There’s a party happening on Sunday
& Monday May 4-5, as crowds fill Market Square—also known as
El Mercado—in downtown San Antonio during the Annual Cinco de Mayo
celebration. The party draws an average of 30 to 50,000 people.
Dinner
under a tree or on the hoof can be sublime. Mariachi bands will play traditional
Spanish tunes as food smoke rises, sending aloft the aroma of savory fajita
meat and hand-patted gordita tortillas as they simmer on outdoor grills,
watched carefully by abuelitas under tent canopies. It’s a festive
touch, served up alongside Mexican beer—the kind peddled by “the
most interesting man in the world.”
We are in a resort hotel in Texas at an
air cargo show, but will duck out, at least for a short a cameo appearance—a
few hours lost in the sauce of a local encounter with real people, as
the green, red and white colors of the Mexican flag sail above the San
Antonio Market Square Festival Grounds.
Cinco de Mayo marks a strategic Mexican
victory on May 5, 1862, when a quickly assembled army of about 2,000 men
beat back a French force three times its size.
The French attacked Puebla de Los Angeles,
east of Mexico City.
The win added momentum to Mexico's progress
in its war with France, which conceded six years later.
“Texans of all backgrounds should
share the sense of pride in the victory," declares Yvette Ramirez,
President of the San Antonio Farmers Market Plaza Association, which heads
up the Market Square event.
That includes “Air Cargo Texans”
as well, we say!
Market Square - El Mercado, 514 W. Commerce, San Antonio, TX 78207. Phone:
(210) 207-8600
Geoffrey
The Alamo, the Shrine of Texas Liberty is
not to be missed while in San Antonio.
We think Bing is the greatest crooner America
ever produced.
He was born 111 years ago on May 3, 1903,
and although he died on October 14, 1977, his recordings—like this
one, made with his brother “Bob Crosby & his Orchestra”
in 1940—stand as the definitive versions of many of our most beloved
songs.
Our friend Michael Kelly (UA) recalls that
this song and Texas have a great history for the Kelly family.
“After my Dad was drafted into the
military, as WW II was raging, Mom visited him during his basic training
in Texas.
“Every free hour was spent together
putting nickels in the jukebox to play Bings’ song ‘Rose of
San Antone’ over and over, a big hit of that time.
“Imagine them . . . just married and
not knowing if he was going to come back from overseas.
“Later I asked my father if he liked
any other singers, and he said:
“‘There ARE no other singers.’”
This year Mexican-Americans or “Tejanos”
that fought with James Bowie, Davie Crockett, and William B. Travis are
remembered in an exhibit at the sacred old Fort, which has sat for over
300 years on a 4.2-acre site downtown. Open seven days at 0900-17:30.
Admission is free.
In the spirit of this week, here is the
great 1940s Mills Brothers’ scat treatment of “Across The
Alley from The Alamo”
We agree with the Youtube commenter who
writes:
“Amazing isn't it? Music that has
a definite recognizable melody, lyrical content which doesn't denigrate
anyone's gender, profession, race, or sexual preference. Hmmmm, how in
the world did music like that ever make it? Maybe today's hip-hop folks
should listen to some of this.”
Amen to that . . .
Geoffrey/Flossie
|