This weekend came quickly. On Friday afternoon Mesoamerica was practically empty. Our peers chose to travel a little extra while we elected to stay behind and enjoy the fruits San Jose has to offer. Friday night was an unexpected evening. Luckily we had a personal invitation from Manuel, our old friend. A few weeks before he had come to our GST class, to share with us his musical knowledge and talents. We were all in love with his nonchalant personality and his amazing melodies. Friday´s invitation brought us to the highly esteemed Jazz café. We enjoyed an assortment of appetizers (including pizza, chicken wings and breaded mushrooms). The ambiance of the café was soothing and tranquil to our minds, bodies and ears. We had arrived early, but our conversations kept us busy and entertained. We all were eager to experience Manuel´s music once more. As we took in our surrounding environment we all felt a sense of pride for Manuel and his musical accomplishments. Around 10:15pm our warm applause embraced Manuel and his band. Our ears anxiously awaited the gentle plucking of his guitar. We were greeted by two trombones, a xylophone, and an assortment of drums. Our ears were at a buffet of beautifully conducted music pieces. You could just close your eyes and imagine lying on a beach with these sounds wafting in with the tide. During the performance Manuel made a special shout out to his favourite Elon group and sang the song, ¨carnival day¨. The sheer fact that we recognized the song brought smiles to all of our faces. As we weaved our way out through the crowd gathered on the dance floor, we realized what an honour it was to know such a man and his music. D&D
