration of some kind has started across the street at the old Tequila Factory. I think this is the real night of the ending of FAOT. Maybe this is the local celebration of the closure, the ending of the event...........................or it could just be the beginning of a brand new event.......................

Below are my last FAOT photos, but I will put many more on flikr as soon as I can..................street guitarists perform below at the Plaza......

a musician from La Magica performs at the Plaza stage................

another La Magica musician plays................

a Peruvian woman plays at the Plaza.................

a young man, who is also a bongo player, juggles at the Plaza......................

another Peruvian musician plays below.....................

street performers below, in the kissing alley........................

outside the Teracotta, musicians, and jugglers sit on the steps and jam.....................
adios! linda lou.