Music By The Sea  

What are we up to in retirement?

Mariachi's 2009 At The Balboa Bay Club 4/18/2007

Vicky had an idea (Oh Oh!) Off to the Balboa Bay Club for an evening of Mariachi music? We went and wow, what an evening! 

Did you know? - Formed by Jóse Hernàndez in 1981,Sol de México® was created to reflect the vision of an inspiring, artistic mariachi ensemble. As true representatives of a treasured cultural heritage, Sol de México® are a cohesive, dynamic team who have accepted the vision to live on as the Nation's Premier Mariachi. Individually, each musical artist of Sol de México® brings a refined talent of expertise. Together, they are mesmerizing, animating the voice of their culture. With their joyful pulse this 14 member orchestrated mariachi group personify the moods of the land and people—reminiscent of your land, your people. Why is Sol de México® an elite mariachi? To mirror the romance, serenity and cultural tradition, Sol de México® offers traditional mariachi sounds embellished with fresh contemporary passion and powerful new rhythms. It is a deep love of mariachi and a passion for it that has brought them to a superlative level of note.

We listened to great music, had great food, and enjoyed the boats moving slowly back and forth during the evening

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
Food anyone?  Paul gained five pounds!

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
Our table was up front!

Did you know? - Mariachi is a type of musical group, originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Usually a mariachi consists of at least three violins, two trumpets, one Spanish guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar) one guitarrón (a small-scaled acoustic bass) and occasionally a harp. They dress in silver studded charro outfits with wide-brimmed hats. The original Mariachi were Mexican street musicians or buskers.

Although mariachis are hired to play at events such as weddings and other formal occasions, such as a quinceañera (a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration), they are very often used to serenade women because many of the songs in a typical repertoire have as a theme the desire to touch the heart of the opposite sex. Trios of mariachis can be found for hire in different places at night (the best known venues are Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara and Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City) for the purposes of serenading. Mother's days are also another popular occasion for mariachis. Hiring prices can vary immensely and are normally not cheap.

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
Very talented musicians!

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
Sue got to the camera first

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
The Four Amigos!

Did you know? - The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, a world-class destination along the California Riviera. Reminiscent of an Italian villa in grace and charm, our amenity-filled accommodations beckon after days at our four-diamond hotel resort. Designed to take full advantage of the setting, our restaurants and rooms open up to the bay at every opportunity, with breathtaking views and sea breezes abounding throughout. Stylish Newport Beach accommodations suggest an aura of a tropical hideaway - a quiet haven for rest and relaxation. 

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
These guys were goooooood!  Great musicians and great singers!

Crystal
Crystal Hernandez sang for us!  What a voice for an eleven ye

Vicky Disappeared, Oh Oh!

Got them!
Vicky and Mr. Hernandez

Resting
Resting at the break!

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
Del meets a WWII Navy man and they chit and chat about the South Pacific

Evening is falling
Thanks to the wild fires, the sky is beautiful

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
The official Mexican for the evening

Paul & Sue

Did you know? - The English word sombrero, a loan word from Spanish, typically refers to a type of hat originating in Mexico.

The Mexican sombrero is used for protection from the hot sun. It usually has a somewhat high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the wearer, and slightly upturned at the edge), and a chin string to hold it in place. Cowboys generalized the word to mean just about any wide broad-brimmed hat.

In Mexico, peasant sombreros are usually made of straw, while wealthier Hispanics wear sombreros made of felt. They come in many designs with different colorings, woven patterns, and decorations. They are rarely seen in modern urban settings, except as part of folkloric outfits worn in certain festivities. The Mexican sombrero has become a national and cultural symbol, and is often used in traditional Mexican celebrations, especially by communities outside Mexico

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
Someone was cold

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
How does she do that???

Did you know? - Vicky is making Paul into a Pizza!  Yes a Paparazzi is a plural term (paparazzo being the Italian singular form) for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or lie on the beach. This contrasts with press photography, or photojournalism, that is undertaken at press conferences, red carpet affairs and other events where there is an expectation and desire that the subjects will be photographed.

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
When they broke out in big-band music the crowd went wild!

Under the moon
Music in the moonlight

Moonlight
They were moving fast and the moon was moving slow

Moonlight
One more try

The wait staff
The servers joined in the fun

Fun
And they had fun!

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
They came out into the audience making the experience even better

In the audience
The ladies seemed to enjoy this band for some reason??

A Tribute To America

Did You Know? - At the end of the performance, the leader said to the audience "Many people think that people from Mexico that come to American come here to take.  It is not true, we come legally to share with Americans.  We are proud to be Americans and love our country."  They broke into a super rendition of "God Bless America" and  "The Star Spangled Banner".  The audience all stood and applauded!  A super end to a super evening!

Mariachi 2009 Balboa Bay Club
The boathouse