I recently visited the famous eco-park lagoon at Xel-Ha on the Mayan Riviera between Playa del Carmen and Tulum in Mexico. This is an amazing sanctuary of sea and land creatures and a fun place to spend a day. For a reasonable entrance fee, you can swim with giant tropical fish and enjoy unlimited amounts of food and drinks while listening to marimba bands playing popular tunes as well as traditional songs. I approached one of the marimba bands and asked if I could have my photo taken with them. They must have thought I asked if I could hit the bars of the marimba because the lead player handed me a pair of sticks. I know only one Mexican tune by memory from my days with the Blackearth Percussion Group called “Flor de Pina”, so I just started playing it. You could tell the Mexican trio was a bit surprised that I not only could play but I was playing a tune they knew. I suspect that this piece is traditionally played in F since they jumped right in and nailed it! They all have great musical ears so maybe they could play any part in any key of a zillion songs. It was a fun experience for me and the people in the restaurant seemed to enjoy the interlude. One kid was heard to say just after I started playing, “hey mom, look, a tourist is playing with the band.” Here’s a YouTube link for a sample of my guest performance plus another piece from the Xel-Ha Marimba trio with Adolfo, Honorio and Ignacio. See if you can tell which one is me! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyRQFPFWfb8
