There were many cultural events to choose from last weekend, from an organ audition at the Cathedral de Notre Dame to Chopin at Parc Floral and everything in between. I chose an "ambulation" at Parc de le Villette, Paris' largest park. The program promised "25 French musicians who love South American music", and I visualized doing the conga through the trees accompanied by other free thinking parisians ready to blow off a little steam and shake their bootays. I had never been to the PdV, and hoped it wouldn't be too difficult to find the concert, but I had nothing to fear. As soon as I exited the metro I could hear the rythmic beat of a bass drum and strains of a melody wafting gently through the air, drawing Sunday afternoon strollers toward it hypnotically. I followed my ear toward a grassy field where a small crowd encircled a lively band of musicians. Their costumes reminded me of vaqueros, Argentine cowboys with a dash of fancy thrown in for good measure, and they were performing an authentic choreographed routine as they blew their horns like a marching band at a high school football game. Their obvious joy was contagious as they moved through the trees toward a piazza. Everyone followed, mesmerized, just like in the old fable! Not as much in a conga line as a zombie line - those who dared danced a bit - but everyone clapped and smiled and came together for a moment in time. The group is "La Belle Image", raucous and hilarious, and fun.
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