Harmonica Episode 3. Thought you'd find this amusing. I was one in a group of 8 people (family and friends) standing in line among other passengers at an airport bound for Cuba awaiting security clearance. My harmonica, which I usually carry, showed in the X-Ray screening of my carry-on luggage. The lady officer asked me to open my bag. Looking at the harmonica, the officer goes: "What's this?" "My harmonica" I replied. "Do you know how to play it?" she asked. "Yes, of course, I do" I said. "Really?" the officer queried, "then can you play something?" "Certainly", I stated. "Go ahead", she said. "Is it okay to play it here?" I asked. "Yes, it's alright" she says. Then without hesitation, like 'un hombre sincero', I rendered a version of my favourite, none other than 'Guantanamera', which came to me spontaneously. The officers were convinced that there was nothing else inside the harmonica other than 2 brass plates with reeds while other passengers were held in an utter gasp, amused, amazed and puzzled perhaps all at the same time. I was happy, relieved and thankful that my 40-year old harmonica was not confiscated. I was glad that I got a rare audience and a unusual chance to play at an airport of all places. I often reminisce and tell my friends about this odd one of a kind incident in my life. Playing an original Cuban song before boarding an airplane bound for Cuba that delighted everyone - like a prelude, a precursor to music that the tourists would definitely hear in the days ahead in the restaurants and nightclubs during their stay in Cuba - was simply exhilarating. Please give a listen to a classic rendition by Compay Segundo (a.k.a. Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz Telles) #Stories #HarmonicaEspisode
Monday, May 06, 2019
COMPAY SEGUNDO-Guantanamera.WMV
Harmonica Episode 3. Thought you'd find this amusing. I was one in a group of 8 people (family and friends) standing in line among other passengers at an airport bound for Cuba awaiting security clearance. My harmonica, which I usually carry, showed in the X-Ray screening of my carry-on luggage. The lady officer asked me to open my bag. Looking at the harmonica, the officer goes: "What's this?" "My harmonica" I replied. "Do you know how to play it?" she asked. "Yes, of course, I do" I said. "Really?" the officer queried, "then can you play something?" "Certainly", I stated. "Go ahead", she said. "Is it okay to play it here?" I asked. "Yes, it's alright" she says. Then without hesitation, like 'un hombre sincero', I rendered a version of my favourite, none other than 'Guantanamera', which came to me spontaneously. The officers were convinced that there was nothing else inside the harmonica other than 2 brass plates with reeds while other passengers were held in an utter gasp, amused, amazed and puzzled perhaps all at the same time. I was happy, relieved and thankful that my 40-year old harmonica was not confiscated. I was glad that I got a rare audience and a unusual chance to play at an airport of all places. I often reminisce and tell my friends about this odd one of a kind incident in my life. Playing an original Cuban song before boarding an airplane bound for Cuba that delighted everyone - like a prelude, a precursor to music that the tourists would definitely hear in the days ahead in the restaurants and nightclubs during their stay in Cuba - was simply exhilarating. Please give a listen to a classic rendition by Compay Segundo (a.k.a. Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz Telles) #Stories #HarmonicaEspisode
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