So Good to be Back to the Music!

Published in Vallarta Tribune
​By Christie Seeley
vallartasounds.com

Welcome back to so many of our readers who have just arrived for the “season”!  Your smiling faces have been missed!

I just rolled into Puerto Vallarta on Sunday after a brief stay in California and France. The familiar sensation of the humid and fragrant air of October here in our tropical paradise was welcoming.  A light rain moistened my hair as I walked down to the pier to hear one of my favorite groups, Moruno, play at Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant. I had been missing the incredible music this community has to offer.

Be it Mediterranean or jazz manouche, Moruno has it all together! The new coupling of Moruno, Nacho Flores from Guadalajara playing his collection of exotic string instruments and Spanish guitarist Diego Mateo, with the one and only Roberto Falcón on bass and the dynamic percussion of Jaime Ramon sent the audience last weekend at Babel Bar into trances! I hear that the energy there was phenomenal!  

The group regularly performs at Cuates y Cuetes on Sunday and Tuesday evenings starting at 8:30, and that was where I headed on the Sunday of my arrival. The percussionist, Jaime Ramon, was not present for Sunday's performance, however, the three other members of the group kept our brave audience of listeners spellbound.  We were happy we had braved the rain. Although they just joined forces last month, this threesome communicates beautifully.  They pick up on one another's leads with the ease of the seasoned musicians they are. Roberto played an exquisite bass, and his marvelous energy was a powerful addition.  Nacho alternated between his recently reacquired manouche guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, and Arabian oud, bringing new and exciting flavors to the music with each piece. Diego added his smile and great guitar accompaniment for the enhancement of the group. Their rendition of Hava Nagila that lasted a good 12 minutes was just plain spectacular!   

As usual, listeners were asking who these talented musicians were.  Of course, I filled them in.  I keep a calendar of many musical performances on my website that I hope is helpful to visitors and often share my website vallartasounds.com with people I meet.  A CD is always a good souvenir as well!

I am excited that Moruno, along with many other talented bands, will be playing at the Bahia World Music Festival here in Vallarta this December 7 and 8.  See the festival website for more information:  worldmusicfestival.mx.