Back to the Beach and Music Too!

by Christie Seeley
vallartasounds.com

June 15 was a big day for Doña Teté and her bayside bar and restaurant. Cuates y Cuetes, located at the pier in the Zona Romántica of Puerto Vallarta, is a well-loved destination for visitors and locals alike. This day marked the long-awaited reopening of the beach in front of her establishment as Coronavirus restrictions relaxed. On her Facebook page, displaying photos of the beautiful new layout on the beach with tables and umbrellas spaced far apart following the coronavirus reentry regulations, Tete was jubilant. The restaurant's interior is open-air and is in perfect compliance for guests as they enjoy drinks and meals and admire sunsets during this initial reopening period. 

The thought somewhat tempered Tete's excitement at seeing the flawless sand with the lovely umbrellas that the Banderas Bay that looks so beautiful after rest from human presence would soon return to a less pristine state as tourists and guests begin to arrive. However, as all of us who have frequented this popular place over the years know, the festive atmosphere, it offers complete with live music when in full swing, is impossible to resist. 

We look forward to music from some of our local favorites very soon. Brazilian guitarist, Brian Macedo and his top-rated jazz fusion band Trem de Minas opened the weekend with beautiful music. Sunday night, Brian playing solo guitar was followed by Faralae from Mexico City, including Liliana Bruneder, Rafael Zermeño and Puerto Vallarta friends, Roberto Falcon and Oscar Terrazas. Trem de Minas played on Monday. The group made up of Brian on guitar and voice, the super talented Roberto Falcon on bass and my favorite percussionist, Gary Flores on drums, was sure to charm the audience. I know our favorite musicians from all over Puerto Vallarta are 'chomping at the bit' right now, hoping to get back to playing their beautiful music for us very soon.

Teté Hernandez, the owner of Cuates y Cuetes, is a lifelong jazz enthusiast. Music has been her passion since she was very young. Since her youth, she has supported local musicians and promoted them. Her restaurant/bar was created in its present spot over 20 years ago to accommodate their music. Every year she holds a famous jazz festival on the beach on the anniversary of their opening. At the end of March, she invites her many talented musician friends from all over Mexico to play. It is a spectacular event. 

Doña Teté is indeed a treasure to Puerto Vallarta and again comes up to bat to provide entertainment to Puerto Vallarta as we come out of the pandemic. Her devoted staff is super friendly and committed to following strict guidelines to make this a safe experience for all. We must keep in mind that we are still not entirely out of the woods concerning COVID-19. Guests should wear masks as prescribed by health authorities and maintain proper distancing. But 'where there's a will, there's a way.' Let's hope this experiment with reentry in Puerto Vallarta is successful and that we can move on to a fall season that is satisfying for all.