And so we were off! Away on our Mexican adventure.

Although we had no idea on what to expect we knew that this was going to be the experience that would come closer to anything resembling the classic world-tour feel then anything we had done before and we were excited!

The first few days were spent in true holiday fashion. We scoured around this huge town not expecting to get but a small taste of the this incomprehensibly vast metropolis. It is a place booming with culture in every thinkable way.

So we wanted to see some of the sights;

The famous Museo de Anthropologia and the beautiful district of Coyacan. The Centro Historico and the charming craft markets. We saw the pyramids of Teotihuacán which were truly breathtaking.

We enjoyed lunches and dinners in authentic Mexican eating establishments as well as the more touristy restaurants. There is a real eating culture in this city. From sun up to sun down everywhere you look there are little makeshift stands that will sell you foods and Beverages of any kind. Some are inviting and some are challenging.

We found we experienced a real part of Mexican culture. Not the safe version you’d see in the touristy bathing resorts. And even if that real culture experience might bring some ugliness with it (it is a extremely large city and it is not all of it is pretty), we considered it an experience grateful having.

By Wednesday we had to come down to reality and realise what we came here to do! Play Hammond funk music for the people of Mexico City.

We did a total of four gigs that week. Two at a club called Zinco (www.zincojazz.com) One In the city of Toluca (www.tolucatravel.com) and we were booked as the closing act of the Eurojazz festival at the Cenart (www.cenart.gob.mx) in Mexico City.

We played Zinco on Wednesday and on Saturday evening. There was quite a steep cover charge so I’m assuming we were playing for the more wealthy members of the Mexican society. We had a blast. At the end of the week the place felt like a small piece of home and the audiences were great. Mexicans like to have a party and they will show it when opportunity knocks. Girls danced, the band danced and shouts were all over the place.

Our concert in Toluca was simply amazing! We played the philharmonic concert hall “Sala de Conciertos Felipe de Villanueva”. It had a real sixties vibe going on. We designed the stage with different height levels to enhance this vintage feeling and together with the affluent bright white light (there were no resources left within the organisation to get fancy lighting up in the hall) this worked really well.

Tomás (as everybody knows, or should know…the best producer in the whole of Mexico!) showed us around this town a bit before the sound checks and treated us to a great authentic Arrachera lunch. Very tasty!

When we started playing we realised that 500 Mexican party people had come to have a great time. This they did! And so did we.

We couldn’t believe the response we got. These are open minded music lovers who do not frown on something because it is not exactly the same “hip thing” they are used to hearing.

The crowd gave us e real warm en enthusiastic vibe during and after the gig and chanted the bands name for two more encores.

These people like a funky tune when they hear it and exhibit no restraint in showing you that they’re having a blast.

Our last concert at the Eurojazz was truly a mind blowing experience! The other gigs were really great and Eurojazz was the quintessential cherry on top!

It was a beautiful and warm day (I even took my jacket off) and the ambiance was relaxed and festive. Like a huge village party. People brought foods and drinks. There were young people looking for a party, old people looking for a nice day out and everybody in between enjoying the day.
We played the Cenart courtyard for a total of seven and a half thousand people !

We never experienced a crowd of that magnitude and that enthusiasm and I can tell you… The energy that comes off of that many people cheering and dancing electrifies you completely. Especially when after a few tunes people started really having a good time, shacking their booties and complementing you on your act … and doing so screaming at the top of their lungs.

No doubt about it. This was a gig not to forget.

Afterwards the backstage area had to be secured on account of the enthusiasm of the spectators. We spent at least three quarters of an hours posing for pictures and signing autographs. Now there is something you don’t experience every day.

The equipment was top of the line as was the organisation. A great concert for great people !

The next day we tried get our senses around the super experiences we had, slowly started packing, had a last Mexican lunch and flew back home into the cold weather of the Netherlands.

Friends, It was a great experience. Playing the concerts, meeting the people, seeing the city, tasting the culture.

We would like to thank Janneke de Geus, Inez Schaap en Nico Vink, Tomás Pría Olavarrieta The staff and organisation at Zinco’s, the Sala de Conciertos Felipe de Villanueva In Toluca, the people at radio Mexicenze and the Cenart and Eurojazz in Mexico City, Noortje, Steffie and Danielle and of course Joost Noordman and Eric van Nieuwland for great sound and great pictures!

But most of all…. The warm people of Mexico City and Toluca who came to see our show, had a great time and made us feel so welcome!

Thank you ever so much !

For a visual impression check out Eric van Nieuwland’ site or clips on YouTube (see previous posts on this site)