Crippled Pink y Yo

My day

Yesterday I jammed here at home with Miguel and Joseph from Crippled Pink. They came by to help me record the song "Joanne's Song" that I wrote for my Uncle Manuel.  I was so happily surprised that they loved the melody of my new song as much as they did, Miguel added his banjo sounds and Joseph was trying to add his guitar sounds, but he decided it was best with only banjo.  When I told them I didn't feel I was a real musician, Joseph immediately said, "Yes, you are," which was so kind of him.  Then I ended up telling them how my very first guitar was a small requinto that mom and dad brought me from one of their trips to Juarez, Mexico.   (Mom and Dad lived in Colorado, of course and would often go there to see relatives)  I must've been around 7 years old when they gave me that guitar and I taught myself how to play basic chords and to sing along. To this day, I've always loved singing and strumming one of my guitarrras.  I remember I was on a book gig in Texas somewhere and for the first time I played a song to open and the audience loved it.  After that, I' decided I would always open with a song and still continue to do that to this day!  (I always wanted to be in a band) (Actually I have been in several bands, but that's another story) Over the years, I've written poems, even songs about my love for my guitarras.  In the midst of all the tragedies poverty, etc. singing and playing my guitarra, writing songs, gave me hope, it kept me alive, it fed my soul and it still does to this day.  In the most recent song I've written about my four guitars, entitled, "Mi guitarra," the final  verse states:    

    "El día en que yo muera                                                                                      juntas nos iremos                                                                                      cantando en la gloria                                                                                      mi linda compañera.                                                                                      Mi guitarra                                                                                      Mi guitarra                                                                                      Mi guitarra yo te quiero                                                                                      Mi guitarra                                                                                      Mi guitarra                                                                                      Mi guitarra eres mía

One of my next projects will be a second poetry/music cd like my Superwoman Chicana CD so that I can record some of my new songs.  Crippled Pink said they'd love to go with me  to my cousin's recording studio in San Francisco (FLaviani Recording) to do this whenever I am ready!

On a final note, I always tell young people that if there is something artistic they love to do, to continue to develop it as I have done.  Writing, singing and playing the guitar literally saved my life!